Pudgy

Beverly Wisniewski (March 19, 1946 – December 24, 2007), known professionally as Pudgy (stylized as Pudgy!), was an American stand-up comedian and singer.

Nicknamed the "Queen of Tease", she was honored as Rising Comedy Star of the Year by the American Guild of Variety Artists in 1981. The Association of Comedy Artists presented her with their Charlie Award for Best Female Comedian in 1982.

Known for her impeccable crowd work, Wisniewski starred in multiple TV specials for the Showtime network. She also starred in the second season of the E! reality series Vegas Showgirls: Nearly Famous.

Early life and education Born in Chicago, Wisniewski was given the nickname "Pudgy" by her father when she was an infant. The nickname was bestowed due to her chubby cheeks. She credited her father, a milkman with a dry sense of humor, as her inspiration for taking up comedy. Her family was of German and Polish heritage.

In her youth, Wisniewski played a small role in a community theatre production of Bye Bye Birdie, which she credited as her first experience in entertainment. She graduated from Steinmetz High School in 1963. She attended Wright Junior College for three semesters, but dropped out before graduating to join beauty school and become a hairdresser. At Toffenetti's Chicago restaurant, she began telling jokes, earning her a following amongst local dignitaries including Richard M. Daley, Joel Daly and Harry Volkman.

Adopting the stage name Pudgy, she opened for Barbara Eden at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in 1977. Genie Campbell of the Daily Herald favorably compared Pudgy's performance to that of a young Totie Fields, opining that she should be a headliner.

She expanded her stage name to Pudgy Cardella in 1979 after marrying singer Michael Cardella, who became her manager.

Chicago restaurateur Arnie Morton hired Pudgy to headline a 1979 party he threw for Hugh Hefner at Zorine's to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Playboy.

William Morris Agency signed Pudgy, leading to her first bookings outside of Chicago. That same year, she was presented with the Charlie Award for Best Female Comedian by the Association of Comedy Artists.

Showtime filmed The Unpredictable Pudgy! in 1983 aboard RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, featuring Pudgy performing before a celebrity-filled crowd.

The comedian moved with her family to the Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Illinois, by the end of 1983.

She filmed an unsold pilot for Paramount Television in 1986, a daily call-in show where Pudgy would have discussed that afternoon's soap opera broadcasts with viewers.

In 1989, she starred as Sister Mary Regina in the musical Nunsense when it played for two months at Harrah's Atlantic City.

Pudgy returned to Los Angeles in 1990 to headline the opening of The Improv's new cabaret space, with Jaye P. Morgan as her warm-up act.

Following her 1992 residency at Bally's Grand, the casino built a new cabaret space called Pudgy's Parlor to honor the comedian.

She returned to Chicago in 1997 to launch her Gotta Heart Tour. Later that year, Pudgy starred in "Camouflage aux Folles" at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

She starred in "More Glitz" at Grand Casino Biloxi in 1999.

Pudgy performed in "Skintight" at Harrah's Las Vegas in 2003, and starred in the second season of the E! reality show Vegas Showgirls: Nearly Famous that documented its production.

Beginning in 2006, Pudgy regularly performed in "X Burlesque" at Flamingo Las Vegas. She had previously undergone bypass surgery in 1996.

Her freeform style of comedy won over live crowds, but without traditional written jokes, Pudgy was unable to get booked on network outlets such as The Tonight Show that would have exposed her to a wider audience. Pudgy's husband denied Rivers' claim since her style of comedy made joke theft unnecessary, but believed the incident hurt her career.

She was politically conservative in her youth, having supported the Richard Nixon 1972 presidential campaign.

Pudgy and Michael Cardella had three children together.

Often referred to as the "female Don Rickles", she welcomed the comparison, but disliked being described as an insult comic.

Her favorite films were Funny Girl, Giant, Good Morning, Vietnam, The Idolmaker, and The World According to Garp.

Comedians influenced by Pudgy Andy Cohen was a fan of Pudgy, stating he wore out his VHS recording of Ladies Night Out Starring Pudgy! after repeatedly showing it to family and friends.

Pudgy mentored Chicago cabaret singer Daryl Nitz, who described her as his role model. San Francisco comic Tony Sparks, founder of the city's famed BrainWash Cafe open mic, named Pudgy as his all-time favorite comedian.

Filmography Television

Awards and nominations +Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 1981 American Guild of Variety Artists Rising Comedy Star of the Year 1982 Association of Comedy Artists Charlie Award for Best Female Comedian