By Shari Barrett
A pioneer of the one-woman show, Sandra Bernhard’s trailblazing style has won her a loyal following and critical praise as she continues to tackle difficult subjects head on with sincerity and her whip smart insight. On December 19 & 20, accompanied by her Sandyland Squad Band, (Mitch Kaplan, Musical Director on piano, Chris Jacks on guitar, and Brian Ramirez on drums), Sandra meshed music, memories, and social commentary in her latest touring show, Easy Listening, at The Wallis in Beverly Hills, the place where her comedy career first blossomed more than 45 years ago.
Known for speaking her mind about life, often filled with F bombs, Sandra did not disappoint her fans. But this time the show seemed to be a lot more positive than in the past, sharing her pride in being an American not willing to leave when political winds blow in the opposite direction from your own beliefs and to “Ride Like the Wind” in whatever direction life takes you.
While singing songs from her musical influences, including “People” by Barbra Streisand, Sandra shared stories about life as she sees it while encouraging everyone to just chill out and let things be for the next four years, asking us to stay positive and continue to support women running for political office. A few of the more rousing songs included Sandra playing her tambourine, decorated with ribbons given to her many years ago by Stevie Nicks.
After sharing personal stories about her Jewish upbringing beginning in Flint, Michigan, Sandra was joined by an incredible violinist for “This Land is Mine,” the title song from the movie Exodus, “which starred the famous Jewish actors Eva Marie Saint and Sal Mineo,” she joked. Her deep-felt emotions about the song’s lyrics spoke to her devotion to America and desire to make it a better place for all.
Several times during songs, Sandra’s voice hit a few flat notes, not enough to spoil her rendition but enough to notice. And this time rather than just sharing off-the-cuff, Sandra frequently stopped to refer to notes as if to remind herself about her next comic bit. That seemed to slow down the flow of the show, making it seem less in-the-moment than her other shows I have seen. But it also gave her, as well as us, a chance to laugh at the ongoing struggles we all face trying to live our lives in a time when so little seems to make sense.
To familiarize yourself with Sandra’s ability to speak intimately with her audience as if they are old friends, I encourage you to tune in to her Sandyland program on SiriusXM Satellite Radio in which she leaves together great music, funny phone call conversations, and monologues that are both absurd and profound at the same time. Her guests have included A-listers like Jane Fonda, Bette Midler and Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, whom she interviewed on New York City’s M Train. Uncensored and unpredictable, Sandyland airs on SiriusXM Radio Andy on channel 102, on Thursdays at 11am ET/8am PT.
For more information about upcoming shows at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills 90210, visit https://thewallis.org/ or call (310) 746-4000.
