Published: Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Famed comedian Lily Tomlin brings her one-woman show to Edmonds
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Chris Pizzello / Associated Press
Lily Tomlin will be joined Saturday at the Edmonds Center for the Arts by her fictional cast of characters.
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Rene Macura / Associated Press
Tomlin (center), shown here with "Nine to Five'' co-stars Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda, reminisces about making the movie.
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Associated Press
Tomlin portrays Ernestine in a 1987 Super Bowl special.
Lily Tomlin may put on a solo show, but she never performs alone.
She's accompanied by Ernestine, the sour-faced telephone operator; Edith Ann, the precocious little girl; Ms. Judith Beasley, or Tasteful Lady, an unconventional dispenser of advice; and Susie the Sorority Girl, the funniest, and perhaps most humorless, co-ed.
The group, of course, was born from Tomlin's imagination. They are fictional characters who have, like Tomlin, delighted audiences for more than four decades.
"They're not sure what they've been through," Tomlin, 72, said during a recent phone interview from her Los Angeles home.
The Oscar nominated, Grammy-, Tony- and Emmy-winning comedian and actor said many of her characters will join her Saturday when she inaugurates the 2011-2012 season at Edmonds Center for the Arts.
Tomlin is scheduled to give performances at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available.
"Everything came together," said Beth Braun, a spokeswoman for Edmonds Center for the Arts. Having Tomlin, a huge Hollywood talent, visit Edmonds is a "great way to open our season."
Since the 700-seat theater opened, the venue has developed a reputation among performers, agents and audiences, Braun said.
Tickets sales are strong this season, already surpassing prior years.
This year's lineup includes shows by comedians, famous jazz artists, old West musicians, a ukelele master, and folk legend Arlo Guthrie. The calendar showcases the strengths of the hall. It's an intimate venue, away from the bustle of downtown Seattle, not a club, open to all ages and perfect for solo or small-group performances, Braun said.
Tomlin is a great example.
Her show is a blend of stand-up comedy, satire, video clips, some nostalgia and social commentary.
It all gets woven together in a tapestry of good humor.
Everything is fodder, she said.
For example, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann recently was quoted as saying God told her to go to law school. Tomlin wondered why the Almighty's instructions didn't aim a bit higher.
"Don't you think God would tell you to go to Harvard?" Tomlin joked. (Bachmann's law degree is from Oral Roberts University.)
Tomlin also talks about a love of animals and her activism to protect endangered species. She said she plans to spend time in Seattle at the Woodland Park Zoo protesting the captivity of elephants there. Keeping such wonderful animals in captivity is cruel, she says.
"How hard is it to live in the world and have kindness prevail?" Tomlin asked.
During her long career, Tomlin has worked with many of Hollywood's most famous names.
She talks passionately about working with Tom Waits on Robert Altman's film "Short Cuts," and loved being in Carl Reiner's film, "All of Me," alongside Steve Martin.
No one suspected that "Nine to Five," the 1980 spoof on workplace sexism, would turn into the breakout hit it became, Tomlin said.
Today, many people want to know what it was like to work with Jane Fonda and the iconic Dolly Parton.
"She's smart as hell, and funny and shrewd and fabulous," Tomlin said of Parton.
In recent years Tomlin has played recurring and guest roles on several television shows including, "The West Wing," "Desperate Housewives" and "Damages."
Still, she continues to tour with her one-woman show.
"You want it to be funny and perceptive, and have something you want to be revelatory in a way," she said. "You want goodness to prevail, and everybody's perception of goodness is slightly different."
Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3447; jholtz@heraldnet.com.
Edmonds Center for the Arts 2011-2012 season
• Oct. 8: Christopher Cross, 1980s adult contemporary musicmaker
• Oct. 14: Orla Fallon, Irish singer and harpist formerly of Celtic Women
• Oct. 16: Riders in the Sky, a western music and comedy group
• Oct. 29: Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes, jazz piano duo
• Nov. 4: MOMIX, athletic dance, riveting music and inventive props
• Nov. 16: Seattle International Comedy Competition
• Nov. 26: Sing-a-long "Sound of Music," precedes the Edmonds tree-lighting festival
• Dec. 1: "Cantus" ("All is Calm"), a story from World War I told through classical music and theatrics
• Dec. 7: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, a holiday show with a modern-day swing band
• Jan. 13: David Hidalgo and Louie Perez, the songwriting team for Los Lobos
• Jan. 19: Jake Shimabukuro, ukelele virtuoso
• Jan. 28: International Guitar Night, four acoustic guitarists and their musical styles
• Feb. 18: Second City, improvisation and sketch comedy
• Feb. 24: Kenya Safari Acrobats, African dance and acrobat troupe
• March 9: Lorna Luft, "Songs My Mother Taught Me," Judy Garland's daughter celebrates her mom
• March 24: Reduced Shakespeare Company, "Complete World of Sports," sketch comedy
• April 1: "Sweeney Todd" in Concert, songs from the hit musical
• April 13: Arlo Guthrie, the famed folk singer, songwriter and philosopher
• April 27: Alpin Hong, classical pianist
• May 12: Four Bitchin' Babes (Hormonal Imbalance), music and comedy
• May 18: Gaelic Storm, Celtic, Irish and Scottish music
For more information and tickets, go to www.ec4arts.org or call 425-275-9595.
She's accompanied by Ernestine, the sour-faced telephone operator; Edith Ann, the precocious little girl; Ms. Judith Beasley, or Tasteful Lady, an unconventional dispenser of advice; and Susie the Sorority Girl, the funniest, and perhaps most humorless, co-ed.
The group, of course, was born from Tomlin's imagination. They are fictional characters who have, like Tomlin, delighted audiences for more than four decades.
"They're not sure what they've been through," Tomlin, 72, said during a recent phone interview from her Los Angeles home.
The Oscar nominated, Grammy-, Tony- and Emmy-winning comedian and actor said many of her characters will join her Saturday when she inaugurates the 2011-2012 season at Edmonds Center for the Arts.
Tomlin is scheduled to give performances at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available.
"Everything came together," said Beth Braun, a spokeswoman for Edmonds Center for the Arts. Having Tomlin, a huge Hollywood talent, visit Edmonds is a "great way to open our season."
Since the 700-seat theater opened, the venue has developed a reputation among performers, agents and audiences, Braun said.
Tickets sales are strong this season, already surpassing prior years.
This year's lineup includes shows by comedians, famous jazz artists, old West musicians, a ukelele master, and folk legend Arlo Guthrie. The calendar showcases the strengths of the hall. It's an intimate venue, away from the bustle of downtown Seattle, not a club, open to all ages and perfect for solo or small-group performances, Braun said.
Tomlin is a great example.
Her show is a blend of stand-up comedy, satire, video clips, some nostalgia and social commentary.
It all gets woven together in a tapestry of good humor.
Everything is fodder, she said.
For example, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann recently was quoted as saying God told her to go to law school. Tomlin wondered why the Almighty's instructions didn't aim a bit higher.
"Don't you think God would tell you to go to Harvard?" Tomlin joked. (Bachmann's law degree is from Oral Roberts University.)
Tomlin also talks about a love of animals and her activism to protect endangered species. She said she plans to spend time in Seattle at the Woodland Park Zoo protesting the captivity of elephants there. Keeping such wonderful animals in captivity is cruel, she says.
"How hard is it to live in the world and have kindness prevail?" Tomlin asked.
During her long career, Tomlin has worked with many of Hollywood's most famous names.
She talks passionately about working with Tom Waits on Robert Altman's film "Short Cuts," and loved being in Carl Reiner's film, "All of Me," alongside Steve Martin.
No one suspected that "Nine to Five," the 1980 spoof on workplace sexism, would turn into the breakout hit it became, Tomlin said.
Today, many people want to know what it was like to work with Jane Fonda and the iconic Dolly Parton.
"She's smart as hell, and funny and shrewd and fabulous," Tomlin said of Parton.
In recent years Tomlin has played recurring and guest roles on several television shows including, "The West Wing," "Desperate Housewives" and "Damages."
Still, she continues to tour with her one-woman show.
"You want it to be funny and perceptive, and have something you want to be revelatory in a way," she said. "You want goodness to prevail, and everybody's perception of goodness is slightly different."
Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3447; jholtz@heraldnet.com.
Edmonds Center for the Arts 2011-2012 season
• Oct. 8: Christopher Cross, 1980s adult contemporary musicmaker
• Oct. 14: Orla Fallon, Irish singer and harpist formerly of Celtic Women
• Oct. 16: Riders in the Sky, a western music and comedy group
• Oct. 29: Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes, jazz piano duo
• Nov. 4: MOMIX, athletic dance, riveting music and inventive props
• Nov. 16: Seattle International Comedy Competition
• Nov. 26: Sing-a-long "Sound of Music," precedes the Edmonds tree-lighting festival
• Dec. 1: "Cantus" ("All is Calm"), a story from World War I told through classical music and theatrics
• Dec. 7: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, a holiday show with a modern-day swing band
• Jan. 13: David Hidalgo and Louie Perez, the songwriting team for Los Lobos
• Jan. 19: Jake Shimabukuro, ukelele virtuoso
• Jan. 28: International Guitar Night, four acoustic guitarists and their musical styles
• Feb. 18: Second City, improvisation and sketch comedy
• Feb. 24: Kenya Safari Acrobats, African dance and acrobat troupe
• March 9: Lorna Luft, "Songs My Mother Taught Me," Judy Garland's daughter celebrates her mom
• March 24: Reduced Shakespeare Company, "Complete World of Sports," sketch comedy
• April 1: "Sweeney Todd" in Concert, songs from the hit musical
• April 13: Arlo Guthrie, the famed folk singer, songwriter and philosopher
• April 27: Alpin Hong, classical pianist
• May 12: Four Bitchin' Babes (Hormonal Imbalance), music and comedy
• May 18: Gaelic Storm, Celtic, Irish and Scottish music
For more information and tickets, go to www.ec4arts.org or call 425-275-9595.
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