Tomata du Plenty

'David Xavier Harrigan, aka Tomata du Plenty

Tomata du Plenty was born as David Xavier Harrigan on May 28, 1948, in the state of New York, of Irish immigrant parents. His family moved to Montebello, California, when he was 9 years old, and Tomata ran away to Hollywood at the age of 15. In 1968 he hitchhiked to San Francisco, California, where he met members of the Cockettes, including Hibiscus. He appeared in one of the early shows of The Cockettes but soon moved to Seattle, WA. where he formed his own theatre group, Ze Whiz Kidz.

Tomata led Ze Whiz Kids, a troupe based on Seattle, Washington that blended counterculture comedy with drag theater during 1969–1972. The group staged nearly a hundred musical revues with a cast that featured performers like Satin Sheets, Co Co Ritz, Dyna Flo, Benny Whiplash, Michael Hautepants (costume designer Michael Murphy), Leah Vigeah and biological women Valerie Allthetime DePonty (Valerie DePonty), Louise Lovely (Di Linge) and Cha Cha Samoa (Cha Davis, now a painter).

In the Fall of 1973, Tomata and Cockette founding member, Fayette Hauser moved to New York City to bring guerrilla comedy to CBGB's and other East Village clubs, working with then-unknown bands like the Ramones and Blondie. "I used to do Pat Suzuki between their sets", he said. They were soon joined by fellow performers Gorilla Rose, Cockettes Sweet Pam Tent and John Flowers. In 1972 and 1973, Tomata and company staged two Palm Casino Revues at the Bouwerie Lane Theater. In between shows, he and Fayette found time to write a gossip column called "Hollywood Spit"for the Naked News, an adult newspaper and together Fayette and Tomata also operated a vintage store on Mott St. Their clientele included the sculpture Louise Nevelson. The store had no name. Also at this time Fayette and Tomata worked with Chris Stein and Joseph Freeman on a video magazine also called "Hollywood Spit" with fellow performers Gorilla Rose and John Flowers for Public Access television. The show aired in New York and in Los Angeles.

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Wikipedia