Carol Burnett talks TV past, upcoming Chicago shows
Comedy fans, have your questions ready for Carol - legendary comedian and actress Carol Burnett, that is.
Burnett will chat with audiences at her question-and-answer-style show, "Carol Burnett: An Evening of Laughter and Reflection," coming to The Chicago Theatre on Tuesday, May 17, Thursday, May 19, and Friday, May 20. Already, tickets for the May 19 and 20 shows are nearly gone.
Burnett changed the face of television in the late 1960s when she became the first female host of a prime-time TV variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show."
The top-rated show, running from 1967 to 1978, won 25 Emmy Awards and 9 Golden Globes, many for Burnett's performances. Burnett's other career awards are almost too numerous to mention. She has been nominated for a Tony Award, has won the Peabody Award for television entertainment, was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center. In January, Burnett received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild.
And where does she keep all of these awards?
"We have a den with a whole bunch of shelves," Burnett, 82, said laughing.
Burnett spoke about her upcoming Chicago shows and about how she is making a whole new generation laugh these days.
<b>Q.</b> What will we see when you step onstage for "Carol Burnett: An Evening of Laughter and Reflection" at The Chicago Theatre?
<b>A.</b> It's an evening of questions and answers. The audience is my partner. It's not a one-woman show. It's reminiscent of what I used to do on "The Carol Burnett Show," where I would come out and say, "Let's bump up the lights" and then say to the audience, "What do you want to ask?"
<b>Q.</b> Who was your favorite character to play on "The Carol Burnett Show?"
<b>A.</b> I loved doing "The Family" with Eunice and Mama. They were very interesting because there were no jokes written into those sketches. It was all character-driven. And sometimes it got a little heavy. I also loved doing (secretary) Mrs. Wiggins with Tim (Conway) as Mr. Tudball. That was always silly. I think my other favorites were our takeoffs on the movies.
<b>Q.</b> I think many people remember the show's famous comedy sketch about "Gone With the Wind" - with Scarlett coming down the stairs wearing curtains with the curtain rod in them.
<b>A.</b> I showed that costume to Harvey (Korman) first, so he would not break up when he first saw me. But nobody else had seen it - not even the crew. When I appeared at the top of the stairs, that laugh is one of the longest laughs we ever got on the show. It was a wonderfully written parody by two of our writers - one of whom did his college dissertation on "Gone With the Wind." And that costume I wore is now in the Smithsonian.
<b>Q.</b> I interviewed your co-star and friend Vicki Lawrence last year, and she said that you are "family" to her. You have said that you share that feeling with all of "The Carol Burnett Show" cast members.
<b>A.</b> We are family. I just finished writing my fourth book called "In Such Good Company." It will come out in September of this year. It's about the history of our show and how we got started - how I found Vicki, Harvey, Tim and Lyle (Waggoner). It's a behind-the-scenes look. While I was working on the book, I was just taken back to some of the happiest times.
<b>Q.</b> You lived with your maternal grandmother for much of your childhood. How did that affect your personality and your career?
<b>A.</b> She and I used to go to a lot of movies. And seeing the movies of the 1940s and 1950s left an imprint on me. Nothing was cynical at that time. The good guys won, and the bad guys didn't. I had an attitude just like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. If they put on a show in the barn and they wanted to go to New York, it would happen. I was never discouraged. I was always encouraged to keep trying. I wasn't thinking about having my name in lights. But I just knew that somehow I would be able to earn a living in the theater and pay the rent and put clothes on my back and food in my belly.
<b>Q.</b> You originally planned to be a journalist. How did you become an actress and comedian?
<b>A.</b> I had always been quiet and studious in school. I was the high school editor of the newspaper. When I was in college at UCLA, I took a playwriting course. I was all set to be a writer. But I had to take this acting class as a theater arts major. I had to do this scene in a one-act comedy. I just said this line, and then ... this laugh happened. I thought, "Whoa. This is a really good feeling. What have I been missing?" That laugh changed my whole course in life.
<b>Q.</b> What are your upcoming career plans?
<b>A.</b> I am going to be doing a bunch of Q&A shows, like the shows I am doing in Chicago. It keeps the old gray matter ticking. I never know what anybody is going to ask, so I have to really be in the "now" and really be present. There is also talk of a possible (TV) series, but I can't even talk about it yet. I do have some DVDs coming out from "The Carol Burnett Show." The lost episodes have been released recently. And because the DVDs are out, and because a lot of our sketches are on YouTube, I am getting fan mail from 8-year-olds. It's adorable. I have teenagers who tell me, "We wish that kind of (TV) show was on today."
<b>Q.</b> So you have a whole new audience for "The Carol Burnett Show" these days?
<b>A.</b> Yes. People might ask how it's still viable. Funny is funny. I dare anybody not to scream with laughter at Tim and Harvey doing their dentist skit. And that was more than 40 years ago.
<b>Q.</b> Is there a fun Carol Burnett fact that you can reveal?
<b>A.</b> Well, I am hooked on crossword puzzles. Before I have breakfast, I do The New York Times crossword puzzle.
<b>Q.</b> One would never guess that you are 82. What is your secret?
<b>A.</b> Oh, thank you so much. I eat very well, and I do Pilates. I keep active doing the Q&A shows and writing and a lot of different things. I don't think I could ever retire unless I had to.
<b>Q.</b> Tell us one word that describes Carol Burnett's outlook on life.
<b>A.</b> My daughter Carrie (Hamilton) passed away 14 years ago. She was in the hospital. I was going to see her for the last time. A nurse stopped me in the hallway, and said of Carrie - "She's always smiling. She cheers us (the nurses) up." Carrie's response to that was, "Every day I wake up and decide that I am going to love my life." That's a great mantra. I had that put on a bookmark. Today, I am going to love my life.
“Carol Burnett: An Evening of Laughter and Reflection”
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, Thursday, May 19, and Friday, May 20
Where: The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago, (800) 745-3000,
Tickets: $33.50-$195.50