Let’s begin with her entrance. Some Vegas performers take the stage in tattered jeans and T-shirts; Rita enters in a floor length gown with just the appropriate amount of bling. Some pepper their performances with profanity; Rita is squeaky clean. Some tell far out tales while Rita seems to stay close enough to truth to make us believe everything she says.

She tells us that she got her flu shot at Costco. Okay. We buy it. Then whammo, she continues that she had to get 44 shots. The audience loves it. I totally related when she talked about buying over-priced cosmetics that we don’t need in order to get a free gift that we don’t really have to have.

Photo by Dianne R. Davis

A few of her barbs are sharp. She tells us that there’s a wax figure of Joan Rivers, adding, “It’s more lifelike than the real thing.” Rita’s jokes aren’t the long story to a punch line sagas that some comics use. Rather, they are a steady stream of quick shots, sometimes seemingly unrelated, but spun together in a complementary manner. She does the expected jokes on shopping, telling the tale of the time her credit card was stolen and she didn’t report it because, “the thief spent less than I would have.”.

Her subjects include menopause, husbands, motherhood, facelifts, mammograms, marriage, aging, tongue piercings and tattoos, and even drive through wedding chapels. Rita’s manner is relaxed, walking the stage to give everyone a good view, chatting with audience members as part of the act, and late in the show, even doing a question and answer session with the audience.

It seems evident that she isn’t doing it to take up time but because she knows that people do have questions. And she has the ability not just answer, but to find the humor in the questions and answers. Someone asked if she writes her own jokes. She replied, “I live them.”

Rita Rudner dresses with class and delivers a first class show. Ticket prices start at $53.90 for General Admission, $75.90 for Premiere Seating and $108.90 for VIP Seating inclusive of tax and handling fees. “The VIP tickets and the Premiere tickets will include a free Rita Rudner ring,” Rita announced. “I think mine is the first show to offer complimentary jewelry. Take that, Cher.”

To purchase tickets visit www.venetian.com, call 702.414.9000, or visit any Venetian or Palazzo Box Office. Be sure to ask about a great locals special in effect until March 15.

Dianne R. Davis has been writing as long as she can remember. She is a columnist/photographer for Judy Thorburn’s www.lasvegasroundtheclock.com and for the Vegas Voice newspaper. Dianne is a reporter on Anthem Alive on Sun City Anthem’s own Channel 99, specializing in entertainment. She can be contacted at DianneRD@aol.com.