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Carrot Top ready to rebuild again at Luxor

Updated February 14, 2021 - 3:35 pm

Carrot Top has lost his mobility for six months. He also lost all his props before he was even a resident headliner.

But nothing compares to challenges of the pandemic shutdown.

“It’s been the toughest thing to deal with in my career,” the prop comic, whose legal name is Scott Thompson, said over the weekend. “I’ve been through a lot of adversity, but I’ve been able to work. I need to get back onstage.”

Carrot Top is back beginning Feb. 19, playing to 100 ticket-holders at the 1,500-seat Luxor Theater, keeping with Gov. Steve Sisolak’s updated pandemic reopening directives.

The 15-year Luxor headliner is also propping up the eight-person crew he refers to as the “Beta Carrot-Team.”

“We’re giving it a shot,” he said. “We’ve got to start somewhere. I miss doing the only thing I know how to do.”

The comic, who usually headlines the 350-seat Atrium Showroom, has commented on his surroundings in his previous pandemic performances at Luxor Theater. As he said this weekend, “Gallagher would have a tough time in this room,” a reference to the famous watermelon-smashing routine that required folks in front rows to hide under plastic bags.

This is hardly the first restart of Carrot Top’s career, which was once actually reduced to ashes. In 1993, he was due to headline at the famed StarDome Comedy Club in Birmingham, Ala. The club helped catapult the careers of Kevin Hart, Mike Epps, Mo’Nique, Tracy Morgan, Sommore, Bob Saget, Chris Tucker, Adele Givens, Chris Rock, Sinbad, and D.L. Hughley, among others.

The day of Carrot Top’s debut at the club, what came to be known as the “Superstorm of 1993” hit the city. The blizzard dumped more than a foot of snow on the region and triggered an overnight fire at the comedy club. It’s also often referred to as the “Storm of the Century.”

The comic followed the news reports. “I was, ‘Man, that’s a terrible storm.’ Then I realized all my props were in that fire. The place was destroyed, and so was my act.”

The club’s manager, Bruce Ayers, had just signed a lease to run the venue. “The next morning I get a phone call from the fire department. ‘Bruce, we’ve got bad news and we’ve got really bad news. Your club is on fire and we can’t get there,’” Ayers told the Birmingham Times. “I get there and it was flat, there was nothing left. It was awful, we lost everything, and the only thing that made it was the cigarette machine.”

Carrot Top was supposed to be on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” the following night but was forced to cancel.

“Jay was joking, ‘Yeah, Carrot Top was supposed to be here but he lost his whole show in a fire.’” the comic recalled. “But it really happened. I had to rebuild my whole act.”

He soon returned to the Birmingham club, his prop trunks outfitted with smoke detectors. The show’s walk-in music was “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads.

“I said, ‘They found Rip Taylor’s matches in here,’” he said, referring to the famous prop comic who forever insisted, wrongly, that Carrot Top had copped his act.

Just two years ago, Carrot Top was again met with what seemed a debilitating break in his show. He fractured his left leg in a snowboard accident in Park City, Utah.

“It affected everything I did, moving around the stage, reaching for props,” Carrot Top recalled. “But we had some great shows and the audience loved it. After it was over, my crew was saying, ‘We’re going to break his other leg.’”

Carrot Top often refers to his position as a “punching bag” in the comedy culture, throughout his career. He runs a clip from “Family Feud,” as host Steve Harvey asks contestants, “Name a celebrity you wish would just go away.” One answer is, “Carrot Top.” A big red “X” appears and a buzzer sounds. “Yes! I’m not on the list!” the comic happily shouts.

Last week, he posted a clip of Josh Turner’s, “Punching Bag,” miming the lyrics, “Hit me all you want to, I’ve got pretty thick skin. Don’t count me out, I just might surprise you, when I swing back again.” That’s Carrot Top today, winning ‘em over, 100 fans at a time.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.

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