Comedian Kathleen Madigan didn't see much of York the last time she performed here in 2010. Two snowstorms had buried the county.
"All I saw was tunnels," she said. "I have not seen that much snow since Alaska."
Madigan, who has been in comedy for 23 years, will take the stage 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in York.
"I'm excited to see the town and goof off," she said.
The 46-year-old Missouri native was a finalist on "Last Comic Standing" in 2004 and a talent scout for the show in 2007. She has been a correspondent for the "Dr. Phil" show and released a Showtime special, "Gone Madigan," on DVD and CD in 2010. The Detroit Free Press named her one of the nine funniest women on the planet in 2011.
Madigan tends to make jokes about her family, politics and sports - her favorite subjects.
She grew up in an Irish-Catholic family of seven children and said her entire family is funny, yet she didn't know it as a kid.
"We just thought that was how everyone was," Madigan said.
Her pull toward politics comes from her dad, who was a lawyer and a judge. She called him an "old-school Democrat" with a likeness to Ted Kennedy.
Madigan said though she's drawn to politics, she doesn't believe 90 percent of what politicians say.
"Even though I believe they're all bought and paid for, I'm still interested in the reality show they're presenting," she said.
Madigan has been deriving material from the Republican debates and said she doesn't understand why male politicians are discussing birth control and trying to re-live the 1950s. If they do, she wants to reverse other social norms.
"I certainly hope that if I go to the doctor's, they'll say here are some nerve pills and a carton of cigarettes," she said. "I'm going to start drinking at noon. If we're going to go back to the '50s, let's go all the way back."
Madigan performed on two Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's USO Holiday Tours of Iraq and Afghanistan and said she'll do anything to keep the troops happy.
"I will do anything to help the troops because I never want to be a troop," she said.
While flying in a Black Hawk helicopter with fellow comic Lewis Black, she said, they saw a herd of running camels. Black asked Madigan if the camels were wild.
"They don't have saddles with monkey jockeys," she told him. "I said, 'Clearly, we have flown to the Bible.'. . . It's just awful."
Madigan said she hasn't changed much since starting out as a comedian by chance at an open-mic night in St. Louis. However, her confidence has grown. Not quitting is her greatest accomplishment.
She said her least favorite part of her job is traveling, but researching towns before she goes makes the road fun.
"There's only so many times you can go to Omaha, and there's nothing left to do," Madigan said. "By that point, I've already made friends in that town, and now I just have friends to see."
- Leigh Zaleski,
FlipSide staff
If you go
WHAT: Kathleen Madigan
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center, 50 N. George St., York
COST: $31, $34 and $39
DETAILS: Visit strandcapitol.org or call 717-846-1111
Girlfriends Getaway
York hosts a Girlfriends Getaway Weekend Friday through Sunday.
Visitors and locals will be able to take advantage of special promotions and discounts at about 20 participating downtown businesses.
Events include:
Brunch at White Rose Bar & Grill, 48 N. Beaver St.
Girlfriends group photos at Camera Center of York, 23 N. Beaver St.
A ladies' soap-making demonstration at Sunrise Soap Company, 29 N. Beaver St.
A Romancing the Skillet cooking demonstration in the Rojahn Performance Kitchen at Central Market, 34 W. Philadelphia St.
Day-trippers can enjoy free parking Saturday in the Central Market and Philadelphia Street garages. The Yorktowne Hotel, 48 E. Market St., will offer a weekend package that includes free parking and brunch for those who spend the night.
Weekend passports, which include a list of specials, are available at participating Beaver Street businesses.
For details, search for "YorKitchen, York's Shared Kitchen Incubator" on Facebook. Information is posted under the "events" tab.
Font Resize
