Wayans brothers stand on their own

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The Wayans brothers are their own men, onstage and off.

Shawn and Marlon are co-billed at The Orleans on Saturday and Sunday, performing separate stand-up sets. After that, Shawn says he will lay low on New Year’s Eve with his children.

Marlon will stick around to host the Las Vegas part of Fox’s "New Year’s Eve Live!" on Monday from the Mandalay Bay outdoor beach stage.

"I have no idea what to do with myself when I’m not working," says Marlon, 40.

"I like life," says Shawn, the older brother who turns 42 next month. "I’m not one of those people who, if I’m not working on New Year’s Eve, I don’t know what to do with my life. … I know exactly what to do with my life when I ain’t working."

"So basically Shawn is saying he’s a good dad, and I’m a terrible one," Marlon says.

The two have fun riffing off each other in a joint phone call. But when showtime comes, don’t expect any Cheech & Chong-style – or should that be Snuf & Roam-style? – re-creations of old "In Living Color" sketches.

"Stand-up is one of those art forms, it’s best served one on one," Shawn says. "One person telling his point of view, telling his story, telling his jokes … not two guys kind of jumbling on each other."

Some comedians who work Las Vegas, such as Dana Carvey and Seth Meyers, came up in the world of improv and sketch comedy, and said they had to adapt to working solo.

But Shawn says he started out in stand-up, and "it wasn’t easy, but I knew nothing else. The other stuff I learned along the way."

He did, however, start out just as older brothers Keenen and Damon "were at the height of ‘In Living Color.’ … They were already at the top of their game, and here I come, I’m just starting out and I got all these expectations" to live up to.

"All the comics were looking at me like, ‘That (expletive) ain’t funny.’ "

Marlon started stand-up only two years ago, but quickly got addicted.

"I don’t see how comedians do cocaine when the biggest high you could ever get is the adrenaline you receive from a crowd," he says.

And, he adds, "It’s important because it keeps you sharp and it keeps you thinking, and it keeps you relevant and (helps with) finding out what the audience likes and what they don’t like. Honestly, it’s made me a better writer."

Fans can see for themselves Jan. 11, when "A Haunted House" hits theaters. Marlon co-wrote and stars in the spoof of the "Paranormal Activity" flicks with their home video "found footage" premise. "I would like to call it a horror comedy with parody moments done found-footage style. It’s like a mash-up," he explains.

In other words, it’s not the "Scary Movie" quick-hit format. Shawn and Marlon starred in the first two comedies, but distance themselves from the other sequels and like-minded spoofs such as "Superhero Movie."

"When we did parodies, I feel like we were the first guys to the party and we had a different take," Marlon says.

Though "Scary Movie" followed the lead of "Airplane!" and Mel Brooks comedies, "I think we took it and found ways to infuse pop culture into it and some urban perspective," Marion says.

"Lately, even the ‘Scary Movie’ franchise, which we created, has gone off and become something that – "

Shawn interrupts: "Here’s the thing, we have a point of view. If you look at any of our parodies, there’s a consistent quality and point of view to it. Other people that have jumped on the bandwagon are just trying to exploit it."

So Marlon says he hopes the public perceives "A Haunted House" as something new. "It’s the first of its kind. It’s not a full, all-out parody."

If it’s not enough for so many of the 10 Wayans siblings to have made it in show business, more are on the way. Marlon is working with nephews Craig and Damien Dante in a new series, "Second Generation Wayans," that starts next month on BET.

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