Why the title “Get Bruce?”

The title has two meanings. The first is a command issued by any high-ranking comic in need of a good joke. As in, “I have just been invited to host the Oscars! Get Bruce!”

The other is a question: Do you get Bruce? Do you get his humor?

The documentary, being screened at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm Wednesday at the Boulder JCC, makes sure we do get Bruce, a flamboyant, sweet, outrageous giant of humor. He appears in person at Reel Hope on October 14 at the Boulder JCC. The ACE screening is in anticipation of the Jewish Family Service fundraiser.

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Best known for writing the best lines and gags at the Academy Awards, where he has been head writer since 2000,Vilanch supervises the entire telecast. He is also in high demand for roasts and other Hollywood extravaganzas where actors try to be funny, and comics try to top them. Vegas shows and touring acts also demand his talent.

His jokes are told by legions of stars, including Bette Midler, Robin Williams, Elizabeth Taylor, Lily Tomlin, and Billy Crystal.

Vilanch spent his first 20 years as the king of the one-liner, comfortably behind the scenes, his name and face known only to the comic elite who employed him.

That invisibility ended when he was promoted from a writer on Hollywood Squares to having his own box as a celebrity, right next to long-time customer Whoopi Goldberg.

“Get Bruce” solidified his status as a celebrity writer, quick with a quip, a role he plays with relish.

He has since appeared on Broadway as Edna Turnblad in “Hairspray,” and is regularly recognized at airports.

He also continues to be a gay icon, long celebrated for his openly gay status in closeted Hollywood. (Read a 2013 Westword interview here.)

Prepare to meet Bruce by watching this hilarious 1999 documentary, which is filled with celebrity interviews. Prepare to be in on the joke, a comedy fan who “gets” Bruce.

The post Find Out Why the Funniest Comics Get Bruce first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

With his Falstaffian figure, his wild hair, and his even wilder stand-up routine, BRUCE VILANCH will headline the 15th Annual North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, produced by The Carolina Theatre of Durham, NC. The outrageously outspoken gay, Jewish comedian and comedy writerâ€s performance will begin 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13th. It will be preceded by a VIP reception and party for filmmakers and festival sponsors and donors, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Connie Moses Ballroom. (For a complete schedule of events Aug. 12-15, click http://festivals.carolinatheatre.org/ncglff/schedule/.)

According to Bruce Vilanchâ€s official bio:

“Bruce Vilanch is a two-faced fella: Bearded, he is one of the most sought-after comedy writers in Hollywood, winner of a bunch of Emmys and noted as the ‘Hollywood Square†just to the left of Whoopi [Goldberg]. Shaved, he spent two years as Edna Turnblad, Baltimore housewife and superstar, on tour and on Broadway in the smash musical adaptation of the John Waters film HAIRSPRAY.

“Most recently in 2008, Bruce co-wrote ‘The Showgirl Must Go On†with Bette Midler, which opened at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and has since received rave reviews. And in 2006 Bruce was seen on VH1′s popular fitness and nutrition reality-series, ‘Celebrity Fit Club.†Participating in a type of extreme-makeover-body-edition, the Celebrity Fit Clubbers went through 100 days of Fit Club training. Along the way, they learned about fitness, diets, and nutrition.

“Who knows what Bruce will look like for his next performance? In addition to HAIRSPRAY, he has appeared in such legendary epics as ICE PIRATES, MAHOGANY, and THE MORNING AFTER. A frequent guest on talk shows, Bruce won his Emmys for co-writing back-to-back Oscar shows with Billy Crystal. Heâ€s written 16 Oscar-casts so far, as well as a number of Tonys, Grammys, and even Emmys, although he never got an Emmy for writing an Emmy — that would be award-show incest of the lowest order. His bizarre career was documented in the film GET BRUCE!, released by Miramax and perpetually available on Buena Vista Home Video.

“Bruceâ€s one-man show, ALMOST FAMOUS, tickled Off-Broadway audiences for three months and has made a number of appearances around the country. He is frequently mistaken for Brad Pitt.”

The Carolina Theatre presents BRUCE VILANCH at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at Burning Coal Theatre in Fletcher Hall, 309 W. Morgan, St., Durham, North Carolina 27701.

TICKETS: $27-$37 ($24-$32 member and group rate).

BOX OFFICE: The Carolina Theatre: 888/241-8162 or 919/560-3030 or http://www.carolinatheatre.org/tickets/.

Ticketmaster: 800/745-3000, 919/834-4000

PRESENTER/VENUE: http://www.carolinatheatre.org/.

PARKING/DIRECTIONS: http://www.carolinatheatre.org/plan-your-visit/directions-parking.

OTHER LINKS:
Bruce Vilanch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Vilanch (Wikipedia), http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=26920 (Jewish Federations of North America, Inc.), http://www.wegotbruce.com/ (fan site), http://www.lortel.org/ (Internet Off-Broadway Database), http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=4613 (Internet Broadway Database), and http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0897358/ (Internet Movie Database).

OTHER LINKS:
The 15th Annual North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival: http://festivals.carolinatheatre.org/ncglff/ (official web page). For a complete schedule of NCGLFF events, click http://festivals.carolinatheatre.org/ncglff/schedule/.

The post BRUCE VILANCH WILL HEADLINE THE 15TH ANNUAL N.C. GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL first appeared on We Got Bruce!.