ertainment

Still Laughing
At Life At 96

The George Burns Theater in Livonia
gave the comedian something to do today.

SUZANNE CHESSLER

Special to The Jewish News

V

eteran entertainer
George Burns had
planned to be in
Michigan earlier
than October for the opening
of the Livonia theater that
bears his name.
"They were supposed to
have the theater finished two
months ago, but they weren't
ready," said the humorist who
has enjoyed stardom on stage,
radio, TV and records as well
as in the movies.
"Here I am 96, and they
weren't ready!"
Jokes aside, he is thrilled to
be the opening act at the
George Burns Theatre for the
Performing Arts, named in
his honor by Center Stage
Productions. This weekend,
he is appearing with singer
Florence Henderson.
cutting
ribbon
The
ceremonies at the theater last
night preceded the gala
celebration at the Ritz
Carlton.

"I think it's great," Mr.
Burns said about the
renovated Mai Kai Theater,
which was built at Plymouth
and Farmington roads in
1962 and will now seat 1,400.
Mr. Burns recalled his first
performance in the area. He
talked about playing the Tem-
ple Theatre in downtown
Detroit in 1927, when
vaudeville was the bill of fare.
"They must have liked me
because here it is 65 years
later, and I've been invited
back," he joked.
Actually, audiences liked
him and wife Gracie Allen so
much that they brought the
entertainers back every year
over many years. The two,
married in 1926, teamed in
1923 and worked together un-
til her retirement in 1958,
with Mr. Burns crediting her
talents for their success.
"The Temple Theatre was
beautiful, and we played two
shows a day," he reminisced.
"Big time!"
Mr. Burns, who has worked
with a trademark cigar since
age 14, said he fell in love

with show business when he
was 7 years old and loves it
just as much today as he did
then.
His performance debut was
with three other boys who
formed the Peewee Quartet.
"We used to sing on ferry
boats, streetcars and corners,"
said the enduring vocalist,
who recently completed a
music video with Bobby
Vinton.
"We'd pass around a hat.
Sometimes they put
something in the hat;
sometimes they took
something from the hat, and
sometimes they took the hat.
We lost a lot of hats!"
One of 12 children — seven
sisters and five brothers — he
was the only entertainer in
the family. For the stage, he
changed his name from
Nathan Birnbaum.
Neither his son, who works
with computers, nor his
daughter, who teaches in San

Diego, followed in their
parents' footsteps. His seven
grandchildren and eight
great-grandchildren also
stayed out of the spotlight.
"I came from a very Jewish
family, and I've been Jewish
for 96 years," he said.
"My mother and father got
married without meeting
each other first. Their
families arranged the
wedding.
"My mother was 15 years
old when she got married.
The day before the wedding
she tried on her first sheitel
(wig). The wig was a little too
big so when my mother
turned around, the wig
didn't."
Will family humor be on
the program during his per-
formances in Livonia?
"I do everything that fits
my age," he joked. "I died in
Altoona, and I died in
Schenectady; and I'm not go-
ing to die again!"

Mr. Burns admits to having
a serious side but is quick to
say that he doesn't like to talk
about it.
Serious moments, however,
are captured in nine auto-
biographical books.
Voted King of Comedy in a
poll of 1,000 comedians, and
with an Oscar, Emmy and
Grammy behind him, Mr.
Burns, who celebrated his
85th birthday com-
memorating the building of
the George Burns Medical
Center in Israel, still looks to
the future.
In the office every morning
and working closely with his
long-time manager, Irving
Fein, who is not too far
behind him in age, he has
signed a five-year contract
with the Riviera Hotel in Las
Vegas and plans to celebrate
his 100th birthday there,
after he does the same in Lon-
don at the Palladium
Theaten ❑

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