Natasha Leggero thinks Philly fans are sophisticated, has clearly never been to an Eagles game

Comedian Natasha Leggero is having a pretty good year. She's starring on two TV shows - Showtime's Dice, as the long-suffering girlfriend of comedian Andrew Dice Clay, and Another Period, her Comedy Central satire of celebrity culture where she's a member of a Downton Abbey-style family by way of the Kardashians (its second season began June 15). Plus, she got to go on tour with her husband, fellow comedian Moshe Kasher, which she likened to getting paid to go on vacation.

The (very) dirty and (very) funny comedian will be at the Valley Forge Casino on Saturday.

You're in a patriotic place over a patriotic weekend.

I didn't even think of that! Now I'm scared. Not really. I've played Helium before. I liked Philadelphia. I was just shocked by the winding streets and the cobblestone streets. I loved the street that was designed to look like Paris [Benjamin Franklin Parkway].

You're sounding like quite the history nerd, especially considering "Another Period."

I'm becoming one. I never was before. For Another Period, I read about Newport, R.I., where at the time 90 percent of the wealth was. I had no idea that America had its own Downton Abbey but this new-money type of version. I took [Another Period costar] Riki Lindhome there, and our director Jeremy Konner and [Another Period writer and Leggero's husband] Moshe. We got inspired by these families that used to live there. They were new money. They were living like rappers. There was no income tax then. America was figuring out what it was. They didn't really understand what America would be yet. Clearly, the servant thing didn't stick.

But you also incorporate current issues into "Another Period." An episode about "hatchet control" aired just as Rep. John Lewis was leading a sit-in on the House floor.

It was crazy that happened. Hopefully, other people noticed how cutting edge we are [laughs].

You also ricocheted between two very different parts this year as Andrew Dice Clay's girlfriend on Showtime's "Dice."

I'm versatile! It was fun doing Dice's girlfriend. It was nothing like anything I had ever done before. Those kind of parts are hard. Dice is such a huge character, you don't want to do just an impression of him because his accent is catchy.

It's also hard to get stuck in the cliché nagging-sitcom-wife role.

They write a lot of those women. They were really going to let me talk back to him. In terms of him personally, Dice is a really sweet guy. His family is so important to him. It's kind of cool to see that.

You'll be doing stand-up at the casino, that's pretty different from the average comedy club.

The difference between a casino is they want you to be done with your show right away. [Laughs] Hopefully people are coming to see me. You don't want a random casino crowd. But I've always loved the crowds in Philly.

Why?

Everyone seems so sophisticated. It's almost like New York. People are game.

You just came off of a tour with your husband. There have to be some drawbacks to that.

Very few drawbacks, actually! The hardest thing about being on the road is being alone and having no one to hang out with. My husband and I headline together and that's preferred. But I've totally been in relationships where I'm like "I can't be with you for more than a few days." But not only can we go on vacation but we can get paid for it!

What's the allure of the road for you?

That's a good question, going with my husband really helped. It's more fun to hang out in a city. We were able to extend our trips and really see each place.

It's important as a comedian to see what people are laughing at. Culture can be very PC, online everyone is so touchy. So it's good to keep yourself out there, to be in touch with what people are responding to.

Natasha Leggero 
8 p.m. Saturday, Valley Forge Casino, 1160 First Ave., King of Prussia. $45. 610-354-8118, vfcasino.com.

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