Kathy Griffin gets on Rialto Square’s A-List
By Annie Alleman For Sun-Times Media May 17, 2012 11:48AM
Kathy Griffin will perform at the Rialto Square Theatre on May 20. | File photo
Kathy Griffin
♦ May 20
♦ Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago St., Lockport
♦ Tickets, $49.50-$69.50
♦ (815) 726-6600
Rialtosquaretheatre.com
Updated: May 17, 2012 11:48AM
Kathy Griffin makes her Rialto stage debut May 20.
The sharp-tongued comedian, who has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for four consecutive years, performs a 7 p.m. show.
Rialto Square executive director Randy Green says to expect the unexpected from Griffin, who has the most comedy specials of any comedian.
“That’s the one thing about Kathy Griffin, you’re not going to know exactly what she has on her mind until she walks out and tells you,” he said. “Obviously, she has some things that have been added to her career, such as talk show host. Maybe she has some insights on life as a talk show host, and her series on Bravo. Those are things that put Kathy into the limelight and led audiences to find out who she is. I think we’re in for a really fun night when she makes her Rialto debut.”
Griffin is an Oak Park native who gained recognition for appearances on two episodes of “Seinfeld,” and then for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom “Suddenly Susan.” She was the star of the Bravo reality show “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,” for which she won two Emmy Awards as executive producer.
“My question would be, what’s it like coming back and playing before a hometown audience,” he said. “There will probably be people here who know you, know of you, whatever degrees of separation there might be. Is there anything special or more challenging when you stand in front of your hometown audience?”
There has been a great deal of interest in the show, he said.
“Comedy has been a big thing for the Rialto in the last couple of years,” he said. “When you look at the list of people we’ve had this year, starting with Jerry Seinfeld and Ralphie May, and going on through Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Cosby, Carol Burnett — those are pretty big names. Kathy Griffin has worked her way onto that list.”
People should expect to hear her talk about things she thinks people should be talking about, he said.
“She’ll have some topical things, my guess is probably a little politics, the social lives people have,” he said.
