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COVER STORY The Twain, she shall meet: Carol Burnett gets a big comedy prize By Jay Bobbin © Zap2it One of comedy's top honors is now among Carol Burnett's rewards for making countless fans glad they've had such time together with her. The iconic TV variety veteran became the 16th talent to receive the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor last month, joining a list of honorees ranging from Steve Martin, Bill Cosby and Bob Newhart to Ellen DeGeneres, Whoopi Goldberg and Lily Tomlin. PBS televises the event Sunday, Nov. 24 (check local listings), soon after Burnett's guest appearance as McGarrett's aunt on CBS' "Hawaii Five-0" and the home video release of a "Christmas With Carol" compilation from her classic "Carol Burnett Show." The six-time Emmy winner clearly is still going strong, and among those saluting her at the Twain Prize ceremony were 2010 recipient Tina Fey, Burnett's former weekly TV cohorts Tim Conway and Vicki Lawrence, longtime friend Julie Andrews, music legend Tony Bennett, Amy Poehler, Martin Short and Lucie Arnaz ... the daughter of Lucille Ball, whom Burnett credits with having been one of her main supporters early on. In an interview shortly after that celebratory night in Washington, D.C., the glow — and the glee — obviously lingered for Burnett. Q: How did you find that evening to be? A: I knew who was going to be on the show because I read the playbill, but still, I didn't know what they were going to do or say. And I had no idea which clips they were going to show, so all of that was somewhat a surprise. I can't single out one person; they were all just wonderful. Q: What were some of the standout moments for you? A: Tina opened the show, and she's just brilliant. Her line was funny; she said, "I love you ... and it's just shy of being creepy." And Amy had a whole shtick where she was pretending to be my "abused" assistant. I didn't even recognize her at first. Supposedly, I was a very mean boss. I was on the verge of tears a few times, but the time they really flowed was when Tony Bennett sang "Just the Way You Look Tonight," with just a piano accompaniment. It was so touching. And my chum Julie! We've known each other 51 years. She was funny and very loving, and afterwards, we got to be together and have a nice "chin wag." A bunch of us went back to the hotel and had a nightcap. I didn't get a lot of time to spend with anybody, because people were coming and going and rehearsing and this and that, but it was nice. "Carol Burnett: The Mark Twain Prize" airs Sunday on PBS (check local listings). 1 x 4" ad 2 – NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2013 – BRAINERD, MN/DISPATCH 2 x 4" ad

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