PORTLAND - Dubbed by The New York Times as Comedy's "Lovable Queen of Mean," Lisa Lampanelli is a no-holds-barred insult comic who masterfully works her audience while maintaining an inherent likability. Lampanelli will bring her sharp tongue to Merrill Auditorium April 4.

Tickets, $34.50, for reserved seating, go on sale at noon Friday, Feb. 22.

Hailed as a cross between Don Rickles, Archie Bunker and a vial of estrogen, Lampanelli has won accolades from Howard Stern, who describes her as "a real funny broad."

Her ability to make people laugh at their own stereotypes and differences helped her conquer the club scenes in both New York City and Los Angeles in a few short years. Her popularity skyrocketed in 2002, when she was the only female comedian invited to skewer Chevy Chase on the NY Friar's Club Roast on "Comedy Central."

Since then, she has become a staple of the Comedy Central Roasts for her stinging jests toward the guests of honor. Again, she was the only female invited to be part of the highly rated "Comedy Central Roast of Jeff Foxworthy" in March 2004.

In the summer of 2005, her show-stopping performance on the "Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson" received national attention. Lampanelli has since closed the "Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner" and most recently drew headlines for her appearance on the "Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav."

Besides her success on Comedy Central, Lampanelli is a regular on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Howard Stern Show" on Sirius satellite radio. Her one-hour special "Dirty Girl" was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007. It aired on Comedy Central Jan. 28 and was a hit for the network. Her "Dirty Girl" CD and DVD was released by Warner Bros./Jack Records on Jan. 30 and debuted at No. 4 on the comedy charts. Her previous CD and DVD, "Take it Like A Man," was also a huge success, hitting No. 6 on the comedy charts.

As one of the few white comedians to perform on BET's "Comic View," Lampanelli has cemented her huge crossover appeal. She has also taped several specials for VH1, MTV and CMT and is selling out shows across the country.

Lampanelli can be see in "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector," in which she plays a foul-mouthed dirty broad. She also starred in "The Aristocrats," in which she played a foul-mouthed dirty comic. She can be seen in the Lionsgate release "Delta Farce," starring Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy and D.J. Qualls. She will also be in the feature film "Drillbit Taylor," opposite Owen Wilson, which is set for release this year.

Tickets to the 8 p.m. show are available at PortTix at 20 Myrtle Street; by calling 842-0800; and online at www.porttix.com and www.livenation.com. For more information about Lisa Lampanelli, visit www.insultcomic.com.