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Going back to my collegiate days, I will never forget the day that Kitty Carlisle Hart came to speak at my university –yes, I know this piece is supposed to be about Joan Rivers, stay with me here— a card-carrying musical theatre nerd, hearing her speak about her years treading the boards was like opening a time capsule and everything in it was so much more sparkly and interesting than you ever thought possible. The experience seeing Kitty Carlisle Hart is to musical theatre, what seeing Joan Rivers at the Laurie Beechman is to comedy.

In full disclosure, around this same time that I was obsessing over the Australian cast recording of Jesus Christ Superstar, I was not such as fan of Ms. Rivers.  Having only known her from her red carpet critiques I found her loud and abrasive and, well, not so funny.  Over the years I’ve grown to enjoy her work quite a lot.  This is a transition that I think many feel due to the fact that Joan Rivers has finally found her audience -an America that is happy to take her warts (and facelifts) and all.

To see this in a truly palpable way, one needs look no further than her current run at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.  Upon arrival to the subterranean hotspot, the room was abuzz.  While blue hairs bombastically relived the time they “saw her in Vegas,” Joan’s gays occupied the front row and her poor, neglected lesbians were relegated to the back.  Before you get upset, I’m not stereotyping here, these are Joan’s rules, rules she proudly laid out at the beginning of the show to her delighted audience.

Seeing her work is like watching an unflappable politician who speaks the truth and doesn’t really care if he or she gets re-elected. “Yeah, I had sex with that woman, what of it“”  As she twists and turns through her repertoire, she challenges those in attendance with an impish relish.  You look into her eyes and you see a vitality that says, “Oh, you laughed at that, huh? Let’s see what happens if I do this.” As an audience member you can’t help but feel both charmed and manipulated.  It’s a game in which we’re a witting accomplice: you know how the magic trick is done, but you want to see it anyway. 

Her current popularity is well-earned.  From her Apprentice win to the wildly popular documentary, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work this is a woman who doesn’t want to stop working and one that we continue to be fascinated by.  Now I’m not a psychologist, but the reason for our captivation is likely two-fold.  One: she’s persevered.  There is something that is undeniably hysterical about a 77 year old woman beginning her show by saying, “You know who I hate? I hate old people.” The joke works because she’s earned the right to make it work.  Two: we’re not shocked to hear a woman swear or talk about sex. In fact, that the topics are raunchier and she’s older is precisely what makes it funny! (See: Betty White) Could old be the new young? Meh, probably not, but it doesn’t make watching it any less entertaining.

Despite going on for a very solid, consistent hour the evening ultimately came to a close and she left the audience after a few questions regarding the people she hated from the Apprentice.  Following the final bow, she made her exit in grand fashion, but not before posing for a Best Buy’s worth of camera phones and receiving a bouquet of flowers from an impersonator, I think.

Many have passed the mantle of Ms. Rivers on to the heir apparent, Kathy Griffin. I say not so fast.  As long as she continues to provide performances that are daring and relevant, which she continues to do at the Beechman, it will likely be another 10 years before we start referring to her in the past tense. When it comes to the comedic time capsule that is Joan Rivers, I’ll take an old broad screaming about who she hates over an upstart trying to clumsily trying to out Anderson Cooper any day. But hey, maybe I’m wrong.  You have until the end of the month to see for yourself.