By: Markos Papadatos, Contributing Editor
On Feb. 6, esteemed comedian Lisa Lampanelli performed at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Long Island, for an excellent turnout.
Fellow comedian Luke Lowrey, known from Comedy Central, opened for the “Queen of Mean” prior to her New York performance.
“Welcome to the best night of your life,” Lampanelli said, as she took the Westbury stage. She started insulting several fans in the audience for what they were wearing (a Jimmy Buffett shirt, their weight, their ethnic backgrounds), as well as several ladies for coming in late and disrupting her show.
Lampanelli noted that she lost 107 pounds and the hardest part was keeping it off for three years. She shared that she was able to do that simply by using “bulimia the right way.”
She subsequently poked fun at such celebrities as Bill Cosby (and his rape scandals), actresses Kirstie Alley and Marie Osmond and their weight-loss struggles, and how most diets don’t work. Equally noteworthy were her jokes on athlete Bruce Jenner and NFL player Tom Brady, his deflated balls and his wife, Giselle. Lampanelli gave a shout-out to veteran radio star Howard Stern.
“Long Island is my kind of town,” Lampanelli said. “We’ve gone too far, but it’s never too far when it’s comedy.”
For Lampanelli, one of the best experiences of her life was being on The Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump, which was special for her, especially since she roasted him on television a few weeks prior to her invitation to be a part of his show. She dubbed herself as the “original gangster” since she made it in the Top 3 and she was able to win $130,000 for her charity.
Throughout the evening, she expressed her gratitude in playing at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury venue. Towards the end of her show, where she shared her innermost confessions, she noted that she has a “damn good career,” as well as being able to play at Westbury, and she is “working on her health” since she wants to “live a long time.” To quote Meatloaf, she said, “Two out of three ain’t bad.”
The Verdict
Overall, Lisa Lampanelli was hilarious at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury. Her insults were witty, clever and a great deal of fun. The majority of the audience was laughing so hard to the point where they were in tears. She put on a highly effective stand-up comedy show, which garnered 5 out of 5 stars.
Photo Credit: Dan Dion
