Chris Morris

By John Katsilometes · June 17, 2009 · 3:49 PM

Kirvin Doak Communications

Larry King and Shawn Southwick King.

Could this man be the new King of comedy?

Tough to say. Larry King’s career doesn’t exactly bring to mind Vegas comic legend Alan King or any other comic king, but on Friday night, the 75-year-old broadcasting icon is performing for the first time on the Strip as a headliner at Steve Wynn’s Encore Theatre.

The host of “Larry King Live” will be following to the stage his vocalist wife, Shawn King, at the theater once occupied by the late Danny Gans, “Monty Python’s Spamalot” and “Avenue Q.”

In an interview that appeared today on this Web site, King tells writer Jerry Fink that hotel owner Wynn challenged the longtime radio and TV broadcaster to perform at Encore, saying King would be a good fit for one of Gans’ off nights. King accepted the challenge and liked the idea of his wife opening for him (Shawn King has performed in Vegas before, including as Don Rickles’ opening act). Thus, a booking was born.

While it might be more adventurous for King to borrow from Carrot Top’s act and litter the stage with props, or break out the bungee and soar over the audience like the acrobats in Wynn’s “Le Reve,” he says his act will be conversational and autobiographical. He intends to play off the audience and take a stab at some improv comedy ‹ sort of Eric Sevareid meets Robin Williams.

King at Encore would not be the first odd fit in Las Vegas -- Ronald Reagan once headlined at New Frontier -- and could well appeal to anyone who is interested in King’s lengthy tenure behind the mic.

But as a storyteller, King will need to be a bit more spot-on than he was two years ago as the host of an event at the Mirage, an occasion marking the anniversary of “Love.”

After pixelated visages of John Lennon and George Harrison were unveiled to celebrate the two deceased Beatles, Paul McCartney joked, “I was expecting a plaque!”

King then embarked on a long tale about a man being pulled over for speeding. The man explained to the cop that he shouldn’t be ticketed because he has just been given this key to the city. The officer says, “I’ll tell you where you can put that key!” The man responds, “Thank God they didn’t give me a plaque.”

McCartney broke the groan by saying, “Larry King, ladies and gentlemen. He’ll be here all week!” We’ll settle for one night if you promise to try the veal.