Pop Quiz: Sandra Bernhard

How is Sandra Bernhard celebrating the 20th anniversary of her breakthrough off-Broadway show, "Without You I'm Nothing"? The mouthy 53-year-old singer, comedian and all-around agitator is bringing back the whole show and taking it around the country, with two San Francisco performances Friday and Saturday at Herbst Theatre. Having once again made headlines during the most heated days of the latest presidential campaign, Bernhard is drawing the same kind of controversy that sparked the start of her long-running career, which has included stops on "Roseanne" and "The L Word" and quite possibly in Madonna's bedroom. Calling from her New York home, Bernhard tells us about how it all began.

Q: Has it all been downhill ever since "Without You I'm Nothing"?

A: No, au contraire. Everything has gotten better and better. My performances have gotten better. I feel like I've come so far.

Q: It was probably a lot easier for you to walk down the street back then.

A: Well, people were just getting to know me. But it's always wonderful when people come up to you, especially in New York, where everyone is so stylish and sophisticated. I don't mind it at all.

Q: Do you actually remember doing this show the first time around?

A: I have a lot of great memories of putting the show together. Me and my musical director, Mitch Kaplan, would get together every afternoon in an apartment in Los Angeles and just laugh our asses off. For me, the initial stage of doing something creative is always the most exciting because you know you're doing something that's going to be out there.

Q: Are you performing the whole thing word-for-word?

A: The actual material is verbatim. But there's a lot of new stuff.

Q: Do the jokes from 1988 still stand up?

A: It's very relevant. The thing is, they weren't topical. They were personal pieces of my life, and they're still relevant. It was cultural, but it was through my filter.

Q: On the original album, Tori Amos sang backup vocals on the cover of "Little Red Corvette." Did you know that made the double cassette a collector's item?

A: I hope it was more than that. If that's the case, we should have employed her more. She just sang some overdubs. She never performed onstage with me.

Q: Maybe Madonna could step in for her at your show.

A: I don't think so. She says hello when she notices me.

Q: Do you really want to be on TV again?

A: Hell, yes - in the right thing. I have high standards for myself.

Q: What kinds of roles are you turning down?

A: You know, the stereotypically bitchy characters, which is really not who I am at all.

Q: That's what you get for being on "Roseanne."

A: No. It's from my own stand-up, but I don't think my character was bitchy. She was crazy. People are intimidated by things that are out of their scope. I'm strong. I'm clear about where I stand politically. People don't know what to do with that. Most people are afraid to express themselves.

Q: I can't wait to see how you pull this off.

A: You can never really go back. I'm looking back like everybody else. It's an adventure.

To hear Sandra Bernhard's music, go to www.myspace.com/readyoutofilth.

E-mail Aidin Vaziri at avaziri@....