Over the course of Margaret Cho's ever-evolving career, the world has watched her blossom from an insecure comedian into an empowering yet still-hilarious feminist icon. Flirtations with drugs, kicking the habit and confronting her sexuality - all before the eager eyes of her fans - have transformed Cho into a hilarious force to be reckoned with. Her stand-up films - notably Notorious C.H.O., Assassin and I'm The One That I Want - are among the better examples of the genre, balancing blunt, painful confessional with the political activism that has always been less parallel to and more tangled with her comedy career, into all of which is woven a welcome strain of good old-fashioned folly. Cho's latest show, Mother, is her critically acclaimed look at motherhood within queer culture, that she personally describes as "probably my edgiest show to date."

MARGARET CHO, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m., Tacoma Comedy Club, 933 Market St., Tacoma, $25, 253.282.7203