Although Christmas is still pretty far away, it’s a special time for Tim Allen, who’s playing Santa for the fourth time. The trailer for Disney+ limited series The Santa Clauses came out in September, whetting appetites for both holiday film fans and Allen aficionados who have followed him faithfully from his Home Improvement days to the present. Allen’s gift to the faithful who happen to be in Las Vegas this weekend is two dates on the Strip as part of the Aces of Comedy series.
Allen had a successful career in stand-up before parlaying his tool-obsessed persona into television, first as the Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor for 204 episodes of ABC sitcom Home Improvement, then as Mike Baxter for nine seasons on Last Man Standing, which ended its run on Fox in January 2021.
Along the way, Allen scored some iconic roles beginning in 1994 with The Santa Clause. The next year he voiced Buzz Lightyear in the first film of the Toy Story franchise, then in 1999 he was cast in the lead of science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest. By the time that Last Man Standing had launched, he had a well-rounded filmography and completely satisfying career to look back on.
He’s not done yet, although Chris Evans took over the Buzz Lightyear role for the spaceman’s spin-off film, and Peyton Manning is vying to becoming the next Santa (at least in the Clauses trailer). Allen’s energy and affability is as contagious as ever, and at his shows it’s always Tool Time.
The Mirage, 10 p.m. Nov. 4-5, starting at $59.99 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com
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