Feb. 22, 2009 Funny Girl Rita Rudner’s one-liners keep the Photos courtesy Harrah’s Entertainment Along with her clever one-liners and observations of everyday life, Rita Rudner is known for wearing glamorous gowns in her act at audiences laughing at Harrah’s Harrah’s hotel. She says she has about 15 gowns altogether. BY KRisTINE MCKENZie Make ‘eM LAUGH order to keep their youthful appearances. One of the things Rudner is best known for Vegas.com Women will do anything to avoid wrinkles, is poking fun at the many differences between Who: Rita Rudner Rudner says. “My aunt Sylvia just had herself men and women and she covers many common Where: Harrah’s laminated.” areas of disagreement between the sexes like ita Rudner is the queen of clever When: 8:30 p.m. Monday - Saturday. Rudner also questions the audience about driving, reading maps, watching sports and the one-liners and she delivers them in their familiarity with Botox. “It’s botulism, love women have for decorative pillows. rapid succession in her trademark which I’ve made in my kitchen quite a few Now that she is a mother, Rudner also works deadpan voice and sparkling gown “I don’t care where you’re from, Las Vegas times,” she jokes. in material about parenting, commenting that during her show at Harrah’s. is the opposite of it,” she says. Topics about aging like becoming more working in Vegas is perfect because she has RRudner’s routine features her stream-of- Rudner asks audience members if they’ve forgetful and losing your eyesight and hearing hired a Rita Rudner impersonator as a nanny so consciousness-style observations on everyday been to the Grand Canyon and says that she draw laughs and nods of recognition from the her daughter never knows that she’s not there. life that everyone in the audience can relate to, avoids the helicopter tours – not because the audience. “He’s really great with her,” Rudner quips. from the oddities of Las Vegas to getting older, flight is scary, but because you have to give The women in the audience can relate to Rudner’s down-to-earth demeanor and the differences between men and women and your weight. Rudner’s jokes about turning 50 and encounter- likable personality shine throughout the show, the pitfalls of marriage. “If everyone’s lying like I am, we’re going ing hot flashes, which she theorizes just might but are even more apparent at the end when This might be Sin City, but Rudner’s comedy down!” be responsible for global warming. she opens up the floor for a Q&A session with is clean and she doesn’t rely on any props or Rudner jokes about things like the trend Shopping is one of Rudner’s favorite subjects the audience, which inevitably leads to more flashy sets to entertain her audience. It’s simply toward topless pools in Vegas and the prolifera- and she tries valiantly to get the men in the funny anecdotes. her on the stage with a microphone and her tion of themed hotels in the city. audience to understand why it’s so important Rudner’s comedy is easy to relate to and witty sense of humor. “I never thought I’d be able to take a gondola to women. keeps both the men and women in the audience Rudner begins her show with some funny to The Gap,” she says. Rudner likens shopping to indoor hunting. entertained. If you’re looking for something to observations about life in Las Vegas and being The show moves on to other topics like “We use a credit card instead of a gun and our do with a spouse or with girlfriends, Rudner a tourist in a very unusual city. getting older and the things women will do in target is already dead.” delivers the perfect night of good, clean fun. QUESTIONS WITH RITA RUDNER Comedian Rita Rudner is right at home on inquire last year but I’m still not sure… I know the stage. She moved to New York at age 15 that it would be a very disappointing experience to become a professional dancer and appeared for me because I used to be very, very, very in several shows on Broadway. good and I know I wouldn’t be very, very, very While performing in New York, Rudner good anymore.” started exploring the comedy club scene in Q: Where do you get the inspiration for Manhattan and in the early ’80s she made the your comedy? leap from dancing to a comedy career. “He’s sitting next to me right here. Martin is Rudner was a frequent guest on “Late Night a big inspiration. My daughter is an inspiration with David Letterman” and “The Tonight and just life in general. I like to point out the Show,” starred in several HBO specials and things that everyone experiences.” made appearances across the world. Q: Do you have any comedy heroes? In 2000, Rudner was invited by the MGM “Yes. Woody Allen and Jack Benny were Grand to fill their showroom for six weeks, an my two comedy heroes because Jack Benny engagement that turned into six months. had the most complete comedic character, in MGM built her a theater at their New York- my opinion and Woody Allen wrote the best New York property and in 2006, she moved to material, in my opinion.” an even bigger theater at Harrah’s. Q: Speaking of writing, you’ve written some She has written four books, including two books. What made you want to do that and is novels. A frequent collaborator with her that something you want to continue doing? husband of 20 years, Martin Bergman, the “Absolutely. I’m not doing anything this pair wrote a play called “Room #776” about year because I had a new book last year, but two strangers forced to share a hotel room in it’s a good release. I like sitting down at the Las Vegas. computer. My husband and I wrote a play Rudner recently signed a contract extension last year and we’re thinking of writing either that will keep her performing at Harrah’s until another play or a movie because we used to January 2012. write movies. I might write another book when Q: Congratulations on the new contract I have a really, really firm idea. It’s an extension extension at Harrah’s - What made you want of what I do. So anything that’s an extension to continue to stay here in Vegas? of what I do, I like to do. I like to keep trying “I have the best job in the world, that’s why. to do things that are a bit different.” I love Vegas. I get to be with my husband and Q: You’ve written books, performed on my daughter and get to do my act. That’s not a Broadway, done television – is there anything normal existence for an entertainer. You usually you haven’t done yet that you still want to have to travel all around and sit in a hotel.” do? Q: Do you still perform outside of Las “I’d like to write something that I’m proud of. Vegas? Either a movie or a play and I like working with “Not really. Maybe two or three shows a year. Martin. I’m really proud of the play we wrote I’m going to Hawaii tomorrow and I’m doing last year and the movies that we’ve written, but a show in Hawaii. But I’m bringing my family another one – that would be good. I always want because you can’t go to Hawaii without having to keep improving and I like to keep improving a little vacation along with your work.” Rita Rudner moved to Harrah’s from New York-New York in 2006, and recently signed a contract extension that my act. Whenever I have a new joke that works Q: You’re known for wearing some will keep her performing at Harrah’s until January 2012. in my act it’s very satisfying.” glamorous gowns in your show. Do you have Q: Are you constantly updating your act? a favorite designer? “I have two or three new things I try and “Yes, his name is On Sale. Whenever I see or are celebrating anniversaries, so I think it’s comedy? put in every week because I have so many that, I go right for that dress. Isn’t he good? across the board.” “It was a good idea. I was 25 and you don’t repeat customers that when they come back He’s in every store and he’s been everywhere Q: Do the men find the jokes just as funny get to be a better dancer after you’re 25, you six months later or a year later I usually have lately.” as the women? gradually get worse. But I noticed that the about 20 new minutes.” Q: Do you change dresses every night? “Yes, absolutely. A lot of the men say ‘I comedians like George Burns and Bob Hope Q: Do you ever get any crazy questions from “I have about 15 dresses now…it depends on brought my wife with me, but can I take a were in their eighties and they were still doing the audience when you open it up for questions what I had for dinner and how fat I feel.” picture with you by myself?’ And the wives okay.