Though singer, actor and writer Storm Large now boasts a large cult following, her beginnings were far humbler. On Monday’s St. Louis on the Air, she described the process of discovering her voice and breaking out of a cycle of insecurity and loneliness.
“I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere,” Large told host Don Marsh. “I wasn’t normal. I wasn’t pretty. I didn’t fit in … All of a sudden, there was this thing that I can do that makes people happy.”
Today, Large tours the country sharing her voice with a diverse range of audiences.
“It’s tiring, but you know, it’s full. It’s a full life,” she said.
Her most recent endeavor is a signature holiday cabaret, “Holiday Ordeal,” which she’ll bring to Grand Center’s Sun Theatre on Tuesday.
Large explained that the title is meant to convey the tribulations that many find themselves enduring each holiday season, “with travel and with family and with plans and expectations.”
Though her performance will feature standards, she noted that “there’s also music that evokes … the feeling of what the season should be about, which is love, exuberance, celebration, joy, reflection on the year that you survived and looking forward to the next year.”
From her perspective, the showcase deals less with the holiday itself and more with the feeling of the season: “feeling like a little kid … and believing in magic and hope and miracles and redemption.”
Large is often labeled a provocative or edgy performer, but she doesn’t necessarily see herself this way.
“’Edgy’ makes me think of people in all black being very serious and challenging the audience with political bars,” she said. “No, I’m just like, I’m a dork. I’m a huge dork about lots of stuff.”
Her ability to embrace her inner “dork” emerges from the confidence she’s developed over the course of her career and the work she’s put into her craft.
“I take my job very seriously, but I don’t take myself very seriously,” Large explained.
Related Event:
What: Storm Large’s “Holiday Ordeal”
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Sun Theatre, 3625 Grandel Square, St. Louis
St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Alex Heuer, Evie Hemphill, Lara Hamdan, and Xandra Ellin give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.
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