Reeves travels easily with high-Milo act

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005 | 7:28 a.m.

Fast Facts

When: 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., through Friday.

Where: Riviera's Comedy Club.

Tickets: $17.95.

Information: 794-9433.

A happy marriage is dangerous for the career of comedian James Lee Reeves.

"I got lucky," Reeves said during a telephone interview from his home near Reno. "I met a great gal, Amber, and we married 3 1/2 years ago. I'm crazy about her."

"There's nothing sad, nothing tragic about our relationship. Nothing that would make you angry -- it's just wonderful."

Too bad.

For several years Reeves -- who is headlining at the Riviera Comedy Club through Sunday -- has made a nice living satirizing marriage and relationships under the guise of Milo Tremley, a misguided therapist who dispenses bad advice that can be hilarious.

"Like, how does a wife get her husband to send flowers?" Reeves said. "Die."

Now that he is content, how can he perform with the same ardor?

It might be tough, but he's got to keep up the unhappy front for his fans.

"It's not a show recommended for happily married people," Reeves said. "So 90 percent of the public should enjoy it."

Reeves makes fun of people's foibles, and their ups and downs.

"I've had to rationalize the disasters in my own personal life," he explained. "I ended up giving people advice about what not to do -- advice from a man who has done it all wrong already."

Reeves has been a headliner for more than 20 years and has at least one engagement at the Riviera annually.

"I spent a lot of years running bands around Los Angeles, unsuccessfully," Reeves said. "In '84 I moved to Nashville, where I became a failed songwriter."

He didn't become a success until he took up comedy and talked about his failures, a subject in which he is well versed.

"When I was broke in Nashville I got up on stage at Zany's, and eight months later I was headlining all over the Southeast."

Before he became a successful headliner he worked with Jay Leno, David Letterman and a host of other top-notch comedians -- "All the guys who are really famous now," Reeves said.

Although his passion was music, his forte was comedy.

"I was always funny as a kid,"

He manages to incorporate some music into his act. "I'll put on a cowboy hat and sing songs about what makes relationships not work," Reeves said. "I make light of the wreckage of my personal life."

Now that the wreck has been cleaned up, Reeves can laugh at the failure of others' relationships.

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or jerry@lasvegassun.com.