Lisa Lampanelli brings the meanest act in show biz to town
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Lisa Lampanelli -- is she the new Queen of Mean?
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When she did the Pamela Anderson roast on Comedy Central in August 2005, Lisa Lampanelli joked that she had to go on last because she wasn't famous yet.
By the time she was done, there would be no forgetting Lisa Lampanelli, who laid waste to everyone on the dais and was probably lucky that either Andy Dick, Jimmy Kimmel or Courtney Love didn't bludgeon her from behind with a wine bottle.
The Queen of Mean, as they call her, is Don Rickles in a dress with a much filthier mouth. When she shows up at a roast, everyone on stage had better grow a few more layers of skin to deal with her below-the-belt assault. Oblivious to political correctness, her favorite targets seem to be gays, Hispanics and African Americans (she claims to have a black boyfriend), but she'll go after anyone, so be warned if you have good seats for her shows this weekend at the Byham.
Precious little of it is quotable in the newspaper, but there are a few classics that we can relay, like this gem from the Gene Simmons roast.
- Where: Byham Theater
- When: 8 p.m. Friday; 7 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday (sold out)
- Tickets: $39.50
- More information: 412-456-6666
"I'd like to be sincere and say something from the heart. This is difficult because what do you call a man who is a true rock 'n' roll icon? What do you call a man whose songs will live forever in the hearts of fans? What do you call a man who inspired countless young people to pursue their dream of making a difference in the world?
"You call that man ... John Lennon.
"But he's dead, and all we have left is this untalented windbag. So, um, nice tongue, Gene."
These shredding gigs at the roasts have boosted Lampanelli from club to sold-out theater level. Later this month, the journalism major from Syracuse University, who worked at Popular Mechanics and Rolling Stone, premieres her first HBO special, and a sitcom pilot is in the works.
First Published January 8, 2009 12:00 am
