COMEDY REVIEW : Roseanne’s Muses, Reflections in a ‘Work in Progress’

When you’ve become too famous for anyone’s own good and want to return to your entertainment roots, how do you swing it?

Do you dwell on the particulars of your fame and/or notoriety and risk alienating an audience that can’t relate? Or do you try a “just-folks” approach and risk sounding phony?

Roseanne, appearing Monday at LunaPark in her fourth test-run of new material for an upcoming stand-up comedy tour (she emphasized that the performance was a “work in progress” in an effort to discourage reviews), was able both to reflect on her powerful position in the industry and muse on the harrowing hilarity of family life without sounding haughty or forced.

The crucial difference between this set and a disastrous turn last November (Roseanne opened this show recalling a negative review she received for that performance) was her admission that she’s now in a much better and less bitter mood. The sense of playfulness was apparent onstage.

Wearing a sunflower bonnet and muumuu (her fifth child is due in August), Roseanne worked off notes and muffed the occasional punch line, yet was self-deprecating in discussing her family. At times, her meditations seemed to be more setups than actual jokes.

But her takes on dealing with the fatuousness that is American television--from a surreal interpretation of her demographic appeal to her efforts to adapt the scandalous British TV series “Absolutely Fabulous” to the conservative network mentality--were acutely clever.

Her material is still in need of some punching up. Many of her political observations were in need of a keener wit--let’s face it, there’s more to political satire than just calling right-wingers “[expletiving] stupid [expletives]”--and while her thoughts on the O.J. Simpson trial were sound, she wasn’t venturing into any territory that any comic who has taken a stage in the past year hasn’t already covered.

Her best moments seemed to come with the least strain. She was at her most natural when she chucked her notes and simply entertained questions from the audience. At this point, she regaled the crowd with effortlessly funny anecdotes from her life. Her delivery was far less halting, her caustic persona remained in high gear yet was self-effacing and she actually seemed to be enjoying herself.

Which makes it all the easier for the audience to enjoy her, as well.