Food for Thought

You see a lot of strange things managing a multimillion-dollar steakhouse in New York City. A woman going commando and flashing the entire front section of the restaurant is just one of the many bizarre scenes that Carolann Valentino witnessed and details in her lively one-woman show, Burnt at the...

By Robin Edwards

August 18, 2011

Audio By Carbonatix

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You see a lot of strange things managing a multimillion-dollar steakhouse in New York City. A woman going commando and flashing the entire front section of the restaurant is just one of the many bizarre scenes that Carolann Valentino witnessed and details in her lively one-woman show, Burnt at the Steak. Valentino sings, dances, improvises with the audience, and plays eighteen characters to tell her life story.

While the show definitely is categorized as a comedy, Valentino says the meat of the story is her decision to forgo a steady job and a 401k to become a performer. &"It's easy to leave something behind to pursue something else when you hate what you do and you're not making money," explains Valentino. "But it's another thing to leave a job that you love, with people that you love, and leave a shitload of money."

Still, doing just that has paid off to some degree: Valentino has appeared on As the World Turns, was briefly a contestant on Fox reality show Hell's Kitchen and has sold out shows with her one-woman performance. Burnt at the Steak opens tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut Street in Boulder, as part of the Boulder Fringe Festival. The show runs through August 27; tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Go to www.boulderfringe.com for more information.
Thu., Aug. 18, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 20, 6 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 21, 9 p.m.; Tue., Aug. 23, 6 p.m.; Fri., Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 27, 9 p.m., 2011

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