What Happened to the 'Queen of Mean?' Lisa Lampanelli Explains All in New Solo Show 'Irrelevant'

It's been six years since Lisa Lampanelli announced on The Howard Stern Show that she was retiring from standup comedy. The masterful comic with an acerbic wit and impeccable timing was a natural at doling out blistering insults to packed houses of adoring fans hanging on her every word. Dubbed the "Queen of Mean," Lampanelli played every major city, did all the best talk shows on the circuit and was a fixture on all the A-list Friars Club and Comedy Central celebrity roasts. She was every bit as good and as funny as comedy legends like Don Rickles and Joan Rivers. At the pinnacle of her extraordinary career, with fame and fortune aplenty, it seemed unlikely that she would walk away from comedy. But she did.

When asked why she retired and what she's been doing since retirement, she laughed and said, "That's the whole show! That's why you have to come see it. That's what it's all about." The show is "Lisa Lampanelli: IRRELEVANT!," a solo piece that she is performing August 31 at the Provincetown Theater. The one night only event, which includes an audience talkback following the performance, is a benefit for the theater. For ticket information, follow this link.

Expect to see a very different Lisa Lampanelli than you've ever known. It's no longer about the laughs, the applause, and the perks of being 'someone.' According to the former comic, "When it stopped working, I didn't want to pack, didn't want to travel, leave my dogs, my house, I knew it was time. No matter how much success I had, and this is coming from someone who sold out Radio City and Carnegie Hall within two months of each other, it didn't make me any happier. I just knew it was time to find something else to do."

The former comic continued, "Fortunately my Depression-era parents taught me to save, so it wasn't about money. My father used to say, 'Just because you're good at it doesn't mean you have to do it.' But it took years for me to figure out what I should actually do." That journey has become Lampanelli's new work. Telling her stories, sharing her struggles, hoping to help others with theirs.

It's not as if she was looking to create a kinder, gentler version of herself. Her comedy, despite its seemingly offensive and inappropriate tone, was always rooted in love for her audience. "I was an equally opportunity offender. It was all about connecting everyone through laughter. But that's a surface connection. Now, I try to connect on a different level using stories and personal experience. I'm real, no longer the persona I created. My show is all about the journey. It's funny in places, but it's not the kind of joke funny I used to do. If you're in Ptown for a drunk night on the town and you're looking for some laughs, go see Dina Martina. She's hilarious. This is a different experience."

The work for her is no longer about the money, the size of the audience, or the number of tickets sold, instead she hopes to draw a different kind of crowd. "My show is all about my journey. I've done my work. It's not for everyone. I dig deep and I make myself vulnerable. Yeah, it's funny at times, but it's also something everyone can relate to if they want to. Let's face it, who hasn't struggled with what to do with your life? We all have. And that's where I'm looking to connect with people. I've changed. I want to make money for the theater, but I want my experience to resonate with people too. That's how we connect. I get so much more out of helping people than I did making them laugh."

When asked if she missed the comedy world, Lampanelli was quick to credit her therapist with helping her figure out what she really liked about standup. "I was always happiest when I was doing open mics and hanging out with other comics in diners working on our jokes. So now I coach comics and I love it. I help them find their own funny voices. I teach classes too. Plus I meet with these three guys every week and we work on their material. I get out of doing this everything I love about comedy."

It's not just fledglings who are benefitting from Lampanelli's wealth of comic expertise. Actor Claybourne Elder (HBO's "The Gilded Age", Broadway's "Company") has developed a strong friendship with her after working together on his solo projects. "She's great and she really knows how to find the funny" he told EDGE in an earlier interview about his one-person show. Lampanelli returned the enthusiasm for both his work and their friendship.