On the LA stage she is perhaps best recognized for her unforgettable turns in Forbidden Broadway and Forbidden Hollywood, where she has brilliantly parodied her two idols Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett. She is currently treading the boards in yet another revue, this one from Bruce Kimmel entitled What If? at the Hudson Mainstage in Hollywood.

Q: Did you have input into the creation of What If?

SB: No, we didn’t. Really the way the show is set up is exactly what happened. They tried to do three other straight plays and couldn’t get the rights. This was a last minute thing because they had this theatre booked. When Bruce called me on a Saturday, I was on vacation, and he said, "We’re starting rehearsals on Tuesday. Can you do it?" My first thought of course was "Who dropped out?" (She laughs the laugh of a pro that knows the score.) But I said, "Sure", because I love doing new material.

Q: So the opening song in the show expresses the truth.

SB: Totally.

Q: Very clever material!

Q: Your songs tell the story of an honest character, a funny lady that is straightforward and chooses to go with the flow of life. Did Bruce Kimmel pick them for you?

SB: He offered them. It wasn’t dogmatic. When he first gave me the facelift song, I thought, "Well I know I’m getting older, but…(she laughs uproariously)… Oh, my God!" We have some very young cast members. I started feeling really old.

Q: But you’re having fun.

SB: Absolutely. I’ve got to tell you it’s such a lovely group of people. No overly blown egos; we’re so polite to each other. Theatre people are just marvelous, and I’m extremely lucky to do what I love to do.

Q: How would you compare this show to the two Forbidden revues that you did here and off-Broadway?

SB: They’re similar in the sense that there is some parody material. Forbidden Broadway is more driven by actual direct parody of the shows and the people who did those shows. In this…he’s (Bruce Kimmel) taken a show and said, "Well, what if a different writer wrote music to this show?" Because Bruce has produced all those albums, he has so many resources in the musical theatre community. And he’s written some really nice stuff too. He was the first to do those ‘Unsung Broadway’ recordings- wonderful songs that were cut from Broadway musicals. Great stuff!

Q: You did a funny role in the Reprise production of On the Twentieth Century. I saw that originally with Imogene Coca.

SB: I think she was one of the most brilliant performers ever.

Q: Who are your comedy idols?

SB: Carol Burnett. (She laughs a big, genuine Burnett-type laugh.)

Q: Your Carol Burnett parody was wonderful. Has she ever seen you perform?

SB: She came to Forbidden Broadway and Forbidden Hollywood and is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. At a matinee this elderly lady walked right in front of Carol Burnett and her sister (she had no idea who they were) and said, "I want Susanne Blakeslee’s autograph." Of course Carol Burnett was very sweet and just smiled. I loved her show, and she has a wonderful singing voice. And Julie Andrews has been an idol of mine since I was six.

Q: Do you see similarities between buddies Burnett and Andrews?

SB: Not really, but they both have that warm generous spirit.

Q: Who else do you admire?

SB: Have you ever seen the original Cinderella with Julie Andrews? Kaye Ballard played one of the stepsisters. Those old comediennes were so brilliant. They were allowed to be, and people like the Ballards and the Martha Rayes had their share of great revues too. And of course I grew up with the early Saturday Night Live and SCTV people that I love.

Q: Have you patterned yourself after any one specifically?

SB: No. I think we’re all products of everybody we’ve seen.

Q: How do you feel about the direction that comedy is taking today? Do you think we need to go back to the old days?

SB: I don’t think you can revert. I so respect those that do standup. It’s the hardest thing in the world to do. You have to put out stuff that may not work. In the theatre you have more of a luxury of cutting things, but standups are bearing their souls. I find that amazing.

Q: Have you ever done standup?

SB: No. I don’t have the guts. (laughs) It’s tough. I do animation voiceovers, and a lot of those people do standup.

Q: Do you like voiceover work?

SB: I love it. It’s one of the greatest jobs in the world. You literally go and just play. There are such talented people involved. We have a ball.

Q: Do you prefer straight comedies or musicals?

SB: I like performing, period. I started off studying in London, doing Shakespeare and all that. I sort of fell into musicals, and Forbidden Broadway was a kind of strange fit for me at the time, but I loved it. It changes, and it’s sharp. I’m a character actor, so I ended up doing silly stuff.

Susanne Blakeslee, how lucky for us that you did. Like Andrews and Burnett, you have charm, an infectious sense of humor and that warm generous spirit that you spoke of, yourself. It’s the stuff that makes a truly great human being!