Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/297393
Q You've got to hand it to Joan Rivers. Nearly 50 years after the Brooklyn native made her f irst appea ra nce on The Tonight Show, Joa n A lexa nd ra Molinsky is st ill ma k ing audiences around the world laugh—whether it's by skewering celebrities on Fashion Police, performing stand-up on her tireless tours, or t rading witticisms with her 2 million followers on Twitter. In an exclusive interview with Michigan Avenue as she was wrap- ping the fourth season of her reality show Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best a nd prepa r ing for t he summer release of her 12th book, Diary of a Mad Diva, t he 8 0 -yea r - old comedy icon get s ser ious about her days in Chicago, what it takes to be a successf ul fema le per for mer, a nd t he up -a nd- coming comics who keep her in stitches. Joan, you're 80 years old and busier than ever. What's your secret to longevity? Formaldehyde. [Laughs] No, I'm just lucky. I come from a family where there was always in every gen- eration one woman with great energ y. That, and eating whatever I want. I don't believe in "Oh, today you should eat wheat, and tomorrow don't touch wheat, and coffee is bad for you, coffee is good for you...." I call it "scrounge eating." I truly eat every morning a bag of Cheetos. And airplane food I totally believe in. Let's talk about your Chicago days. You spent a year performing with Second City back in 1961. How did that happen? Truly, I was the 60th girl they auditioned, and I had waited from 10 in the morning till 6 at night for the audition because an agent friend snuck me in—I wasn't even with the agency, which was William Morris, at the time. I was so angry, and hungry, and tired that I gave a great audition, because they said, "What do you think goes on in this room?" A nd I just went nuts. So I got into Second Cit y, and they always used to say to me, "We saw a fire in you… what happened?" Well, I got fed! But it was the first time I ever made money, supported myself, and was accepted as a performer, so I adore Second City. It's a very special group, and to this day, anyone who's a Second Cityite, it's almost like belonging to a club. If they say, "I was in Second City," right away you have great respect for them because you know what it entails. How do you think the experience helped you as a performer? Oh, it was the first time somebody took me seri- ously. It was incredible, and they let me say what I thought was funny. It opened up the world to me. Doing that off-the-cuff improv comedy really hones the craft—you have to be able to think on your feet. I still work that way, in the moment. When some- one vomits onstage, you've got to acknowledge From Fashion Police and reality TV to an upcoming new book, comedy legend and Second City alum Joan Rivers is always working— and she doesn't plan to stop anytime soon. By J.P. Anderson Photography by Charles William Bush of The Comedy ueen 128 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 128-133_MA_FEAT_CS_May/June_14.indd 128 4/14/14 1:33 PM