Sandra Bernhard is #blessed

New York City's favorite redhead raconteur wows a packed crowd at Joe's Pub in the Public Theater this week with "Sandra Bernhard is #blessed," her new comedy and cabaret show.

"The old broad still has it," said Bernhard, assessing the crowd at the beginning of the show. "The day I disappoint you is the day I'll stop doing it."

As is her wont, Bernhard wove a tapestry of song and comic observations, doing a lot of crowd work that included putting a tiny blonde in the front row on the spot until she got so flustered she spilled her fries all over the bar.

Joe's Pub, like the Public Theatre, has benefited greatly from their recent face lift, with more space and better sightlines. Though the stage is still a small affair tucked away into the corner, it was enough room for Bernhard, a baby grand piano with her longtime musical director and pianist Mitch Kaplan, her new guitarist Kevin Andreas and John Badamo on drums.

In her sequined cocktail dress with silver ankle-length boots, Bernhard sang songs about "wherever I go, I meet myself there," and interspersed them with comic tales about spending Thanksgiving on "the Coast" (hey, New York is a coast, too), with her daughter and Cecily and longtime partner, Sara Switzer. She diverted the audience relaying the horrors of a spiral ham, stuffing loaded with mushrooms and a clingy, super-drunk Irish woman who glommed on to her.

"I feel as though I'm a part of the American fabric," said Bernhard, and as she gave her take on our ridiculous customs ranging from the annual Victoria Secret's Fashion Show to the nutty advertisements we all take in without realizing their oddities, you were inclined to agree that she is by now, a stalwart of Americana.

When contrasted with her recent visit to Barclay's Center, where she pitted visiting guests, 'The Royals' to Brooklyn's king and queen, Jay-Z and Beyonc�, the Schadenfreude was a delight to behold.

Bernhard told a long story of dubious veracity about running into Fleetwood Mac's Christie McVie waiting tables at a Chelsea diner, and taking breaks between delivering her Sloppy Tom to compose songs on the dinner piano. She sang a wonderful rendition of "Nightingale" as punctuation of sorts. Her voice is still strong and a pleasure to hear.

After a sad story about losing her mom this year, she sang a new song with the refrain, "Pull it together right now."

Talking about breast cancer prevention, she scandalized the crowd by bringing up the NFL's wearing of pink to show their appreciation of women as contrasted with 'cold-cocking your girlfriend in a hotel elevator.' Zing!

She also had the crowd laughing by relaying an email she received from Jane Fonda about celebrating her birthday, which was meant for Sandra Bullock. Bernhard spoke about her success in Hollywood this year, and relayed a comical tale about her 'affair' with Brad Pitt and an ensuing catfight with Angelina, punctuating it by singing the song "Jolene," with "Jolie" substituted.

She finished with Mike d'Abo's "Handbags and Glad Rags," then took a musical encore break as Kaplan played "The In Crowd" to change into jeans, and sing, "Drunk in Love."

As Bernhard said of herself, she is "artisanal, with elements of luxury." Luckily for us, she's also locally sourced.

"Sandra Bernhard is #blessed" runs through Dec. 31 at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Ave. in New York City. For information or tickets, call 212-967-7555 or visit http://www.publictheater.org/en/Tickets