Sandra Bernhard on Roseanne’s politics: “I know where I stand — I’m a liberal, I’m a lefty”
Bernhard is bringing her "Sandemonium" tour to City Winery
“I like my work to be a personal introduction into the day-to-day life of Sandy, and weave [a] little journey to take people away from being pummeled every day by the obvious things in the news,” says Sandra Bernard, who brings her latest show — complete with band — Sandemonium, to the sparkling new City Winery this Saturday. “I’m bringing you out of the mundane, into a new world. It’s everything that you expect from an evening of entertainment. It’s fun and it’s emotional and the music is rocking and it’s glamorous. Nobody wants a draggy night of boring political commentary. You want to be taken to the next level. And that’s what I do when I hit the stage.”
Bernhard, who identifies as bisexual, is forthright when asked about the #MeToo movement. “I never saw it coming the way it did, and I think it’s fabulous because any woman who has been in this business has had to put up with that sort of behavior, whether it’s as far as the Harvey Weinstein experiences or just the sort of day-to-day small minded stupidity of how people treat each other.”
She points out, however, that “everybody has got to find a way to settle back in and still be able to be flirtatious in the right settings, because that’s the nature of life. That’s different from grabbing or groping somebody or, god forbid, raping them.”
Bernhard, who recently revived her role of the groundbreaking lesbian character Nancy Bartlett on ABC’s Roseanne reboot, won’t directly comment on Roseanne’s unabashed support of President Trump. “I know where I stand — I’m a liberal, I’m a lefty,” she says. “I believe in social justice, and I believe in people having total autonomy over their lives and support from the government. The current water system should be replaced. The infrastructure should be replaced. We should stop talking about all this divisive crap and go back to what matters, and that’s where I stand. How anybody else feels is not my problem. I just get on my pony and ride.”
Sandra Bernhard appears in Sandemonium at City Winery, 1350 Okie St. NE, on Saturday, May 12, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45 to $58. Visit citywinery.com or call 202-250-2531.
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