Actress Vicki Lawrence bringing 'Mama' to expo

Emmy-winning actress Vicki Lawrence will share the stage with her famous alter ego, Thelma Harper, better known as Mama, at an upcoming appearance in Chattanooga.

Lawrence's 90-minute stage show -- "Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show" -- will highlight the senior-adult Life Expo on Aug. 27, at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

The expo is sponsored by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Lawrence is a multifaceted artist who notched a No. 1 song in 1973 with "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia." She also is an author, talk show host, game show host and high-profile advocate for women's rights.

But her name is synonymous with the wise-cracking, blue-haired matriarch of the Harper family, which she originated on "The Carol Burnett Show."

"We are so excited to bring Vicki Lawrence's live stage show as a highlight of the Life Expo," said Jason Taylor, president and general manager of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "Her character of Mama is beloved by so many. Her humor is timeless."

After the Burnett show, Lawrence starred as Thelma Harper for six years in the sitcom "Mama's Family." The show still can be seen in reruns twice daily in most of the country, according to Lawrence's website.

Lawrence often has been quoted as saying playing Mama was her opportunity to "hide behind that old lady" and say what she wanted.

"I think people will get a kick out of the things Mama has an opinion about," Lawrence said in a news release.

In her stage show, she said she hopes "people will be pleasantly surprised by a side of Vicki they may never have seen."

"I know they will be looking forward to Mama, and for her part, that crazy old gal will be up to the challenge," she said.