Joan Rivers

by Frank Halperin

What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most? was the title that graced Joan Rivers' 1983 album of bombastic, machine-gun kvetching. Two decades later, that posed question is now moot, since Rivers can indeed boast a truly legendary career. She's authored several books, hosted her own talk show and is the reigning captain of the annual Academy Awards fashion police, issuing style citations every year, as seen on E! Among Gen-Xers (a demographic that includes not only her ever-present daughter, Melissa, but also, according to a recent New York Times "Sunday Styles" profile, a fan base who've been flocking to catch her act) she is fondly remembered for her commentary on the Adventures of Letterman cartoon from The Electric Company: "Faster than a rolling O, stronger than a silent E, able to leap a capital T in a single bound." "Are they still running that?" she asks, speaking on the phone from New York City. "Doing voiceovers is always so much fun, and with Letterman, the fact that we were helping children learn really made it rewarding." In addition to delighting the tots of today with a character voice in the upcoming Shrek 2 and preparing her first play for Broadway ("It took me two years to write"), she's working on a new book that draws on her Oscar-fashion prowess. It's called How to Live the Red Carpet Life Without Spending Red Carpet Money. Promising her one-night standup at the Keswick will be "at least a quarter improvised," audiences can expect a performance rich in topicality with a windfall of laughter.

Joan Rivers, with Modi, Sun., March 28, 7 p.m., $47, Keswick Theatre, Easton Rd. and Keswick Ave., Glenside, 215-572-7650.

-- Respond to this article in our Forums -- click to jump there