Comedian Carol Leifer Remembers Opening For Frank Sinatra | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

Before we move on to other shows you've. worked on, I have to ask you. I know. that you opened. You were the comedian. who opened for Frank Sinatra. I have to. ask you about that. I mean, and this is. 1989. Yeah. I must know. Crazy crazy. story. All right. So, in 1989, I'm. getting some gigs, things are good. I. run into this uh agent who's supposed to. be, you know, uh big time at the time. He's like, "Uh, you know, Carol, I think. you could be doing even better. Why.

don't you come to my office, write down. the gigs you have have had and how much. you got and we'll go over it." All. right. So, I wrote them down. I came to. his office and right away looking at the. list, he was like, "You got this at sir. laugh. a joke. You know, you got you made this. much at the chuckle hut." No, that's. pathetic. So, he said, "Great names though. So he said, "Why don't you, you know, sign with me?" I was like, "Okay, great." So we start working together and.

things are, you know, time is passing. by. I'm literally working at ground. round restaurants doing comedy nights. there. Yeah. Where you can't even be. heard because people are the the sound. of peanut shells crunching on the floor. Yeah. Um you could not even get over it. And so, so I would call him and go, "What? What's going on? Where are these. big gigs?" He was like, "I'm working on. Frank." Yeah. And I'm at this point I'm. like, "Opening for like Frank Stallone?

Who are you talking about?" What? Oh, you could only dream of opening for. Frank Stallone. So then I work on a cruise ship and I. get a phone call. Now, you know, if you. got a phone call on a cruise ship in. 1989, somebody died. Yeah. or your place. is on fire. And it was the agent and he. said, "You're gonna open for Frank. Sonatra at Bal's in Las Vegas, four. shows." And I he apparently knew Jilly.

Rizzo. Yeah. Who was Frank's guy. Yeah. And um so I got the gig and um I called. my friend Larry Miller because he had. opened for Frank just Larry years ago. He's amazing. uh to get some tips. because I was a little nervous and he. said, "Oh, they're going to love you.". Uh, you know, it's it's a great gig. His. audience is great. And um it was an. amazing it's it's still today the the. top um of my career showbiz. But walk me. through you go out. Is there any What's.

the inner Is there interaction with. Frank? Yes, there was. Is it after is. there you do this? You do your set? I do. myself. But I learned something very. important as a comedian with that gig. because I was a little nervous about. going out there. I went out and I said, "Oh, I'm so happy that Mr. Sinatra asked. me to join him here at Ballets." And. then the audience was like, "Oh, okay. She's Frank's girl. All right." Yeah. Yeah. So that helped my set a lot. Yes. So I do my time 15 minutes. You know, they had the clocks in Vegas on the.

stage floor. You had you you got to keep. it at 15. And then Sinatra would come. out and he'd bring me back for a bow. Oh, but he said some cryptic things. sometimes. Like one time he said, "That. was Carol Leafer. I wish my mother had. been that funny. I wouldn't had to work. so hard. The summer breeze came rushing. in from across the city." Yeah. And then. another time he brought me out. He says,

"That was Carol Leaf. She's big. She'll. knock you over for the phone. What? Well, to be honest, I talk like. that now and the podcast just seems to. still be doing well. So, and people just. think I'm Oh, that's Conan with another. one of his funny gags. I'm going. downhill fast. Um, it's uh I mean that's real show. business. That's old time classic show. business. Opening for Frank, getting. called out for a bow. Yes. But what a.

gentleman. I mean, I have friends from. that time who opened for people in Vegas. who would not even bring them back out. You know, I I would tell you the names. of the acts, but I really shouldn't. But. some of them are very supreme. Nice. The clothing brand Supreme. Wow. The pizza, the burrito. Burrito. Supreme. Okay.