Did Lily Tomlin ever tell you the one about Mexico’s champion rope twirler? Or how about the time that Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton all piled into the wrong limousine? If you’ve been busy getting sunburned this summer and haven’t had a chance to check in with the inimitable Lily as of late, don’t worry. Opportunity is knocking.
Portland’s Merrill Auditorium is setting the stage for “An Evening of Classic Lily Tomlin” Sept. 8 and the award-winning comedienne promises that she’s bringing along her entire band of unforgettable alter egos.
“I’m going to do them all,” said Tomlin, referring to her extraordinary one-woman repertory company. “Ernestine, Edith Ann, Mrs. Beasley, Sister Boogie Woman. … Probably ten or twelve characters. I’ll do enough of them so that you’ll say, ‘Okay, enough already!'” quipped Tomlin.
Lily’s legions of fans aren’t likely to holler “when” anytime soon. Tomlin has graced Maine’s stages several times in the past, always playing to sold-out houses and garnering rapturous reviews.
“I played Bangor about three years ago and I actually played Bowdoin twice. I remember I played Portland many years ago, maybe in the ’70s but a long time ago,” Tomlin recalled. “So, I’ve been up and around those parts. Everybody, including myself, loves that part of the country.”
Even Vacationland is fair game where Tomlin’s comedic repertoire is concerned. With her uncanny knack for turning any topic into a stream-of-consciousness extravaganza, Lily launched our interview by creatively reinventing Maine as an idyllic setting for a Warner Brothers melodrama circa 1943.
“I always think of Bette Davis having a house in Maine,” said Tomlin. “t would be up on a cliff or something, overlooking the sea and she’d be wearing a Pendleton jacket and she’d have an old woody station wagon with a bushel basket of McIntosh apples in the back. See, that’s what I think of when you say Maine.”
Tomlin also notes that the Pine Tree State figures prominently in “On The Porch In A Maine Coast Village,” a classic monologue delivered by Ruth Draper, a theatrical virtuoso whose work has had a lasting impact on the former Mary Jean Tomlin from Detroit, Mich. “Ruth Draper was probably the greatest monologuist of all time,” Tomlin said. “I was always a great fan of her work. She died in the ’50s but everything she did was so wonderful. I always loved her monologue about Maine. It was absolutely hilarious.”
After moving to Manhattan in 1965, Tomlin’s own talents found an early champion in the form of drama coach and character actor Charles Nelson Reilly (“The Ghost & Mrs. Muir”). “I took a class with Charles and he’s a very inventive guy,” Tomlin said. “From him I learned the value of just being free and relaxed and not being afraid of making a mistake. You’ve got to not be afraid to look a little foolish sometimes. You have to jump in with both feet. … If you’re always protecting yourself, you’re going to lose a lot of inspiration.”
Inspired lunacy was always the order of the day on “Laugh-In,” the zany television revue that debuted in 1968 and introduced Tomlin to millions of viewers the following year. Fans of the long-running series witnessed the birth of some of Tomlin’s most indelible characterizations, including persnickety switchboard operator Ernestine and incorrigible toddler Edith Ann.
Tomlin’s success on the small screen provided a springboard to the movies and right from the outset, Lily aligned herself with the finest filmmakers in the business. “I would never do a film just for the character,” Tomlin said. “I mean, there could be a great part offered you in a vehicle that’s questionable. So, the material is most important but certain artists would supersede the vehicle, like Robert Altman.”
The renowned director guided Tomlin through her Oscar-nominated performance in “Nashville” (1975), featured her as part of a starry ensemble in “Short Cuts” (1993) and recently reunited with her for the forthcoming screen adaptation of Garrison Keillor’s radio show “A Prairie Home Companion.”
Altman’s paean to the eccentric citizens of Lake Wobegon is scheduled to open next year and Tomlin will be featured in a choice role opposite Oscar’s darling, Meryl Streep. “It was great to work with Meryl,” said Tomlin. “I mean, first of all, Meryl is wholly fun. … She was down to earth, very funny and refreshingly candid. So, to be with her and Altman and then the rest of the cast – you know Kevin Kline is in it, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly and Lindsay Lohan plays Meryl’s daughter. We all worked for absolutely, literally nothing and we were all happy to do it. It was just absolutely sublime.”
After her Merrill Auditorium engagement, the 66 year-old Tomlin will hit the road again, with performances in Pennsylvania and Texas immediately following. While resuming her recurring role on NBC’s “The West Wing,” Tomlin has simultaneous projects brewing, including three feature films in various stages of production.
“We’re always working on something, my partner Jane Wagner and I,” Tomlin said. “In fact, she’s writing something right now that we’re trying to get finished.”
When asked if their latest collaboration is being specifically tailored for Tomlin, the star said, “Yeah, at the moment,” and then added with a hearty chuckle, “Unless, of course, somebody else shows up.”
Mark Griffin recently profiled Sir Elton John for Planet Out.
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