I just became a fan of comedian Sarah Hester Ross, who is known for her mashup performance style of stand-up comedy and parody songs. With over 3 million followers online, Sarah is following in the footsteps of her idol Bette Midler. She is funny, outspoken, and uses her humor and songwriting skills to talk about some serious topics.

On the heels of her comedy special, Don't Mess with a Redhead, airing on Apple TV & Amazon Prime, Sarah is getting ready to make her Edinburgh Fringe debut with her newest comedy show, Sarah Hester Ross...Is What?

In this interview, Sarah answered my call to reveal:

• What she is looking forward to most about performing in the Edinburgh Fringe
• How her new show, Sarah Hester Ross...Is What? will be a good introduction to her comedy
• How Better Midler influenced her performance style
• How she gets through being bullied online
• So much more

Connect with Sarah: Website, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Sarah Hester Ross...Is What? is a hilarious musical experience that shows you a woman being TikTok famous, who doesn’t want babies, and is the leader of the ‘Stop Giving Men Microphones’ movement.

Sarah Hester Ross...Is What? serves as an introduction to a multi-talented comedian and musician best known for her 3 million social media followers and lovers of Florida Man Friday, who will be the first to tell you she aims to be the “next Bette Midler.” 

Sarah Hester Ross...Is What? will play the Edinburgh Fringe on select dates from August 2-18, 2024. All shows begin at 2:30pm EST/14:30 Edinburgh time.

1. This August you will be bringing your new show Sarah Hester Ross...Is What? to the Edinburgh Fringe. What are you looking forward to most about performing in the Edinburgh Fringe? The Edinburgh Fringe has a reputation of allowing performers to be “the most,” “weird,” “out there.” I’ve been touring comedy clubs for a few years now, and as much as I have enjoyed it and learned a lot, I think I really belong on a theatre stage. Fringe is giving me that stage to do a show I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time.

2. For someone who has never seen you before, how will Sarah Hester Ross...Is What? be a good introduction to you? It’s my story in song. You’ll find just about everything you need to know about me and how I got to this point in my life and career. Along with some new favorite songs to sing along to. Here's an anthem that a lot of fans have gotten behind: "Stop Giving Men Microphones"

3. What was the most challenging part about this show to write? Why do you feel it was such a challenge? I have been writing songs/bits for this show for about 3 years. Sarah Hester Ross...Is What? is only an hour show, but I have HOURS of material.

Picking the best ones has always been my Achilles’ heel. I love them all, but I try to read my audience and pick the best pieces for them. For example, I have a brand new song for Scotland that I wrote just for them. That means something else had to be replaced.

4. What skit or song kicked off the creation of this new show? I just wrote and put out a new parody song “I’m Serving Cvnt.” I believe it explains my entire personality along with my show.

Sarah Hester Ross performing in Don't Mess with a Redhead
Photo Credit: Comedy Dynamics

5. When you write a show, do you literally write it out on paper or a computer or is there a more modern way you map them out? Notes App baby. You should see the mess that is my notes app. I have so many “idea notes” that I write in the middle of the night from a dream. Then 3 or 4 notes for show orders. It’s an organized mess that only my ADHD brain can configure.

6. I love your style of performance, part stand-up comedy & part musical extravaganza. According to press notes, you want to be the next Bette Midler. What is it about Bette Midler that made you want to model your own performance style after her? First of all, what is it NOT about Bette Midler?!? Her entire career is a life goal for me. Started in gay clubs, burlesque clubs, and bathhouses honing her comedy chops. Then getting known for her radio ballad hits and then becoming a movie star. She did it all and never compromised. That’s what I want. I want it all.

I also respect that she’s been fighting and speaking for her political beliefs even through her celebrity. You don’t see that a lot in Hollywood out of fear, and she doesn’t seem scared of anything. I love her.

7. If you could write a song with Bette Midler, what do you think you would write about? What a great question!! Funny Women. All the names we get called, all the crap we have to deal with on top of original art being difficult and how we are held to such a high standard and yet we are still here and you're listening! Cheeky.

Sarah Hester Ross performing in Don't Mess with a Redhead
Photo Credit: Comedy Dynamics

8. You started performing when you were 11 years old in shows at Busch Gardens in Florida and then later on, in Piano Bars. What made these settings a good training ground for you today? Because I was basically born on stage, I'm not afraid of it. The stage actually soothes my nerves, no matter the size, I’m at home on a stage. 

Dueling pianos is where I realized I was good at writing comedy. Not sure I would be going down this “musical comedy” path without having the freedom from that stage to play and learn to do what comes naturally to me: comedy.

 9. In your show, Don't Mess with a Redhead, you briefly talk about getting bullied on social media for some of the content you post.

• How does this affect you? I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t affect me. I’m not a robot. I don’t love it when people don’t like me or what I do, but I’m also not ignorant to think everyone should. They are just wrong and that’s ok.
• What advice would you give to someone who is being bullied to help them get through it? Screw em and use it! Let it drive you to write even better, louder, funnier, off the cuff stuff next go around. Keep 'em talking either way.

10. What is something we didn't get to talk about in this interview that you'd like my audience to know about you? I love what I do and I’m really grateful that I get to do it. It’s because of you (the audience) that I get to do it. I will never forget that if it weren’t for people watching, I would just be performing for my dog, and she’s kind of a bitch. So thank you.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

11. Pancakes or French Toast? French Toast

12. Coffee or Tea? How do you take it? Coffee! Tea is dirt water

13. If you could have any super power, which one would you choose? To win every argument that I have

14. If you could be any original flavor lifesaver, which one would you be? Watermelon

15. Summer Vacation or Winter Retreat? Winter retreat. As a redhead the sun is not my best friend

Sarah Hester Ross, Photo Credit: Jenna Leigh

More on Sarah Hester Ross:

Best known for her 3 million followers online and her uproarious Las Vegas Residency, Sarah Hester Ross brings Sarah Hester Ross...Is What? to Edinburgh Fringe for her premier debut at the fest.

Following the release of her new comedy special on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Don’t Mess With A Redhead, the new 1-hour show Sarah Hester Ross...Is What? is a hilarious musical experience that shows you a woman being TikTok famous, who doesn’t want babies and is the leader of the ‘Stop Giving Men Microphones’ movement.

Sarah invites you into the life of a TikTok-famous woman who doesn’t want babies and leads the “stop giving men microphones” movement. Sarah Hester Ross...Is What?, her hilarious debut Edinburgh Fringe show, serves as an introduction to a multi-talented comedian and musician best known for her 3 million social media followers and lovers of Florida Man Friday, who will be the first to tell you she aims to be the “next Bette Midler.” 

Sarah is aware that musical comedy is not everyone’s cup of tea, but she effectively utilizes music to help audiences to stomach some very serious topics. “A spoonful of music helps the discussion of women’s rights (or lack thereof) go down. The music is niche, but the topics aren’t, and I feel that’s what makes it special”, says Sarah.

Originally from Tampa, Florida but currently Las Vegas-based, Sarah has been performing professionally since age 11, when she got her start as a member of a show at Busch Gardens. Later, while performing at a piano bar in Orlando where people request top 40 songs and she would play them on the spot, a colleague told her “You’re funny, you should go learn the gig properly somewhere else, your talents won’t be used here.” So she did, packing her possessions into her car and moving to Vegas where she started working the piano bar circuit.

The pandemic forced Sarah offstage and online, where her musical comedy hit on a larger scale, quickly building a sizable online following. This led to a post-pandemic three-month Vegas residency where she developed the hour, which she honed further by taking it on the road. The result is Sarah Hester Ross...Is What?.Sarah admits “...it blew my mind that people would buy tickets to see me. Just me. It changed my whole perspective of what I wanted to do with my career.” While her mind may have been blown by the well-deserved audience attention, we believe the Edinburgh Fringe audience minds will be similarly blown by Sarah Hester Ross...Is What?