Eighty one and far from done: Sandra Risser, truly an "old-school" comic
HARK!
I hear…the call of an outlier….
Some are nerdy, some are cool; some are thick, some are thin; some are snarly, some are goofy. They come in various shapes, sizes, colors and attitudes, these Valley comics. Beyond a desire to make people laugh, they share a commonality: relative youth. Most of these trying-to-make-it comedians are in their 20s or early 30s–who else would have that combination of physical stamina and psychological indestructibility demanded of perhaps the most difficult job in existence?
Yet there is one who is remarkably different–as brave as she is frail.
A little old lady, her hands shaking a little, puts a cover of sorts on the microphone, as the audience giggles in anticipation.
“That’s right,’ she says, “I like my mic’s like I like my men: wearing condoms.”
Later, she philosophizes, “For me, doing comedy is a lot like having sex: When it’s over, I just want to get paid and go home.”
Ladies and gentlemen (and others), meet Sandra Risser. She’s 81, ready for fun–and far from done.
As one fan (Paul Robert Sanford) put it, “Sandra has decades of experience on this and other continents, and one of the most reliably funny acts I have known.”
Just looking at some promotional fliers is hilarious, as she shares the bill with young, hip-looking comics…“which one of these does not fit?”:
But she’s not just “different”--she’s funny!
This year, she scored a second-place finish in The World Series of Comedy in Sarasota and third in the World Series of Comedy in Atlanta.
Click here for her video clips collection.
A refreshing change from comics who savagely mock celebrities, politicians, etc., Sandra takes hard shots–aimed at herself.
“You know, I wanted to go last–but they didn’t think I’d live long enough.”
“I’m not old–I’m just used,” she cracks, comparing herself to a used car.
Hilariously morbid, she even has a poem about dead bodies.
Making her success in getting stage time all the more shocking is the fact that Sandra, who lives in the Ahwatukee area of South Phoenix, is a relative newcomer to the Valley.
In a Zoom interview, she told HARK Valley she ditched California for the desert about a year-and-a-half ago. She was a school teacher, computer programmer/systems analyst, owned a travel agency and married twice before she started doing comedy at age 61–when she dared herself to make good on a dream she had for years.
Unlike most comics, she’s never been heckled; rather than yelling insults at this little ol’ lady, people just want to take her in their arms.
“I’ve been told I'm very huggable,” she said with a laugh. “After shows, I get more people who want to come up and hug me…most of them ask.”
People tell her she reminds them of their mothers and grandmothers. And new fans tell her how brave she is to perform despite having essential tremors, which make her hands shake.
Sandra goes out and talks about sex to strangers three or four nights a week–but Michael, her husband of 31 years, doesn’t mind.
“I grew up during the era of sex, drugs and rock and roll,” she said. “If I talk about my life, it’s all wrapped up in that.”
Busy busy busy.
The shows Sandra has lined up just this month alone would leave a comic half her age exhausted.
“I get bored if I don’t go out at least four nights minimum a week,” she said with a shrug. Maybe it’s because I feel I don’t know how many more years I’ll have to do this.”
Check out her shows this month:
AUGUST
Tue, Aug 2 - 730p - Laughing Gas Show (Rick Bronson's House of Comedy, 5350 E High Street, Phoenix)
Fri, Aug 5 - 800p: Jokes & Jams (Maya New York Pizza Bar & Grill 223 East Brown Road Mesa),
Sat, Aug 6 - 200p: Comedy on 44th (The 44 Sports Grill & Nightlife, 4494 W Peoria Ave, Glendale, AZ 85302, USA); Free
Sat, Aug 6 - 600p: The Dinner Detective (Four Points by Sheraton, 10831 S 51st St Phoenix); ticket information at TheDinnerDetective.com
Thu, Aug 11 - 730p: The Sundowner Saloon 4400 Stockton Hill Rd, Kingman, AZ 86409
Wed, Aug 17 - 730p: Kobalt Comedy Hour (Kobalt Bar, 3110 N Central Ave Ste. 175, Phoenix, AZ 85012, USA); No Cover
Thu, Aug 18 - 700p: The Roost Sports Bar & Cafe (20800 N John Wayne Pkwy, Maricopa AZ); no cover.
Sat, Aug 20 - 600p: The Dinner Detective (Four Points by Sheraton, 10831 S 51st St Phoenix); ticket information at TheDinnerDetective.com
Sun, Aug 21 - 700p: Funniest Comic in the Valley Competition (JP's Comedy Club, 860 E Warner Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85296, USA)
Sat, Aug 27 - 600p: Comedy Night (Throne Brewing Company, 17035 N 67th Ave #6, Glendale, AZ 85308);
Her next local show:
And don't be surprised if you see Sandra Risser on a late-night TV talk show, one of these days...