From the Tarzan yell to the tug of her ear an hour-and-a-half later, Carol Burnett held the State Theatre entranced in “An Evening of Laughter and Reflection” Oct. 25 at the State Theatre in New Brunswick. As a montage of the trademark yell wafted over the almost sold out audience, Burnett walked on stage to a standing ovation, given out of love and respect.
It was obvious the attendees were there to witness a national treasure, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most.
Just as she did on the 279 episodes of “The Carol Burnett Show,” Burnett, 86, was brimming with positivity and a happy-to-be-here attitude. Genuine, the woman is the epitome of class and character, with a huge dose of the funnies. With the title inherited years ago, the grand dame of comedy entertained the eager crowd with vignettes of times gone by, video clips from the 11-season long show and an interactive Q&A with the audience.
Nearly every question asked from orchestra to balcony began the same, “Thank you, we love you,” with the query close behind. Each answer was given respect and a quick serious quip in her honest, sincere style, with a few revelations from her life’s story along the way.
It was clear from the very first bit that Burnett wanted to pay homage to her friends from the show, though most are gone now. We learned from her that the laughter and love was truly real on set – and Tim Conway’s “goal in life was to destroy Harvey Korman.” If Conway made the man lose it live, success was had – cue “The Dentist.”
The night was all about smiling, though there were some tears shed. Mainly they were of the hilarity-induced type, such as when the “Went With The Wind” or a “Mama’s Family” clip aired. But there was a feeling of nostalgia, and a bit of sorrow for all the talent – and friends - lost over the years – Korman, Conway, Lucille Ball, Jim Nabors, Ella Fitzgerald, Steve Lawrence, Cass Elliot, Paul Lynde, and admiration for those still with us – Vicki Lawrence, Dick Van Dyke, Cher, Maggie Smith, Betty White, Liza Minelli. The list went on and on with the best of this Golden Age.
She also paid homage to the brilliance, both in beauty and comedy, that fashion designer Bob Mackie created in more than 17,000 costumes for the show. And the audience learned how the younger Lawrence came to be both her daughter and her mother on the show.
For that hour and a half, Burnett brought everyone back to the days when we witnessed their genius in action.
The set was simple, at first just Burnett on stage, standing ramrod straight as she introduced a clip or took a question. As the evening progressed, a chair and side table was brought out, complete with a flower arrangement. Classy. Dignified. All for the woman who has had us rolling in the aisles for years.
She reminded us subtly of what was not a simpler time, but a nicer time. Comedy was pure and silly, inventive and entertaining. It was not at the expense of another’s pain or sorrow. It was genuine – just as she always was and is.
Some audience members brought souvenirs of their connection with Burnett – a playbill from her breakout role in “Once Upon A Mattress,” one of her best-selling books, and an illustration – hoping she would sign the items for “Barbara,” “Elyse” and “Michael.” She agreed, once the show was done – and you knew she would.
While the vast majority of the audience had a longstanding, probably lifelong, appreciation of the comedienne, a few younger members surprised Burnett with their knowledge of her work.
“You know who I am?” she asked one young man, a pre-teen. His answer, ‘Surprisingly, I do,” had her in stitches.
But it was the comedic and poignant behind the scenes glimpses – stories of her love of movies as a child, watching them with her grandmother Nanny, insisting as a four-year-old that Jimmy Stewart was her friend – and years later he was - meeting Lucille Ball for the first time and how their friendship grew, her first doomed job as an usherette at the Warner Brothers theatre – the same one years later where she chose to place her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - that that held the audience in her thrall.
At the end, everyone was “so glad we had this time together.”
BOTTOM PHOTO: Carol Burnett poses with the State Theatre staff and volunteers. Photo courtesy of State Theatre New Jersey
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