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Comedian Leanne Morgan has had development deals for sitcoms with ABC, Warner Brothers and TVLAND. But she prefer doing standup comedy in front of live audiences. She'll be performing at the Orpheum Theatre at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The only thing missing from Leanne Morgan’s comedy show at the Orpheum Theatre Saturday night was a purse auction in the lobby.

Much like the Women’s Night Out events that used to be a staple in Sioux City, Morgan’s appearance had plenty of relatable material and a couple of risqué one-liners.

More accessible than Chelsea Handler, a bit naughtier than Jeanne Robertson, Morgan said she was all ready to come to Sioux City when COVID struck. Postponed several times, she was eager to get here and finally perform. When she learned the region was known for meatpacking, she said, “That’s my people!” and knew she would fit in. To make sure she could be understood, she left her Invisalign backstage. Then, she flipped through her life from high school in Tennessee to raising three children and a husband who sells mobile homes.

“In the ‘80s I was cute,” she told the crowd. “I had a functioning thyroid.”

Now with her children out of the nest she realized men only use so many words in a day and her husband had used his up by the time he got home. Complicating matters? “He’s the tightest person. He does not believe in joy.” Ah, but his job comes with dental insurance.

Morgan was like a friend you haven’t seen in years but felt comfortable saying just about anything. A 50-something friend went back in the dating pool and prompted her to wonder if she could do it now that she turned 57. It would take $1,000 just get ready, she admitted. And, “you’d have to make out around his CPAP machine.”

Morgan touched on big panties, too, (her tour is called the “Big Panty Tour”). Her favorite brand has Dri-Fit technology “like Nike. You could play golf in my panties.”

Performing for 90 minutes, Morgan talked about her children (two daughters, one son), her grandson and the perils she went through as a young mother. “If I could go to the bathroom by myself, it was like going to the Bahamas.”

Her son and first daughter got plenty of attention – flash cards, school projects, field trips. By the time her third was in school she was worn out. When her youngest was learning long division, she faked illness and sat with one of Morgan’s friends drinking Diet Coke and eating chocolate chip cookies in the nurse’s office. The girl grew up “spell cussing” and got away with it.

Now, that daughter is a makeup artist who practiced on her during the pandemic.

Her son and his wife have a 22-month-old son who’s the focus of Morgan’s attention. Sadly, “nobody listens to me because I’m just the mother-in-law.”

Frequently, she punctuated her stories with a Dame Edna whisper, then moved in for the punchline kill.

She was quite effective – and a real fan favorite. For those who didn’t know her brand of comedy, she was primed to pull them in. Stories about concerts (30 years after her prime), business trips with her husband and the horror of appearing in a swimming suit in front of other wives were just enough to mint new fans and please old ones.

Caleb Elliott, a Gen-Z comedian opened the show and, like Morgan, introduced the audience to the quirks of his world. A refreshing complement, he hit on phones, money and maps. “There’s a lot I don’t know…and I don’t care, either,” he said with a smile.

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Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal. He has covered entertainment for more than 40 years and teaches newswriting at Briar Cliff University.

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After more than 22 years in comedy, Leanne Morgan is bringing her "Big Panty Tour" to the Orpheum Theatre at 7 p.m. Saturday in Sioux City. The comic grew up in Tennessee and has had sitcom development deals with three major TV networks.

Charlie Berens spent a good amount of his opening at the Orpheum Theatre just riffing with audience members. “Don’t you wish when you come to a comedy show the comedian would have material?” he asked.

There has never been a better time to delve into the YouTube video world.

Comedian Leanne Morgan has had development deals for sitcoms with ABC, Warner Brothers and TVLAND. But she prefer doing standup comedy in front of live audiences. She'll be performing at the Orpheum Theatre at 7 p.m. Saturday.

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