Vicki Lawrence recalls days with Warren's Kenley Players

October 16, 2014 at 12:05a.m.

Emmy Award-winning Vicki Lawrence has been all over the world but the talented artist still has fondness for time spent in Warren during the ’70s as part of legendary local theater troupe the Kenley Players.

“Back in the day when I was on [Carol Burnett’s] show, one of the first things she said was, ‘Here comes the summer hiatus. I want you to go out and do summer stock,’” said Lawrence, calling from Long Beach, Calif. “So I used to go out and do the circuit all of the time with John Kenley and the Kenley Players.

“One of my favorites was when Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner and I went out and did ‘Send Me No Flowers.’ We had a blast doing it. Nobody does that anymore. And back in that day, you didn’t cross pollinate. Like a movie star never did television. Now, if you don’t do it all, you’re not happening. Like, when I had a huge hit record, nobody figured out who I was. I said, ‘I’m on “The Carol Burnett Show”,’ and it just didn’t compute for people because you just didn’t do that back then.”

After being handpicked right out of high school by Burnett to join her long-running ’60s and ’70s sketch comedy show, Lawrence scored a No. 1 hit with 1972 pop song “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” Later, she hosted her own daytime talk show “Vicki!,” and most recently had a recurring role on the popular Disney Channel show “Hannah Montana.”

Still, Lawrence is most remembered for starring in the successful 1983 to 1990 syndicated television series “Mama’s Family,” which was based on characters created for “The Carol Burnett Show.”

There was something about the caustic Mama character and her dysfunctional family that sparked a long-lasting love affair with television audiences. It’s been said the root of comedy is pain.

With that in mind, watch any scene from either the original sketches or the sitcom, and just simmering below the laughter there was a darkness of self-loathing, insecurity and disappointment.

“Of all the sketches we did on the ‘Burnett’ show, they were the closest to real life and really rooted in very strong reality,” Lawrence said. “We all need to laugh at the lunacy in our family; I think that’s why everybody loves Mama so much because it’s a chance to laugh at that crazy person who, by the way, will be coming to your Thanksgiving table.

“We all have them in our family. I think that’s why she endured. She reminded me of Archie Bunker, who is so rooted in reality. We all know an Archie Bunker, and we need to laugh at it. That’s why it works so well.”

For fans missing Mama, don’t worry. Lawrence is returning to Warren with her “Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two Woman Show” taking place Oct. 18 at the W.D. Packard Music Hall.

The night begins with Lawrence providing audiences with an autobiographical show detailing her career. She said, laughing, that she’s the opening act for Mama, who ends the show with her quintessential, politically incorrect crazy old-lady rants.

“I try to change her up and keep her really current and what’s going on in the news,” Lawrence said. “She talks about Miley Cyrus, a little bit about politics, automatic toilets that flush three times before you can get your pants back on and women putting their makeup on in the car while they’re driving.

“Nobody can follow Mama. She’s musical and does a little dancing. She’s quite a busy gal.”

Speaking of dancing, sort of, does Mama twerk?

“Mama says at her age twerking is a recipe for a hip replacement,” Lawrence said. “Actually, I’d have to say she comes pretty darn close. She does pretty well for an old lady.”