By Josh Bell
The Orleans, 8 p.m. Feb. 1-2, starting at $54.95 plus tax and fee. 702.365.7075
What do Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Charlie Kaufman and Louis C.K. have in common? Aside from being some of the most talented people in entertainment, they all worked on a very short-lived series called The Dana Carvey Show, a weird and wild sketch-comedy show that lasted just seven episodes on ABC in 1996. As the title indicates, the show was a vehicle for comedian Dana Carvey, at that time just coming off his very successful run on Saturday Night Live, where he created legendary characters including the Church Lady and Garth of Wayne’s World.
Although Carvey didn’t find long-lasting success with The Dana Carvey Show, he took a risk on some of the most creative talent in comedy, and years later his taste has been vindicated, thanks to projects like The Office, The Colbert Report, Being John Malkovich and Louie. As for Carvey himself, he left the spotlight to spend time with family and has since returned to his stand-up, quietly reminding people of the hilarious imagination that got a little too caught up in pop-culture iconography. Unlike the people he mentored, Carvey hasn’t become a superstar, but in his own way he’s been just as successful.
