She is the embodiment of the word entertainer — an artist who has reached the pinnacle in virtually every area of performance. She has come a long way since she was Barbra Streisand’s Broadway understudy in Funny Girl. Once she was able to display her talent in two shows, she became the chanteuse of her native New York, with nightclub stints and guest appearances on virtually every top variety and talk show in network television, including an unparalleled 26 appearances on The Dean Martin Show. She even hosted her own variety special for NBC, and at the Playboy Clubs in Los Angeles and New York, opened the popular Lainie's Room and Lainie's Room East, respectively.