Bruce Vilanch
Answers OUT Spoken’s questions
Bruce Vilanch!
Live and in color. I’m here, I’m at the Nikko. I’m staring at the City. I’m staring at the Tenderloin.. Looking for friends passed out on the streets.
Bruce, you keep coming to San Francisco to perform at charity events. Is it the philanthropy, the philanthropic work, or the proximity to Falcon and Colt studios?
You know it’s somewhere; I split the difference, its somewhere in there. There’s also the Nob Hill Cinema to be considered, you know, they’re live shows. I’m mean there is so much that the City has to offer.
There’s seems to be a whole lot of charities up here, that need fundraising help. So I come up. I don’t notice myself going to Colorado Springs quite so often, so.
Celebrity Fit club, you lost tons of weight, were you able to keep it off?
Oh no, nobody ever keeps it off. It’s a myth. It’s a thing you do for television and you try to keep it off, but uh, faith intervenes.
You’re Mr. Los Angeles. What’s considered the best career move if you’re an actress or performer: a DUI, being too skinny, having a baby or faking being a lesbian?
Wow, what a menu! Being too skinny is always pretty good, because you’ll never know it on camera.
Did you work on Bette Midler’s show that’s in, was in, Las Vegas that’s coming back?
I certainly did and I’m working on it as it’s coming back. Yeah!
What’s your fingerprint, what’s your Bruce Vilanch stamp on that show?
My Bruce Vilanch stamp, [laughs]? Well you know I’ve been working with her for 38 years, which is difficult cause she is only 32. The stamp I suppose is Sophie Tucker. I am the man who introduced her to Sophie Tucker. This is a bigger more elaborate version of Soph than ever. So I guess that will be my legacy.
Star Jones and husband, Al Reynolds, are breaking up. Is this good news for David Gest?
Sensational. Absolutely, yeah, I mean, ‘cause he’s no longer alone.
Clay Akin is having a baby with a 50-year old woman
Yeah I know, that’s why, I don’t know why he couldn’t find an older woman really. I mean, I wonder why he went so young, when there are women in there seventies who are looking forward to being inseminated by him.
Barbara Walters recently admitted to having an affair with an African American Senator, how juicy was that news for you to hear?
That was pretty good. You know, I was hoping it was Shirley Chisholm, the Congresswoman from Brooklyn, but no such luck.
Are you for an Obama/Clinton ticket in November?
Generally for the Democrats, I mean if that will win it for them, sure. I don’t know that it will. People tend to forget, that in a general election, we’re talking about a black man and a woman [laughs]; two people that have never been elected President before. So far it’s just been Democrats voting, and there’s a whole other country out there that hasn’t weighed in yet.
Now, you and comedian Judy Tenuta, along with a few other people, are headlining at "One Night Only: COMEDY TONIGHT", June 11th. What will you be doing?
I’ll be stripping, cause it’s time. You know, I mean, I think people need to see all of me before I loose weight. So I will be unveiling.
Other than that I probably do a medley of my greatest disco hits and uh, I will see what else. And, uh, maybe I will have bungee jumpers like Cher [laughs]. I can’t get enough.
Join Help is on the Way, June 11, 2008 at Theatre 39 on Pier 39. For tickets call 415-273-1620. helpisontheway.org