Photo by Leila Navidi

Lily Tomlin Where: MGM Grand When: 8 p.m. March 11-17 Cost: $50 and up Info: (866) 80-SHOWS

From comedy (Laugh In) to musicals (Nashville) and drama (Damages), peripatetic comedian and actress Lily Tomlin has done it all.

But up until a few months ago, there was a big piece missing from Tomlin's résumé. That's right, with 45 years of performing behind her, Tomlin had never played Vegas. The Vegas debut of Not Playing With a Full Deck changed that. Not Playing With a Full Deck Vegasizes the Tomlin experience, playing with lighting, video and short films.

"I've tried to do a minimalistic but still rich and unexpected, unpredictable (show). It's theatrical; that's the intention, for it to be more theatrical," said Tomlin. "I put together a piece of film that tells how I dreamed of going to Vegas, but my characters got more work than I did. It's kind of a conceit."

Classic characters like Trudy the Bag Lady and Ernestine, the former telephone switchboard operator, make appearances. Ernestine has changed a bit over the years – she works at a health care corporation now, denying claims.

Of course, the show is an evolution, a show that started 62 years ago. "I always had an act. I'd put on shows and imitate neighbors and my mom and dad. It all harks back to when I was 8 years old, hanging a sheet for a curtain."