Energetic Tomlin’s act more than mere nostalgia

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Lily Tomlin slips in and out of her comedic characters at the turn of a phrase. But it didn’t seem to be part of the act when, no sooner had she climbed into her oversized Edith Ann chair, she climbed back out again and headed for some bottled water.

“I thought the desert would be the perfect place for my dry wit,” she joked. Soon, Tomlin clambered back into the big prop from “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and instantly turned 6 years old again.

This MGM Grand stint is the spry 70-year-old comedian’s first time ever to perform on the Strip. Maybe her wit was too dry, but more likely it’s because Las Vegas would have clouded — and been clouded by — a career that’s fused traditional stand-up comedy with theater.

By sheer coincidence, however, Tomlin showed up only weeks after Chazz Palminteri did his one-man “A Bronx Tale.” Las Vegas is big enough to accommodate all sorts of tastes now, even if it’s safe to say this is the first time a quote from French author Andre Malraux ever has been projected onto the stage of the MGM Grand’s Hollywood Theatre.

And the recession certainly makes casino owners open-minded about the tempting combination of strong marquee names with low production costs. Tomlin had only rear-screen projections, a cube and the famous Edith Ann chair for props as she glided in and out of seven characters she’s created over the years.

As with “Bronx Tale,” the audience bonding with the sheer effort that goes into the medium — the performer out there with no safety net — really doesn’t translate to TV or DVD. The good will of it also carries Tomlin through some bits — uptight housewife Judith Beasley, Sister Boogie Woman — that either seem dated or generate more nostalgic smiles than honest laughs.

If you subtract the opening film and the closing questions from the audience, Tomlin performs for an even hour. But her energy level was amazing, and it kept the act from coming off as nostalgia.

The connecting material doesn’t bring Tomlin as much attention as the characters, perhaps because of her casual delivery. But she is now working with the late George Carlin’s manager, Jerry Hamza. Maybe it’s no coincidence the two would be drawn together by Carlin-like observances such as, “When we talk to God we’re praying. But when God talks to us, we’re schizophrenic.”

Or, “Anyone who gets a reality TV show needs to prove they’ve actually been in touch with reality.”

Carlin can’t be replaced, but maybe Tomlin can at least take his place a couple of weeks each year, offering sage and sane observations along with truly alternative comedy.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.