PORTLAND – Stand-up comedian Brian Regan, who makes regular guest appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” will perform Saturday, April 29, at the State Theatre.

Tickets, $38.50, are on sale now.

As a child, Regan was a huge fan of Johnny Carson, The Smothers Brothers and Jonathan Winters, but his fascination with stand-up comedy really kicked in when Steve Martin came on the scene. It was Martin’s silly, but smart, comedic genius that inspired Regan.

In the early 1980s, Regan started performing at a small comedy club in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., an hour’s drive from his hometown of Miami, and found plenty of work in the booming 1980s comedy world.

In 1986, Regan moved to New York City, where he stayed until 1994. Still hitting the road plenty during those years, Regan also used his time in New York to learn the difference between getting laughs and getting good laughs.

He kept his comedy broad enough to work everywhere but unique enough for the demanding New York City scene. The tightrope paid off when he won $10,000.00 in the K-Rock – Miller Lite Funniest Person in New York contest in 1988.

By the early 1990s, Regan had developed into one of the best stand-up comedians in the country and began nailing down national TV appearances: “MTV Half Hour Comedy Hour,” Pat Sajak, Arsenio Hall, and “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.”

Regan won the 1996 American Comedy Award for Best Comedian.

In 1997, he released his CD, “Brian Regan Live.” He starred in his own comedy specials for Showtime and Comedy Central and was featured in Coca Cola’s Concession Stand Comedy in movie theaters throughout the country.

A DVD of a live performance by Regan, titled “I Walked On The Moon,” was released in December of 2004. Available through Brian’s Web site, www.BrianRegan.com, it has sold more than 25,000 copies in less than a year.

In 2005, with his fan base still growing, Regan embarked on a 40-city theater tour, playing to sold-out houses. He will perform at 8 p.m. April 29 at the State Theatre, 609 Congress St.

Tickets, reserved seating for all ages, are available at the Cumberland County Civic Center box office from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and at all Ticketmaster outlets; by calling Ticketmaster, (207) 775-3331; and by going online to www.LiveAtTheState.com.