Clay was a comic who dressed like Fonzie, and most of his material centered around sewer-level observations on genitalia, homophobia, misogyny and race - which is to say he was briefly successful.
Lampanelli, currently popular as the self-described "Queen of Mean," works many of the same themes as Clay, only from a female perspective. She dovetails the brutal punchlines against a stage presence that reminds one of a middle-aged Italian librarian - and it's paid off with a Grammy nomination, a bestselling memoir published earlier this year, and headliner status that brings her to the MGM Grand theater for a performance Friday.
Lisa Lampanelli, 8 p.m. Friday. MGM Foxwoods Theater; $25-$45; (866) 646-0050, mgmatfoxwoods.com.
