Beth Lapides

Beth Lapides is following the signs. On the freeway. In the paper. She's interpreting street signs, "For Sale" signs, and "Open," "Closed" and "Be Back Soon" signs. Of course, the "50% Off" signs. And, most important, signs from the universe. They're telling her to evolve. That change is good. And to extend the run of her comedic one-woman show. So she has. Lapides' show, "100% Happy 88% of the Time," which plays Wednesday nights at the Improv Lab Theater in West Hollywood, quickly sold out its first six weeks.

Comedian Beth Lapides is stretching herself these days - both literally and creatively. The longtime yogi and co-host of the weekly variety show at 1st and Hope, “ UnCabaret ,” will teach a class at Silverlake Yoga for the next seven weeks. “It's serious; you don't want students to feel they have to laugh,” Lapides says.  “But I do bring my quirky comedy sensibility to it.  I think sense of humor is our seventh sense - and hopefully you're more open to it after you leave.” Lapides, who used to write a monthly column for LA Yoga Magazine called “ My Other Car Is a Yoga Mat ,” has been a staple of the L.A. comedy scene for more than two decades.

What do you get if you cross a stand-up comedian with a performance artist? The dynamo that is Beth Lapides, of course--an entertainer who mixes good times with social commentary, together in one wacky package. Lapides will grace the Highways stage--sporting her usual natty man's suit, lots of hair and a vaguely Triborough accent--with her monologue "Globe-O-Mania" tonight, Sunday, July 29 and 30. She continues the run with late shows beginning Aug. 5.

Beth Lapides didn't even know she was looking to bring back her legendary Un-Cabaret comedy show until she saw the hidden backroom at the restaurant First and Hope, with its Art Deco styling and speak-easy feel. The swanky location inspired Lapides to resurrect the Un-Cabaret that she and co-producer Greg Miller had created in the early '90s and which had fueled a new generation of alternative comedy around Los Angeles. In response to the hacky acts she found at mainstream venues back then, she wanted a show that was "un-homophobic, un-xenophobic, un-misogynistic," she recalls.

At the drop of a hint from a photographer and with an eye to her best profile, Beth Lapides drapes herself in the American flag, puts hand over heart and tosses her upswept hair-doed head with an air of defiance. One thing you can say about this comedian-performance artist who is about to announce her candidacy for First Lady: She knows photo opportunities. Running for First Lady?

WHEN she started the alternative comedy venue the Un-Cabaret about 15 years ago, Beth Lapides set down a few rules: no shtick, no costumes, no characters. Comics could bring notes onstage, but no wigs. "We told them, 'Do material that your head is going to explode if you don't tell somebody,' " she said. Perhaps that's why while mainstream comedy clubs have boomed and busted around it, Un-Cabaret has flourished as a place where performers can, nay must, be true to their own voice.

The cabaret room at LunaPark is a low-ceilinged black box hung with red curtains and mirrors--as well a cabaret should be. Little round tables snuggle together. Candles smolder. "I feel like I'm in a Turkish prison," comic Ed Kraznick says appreciatively, taking the stage. LunaPark is the creation of Jean-Pierre Boccara, genius of the Lhasa Club and Cafe Largo.

Beth Lapides didn't even know she was looking to bring back her legendary Un-Cabaret comedy show until she saw the hidden backroom at the restaurant First and Hope, with its Art Deco styling and speak-easy feel. The swanky location inspired Lapides to resurrect the Un-Cabaret that she and co-producer Greg Miller had created in the early '90s and which had fueled a new generation of alternative comedy around Los Angeles. In response to the hacky acts she found at mainstream venues back then, she wanted a show that was "un-homophobic, un-xenophobic, un-misogynistic," she recalls.

* The "Un-Cabaret" creator is host of the "Comedy Project" series at the Skirball Cultural Center. Tonight, she interviews Dan Savage and Andy Dick. Morning Bloom: Friday I get up and go to the Flower Mart in downtown. Most people don't realize that you don't have to go at 6 a.m. At 11, some stuff is closed, but there are still plenty of flowers left. Surrounding yourself with that much beauty is a great way to start off the weekend.

Comedian Beth Lapides is stretching herself these days - both literally and creatively. The longtime yogi and co-host of the weekly variety show at 1st and Hope, “ UnCabaret ,” will teach a class at Silverlake Yoga for the next seven weeks. “It's serious; you don't want students to feel they have to laugh,” Lapides says.  “But I do bring my quirky comedy sensibility to it.  I think sense of humor is our seventh sense - and hopefully you're more open to it after you leave.” Lapides, who used to write a monthly column for LA Yoga Magazine called “ My Other Car Is a Yoga Mat ,” has been a staple of the L.A. comedy scene for more than two decades.

Beth Lapides is following the signs. On the freeway. In the paper. She's interpreting street signs, "For Sale" signs, and "Open," "Closed" and "Be Back Soon" signs. Of course, the "50% Off" signs. And, most important, signs from the universe. They're telling her to evolve. That change is good. And to extend the run of her comedic one-woman show. So she has. Lapides' show, "100% Happy 88% of the Time," which plays Wednesday nights at the Improv Lab Theater in West Hollywood, quickly sold out its first six weeks.

WHEN she started the alternative comedy venue the Un-Cabaret about 15 years ago, Beth Lapides set down a few rules: no shtick, no costumes, no characters. Comics could bring notes onstage, but no wigs. "We told them, 'Do material that your head is going to explode if you don't tell somebody,' " she said. Perhaps that's why while mainstream comedy clubs have boomed and busted around it, Un-Cabaret has flourished as a place where performers can, nay must, be true to their own voice.

* The "Un-Cabaret" creator is host of the "Comedy Project" series at the Skirball Cultural Center. Tonight, she interviews Dan Savage and Andy Dick. Morning Bloom: Friday I get up and go to the Flower Mart in downtown. Most people don't realize that you don't have to go at 6 a.m. At 11, some stuff is closed, but there are still plenty of flowers left. Surrounding yourself with that much beauty is a great way to start off the weekend.

The cabaret room at LunaPark is a low-ceilinged black box hung with red curtains and mirrors--as well a cabaret should be. Little round tables snuggle together. Candles smolder. "I feel like I'm in a Turkish prison," comic Ed Kraznick says appreciatively, taking the stage. LunaPark is the creation of Jean-Pierre Boccara, genius of the Lhasa Club and Cafe Largo.

At the drop of a hint from a photographer and with an eye to her best profile, Beth Lapides drapes herself in the American flag, puts hand over heart and tosses her upswept hair-doed head with an air of defiance. One thing you can say about this comedian-performance artist who is about to announce her candidacy for First Lady: She knows photo opportunities. Running for First Lady?

What do you get if you cross a stand-up comedian with a performance artist? The dynamo that is Beth Lapides, of course--an entertainer who mixes good times with social commentary, together in one wacky package. Lapides will grace the Highways stage--sporting her usual natty man's suit, lots of hair and a vaguely Triborough accent--with her monologue "Globe-O-Mania" tonight, Sunday, July 29 and 30. She continues the run with late shows beginning Aug. 5.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People By Toby Young Da Capo Press (July 2002) I just finished reading it -- how trashy and yet literary it was. It made me laugh, and I loved the insider/outsider view of Vanity Fair magazine, the struggle between creativity and commercialism. I always love a fish-out-of-water story, or in this case a Brit out of water. -- Beth Lapides, comedian/writer/host of Un-Cabaret

Acting for ACT-UP: ACT-UP Los Angeles, the gay activist group, will host a show about women and AIDS featuring noted female performance artists Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. The show will star Beth Lapides, the performance artist known for her routine as a candidate for First Lady, Monica Palacios and actress Ann Magnuson.