Bolder & Fresher Tour at Westbury recap August 21, 2011

(2/22/13 UPDATE: For those that found this post by search engine, this is a recap of the original Bolder-Fresher show at Westbury in August 2011.  There will be another show there on June 1 of this year, but I won’t be attending that one.)

(12/6/14 UPDATE: On the other hand, I will be attending the Don’t Be a Pinhead Tour show at Westbury on May 2, 2015. The new name for the tour is the result of retooling.)

(Update at the bottom with viewer e-mails from audience members at 10/29 Mohegan Sun show, 11/2 Miller Time segment, my quick review of Killing Lincoln, and highlights from the 10/29 show.)

Last night, I returned to what is now the NYCB Theatre at Westbury for the debut of the Bolder & Fresher Tour starring Bill O’Reilly and Dennis Miller.

I went with my dad and we were joined later by family friend Joe Falco.  Joe is a former FDNY firefighter who survived the collapse of the World Trade Center’s south tower on September 11, 2001.  My college senior project was a documentary featuring his recollections and a return to Ground Zero where he retraced his steps.

The show was at 8:00, but since it was nearly sold out, Dad and I left the house at 6:45 to be safe.  It took about fifteen minutes to arrive.  Once in the theatre, we sat down for 50 minutes.  Our seats were adjacent to the aisle where Bill and Dennis walked to and from the stage.  A few minutes after 8:00, the lights dimmed, and Bill, via the public address system, introduced “the fresh part of the Bolder Fresher Tour, Miller!”  My dad said he and Dennis made eye contact during his walk down to the stage.

Dennis’ material was toned down a bit.  In TV ratings terms, he was TV-14-DL; no s- or f-words but suggestive dialogue.  His 35-minute set touched on many topics, including:

• Global warming
• California
• The southern U.S. border
• Michael Moore
• Getting old
• What he likes and dislikes about President Obama
• Barney Frank
• Nancy Pelosi
• Pope Benedict XVI

Then, it was Bill’s turn.  Among his topics were:

• President Obama
• The Republican presidential candidate field
• Who has the best chance to be the Republican nominee
• The split in the Republican Party between the Tea Party and the establishment
• His upcoming appearance in an episode of Rizzoli & Isles
• His upcoming book, Killing Lincoln
• Recounting his previous appearance on The View

After a 15-minute intermission, Bill and Dennis returned for 35 minutes of Q&A.  At this point, the two sat in stools while the stage rotated.  It took Dennis a few minutes to notice that and then he acknowledged it to the audience.  They each had stories to tell.  Dennis talked about:

• How he moved from the left to center-right politically
• His old CNBC show and how things fell apart between him and his monkey sidekick Mowgli
• His work in Bordello of Blood and on Monday Night Football
• Meeting Frank Sinatra
• Checking out the room Elvis Presley stayed in at the Vegas Hilton
• A story Billy Crystal told him about Redd Foxx

Bill talked about his upbringing, from Levittown to The O’Reilly Factor, and everything in between: working as a lifeguard for the Town of Babylon, going to St. Brigid’s, Chaminade High School, Marist (to which Dennis made a Marist/Roger Maris joke), working his way up in TV news.

It was a great show.  Bill and Dennis both entered and exited to standing ovations.  To be honest, I enjoyed this more than the Bold & Fresh Tour show last year.

If you’d like to see Bolder Fresher for yourself, check the tour’s website for upcoming dates and venues.  You’ll be glad you went.

8/23 UPDATE: Three e-mails from audience members were read tonight on The O’Reilly Factor:

Keith Warhola, Mineola, NY: “Bill, you and Miller killed at Westbury.  Loved the show.”
Bill’s response: “We didn’t actually kill anybody.  It means that–[in] show biz–we were good.”

Gina Serra, Syosset, NY: “Bill, the Bolder-Fresher show was great!  You were charming and Miller was a riot.”

Caryl Taylor, Briarcliff, NY: “Officer O’Reilly, we salute you and Dennis Miller.  We were fully entertained by your observations and Miller’s stories.”
Bill’s response: “Well, thank you for all the nice mail, guys; got tons of letters.  Clips from the show are now posted on BillOReilly.com for premium members.  Next week, we’re gonna open ’em up to everybody.  So you can see about 15 minutes of the Bolder Fresher show on BillOReilly.com.  Info on upcoming shows in Connecticut; Richmond, Virginia; and Atlantic City available on BolderFresher.com.  BolderFresher.com.”

In addition to those e-mails, a few clips were shown last night in the Reality Check segment.  I compiled that and tonight’s e-mails into this video:

9/9 UPDATE: The latter half of August 24’s Miller Time segment was devoted to the Westbury show:

I would have posted this sooner, but Irene set me back and then I forgot.

11/1 UPDATE: Saturday night, the Bolder Fresher Tour came to Mohegan Sun.  As the winds howled and snow mixed with rain here in southeast Nassau, I wondered if the show would even happen, but this tweet confirmed it did:

Dennis Miller & Bill O’Reilly – Bold[er & Fresh[er] Tour (@ Mohegan Sun Arena) http://t.co/UJ475ItU

O’Reilly and Miller weren’t going to let a pesky snowstorm/Nor’easter stop them.  I’m sure everyone got back home, or home away from home (i.e. hotel room), safely.

One viewer e-mail from an audience member was read tonight on The O’Reilly Factor:
Lynda Hanratty, Selden, NY: “Hey, Mr. O, we drove five hours to Connecticut in that snowstorm to see you and Miller.  And it was worth the white knuckle ride!  You two were hysterical!  Was that your limo that passed us on the ride home?”
Bill’s response: “No limo for me, Lynda.  I drove up there, just like you did, from Long Island.  Glad you liked the Bolder Fresher show.  Watch out, Richmond, Virginia; and Atlantic City.  We’re comin’ to you Thanksgiving weekend.  Details on BillOReilly.com.”

11/2 UPDATE: Tonight’s Miller Time only made a passing reference to Saturday’s show at Mohegan Sun.  Here’s the video, anyway.  And here’s another viewer e-mail:
Mark Underhill, East Aurora, NY: “Bill, my wife and I drove seven hours to see you and Miller in that snowstorm on Saturday.  To make the trip go faster, we tried to buy the Killing Lincoln audio.  It was sold out everywhere.  So we bought the book and my wife read it to me.  Excellent.”
Bill’s response: “Your wife’s a trooper, Mark, and I’m sending you the audio for your ordeal.  Killing Lincoln is selling out everywhere, but we are printing them as fast as we can get ’em out to you.  More than 900,000 copies of ‘Killing Lincoln’ in print right now.  Thank you all.”

I pre-ordered the audio of Killing Lincoln before it came out and began listening to it September 28, the day after it was released.  It got me through my daily walks and I finished it in two weeks.  It reads (or is read by Bill) like a thriller.  I vividly remember where I was walking while listening to key passages.

11/3 UPDATE: Highlights from Saturday can be seen on the BillOReilly.com video page.  Look for “Bolder & Fresher Tour at Mohegan Sun” and click to play.

For the third night in a row, a viewer e-mail from an audience member was read:
Kathleen O’Gorman, Meriden, CT: “Mr. O, we lost power in the storm and it’s been rough.  You and Miller were the only bright spots as we caught the Bolder Fresher show.”
Bill’s response: “[I] appreciate that, Kathleen.  The power situation in the Northeast is gettin’ desperate.  A clip from the Bolder Fresher show on Saturday [is] posted on BillOReilly.com.  And Miller and I will see everybody in Richmond, Virginia; and Atlantic City at the end of November.”

11/4 UPDATE: Another day, another update.  Psychotherapist Dr. Karen Ruskin was in the audience Saturday night and tweeted Dennis this afternoon:

Hi Dennis, Dr Karen Ruskin here, mental health expert- appeared on O’Reilly. Great show w Bill Sat! Will never see ED the same @DennisDMZ

An audience member viewer e-mail all the way from Montana!:
Margot Belden, Missoula, MT: “Bill, I came from Montana to see you and Miller in Connecticut!  It was worth the ordeal.  You were so funny, I had tears in my eyes.”
Bill’s response: “I hope from laughing with me, Margot, and not at me.  Signed copy of Killing Lincoln coming your way for that big trip. …”  That was followed by another reminder about the Richmond and Atlantic City shows in a few weeks.