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Nearly two decades ago, when the animated children's series "Rugrats" was at the height of its popularity on the Nickelodeon Channel, and subsequently the big screen, one critic referred to the character of Angelica as "the beastliest child on the American airwaves since Nellie Oleson." And indeed, comparisons between the two could easily be drawn, even though one lived in the pre-millennium and the other in the mid-nineteenth century. However, the utter and unending ballsy gall of both proved a mix of horror and delight for children and adults week after week.
And since a cartoon character can't get her own memoirs published in the real world, it is a blessing that actress/comedian/activist Alison Arngrim, who portrayed the aforementioned Ms. Oleson for several blockbuster seasons of NBC's "Little House on the Prairie," has seen fit to spring forth her own endlessly-entertaining (as well as informative and oft-hilarious) tome, Confessions of A Prairie Bitch, with which she is not merely touring bookstores for autographing parties and making talk-show appearances on television and radio, but also bringing a live show to spaces in several cities across the United States, as she did most recently at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. And as the book and the show borrow continuously from one another, it might seem almost fruitless to purchase a copy and also attend the performance. But failing to do both would unquestionably rob one of the most unique experiences of a lifetime.
Beautifully luminescent as ever, and strangely statuesque, what makes Arngrim burst off both page and stage, are her charismatic command and her impeccable prowess as a wordsmith. As if that wasn't enough, there's nary a trace of a bitch to be found in the book, the performance or otherwise. Rather, the show is both an hilarious and heartfelt journey of a young woman who, seemingly dazzled by her own international success, and at the same time in as full control of her career as possible, if not without trials and tribulations both during and after the program's highly-rated nine seasons on the air. And more than that, the entire experience is howlingly funny for an audience, while at the same time evidencing a whispered vulnerability; regardless of all, Arngrim never lets us forget that she is not, in fact, the angel-faced blonde with sausage curls and the nicest clothes in Walnut Grove, but a living breathing human being who has always made the most of what was handed to her by fate.
Her outrageously-funny narrative is peppered with various slideshows, which draw a copiously-deserved reception for the lady, and by evening's
end she treats the crowd to a talkback with questions (including, she says, ones she won't answer for their frequency in being asked, such as, "Was Albert gay?"). And this too, proves testament to her abilities for spontaneous humor, for by the end of the evening, the throng as a whole, are clutching their stomachs with laughter while attempting a standing ovation. Though New York City has (for now, at least) missed a chance to catch Confessions of A Prairie Bitch live on stage, should Alison Arngrim return to our fair shores, she is certain to not only delight, but to have an arena packed to the rafters.
Be on the lookout for "The TV Junkie's" review of the book, Confessions of A Prairie Bitch!
UPCOMING PERFORMANCE DATES:
SAN FRANCISCO
Friday & Saturday July 9-10 - 10 PM
The Rrazz Room at Hotel Nikko
222 Mason Street
Tickets: www.therrazzroom.com
LAS VEGAS
Thurs- Sat August 6-8 & Thurs-Sat Aug 13-15 - 8 PM
The Onyx Theatre
953 East Sahara
Tickets: 702-732-7225 or www.onyxtheatre.com
PROVINCETOWN
Tues-Sun August 24-29
Vixen
336 Commercial Street
TICKETING INFORMATION TO COME
CHICAGO
Thursday Sept 9 & Friday Sept 10 - 8 PM
Davenport's
1383 N. Milwaukee Ave.
$20 + 2 drink minimum
Tickets: 212-352-3101
BOSTON
Fri-Sun October 22-24 & Fri-Sun October 29-31
Machine
1254 Boyleston Street
TICKETING INFORMATION TO COME
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