BRUCE VILANCH is an American comedy writer, songwriter and actor. He is a two-time Emmy Award-winner. Vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as a celebrity participant; behind the scenes he was head writer for the show. In 2000, he performed off-Broadway in his self-penned one-man show, Bruce Vilanch: Almost Famous.
Vilanch wrote for the Academy Awards from 1989 to 2014, providing topical joke material for the show’s hosts. In the 1990s, Vilanch collaborated with hosts Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, and Billy Crystal. He became head writer in 2000, serving until 2014. He is also a featured writer for the Tonys, Grammys, and Emmys.
Credits include writer for The Donny & Marie Show, 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special, and the Brady Bunch Variety Hour as well as writing for stars Lily Tomlin, Billy Crystal, Roseanne Barr, Rosie O’Donnell, Paul Reiser, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Robin Williams Michael Feinstein, Bette Midler and Diana Ross.
The night before the final Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show, Bette Midler serenaded Carson with “You Made Me Watch You”, to the tune of “You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want to Do It)”, with lyrics written by Vilanch, the farewell song later winning an Emmy award. Since 1980, Vilanch has been a reporter and columnist for The Advocate, writing both humorous and serious pieces. Bruce!: My Adventures in the Skin Trade and Other Essays, a 2000 collection of his writings, was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award.
In 2008, Vilanch co-wrote The Showgirl Must Go On with Midler. The show opened at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, receiving positive reviews. Stage and screen veteran Florence Henderson and Vilanch teamed for An Evening with Friends in 2010.
POPPY CHAMPLIN won America’s Funniest Real Woman on The Joan Rivers Show. She was featured on Entertainment Tonight! Her numerous television appearances include Showtime, LOGO, Comics Unleashed, Comedy Central, VH-1, HBO and Oprah.
Poppy has opened for superstars Bill Maher, Ray Ramano, Denis Leary, Bill Hicks and Rosie O’Donnell. Club appearances range from Gotham Comedy Club in NYC, the Comedy Cellar, Hollywood Improv, Laugh Factory and she’s a regular in Provincetown.
Poppy produces of her own highly successful tour “The Queer Queens of Qomedy,” in its twelfth year, traveling the country with the hottest lesbian comics. Poppy had the honor of performing for 25,000 people in the closing ceremonies of the Gay Games in Chicago. She has entertained our troops in both Japan and Korea. She is a graduate of Chicago’s famous Second City Training.
Local comedian MAX MITCHELL hosts and produces Last Laugh Wednesday at Oscar’s the last Wednesday of each month. Mitchell has hosted and created shows at Oscars and other venues in LA and Coachella Valley. An award-winning filmmaker, he’s has performed stand up at Gotham New York, Yuk Yuk’s Toronto and Comedy Store LA to name a few.
Oscars is at the corner of Tahquitz Canyon Way and Indian Canyon, in Palm Springs. Dinner reservations call Oscar’s at (760) 325-1188.