Conway and Korman give audience just what it wants

TIM CONWAY AND HARVEY KORMAN; TOGETHER AGAIN! WITH LOUISE DUART, Kingsbury Hall; additional performances today, 4 and 7:30 p.m. (581-7100).

It seemed like old times Friday night at Kingsbury Hall. It sure seemed like Tim Conway broke Harvey Korman up. Again.

The two "Carol Burnett Show" veterans were back at it again, performing in a mostly full theater. And if most of those there were old enough to remember watching "Burnett" when the show was on from 1967-79, well, they weren't complaining as Conway and Korman were re-creating some of their classic sketches.

And, yes, Korman broke up during his Lou Gehrig-farewell-speech bit, with Conway providing the echoing sound — while wearing a tin watering can on his head. And again as he played the in-a-hurry airline passenger saddled with the old-as-the-hills ticket agent.

Whether Korman laughed was, of course, not the issue. The audience laughed a lot in the 90-minute show, which is all that mattered.

And the laughter came as no surprise — Conway and Korman are two very funny guys who looked for all the world to be having at least as much fun as their fans.

It wasn't all just a "Burnett Show" rerun, however. Korman and Conway each did some stand-up bits. Korman, who turned 76 in February, opened the show by doing about 10 very funny minutes on the trials of aging. "I took a pen the other day and connected the spots on my hand — spelled out 'old fart,' " he said.

That, and a few jokes about Viagra, were as off-color as the evening got. Conway did bits on airline travel and visiting the doctor; he was joined by Korman for a Dorf (the midget golfer) bit; and the two ended the show with a variation on the old dentist sketch that was as funny as it was way back when on TV.

In between, impressionist Louise DuArt entertained with several bits — some better than others, just like her impressions.

But people were there to see Korman and Conway. And the audience ate it up — even the younger crowd born years after CBS brought the curtain down on "The Carol Burnett Show."

And the audience loved it even when they were being insulted, as when Korman insisted those in attendance were a very smart bunch.

"Have you seen these people?" Conway asked. "Do you know how much they paid to get in here? That's not bright."

On the contrary. Conway and Korman were well worth the price of admission.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com