Friday, Feb. 6, 2004 | 8:30 a.m.
Throughout his comedy career, Dennis Blair has been in the company of legends.
In 1980 Blair -- who formerly worked as a singing-guitar player, entertaining diners at New York restaurants with his original song parodies -- walked into a comedy club in the Big Apple, owned by none other than Rodney Dangerfield, and auditioned.
Before Blair knew it, he had landed a gig as the place's opening act, warming up crowds his first week on the job for another of comedy's heavy hitters, Jackie Mason. Before long, Dangerfield caught wind of the up-and-comer's shtick.
"He's really well known for liking younger comics, which I was at the time, and helping them out if he thinks they're good," Blair -- who headlines Riviera Comedy Club through Sunday -- recalls of his early years working with Dangerfield. He spent the next 3 1/2 years serving as the veteran funny man's personal opening act and also conceived and co-wrote the script for his 1983 movie, "Easy Money."
"I remember in his dressing room one night, he said, 'They wanna do a movie with me. If you could come up with an idea, that'd be great,' " Blair said during a recent call from his Los Angeles home. Toying with Dangerfield's persona as "a sad-sack kind of guy," that very day he fashioned the flick's plot, about a guy destined to inherit millions if he can abandon some personal vices.
Blair was on the set for most of the filming of "Easy Money," and also penned "Ordinary Man," a song for its soundtrack ("It sold into the dozens," he jokes). He later wrote "Rappin' Rodney," a tongue-in-cheek rap tune which Dangerfield recorded.
The pair's professional relationship began to disintegrate not long after, however, when Blair signed on for a two-year tour of duty as Joan Rivers' opening act. "That and other things, I think, spelled the end."
A few years later, in 1988, Blair caught the eye of another comedy great, George Carlin, with whom he continues to tour. The two play about 120 gigs together each year, including spending between 10 to 12 weeks annually in Las Vegas for shows at MGM Grand.
Working with Carlin, he says, "is great because, first of all, you always play to full houses. He sells out everywhere, and the audiences are always good ... You don't get too much of that, 'Oh, nuts, an opening act is coming out.' They give you a bit of a chance."
It also helps that he and Carlin have become buddies over the years. Often, while traveling to shows on chartered planes, "We just get off on these tangents," Blair says, "and he'll go, 'Dennis, nobody would understand what we're doing' ... He's a fun guy, and very loyal."
Despite the hectic touring schedule, Blair still finds time to perform his own stand-up gigs. His act is composed of some topical material, as well as the song parodies that he's continued to write.
"I've always kept that section of, 'Yell out a song, I'll try to ruin it for ya'," he says.
Unfortunately the mock-tunes are proving tougher to fashion these days. "When I was doing it in the '80s, it was a lot easier because there were a lot of musical acts that were kind of parodies of themselves, but didn't realize it," he says, citing Cyndi Lauper and Boy George as examples.
"Now ... there's hip-hop. Once you've done one, who else are you gonna do? Who stands out as being truly distinctive? Maybe OutKast, but that's about it. And the Linkin Park kind of groups, they all sound like warmed-over Nirvana to me ... Every once in a while you get like a Creed or Alanis Morissette who sounds a little different."
Blair's latest CD, "Words, Music and Drunks," was recorded during performances at MGM Grand. It concludes with a little ditty titled "The Battle Hymn of Bill Clinton," which for a while had been staple of his act. "That's the downside of doing topical (material) because things can change ... but that's good. It gives me an incentive to keep writing."
If history's any indication, it doesn't seem to take much arm twisting to make 48-year-old Blair put pen to paper. His 1993 animated short film, "Confessions of a Stand Up," about his life as a comic, won a regional Emmy Award.
Other autobiographical works include his unpublished book, "Me First," and "Also Appearing," a one-man show featuring comedy and several original songs, which had a brief run two years ago in Los Angeles.
"Jackie Mason: Laughing Room Only," the comic's short-lived, 2003 one-man Broadway show, was also Blair's brainchild. Meanwhile, he says, sitting atop a stack of other scripts he's written is "The Money Trail," a movie he penned per Mason's request that has yet to find its way onto the big screen.
Blair says Carlin is also kicking around the idea of starring in a one-man Broadway show, "Which I wouldn't be a part of." That's why the father of two is hard at work devising projects (he's tight-lipped on details) that could potentially end his 20-plus-year run playing second banana to some of comedy's biggest talents.
"I would love to formulate something that would be a vehicle for myself, that would go to Step Two after all this time of being in Step One," Blair says. "It's a great gig, and I always think there are plenty of people who would love to have my gig. But on the other hand, you want to have a little longevity of your own."
Out for laughs
Former Las Vegas resident Geechy Guy -- who was profiled in the Oct. 3 installment of Laugh Lines -- has returned to town to co-star in "Class Acts," a music/comedy/variety show opening tonight at the Starbright Theatre, 2215 Thomas Ryan Blvd., in Sun City-Summerlin. Also on the bill are local performers Kathy Walker and Robbie Howard. Tickets for the show -- which will be staged at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 29 -- are $20; call 240-1333.
Meanwhile workhorse Guy will juggle his "Class Acts" duties with his other weekly gigs. Following each Sunday's matinee, he'll hop a plane to Reno and arrive just in time to take the stage for the 8 p.m. performance of a revamped version of "The Geechy Guy Happy Hour," his production show that moves this weekend from Circus Circus Reno to Harrah's Reno. Midweek he jets to Los Angeles to entertain passengers aboard Carnival Cruise Line's ships.
Improvocative, an eight-member troupe of improv actors hailing from Hollywood, Calif., will perform at 8 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Las Vegas Little Theatre, 3844 Schiff Drive. Tickets are $20; call (323) 761-6436.
Comic-turned-talk-show-host Wayne Brady headlines The Mirage's Danny Gans Theatre over Valentine's Day weekend. Shows will be at 9 p.m. Feb. 13 and 10:30 p.m. Feb. 14 and Feb. 15. Tickets are $65 plus tax; call 792-7777.
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