(PITTSFIELD, Mass.) – Comedian Rita Rudner, who emerged in the comedy boom of the 1980s through appearances on HBO and late-night TV talk shows, after a career as a Broadway dancer, brings her standup act to the Colonial Theatre on Friday, July 29, at 8pm.
After working on Broadway as a dancer (she appeared in several shows, including the original productions of “Follies,” “Annie,” and “Mack and Mabel”), Rudner noticed the lack of female comedians in New York City, and turned her stage presence to stand-up at age 25, after observing how few female comedians there were compared to the number of female dancers. She spent many hours researching her favorite comedians, including Woody Allen and Jack Benny.
Since then, the award-winning comedian, actress, screenwriter, and best-selling author has been a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman and The Tonight Show. Her first HBO special, Rita Rudner’s One Night Stand, was nominated for several awards, as was her English BBC television show, which later appeared on A&E.