George Lopez will be in Yakima on Saturday for stand-up concert

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Don't worry about George Lopez.

Yes, he lost a talk show since he last played Yakima in 2010. No, he's not particularly happy about that. But he's got two movies in the works plus a stand-up special and, down the line, a book. He's also got the vindication that comes with the knowledge that his old sitcom, which also was canceled, has found new life in syndication.

"No show had succeeded that had a Latino lead in it. ... I never thought I'd get an opportunity," he said in a phone interview last week. "And people thought it wouldn't get past four episodes. So to get to 120 -- I don't have to prove anything to anybody anymore."

Lopez, who plays the Yakima Valley SunDome on Saturday, is at a place in his career where he can focus on doing what he wants to. His high-energy talk show, TBS' "Lopez Tonight," was canceled in August, having failed to hold its audience after "Conan" bumped it from 11 p.m. to midnight. But his generation-crossing appeal remains. He's reprising his role as Grouchy for the upcoming "The Smurfs" movie sequel, and he's also got the direct-to-video "Beverly Hill Chihuahua 3" in the works. His stand-up act, meanwhile, is definitely not for kids.

"I have an audience from, like, 2 to 82," he says. "And not a lot of comedians who have bite can do that."

It's important to Lopez, 50, to still get out there and do his stand-up. Unlike on his ABC sitcom, "George Lopez," which ran for six seasons from 2002 to 2007, the stand-up act has no restrictions. There is no network censor looking over the scripts.

"It is the freest form of expression that you'll find," he says.

In terms of tone, the act is somewhere between Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor, both longtime heroes of Lopez.

"I'm closer to another special, so it's newer stuff," he says. "You don't really change styles; it's still that dysfunctional style."

There are some wild tales and some social commentary, but it's also full of Cosby-style observation about the little absurdities of family life and generational differences. Lopez, for instance, does the "kids these days" routine to great effect.

"It's personal," he says. "But it's all things people can relate to."

Ultimately, that's also the appeal of his old sitcom, reruns of which run on three different cable networks. That show, on which he played a father and a factory manager, was based in part on experiences with his own family.

"It was better than people gave it credit for," Lopez says. "That show was about my life, and I think it resonates with people because it has a realness that a lot of shows don't have."

He's proud of that show not just for its quality, though; he's proud of its success in breaking down a barrier. That said, he's quick to point out that there hasn't been another network comedy with a Latino lead in the succeeding years.

"It's whiter than it's ever been right now," Lopez says. "There's safety in that."

Network executives don't want to do anything too different or too risky, he says. So it's up to individual stars to push for that change. Toward that end, he has a new sitcom he's working to develop, hopefully to air within the next two years.

"It's important that I do, because if not, you're going to continue to see the same thing," he says.

In the meantime, he'll keep honing his standup act at arenas across the country. At this point, there's a supreme confidence that accompanies him on stage. He's doing hour-and-a-half sets with material he's sharpened over time.

"You're holding some powerful cards," he says of his approach. "You know what's going to work and what's not going to work. Everything skews in your favor."

So, yeah, you don't have to worry about George Lopez. He has a solid fan base and a body of work to take pride in. When he gets on that SunDome stage for the third time since 2008, he'll know what people want and he'll produce it.

"They know my history," he says. "They know my work. It's probably better now than ever."

* Pat Muir can be reached at 509-577-7693 or pmuir@yakimaherald.com.

If you go

WHAT: Comedian George Lopez.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: Yakima Valley SunDome.

TICKETS: $31.50, $51.50 and $71.50, available at the State Fair Park ticket office, TicketsWest outlets, www.ticketswest.com or 800-325-7328.

ONLINE: www.georgelopez.com.