Varla Jean Merman is the creation of Jeffery Roberson. He came to New York from New Orleans in 1994 and immediately became a fixture in the downtown club scene. In 1995, he wrote and starred in VARLA AND THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY, which was produced by Susanne Bartsch at Westbeth Theatre Center. His multi-media cabaret acts, I, WHO HAVE NOTHING (1997 BISTRO AWARD) and PEEL ME A GRAPE (1998 MAC AWARD) ran for fifteen sell-out months at Eighty-Eight's Cabaret. His THE VERY WORST OF VARLA JEAN MERMAN (NEW ENGLAND INDEPENDENT CRITICS AWARD) debuted at New York's premier comedy club, Caroline's, and then toured across the country, from San Francisco to Provincetown.

He made his solo Carnegie WEILL RECITAL Hall debut and his LINCOLN CENTER ALICE TULLY HALL debut with VARLA JEAN MERMAN/A CHRISTMAS CONCERT and SHA BANG, both benefits for God's Love We Deliver. Roberson joined the cast of the hit Broadway musical revival Chicago, playing the role of MARY SUNSHINE this past Spring, after having toured with the First National Company for six months from Tokyo to Schenectady. In 1998, he was featured in Mark Dendy's DREAM ANALYSIS, his first foray into the modern dance world, at the JOYCE THEATRE. He's been featured on E! Television's Fashion Emergency, and Cannes: Sex on the Riviera, as well as MTV's recent TRUE LIFE: MARDI GRAS! making his annual appearance hosting THE BOURBON STREET AWARDS in New Orleans.

Roberson has been featured in several of TWEED Theater's Fractured Classiks series productions, including Lypsinka is Harriet Craig, and The Miracle Worker with Charles Busch, SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, THE GLASS MENAGERIE and VJM IS THE BAD SEEDLING! His film credits include the independent feature Francesca Page (with Almodovar star, ROSSY DePALMA) which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and HBO's Dragtime. Last summer, he joined forces with NY's CITY OPERA with his own benefit for young artists, SUMMER SURVIVAL. He has also shared the stage with Broadway legend Betty Buckley, singing excerpts from the notorious Broadway musical horror Carrie as part of Ms. Buckley's club act at New York's Bottom Line.

His most recent achievement is the off-Broadway run and CD recording of his one-man show ENOUGH ABOUT ME: AN UNAUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

FOR LOTS MORE VARLA JEAN VISIT HER WEBSITE