Twitter a blast from past to Wallace

Here's the good news. In just four months on Twitter, comedian George Wallace has attracted more than 28,000 followers.

"It's just going crazy," he says. "It's a lot of fun, just doing jokes back and forth with people," Wallace says. "I'll get off the phone in a few minutes and just start going crazy."

Twitter is just a high-tech version of his high school days, when he would pass a note around in class: "If you have holes in your drawers, smile."

The other side of it? He can use every one of these new fans, especially the younger, Twitter-prone ones.

After nine years at the Flamingo, "that younger generation may not know you," says Wallace, who turns 60 in July. "Dave Chappelle says, 'You're the only one over 40 on Twitter.'"

"You wonder if you're relevant at a certain point in comedy," agrees Louie Anderson, who is also "trying to get the hang" of Twitter, and has mastered the concept of "trending" enough to lobby for a monster role on "Grimm." "You can get a read on your fans and what they like."

"I'm competing with texting now," Anderson says of never having a night when he doesn't see phone screens glowing in the crowd.

Wallace is planning to take 10 weeks off this year and hit the road for at least half of them. "I'm going out on the road to re-create myself, because I've been here for nine years. People can forget you out in Chicago. I haven't been to Chicago in 10 years. That's not good."

The Amazing Johnathan recently recalled running into Wallace at the airport, and the comedy magician joked about having to go on the road so he could afford to play his room in Las Vegas.

When airline security tightened in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks and the Las Vegas economy was booming, a residency on the Strip was the ultimate prize for travel-weary comedians.

But, says Wallace, "Every year the game changes, doesn't it?"

"It's just not selling tickets at the box office. It's promoting yourself and it costs money to do it," he says. "It's not like it used to be. Now, if you're four-walling (working without a financial guarantee from the host casino), you've got to put your business in the street."

As great as it was to let the fans do the traveling, the new definition of a "resident" headliner may be someone who spends a lot less time in residency.

Rita Rudner, who has a show today at The Venetian, once worked Las Vegas year-round but has dialed back to just 10 shows between now and Sept. 26.

"Not everybody comes to Las Vegas. Ten times as many people don't come," Wallace says. "You need to let them know that you're still around."

Twitter has proven to be 28,000 ways to start.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.