Martin Short is a congenial comedian of many characters

Sometimes he is Jiminy Glick, a rotund celebrity interviewer whose noxious, fawning cluelessness knows no bounds.

Then again, sometimes he is Ed Grimley, the smarmy uber-nerd with the slicked-up Alfalfa hair.

Or you may catch him as the William Buckley-esque, chain-smoking arch conservative Nathan Thurm, a bundle of sweaty nerves.

But off-screen, all of these comedic characters (and a few others) are neatly tucked into the slender, compact form of Martin Short, an uncanny actor-comedian who brings his solo, multi-

character show, "An Evening with Martin Short," to Tacoma's Pantages Theatre for a one-night stand on Saturday.

Canadian-native Short is yet another comic who learned his trade during an early stint doing improv at Second City (the Toronto branch). He's an illustrious alumni of both "SCTV" (where he shaped some of his signature characters) and "Saturday Night Live" (during its 1984-85 season).

But what fans who know him from TV-sketch comedy shows — or his zany old Comedy Central series, "Prime Time with Jiminy Glick" (where Jiminy held court with many real celebs) — may not realize is that the antic Short has yet another identity.

That would be Martin Short the musical-theater star. That guy has a surprisingly sturdy singing voice, is a nimble dancer and won a Tony Award for his starring turn in the Broadway musical revival of "Little Me." (He also starred in the ill-fated "Goodbye Girl" musical, and in his own warmly received mock-autobiographical 2006 revue, "Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me.")

Alas, unlike Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers or other "SNL" veterans, Short did not score big in the movies after leaving the show. His 1986 film "Three Amigos," which also featured Chevy Chase and Steve Martin, was a disappointment given all its comedic star-power — through no fault of Short's.

So this very likable performer is mainly working the stage these days, offering sharp, timely send-ups of celebrity culture without ever seeming mean-spirited about it.

In fact, Short has earned a reputation as a very pleasant, accessible fellow. He's also a committed family man, who has managed to stay married to the same woman since 1980 (former actress Nancy Dolman), and with her enjoys an off-the-radar family life with their three children.

In interviews, Short has said that the secret to staying nice in the rough trenches of showbiz is to treat his profession like a business, and not take the bad stuff personally. And talking to Time magazine, he summed up his personal philosophy this way: "I've chosen to treat my life more like a party than something to stress about."

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com