DEARBORN – Emmy Award winning Vicki Lawrence is coming to Dearborn for one night and brings with her a combination of stand-up comedy, music and real-life observations. Of course, she also brings her most famous character, Mama!
“Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two Woman Show,” will take place at 8 p.m. Friday at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. Tickets range from $17 to $59, and are on sale at the Ford Center Box Office. Call the center at (313) 943-2354 or go to the Web site www.dearbornfordcenter.com.
Lawrence has a history of making people laugh.
She started on the “Carol Burnett Show” immediately out of high school, and was instantly loved by fans. At the age of 24, while on the “Carol Burnett Show,” Lawrence created her endearing character of Thelma Harper, also known as Mama. Following her success with the “Carol Burnett Show,” Lawrence starred in her own show “Mama’s Family,” which consistently topped the ratings during its six-year run.
Lawrence also became one of the few successful female game show hosts when she took on the daytime version of “Win, Lose or Draw.” Later she hosted her own talk show called “Vicki!” which became the only talk show since “Oprah” to be nominated for an Emmy in its first year.
Throughout her career, Lawrence has also enjoyed success with on-stage productions, such as “Send Me No Flowers,” “Special Occasions,” “I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It On the Road,” “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Live From the Grand Ole Opry.”
Her autobiography, Vicki! The True Life Adventures of Miss Fireball, was published in 1995.
A recent production called the “Carol Burnett Showstopper Special” was watched by more than 50 million viewers. Lawrence was convinced then that it was time to take Mama out of the closet, dust off her sensible shoes and hit the road with her new touring production.