Sandra Bernhard "Loves Being Me"

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Since she first stepped on stage at the Comedy Store in the '70s, the revered and irreverent Sandra Bernhard has challenged fans and critics with unforgettable stage shows. Not only talented and very funny, Bernhard is a foxy, super-smart and slightly mad performer who isn't afraid to make others think when she speaks her mind. In a rare visit to Southern California, Bernhard is at it once again with I Love Being Me, Don't You? The intimate 240-seat performance takes place appropriately at the Redcat Space in Walt Disney Concert Hall from Thursday, August 11 through Sunday, August 21. A four-piece band backs Bernhard for a no-holds-barred evening blending outrageous humor with cutting satire, to deliver a fiercely energetic live performance. In anticipation of her new show and with the release of the title CD, Bernhard spoke to The Rage Monthly about her love for the centered and well-balanced life she leads in a ruthless world.

Tell readers about your upcoming Los Angeles premiere of I love Being Me, Don't You?

It's kind of a conglomeration of some shows I've done over the past couple of years. I haven't performed in Los Angeles in some time. I mean I've done at least three incarnations of a new show since the last time I was in L.A. It's just that sometimes there are time periods that go by to where I've done several performances in San Francisco or New York. Then suddenly I realize I haven't been to L.A. or I haven't been to Chicago, or I haven't been to Seattle. So this just happens to be one of those times I haven't been to L.A. It will be kind of a mixture of material with obviously a little more updated subject. There will be a few little references to the album, which is given the same title as the show that I recorded in San Francisco last year. So it's kind of my inimitable style-a mash up of burlesque and rock-n-roll and cabaret, with all my post-modern, kinda crazy observations of this world we live in.

What do you love most about being you?

That I get to come to places like L.A. to perform and visit all my old friends and make some new friends. I like that I'm constantly enthusiastic about performing. I just love keeping it fresh and meshing all of my inspirations and artists and having fun the whole time I'm doing it.

You make so many people laugh, who makes you laugh and provides comic relief?

That would have to be my girlfriend and my daughter and my friends. You know the people who are closest to me. They brighten my world and bring me so much joy. I love them!

How old is your daughter, Cicely, now?

She's 13 years old.

Wow! Sandra Bernhard has a teenager. How are you adjusting to mother- hood in her teen years?

I absolutely love it; motherhood itself is an anchor for me. It's been a wonderful experience to express love without any boundaries. My daughter's an amazingly great girl who's gonna make a beautiful young woman-she's a beautiful soul and I adore her. So it's been a great experience. Don't get me wrong; she has her share of problems-as all teens do. She, however, is very well adjusted and we talk about everything. We're also very strong on discipline and she gets her fair share. She has a great relationship-a friendship-with my girlfriend, who is her other mother. She's very open-minded, after all having me as one of her mothers, she has to be. She's very bright and has a positive outlook on life, has excellent grades and there's no doubt that she's going to go far someday.

Well, she obviously has a great foundation with great balance.

Thank you. Yes, she does.

You've certainly demonstrated in your career and personal life that you can make a mark on the world and stay real. What keeps you so grounded?

My daughter and girlfriend help a great deal, but beyond that I'm kind of just an acceptable, cool person. I don't play the star trip-it's unnecessary. I'm just like everyone else and don't want to be treated like a star. People see me, they love me and I pose for them and laugh. That's it; it's about being true to yourself and find- ing that center balance. You find such balance studying Kabbalah.

Can you explain Kabbalah for those not familiar and speak to the way it's impacted your life?

Well, it's quite difficult and way too complex to simply sum it up in a few sentences. I'm Jewish and it's somewhat influenced by a mixture of Jewish and Buddhist beliefs and principles. It's about finding your inner being and nurturing it. You seek out that inner being in every- thing you do and you'll lead a very true and peaceful journey in life. Again it's being a wise person, true to who you are and letting go of what others might do or think and say about you. It offers me a deeper understanding of what we're all doing here. It gives me peace of mind and a deeper compassion and understanding toward my fellow man, and actual practical tools for healing and connecting to a higher consciousness.

Is that what led to the title of your upcoming show and new CD, I Love Being Me. Don't You?

No-it'd be cool to say it was but it's not. The title was a good friend's idea and it speaks to the social media craze with everyone on Facebook and Twitter. Everybody on there is in love with themselves and they want to let the world know it. I'm big on Twitter, everyone who follows me will tell you that I've always got something to say. And I love being me-don't you?

Well, I must admit that I have to love being me, if I don't who will? Secondly, I don't know how to be anybody else. And finally, I don't think I'd get too far trying to impersonate you... but please, by all means let me know if you ever need a break and I'll take my stab at your "inimitable style!"

You've led a multifaceted career working in many mediums. What is your favorite and why?

I know, isn't it amazing? I'm a performer who is very blessed with a lot to say-a lot of insight and wisdom-and I like to put it to good use. And the best use is performing live because it's completely unedited. One of my joys being a performer is reaching people, with messages that I think need to get out there.

What messages are important to you these days?

I think that it remains a constant relevance to be an individual and remain true to yourself. I just think it's wise to be informed and smart with an interest in the happenings in the world around us. Don't always believe what you're told; find the answers for yourself and within yourself. Get to your center and core being and then you'll lead a very balanced and much more peaceful life.

What do you draw upon for your material?

I try to stay away from things that I think don't have any real value culturally and that I think I can't really bring anything fresh to the subject. So I stay away from things that have just been overdone. And I always try to bring a fresh spin to everything that I talk about. In terms of where ideas come from, it's kind of a grab bag. I draw from my life, from the world, from the street, from news... just things that pop into my mind that I find crazy and funny.

You're a cultural icon in the gay and lesbian community for breaking ground on Roseanne as one of the first lesbian television characters. What was that like?

How funny it is that I was just talking to Roseanne about this last week. It wasn't something we really gave much thought to; we just thought it would be fun and so we did it. My character came on as Tom Arnold's wife, we got married and then he turns out to be an asshole-which is really true of him in real life anyway so that was okay. So we just said,"Let's make her bisexual and do something really crazy and fun."I don't think we were necessarily trying to make some big political statement-it was just a fun thing to do. It worked on both levels.

So while Tom's an asshole, you've stayed friends with Roseanne?

Oh yeah! She's cool. I'm actually going to be coming out on television in her new reality show Roseanne's Nuts, which is on Lifetime Wednesday nights.

As for the character you portrayed, it seems it was born naturally from what you represent-someone who's viewed by many as a lesbian making great statements, while having fun and influencing others. However you, yourself have never come out...is that true?

That's very true. I just am who I am. I'm a person who's turned on by cool people, and that's always been my moniker. I find several men attractive and I've been in relationships with guys. I just happen to have fallen in love and built a life with my girlfriend. I've never been into making big proclamations and prefer to keep things much more low-key. Otherwise there's no intrigue and excitement to your life. It's like this big blob of sh*t for everybody to dissect and talk about. They're gonna talk about you anyway, so what difference does it make? Let people talk what they want to talk about, but I'm not going to make any big statements because it just takes away the fun for me.

Well, isn't leaving it up to others to define, a statement in itself?

So let people assume all they want. I don't care. I'm not gonna make a big deal out of it. Whatever, I don't care. I see sexuality with much more fluidity and as such, I'm fluid. I'm totally comfortable in my skin and that's the bottom line. I'm not embarrassed or ashamed of any form of sexuality. I think people should be cool with everybody. That remains my statement, period.

Sandra Bernhard: I Love Being Me, Don't You? Makes its Los Angeles premiere at the Redcat Space, located at the corner of W. 2nd and Hope Streets, inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex in downtown Los Angeles. Performances run Thursday, August 11 through Sunday, August 21. Tickets are $45-50 and available at redcat.org.