Carol Burnett Comes To The Civic Center Of Des Moines 11/3

Legendary entertainer Carol Burnett comes to the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines for an exclusive one-night-only engagement of her Q & A format, LAUGHTER AND REFLECTION WITH Carol Burnett: A CONVERSATION WITH CAROL WHERE THE AUDIENCE ASKS THE QUESTIONS on Wednesday, November 3, 2010.

Tickets for LAUGHTER AND REFLECTION WITH Carol Burnett go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 1, 2010, at the Civic Center Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster locations, charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000 and online at CivicCenter.org. Groups of 15 or more should call (515) 246-2300.

To become a Civic Center Member to purchase tickets on Aug. 25, please visit CivicCenter.org or the Civic Center Ticket Office or call (515) 246-2300. New Members joining online should allow up to one hour prior to ordering. For additional information on becoming a Civic Center Member, please visit CivicCenter.org.

DAY DATE TIME TICKET PRICES
Wednesday November 3 7:30 p.m. $150.00 / $75.00 / $65.00 / $50.00

All pricing includes a Building Restoration Fee of $3.50

ABOUT THE EVENING:

If there is one thing this renowned entertainer can do better than anyone else, it is talk at length, impromptu, before a live audience. Laughter and Reflection: A Conversation with Carol where the Audience Asks the Questions, Burnett's off-the-cuff banter with the audience, is a format that grew out of the question-and-answer sessions she shared with her studio audience on each episode of "The Carol Burnett Show." As a weekly visitor in America's living rooms, Burnett always opened her show with a few minutes of hilarious banter with the audience. This is a rare opportunity to talk to Ms. Burnett in the same enjoyable and intimate audience-interactive format. Come with your questions and share in the fun with one of the country's most loved and respected performers.

MORE ABOUT CAROL:

Carol Burnett, award-winning actress and best-selling author, is widely recognized by the public and her peers for her work on stage and screen, most notably The Carol Burnett Show. Named in 2007 by TIME magazine as one of "100 Best Television Shows of All Time," The Carol Burnett Show ran for 11 years, averaged 30 million viewers per week, and received 25 Emmy Awards, making it one of the most honored shows in television history. But it is Carol's artistic brilliance, her respect and appreciation of her fans, and her graciousness, integrity, warmth, and humor on and off screen that have made her one of the most beloved performers in entertainment and one of the most admired women in America.

As a highly-acclaimed actress for her comedic and dramatic roles on television, film and Broadway, Carol has been honored with 12 People's Choice Awards, more than any other actress in the award show's history, eight Golden Globes, six Emmy Awards, the Horatio Alger Award, the Peabody Award for "Friendly Fire," and the Ace Award for "Between Friends" with ElizaBeth Taylor. She has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, is a Kennedy Center honoree, and has been inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

Carol has also penned two New York Times Bestsellers, This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection and her autobiography, One More Time, for which, on both accounts, she received national critical acclaim for her writing skills and story-telling talent. In 2009, she was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal as a murderess on Law and Order: SVU and she can be heard alongside Jim Carrey and Steve Carell as the voice of "Kangaroo" in 20th Century Fox's hit animated feature, Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who.

In 2000, Carol added playwright to her credits when she and her daughter, Carrie Hamilton, began writing a play together based on Carol's autobiography. Sadly, her daughter passed away from cancer four months prior to the play's premiere at the Chicago Goodman Theatre in April 2002. But Carrie's dream was fulfilled when Hollywood Arms, directed by Hal Prince, premiered on Broadway at The Cort Theatre on October 31, 2002. Carol has since established The Carrie Hamilton Foundation to honor her daughter's memory and her passion for the performing arts.

Born in San Antonio, Texas, Carol moved to a less-than-glamorous section of Hollywood, where her grandmother raised her and her younger sister. Living in reduced circumstances but dreaming of college, Carol received an anonymous donation of $50 to pay for her tuition to UCLA. While studying journalism, Carol Took an acting class, and the rest is history. After she moved to New York City, she had a rough beginning because jobs were tough until Carol staged her own musical revue, featuring her out-of-work roommates from a theatrical boarding house performing material by unemployed writers and composers. Soon offers for summer stock and 13 weeks' work on Paul Winchell's TV show followed. Shortly thereafter, while performing at The Blue Angel in New York, she was spotted by talent bookers from both "The Jack Paar Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show." Television audiences of both shows were doubled over with laughter at Carol's now-legendary rendition of "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles." After guest spots of Garry Moore's morning TV show, she became a permanent cast member on "The Garry Moore Show" from 1959-1962. She also garnered her first Emmy Award. While on Garry Moore, Carol landed the leading role as "Princess Winifred" in the original Broadway musical cast of Once Upon A Mattress and proceeded to work both shows simultaneously.

During this period, Carol met Julie Andrews and the two became close friends. After the duo appeared in their Emmy-winning special, Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall, CBS took notice of this emerging new talent and signed her to a 10-year contract. On September 11, 1967, The Carol Burnett Show premiered on CBS. With a talented ensemble featuring Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner, costumes by Bob Mackie and music by Ken and Mitzie Welch, the show became a hit. Guest stars included many of the greatest performers from music, stage and screen including Lucille Ball, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Jimmy Stewart, Gloria Swanson, Ronald Reagan, Betty White, Cher, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Liza Minnelli, The Carpenters, Rock Hudson, Jim Nabors, Dick Van Dyke, Alan Alda, and many, many more. Carol's portrayal of "Starlet O'Hara" in "Went With The Wind," a parody of Gone With The Wind, is always counted among the Top 10 greatest moments in television history. The "curtain-rod" dress, as it is known, now resides at The Smithsonian.

After the show concluded in 1978, Carol immersed herself in numerous projects. Her film projects included playing "Miss Hannigan" in the film version of the musical, Annie, directed by John Huston, Noises Off, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, A Wedding, directed by Robert Altman, and Four Seasons, directed by Alan Alda. She starred in the television series Fresno and Carol & Co. as well as the highly acclaimed made-for-TV movies Friendly Fire and Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice. Carol has also produced and starred in numerous television specials. And in 2005, she returned to her Once Upon A Mattress roots, appearing in a television special, this time playing the evil "Queen Aggravain." Her Broadway credits include Fade Out, Fade In, book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with music by Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim's musical review Putting It Together and Ken Ludwig's farce Moon Over Buffalo starring with Philip Bosco.

When not performing or occasionally touring the country in her Q & A format "Laughter & Reflection," she enjoys spending time with her husband Brian, her two daughters Erin and Jody, her grandchildren, and her cat Mabel. As a passionate supporter of the arts and education, she has also established several scholarships around the country, including "The Carol Burnett Musical Theatre Competition" at her alma mater, UCLA.

Photo credit: James Sims

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!