Mister D: He keeps fucking with me, too, trying to keep up with all he’s doing lately!!!!
Windy City Times
Bruce Vilanch at Park West Theatre
The winner of two Emmy awards, brilliant and hilarious writer and perfomer Bruce Vilanch attended the 2007 Grabbys Gay Erotic Video Awards, where he appeared along with five fabulous hosts: Chi Chi LaRue, Honey West and three of the nations most handsome stars of porn—Johnny Hazzard, Mathew Rush and Kent North. ( Sadly, North passed away in July. )
Vilanch, who modeled for Lane Byant when he was a child and once starred with the infamous Talullah Bankhead in summer stock, later became an entertainment writer for the Chicago Tribune, where he wrote a glowing review on my production, the Steve Starr Studios fifth annual VANITY in 1974. Thank you, Bruce Vilanch!
Bette Midler was so impressed by his review of her 1970 performance at Chicago’s esteemed Mr. Kelley’s that she hired him to enhance her stage shows. Vilanch later moved to Los Angeles, where he wrote for The Donny and Marie Show and the Brady Bunch Hour, and contributed his wonderful material to Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin and Joan Rivers. He began writing for the Academy Awards show in 1989, soon working with Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and David Letterman, and became the show’s head writer in 2000. Vilanch was a regular writer and a panelist on Hollywood Squares, and, in 2004, appeared on Broadway as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray.
Vilanch has also had a movie career, first appearing as a dress designer in Mahogany ( 1975 ) , which starred Diana Ross. He also appeared in The Ice Pirates ( 1984 ) , The Morning After ( 1986 ) , It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas ( 1989 ) , Get Bruce ( 1999 ) , Circuit ( 2002 ) and Naked Fame ( 2005 ) .
Vilanch, who will play one of the celebrity judges in the August 2007 release of the LaRue-directed sexual spoof Fucking With The Stars, thrillingly took to the Park West stage to receive a special Grabby Wall of Fame Award for his writing contributions.
