Vicki Lawrence to bring Mama鈥檚 comedy to the Palace Theatre
Courtesy of Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Lawrence will bring her signature brand of humor to the Palace Theatre in Greensburg Sunday at 3 p.m. The actress and singer promises an afternoon of laughter, blending stand-up comedy, music, and witty reflections on real life.
A career that began early
Lawrence has never shied away from the spotlight. In 1967, while still a high school senior in Inglewood, Calif., she was active in musical groups and entered the Miss Fireball of Inglewood beauty pageant. A fan of “The Carol Burnett Show,” which had just started its decade-long run on CBS-TV, Lawrence was tickled when people remarked on her resemblance to Burnett.
Inspired, she wrote the star a letter and enclosed a newspaper clipping from the pageant. “I was too stupid to be intimidated,” said Lawrence in a recent phone interview.
That bold move paid off: Burnett took notice, and before long Lawrence was cast on “The Carol Burnett Show.” There, she quickly proved her comedic chops, and writers soon created scripts around her standout character, Thelma “Mama” Harper — the sharp-tongued woman in a matronly house dress wearing orthopedic shoes, and sporting a distinct lack of a filter.
“To be thrown in with such amazing comedians was like going to the Harvard School of Comedy,” Lawrence explained, adding that fellow cast member and comedian Harvey Kornman was a great mentor.
“I learned so much from him,” she recalled. “He would take me aside to work with me on props and characterization because Carol had a show to run.” Noting that Mama came along when Lawrence was just 24, “I look back on old episodes at the way she moved and say, ‘Man she was in great shape,'” she said, with a laugh.
Classic sketches, like the dental routine with Tim Conway, another “Carol Burnett Show” cast member, and Korman, never fail to get a laugh and are still popular thanks to the internet.
“They also play it at dental conventions,” said Lawrence.
What gave Lawrence an even bigger kick, however, was the beloved elephant sketch, where she managed to crack up Conway.
“We used to do two shows at 4 and 7 p.m., and in between we’d have the opportunity to eat, touch up makeup and so forth,” Lawrence explained, adding that the writers would pass along notes about any changes to the upcoming show.
“They would let us know if a joke was rewritten, if your mark was moved during the finale, et cetera,” she said.
One night, the director passed a rather cryptic note to Lawrence stating that the elephant story would be “different.” He then wished her good luck. Lawrence was confused by the note and soon learned what he meant by it. Conway played it up, and soon the elephant sketch became one of the show’s most memorable.
“It was perfect timing and sent everyone into the sofas,” she said.
A singing career
Lawrence also had a successful music career. While on “The Carol Burnett Show,” she recorded “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1972.
“It almost didn’t get made,” she recalled. “My former husband wrote it and I knew it would be a hit, but there was concern that it might offend the South. Eventually they said, ‘Let’s just go record it with Vicki,'” Lawrence said, adding that it became one of those “one-hit wonders.”
The two-woman show
Lawrence offers a hint of what will be in store at her show.
“The first half of the show is autobiographical,” she said. “I answer everything the audience wants to know before Mama makes an appearance. Mama can say things that Vicki can’t and she usually gets things just a little bit wrong, so it ends up being funny,”
Looking ahead, Lawrence teased her next television project: a role in the second season of “Palm Royale,” an Apple TV+ series starring Kristin Wiig, Ricky Martin, Leslie Bibb and Burnett.
“It’s a really good show about a bunch of wealthy ladies in a country club atmosphere in Florida,” said Lawrence.
Making people laugh
As the 76-year-old Lawrence reflects back on her career, she said her greatest joy has been making people laugh.
“It’s very bonding after all we’ve been through-from the pandemic to politics,” she said, noting that she received more fan mail during the pandemic than she ever did before.
“Through it all, it’s nice just to take time out to laugh,” she said.
More information on the show is available at westmorelandculturaltrust.org or by calling 724-836-8000.