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October 8, 2009

Vicki Lawrence and Mama return to Pittsburg

By Scott Meeker

smeeker@joplinglobe.com

It should come as no surprise that Vicki Lawrence and her alter ego, Thelma Harper, are planning a return to Pittsburg, Kan., a year after their first engagement there.

“Kansas ... those are Mama’s peeps,” said Lawrence.

The actress and singer, known for her work on “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Mama’s Family,” as well as her recording of the song “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” performed in Pittsburg in August 2008.

She will return with another performance of “Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two Woman Show,” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Auditorium.

Lawrence said that those who attended her show last year don’t have to worry about seeing the exact same show again. She said that she tries to keep her live shows topical and fresh, but that can sometimes prove challenging.

“It’s getting harder and harder to find what is fun to poke fun at,” she said. “I am so tired of Jon and Kate, so I’m rethinking that. I’m rethinking David Letterman, because I don’t know what to think about that.”

Just like any performer, Lawrence has fans who follow her tour closely and try to catch as many shows as possible.

“There are a couple of crazed fans who travel all over the country to see the show, but they’re not taping me through keyholes,” she said. “That would be frightening, wouldn’t it? Mama in the altogether?”

Having traded television for the stage, Lawrence said that it can be a little strange tuning in to see what passes for televised comedy these days.

“A lot of the sitcoms today have gotten a little dark and cynical,” she said. “Carol (Burnett) said to me the other night at dinner that ‘we are watching the demise of television.’ It’s not the way it used to be. ‘Mama’s Family’ was a silly show. You didn’t have to think or judge, just sit back and laugh.”

That’s why Lawrence enjoys her live show so much.

“You have no idea how much fun it is,” she said. “It’s mine. I get to do whatever I want and barrel through it in 90 minutes.

“Mama gets out in the audience to interact with people,” she said. “Cell phones ring, I talk to people on the phone ... you never know what’s going to happen during a live show.”

There are some ideas in the works for upcoming projects, but after a busy 2008 election year — in which she published “Mama for President: Good Lord, Why Not?” — Lawrence said that Mama isn’t thinking too far ahead at the moment.

“Probably just going to the bathroom,” Lawrence said. “That’s a big plan for her.”

Tickets are $40 for the main floor and $30 for other seating.

Details: 620-231-7827 or at www.memorialauditorium.org.

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