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Comedian Iliza Shlesinger 'can't wait' to bring comedy tour to Maine

The comedian, best known for her Netflix specials and cooky characters, is calling this her favorite show she's ever written.

PORTLAND, Maine — Comedian Iliza Shlesinger is making a stop in Maine as part of her "Back in Action Tour," and the elder millennial said she "can't wait" to visit again.

Tickets are still available for her May 13 show at Merrill Auditorium in Portland.

The 39-year-old wrapped up her last tour in 2021 while she was in her third trimester of pregnancy. She gave birth to her daughter in January. She told 207 this is her favorite comedy show she's ever written, and fans can expect to meet a handful of new characters.  

Question: How has motherhood been so far?

Iliza: It’s awesome. I toured all through being pregnant. I did a whole month in Europe while I was seven months pregnant. I had so much energy. I worked out. I ate everything. And I think I was afraid I was going to give birth to a raisin, like I had taken all of her energy, because mommy was just good to go. 

She’s awesome, and it’s the best. I know it can be very tiring, but I can fit her whole foot in my mouth. Can you say the same?

Q: I'm glad you mentioned that. I wondered if this round of the tour for you would feel a little lighter since you’re not carrying her?

Iliza: Emotionally it’s heavier, because I miss her if we can’t take her. But, you know, COVID ended -- at least, we decided to stop acknowledging it. And I was like, "The world is open. We’ll travel. We never know when it’s going to close down again." So I just went, and I was like, if people find it offensive that I’m pregnant, all the better. Plus, I have their money.

So we did the show, and now I’m back to my normal jeans. So come on out if you’re looking for a tutorial in high-waisted jeans and elder millennial black denim, cause that’s what we’re rockin'.

Q: Your show is this Friday in Portland, and there are obviously going to be bits that people want to see. But I feel like you also want it to be fresh, so how do you strike that balance when you’re looking at your show?

Iliza: This isn’t a rock concert. I don’t do old bits. Once it’s in a special, it’s in tomb. We move on. An artist’s job is to keep evolving. It would be sad if I was like, "Remember the party goblin? Remember when I was in my 20s, and I used to talk about drinking? Well I’m 39 now and a mother, and I’m still the same."

This is not even the baby hour, because I still have fans that don’t have kids. This is the best hour I’ve ever written. It’s been so much fun touring it. It’s an energetic, meaningful, super fun, action-packed hour. Do I pretend to be a whale more than once? Maybe. What good comedy show would be complete without it?

And you’ll leave with a lot of new characters. But if you get the VIP meet-and-greet, we always do party goblin after, because she lives in our hearts. And I’ll be visiting a lot of your cute bars after.

Q: You are always posting thank you notes to your fans who bring gifts to the show for you. Does any of that ever get old?

Iliza: I mean, it’s like, do you ever get tired of opening presents? No. But, if people don’t bring gifts I’m not like, "Where are my presents?" It’s such an incredible bonus that people take time and money to buy me something or make me something or bring something that means something to them. 

The cards that they write are also so meaningful. Like, you know people took the time. So it never gets old. You didn’t ask this, but most people will ask what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever gotten. The answer is nothing I’ve ever gotten is weird. 

I’m an artist, so as in depth and as quirky as you’re art may be, I get it and they took the time to go buy art supplies and make one of the 14 paintings I have on my wall of my dog.

Q: Are you working on anything else right now? We didn't even talk about your podcast!

Iliza: I have a podcast called "Ask Iliza Anything," and we just found a new home on Stitcher, and we’ve got hundreds of thousands of fans, and it’s part of people’s weeks -- comes out every Wednesday. You can write in your questions about your life, we will answer them, we’ll tell you what to do.

My new book, "All Things Aside," comes out in October. And until then, honestly, Mainiacs please just come out and see me. I am coming from so far away. I’m coming from Vermont, which is where the first show is, so help me out.

When my agent said it, I was like, "Yes, I love Portland, because it’s so cute," so I can’t wait to come and be cute with you.

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