Craig Ferguson: Welcome To America!

By: Ellen Sterling Jul. 25, 2008

Sean O'Casey wrote, "Laughter is wine for the soul—laughter soft, or loud and deep, tinged through with seriousness…. the hilarious declaration made by man that life is worth living."

A lot of people today — even those working as comedians — seem to have forgotten that. But not Craig Ferguson. He knows that O'Casey was right and most generously shares that knowledge.

Walking onstage in jeans, a black t-shirt and a silver-sequined jacket, Ferguson opened last night for a week at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre in Las Vegas and for one hour has the audience constantly laughing. And that is just a terrific thing.

The star of CBS' Late Late Show covers his life from childhood in Glasgow to today. He talks about his first visit to America in 1976 when he first tasted chewing gum ("They said, 'When the flavor goes away, spit it out.' In Scotland when the flavor goes away it means it's ready.'") and what it's like to live in Los Angeles. ("I live in LA now. So I'm all lactose intolerant, into Kabbalah and I travel the world adopting babies.")

Ferguson's act takes in everything from Sean Connery's omnipresent Scottish accent, Tom Cruise ("Twelve feet of crazy in a four-foot man"), his time in rehab ("We alcoholics can feel superior to junkies."), his marriage to a Jewish woman (when the Scottish relatives couldn't get over the fact that at the wedding he stepped on, thus wasted, a perfectly good wineglass).

He names the hotel in San Francisco he hated, despite "cease-and-desist orders" and the attendant risk "I'm gonna have more time for appearin' in Vegas if I'm not careful," and points out that "Oprah is the world's last superpower. She can have anything she wants."

Having emerged ahead of his late night competition, Conan O'Brien, in the TV ratings, Ferguson is clearly having the time of his life.

And, even though it is wrapped in a bundle of humor (that, not incidentally, is never mean) his joy his new American citizenship is palpable.

"I became a citizen at the end of January and by April was hosting the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington. I was with the president! Admittedly, it's George Bush, but, still, it's the President! And when my son sees the picture of the two of us, I'll explain, 'This was before the trial.'"

Opening act Randy Kagan riffs on planned communities, outer space, smoking in Las Vegas, talking like someone from Cali ("whatever dude") and all those things that seem to annoy him. We've seen him before, so we know he's a very funny guy. And, because he's funny, we'll get by the fact that opening night he seemed more annoyed than anything, and recommend his act.

As for Craig Ferguson, American citizen, all we can say is, "Hooray! He's one of us and we're thrilled to have him!"

See him in person whenever you can.

Craig Ferguson is at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas through July 30. Tickets at www.mgmgrand.com/entertainment

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