The Judy & Varla Show stars Emmy Award-winning comedian / writer Judy Gold and international drag sensation Varla Jean Merman in their first show together. These two extraordinary talents deliver an unforgettable evening of music, stand-up, and all-around hilarity in a show that premiered at the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston in October 2019. The Judy and Varla show was conceived by Mark Cortale and features Gerald Goode at the piano.

Judy Gold has had stand-up specials on HBO, Comedy Central and LOGO. She has written and starred in two critically acclaimed, Off-Broadway hit shows: The Judy Show – My Life as a Sitcom (Outer Critics Circle Nomination), and 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother (GLAAD Media Award – Outstanding NY Theater, Drama Desk Nomination – Actor). Judy received rave reviews as Gremio in The Public Theater’s all female production of The Taming of The Shrew for Shakespeare in the Park. She also co-starred in Off-Broadway’s Clinton! The Musical, and Disasater! The Musical.  She has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and has recurring roles on Netflix’s Friends From College and TBS’ Search Party. She can also be seen on the Showtime series I’m Dying Up Here.  Judy was featured in Woody Allen’s series Crisis In Six Scenes on Amazon, and also appears on the hit web-series The Other F Word on Amazon Prime. Other most recent TV appearances include guest-starring roles o, Broad City, Louie, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Inside Amy Schumer, Difficult People, 30 Rock, and 2 Broke Girls. Judy also won two Emmy awards for writing and producing The Rosie O’Donnell Show.  She has made numerous appearances on The Steve Harvey Show, The View, The Today Show, and The Wendy Williams Show. She has written for The New York Times, Huffington Post, CNN.com.  She is the host of the hit podcast, Kill Me Now, on iTunes. 

Jeffery Roberson, aka Varla Jean Merman, starred in the new musical Lucky Guy opposite Leslie Jordan at the Little Shubert Theatre in New York prompting The New York Times to rave: "If Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman had stood in front of the right pair of funhouse mirrors, they might have resembled Ms. Merman and Mr. Jordan in stature as well as comedic talent." Mr. Roberson appeared in the feature films Girls Will Be Girls 2012 and Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads. He also played the title role of Giancarlo Menotti's opera The Medium in New York at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre. Mr. Roberson guest starred as Varla Jean on Ugly Betty in the final season of the show and was featured on season 5 of Bravo’s Project Runway as the winning model for the show’s drag challenge. He played the role of Mary Sunshine in the revival of Chicago on Broadway, and also made his network television debut on All My Children in the recurring role of lady of the evening Rosemary Chicken. He shared the Outfest Film Festival Best Actor Award and the Aspen HBO Film Festival Best Actress Award with his co-stars Jack Plotnick and Clinton Leupp for his featured performance in the cult classic film Girls Will Be Girls (Sundance 2003) directed by Richard Day. Mr. Roberson also appeared at the Long Wharf Theatre in The Mystery of Irma Vep directed by Michael Wilson, performing the roles originally made famous by Charles Ludlam. In 2010, he received the Elliot Norton Award for Best Musical Performance in The Phantom of the OPRAH. He returned to Boston in the fall of 2011 to star as Mother Superior in SpeakEasy Stage Company's production of The Divine Sister by Charles Busch. As Varla Jean, Mr. Roberson has filled cabarets and concert halls across the world including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, New York's The Public Theater, London's Soho Theatre, and LA's Renberg Theatre. He wrote and starred in the short Improve Your History with Varla Jean: Stonewall, for the launch of the MTV's television network Logo, and was also seen in their One Night Standup: Dragtastic special.