Dan's Papers - June 15, 2007 - Lily Tomlin At WHBPAC

When a comedianne comes along who can truly capture the identity of a generation, you know you've found someone special. Major world events are put into perspective by those few voices that rise above the rest with humor, sensitivity and wisdom. Even though Lily Tomlin once said, "sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world," she cannot deny her place as a unique comedic figure for her generation.

Born in Detroit in 1939, Ms. Tomlin studied pre-medicine in college before deciding to pursue her love for the stage. She describes her first professional acting job as "waiting tables at a Howard Johnson on Broadway in the theatre district." Her wit could not be stifled, even by audiences who were not expecting theatrics with their breakfast. She began studying acting under Charles Nelson Reilly, who introduced her to the work of such monologists as Ruth Draper, who became a major inspiration for Ms. Tomlin. Monologues, interacting directly with the audiences and creating characters of her own became Ms. Tomlin's forte. Her one-woman shows became incredibly popular and she was selected as one of twelve "Most Promising Actors of 1977" by John Willis's Screen World.

Lily Tomlin is perhaps best known for two of her characters, Edith Ann the Six-Year-Old and Ernestine the Telephone Operator. These two characters first appeared in "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" in 1969, but they continue to make appearances, to audiences' delight. Both Edith Ann and Ernestine have been offered deals for commercials, though Tomlin declined AT&T's offer to use snorting phone operator Ernestine, because she thought it would compromise her artistic integrity. However, Ernestine has appeared in a satire of a commercial on Saturday Night Live. The fact that these characters have survived for nearly 40 years is a testament to their impact. She employs these characters and many others to satirize contemporary culture and to shine a reflective light on our world. Some of the characters, she has said, are reflections of herself, while others are inspired by her imagination and by observing the outside world. All her characters, though, have a universal appeal that has touched audiences everywhere, stirring them to laugh and cry, sometimes simultaneously. On Ms. Tomlin's interactive web site, you can meet the many characters she's invented over the years. It's amazing to see how she is able to transform herself from a little girl into a sleazy lounge singer with a simple costume change and her incredible ability to act. It's her unique ability to transition between her characters so seamlessly that makes her one-woman acts so incredible.

Her creativity and zest for performing are always a treat for her audiences. At one New York performance of her one-woman show, Ms. Tomlin showed up beside the line of people waiting to get in. She was dressed in a nurse's uniform and served coffee to the audience members while they waited. Another time, at a performance in Las Vegas, she appeared as her own opening act, dressed as sleazy lounge singer Tommy Velour.

Ms. Tomlin has done it all, from television to film to stage, and her dynamism is not lost in any venue. Her versatility has brought her to the big screen in films like The Incredible Shrinking Woman and I Heart Huckabees, and has found herself on television in recurring roles on shows such as "Murphy Brown" and, more recently, "Will and Grace." She has won six Emmys for various productions, including several Lily Tomlin specials. She has also won two Tonys, for "Appearing Nitely" and "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe." She also won a Grammy for her comedy album, This is a Recording, and was honored with the prestigious Mark Twain prize for Humor in 2003. She's won a number of other awards and has been nominated for many more.

Ms. Tomlin once said, "The trouble with the rat race is that, even if you win, you're still a rat." This humorous observation of the work ethic that has come to define contemporary American culture exemplifies Tomlin at her best. This year, Ms. Tomlin is making a trip out to the East End for a performance that is sure to have the audience in stitches. On Sunday, June 24 at 8:30 p.m., Ms. Tomlin will perform at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $150, $125 and $100. Call the Box Office at (631) 288-1500 or stop by 76 Main Street in Westhampton Beach seven days a week from noon to 8 p.m. and later on show nights, or purchase tickets online at www.WHBPAC.org.