Carrot Top’s Las Vegas Strip residency to run through 2025

It’s called Carrot Classics, filled with some of the comic’s original props. The Neighborhood Watch sign, the very first prop he ever used and was also hung on his dorm wall at Florida Atlantic University. He sits during this bit, a rarity, as he opens up his past to the crowd.

“It’s brand new and I am at the age and time in my life I can do that now,” said the comic whose legal name is Scott Thompson after his performance. “It’s kind of an unplugged moment where I just sit and talk.”

Carrot Top performed the bit on a big night. His contract with MGM Resorts International has been extended by five years, through 2025. MGM Resorts President of Entertainment and Sports at George Kliavkoff, Luxor GM Cliff Atkinson, MGM Resorts Vice President of Entertainment Booking James Trudeau, and Carrot Top’s agent Steve Levine all showed up to announce the extension at the end of the show.

The comic will be nearly 60 years old, a red-headed graybeard, at the end of that contract. He was favorite of the late resort exec Felix Rappaport, president of Luxor when Topper opened in November 2004.

“I remember how nervous I was,” Carrot Top said in recalling that night. “Everything was so new to me, the room, the company, all the surroundings. Now I’m feeling like Tom Brady, and I might stay with the same team through my whole career.”

Topper was also surprised as several members of his family flew in from Florida, and his mother, Dona; and brother, Garrett, also came to the show unannounced to mark the moment.

“I thought something was up when I saw all the execs lined up in the same row,” Carrot Top said at the post-show party. “I didn’t even see my family until afterward.”

The comic told a story of how he met George Carlin early in his career, as Carlin was on top and Topper had not even opened at Luxor. Carlin complimented the comic on one of his props, two cups connected by string that kids used to use as walkie-talkies. Carrot Top added a third for call waiting, and a few little cups for conference calls.

He also recalled a conversation with Carlin in those days.

“I said, ‘I have a question for you, what’s it like to have it all figured out?’ ” Carrot Top recalled. “And he said? ‘Have what figured out? I ain’t got (expletive) figured out. I’m still learning.’ I feel like that too, that I am still trying to improve and grow, keep it topical and fresh and have fun. That’s what a Carrot Top show should be.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.