Sandra Bernhard to perform at Byham
You might remember her for her quirky role as Nancy on “Roseanne” in the ’90s – the first openly gay character on a sitcom – and now, Sandra Bernhard will take to the Byham Theater stage on April 27.
Bernhard’s performance is a hybrid of standup comedy and rock ‘n roll – mixing political satire, pop culture commentary and cabaret. Her bitter critiques of celebrity culture have earned her a spot on Comedy Central’s famous “100 Greatest Standups of All Time.”
Bernhard began her career at L.A.’s famed Comedy Store in the ’70s, which earned her a supporting role on “The Richard Pryor Show” in 1977. But, she caught the nation’s attention in 1983 as the star of Martin Scorsese’s “The King of Comedy.” Her first one-woman show, “Without You I’m Nothing,” ran for six months off-Broadway in 1988 and served as inspiration for the film and Grammy-nominated album of the same name. She has appeared more than 30 times on “Late Night with David Letterman” and has been a regular guest of Howard Stern’s since the early ’80s.
Further bolstering her performance skills, Bernhard has released a number of popular albums and has also sung with or opened for various musical acts, including The Pretenders, Cyndi Lauper and the Scissor Sisters.
Her most recent show, “I Love Being Me, Don’t You?” played to sold-out crowds for an extended run last summer in Los Angeles and the album version of the show was released last fall. Bernhard has been touring with the show ever since.
Tickets are $35-$40 and may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square at 655 Penn Avenue, by calling 412-456-6666 or online at trustarts.org.