Allen, 56, says he hasn't embarked on a true standup comedy tour since before he catapulted to fame as star of the hit ABC sitcom Home Improvement in 1991. "I might do charity gigs every now and then, but this is a real standup gig," he says. But he wanted to do something to break Crazy on the Outside out of the pack of major motion pictures traditionally released throughout the holiday season, and decided that his "Stand Up and Show It" tour – going city to city to present the film in person – would provide a unique promotional edge.
"I've never done anything like this before," Allen says. "I'm going to do a short mini-concert and introduce my movie to selected cities and selected audiences, in the high hopes that they're going to like what I did," says Allen. "We've scored in the high 80s when we've screened it here [in Los Angeles]."
Tim Allen Concert to Hit 10 Cities
Although Crazy on the Outside won't open nationwide until Friday, Jan. 8, 2010, Allen is performing his standup tour between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2009 to generate advance buzz around the film.
His "Stand Up and Show It" schedule features the following 2009 dates and locations (all shows begin at 7:30 p.m.)
Dec. 1: Denver, Mayan Theatres
Dec. 2: St. Louis Park, Minn., St. Louis Park Cinema 6
Dec. 3: Phoenix, Harkins Theater Scottsdale 101
Dec. 4: Seattle, Regal Meridian 16
Dec. 7: Houston, River Oaks Theater
Dec. 8: Atlanta, Plaza Theatre
Dec. 9: St. Louis, Ronnies 20 Cine
Dec. 10: Detroit, Palladium Theatre, Birmingham
Closing dates in New York and Los Angeles are still being confirmed.
Tim Allen Consulted Kevin Costner, Other Stars for Directing Debut
Crazy on the Outside is an especially poignant project for Allen. Co-starring Sigourney Weaver, Ray Liotta, Kelsey Grammer and J.K. Simmons, the movie casts Allen as an ex-convict named Tommy who moves in with his sister's family upon his release from prison, anxious to make a fresh start in life. In real life, Allen was convicted of drug charges in 1979 and served 28 months in prison before his comedy career exploded.
"I love it," he says of the finished product. "To direct major stars in a major movie and to be in it, it's something I've always wondered how to do. I asked Costner and other stars who have done this, and followed directions. I stuck with the decisions I made. I really liked it."
"Grunty" Comedy Trademarks Are Gone for Tim Allen
Allen says that as his life has changed and matured – he has an 9-month-old daughter, Elizabeth, with his second wife, Jane – his comedy style has advanced beyond the tool-driven, Neanderthal grunts that defined his early standup work and inspired the concept for Home Improvement.
"It's all new," he says. "I get a theater that can handle a little bit of standup, have an introduction by a local celebrity, and I'll get up there and do a little standup. Depending on the crowd and the time of day it'll be racy or not racy, I'll do a little joking about this and that, then I'll say, 'I want you guys to enjoy what I've been working on for the last year.' Then I'll exit the theater and let them know that I won't be around, so they can concentrate on the movie and react to it naturally.
"I've got about an hour and 15 minutes of new material," Allen says. "Not the same grunty tool stuff. It took me many years to get that hook, and I don't have it anymore. But I'm all right with that."
For more information on Crazy on the Outside and the "Stand Up and Show It" tour, visit Allen's Web site at www.timallen.com.
Jimmy McFarlin - Hello there! My name is Jimmy McFarlin, and like my wife likes to say, I have the experience of an old man and the enthusiasm of a young ...
