Bruce Vilanch is a writer, comedian, actor, stripper and would-be adult film star (only if you have an IMAX screen). He won two Emmys for co-writing the Billy Crystal Oscar shows and lost a half-dozen more for other things. For four years he was a Hollywood Square, just to the left of Whoopi, if that’s possible. He starred on Broadway as Edna Turnblad, plus-sized housewife, in the musical HAIRSPRAY and toured with it for a year, including a few months at the Pantages in Hollywood. He has been committing television since the 70s, writing some of the most notorious flops in the industry’s long
list of same, which he just chronicled in his book IT SEEMED LIKE A BAD IDEA AT THE TIME, available everywhere books are still sold. There is a documentary about his life and work GET BRUCE, available for you to Netflix and chill. He’s looking forward to meeting you all, as the only thing he’s ever done that’s remotely Rotary is to put a chicken on a spit.
Bruce will also have copies of his new book for sale and be happy to autograph them for you at our event!
Bruce will be joined in a “fireside chat” by longtime friend and colleague Shelly Goldstein. Shelly is a writer-actor-singer-comic who has written for every genre of TV, film and stage. Her one-woman music & comedy shows play throughout the US and UK. She wrote the Emmy-winning PBS musical special, CHICAGO VOICES & Sheryl Lee Ralph’s DIVAS SIMPLY
SINGING on ABC.
Most recently, she co-wrote the CW’s 2025 series SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER, starring David Thewlis. Her play, MAGNIFICENT MILLICENT debuted in the West End in 2024.
She has written for such performers as Stephen Colbert, Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, Jay Leno, Larry Wilmore, Sharon Stone, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tiffany Haddish, Yoko Ono & many others.
Shelly has also won the New Yorker’s iconic Cartoon Caption Contest.
Dress Code
The City Club maintains a dress code.
Attire can certainly elevate or diminish the experience of others. They consider ball caps or beanies, tank tops, flip flops, distressed denim, shorts, team athletic attire, and t-shirts with no jacket as too casual for City Club LA. Their staff takes pride in their appearance, so they ask their members and their guests to respect their dress code at all times.
Friday, May 16, 2025 | 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Register In Person | Zoom Registration
