Twenty-nine years after his Red Garter debut, Buford Nerdley returned to the stage last night to delight fans. As Nerdley is gathering in years, he was a little confused.

“I went down to the city hall, and it was just like Mayberry,” he said. “That man behind the desk looked just like Barney Fife.”

A voice corrected him, “No, Buford. Benny’s not the mayor anymore.”

“I’m scared to bend over downtown,” he said. “Somebody might try to put a square in a round hole.”

Again the voice.

“No, Buford. Paul Armstrong finished the Square, and it’s beautiful. But he’s not the mayor.”

“Oh. Dollar General?” Nerdley asked.

“No. Not Jerry Andrews, either,” the voice replied.

When Nerdley got to the current mayor, he was full of jokes.

Fresh from a tour of the sites of Europe, which he enjoyed, but his brother, Puber T. couldn’t, “He’s crippled, you know,” Nerdley shared vacation plans for this year.

“We were thinking about going on a cruise, but we decided we’d go to Andalusia and go to that mansion, Springdale. They’ve got that two-hour tour Mrs. Bass Wilson gives. She tells you the history and shows you all the ruins.

“That’s the buildings John Tisdale’s gone fix up,” he said.

He also shared the news of Puber T.’s wedding plans, and Mommer’s hesitance for Puber T. to marry “that French woman” because of the cost of “them little blue pills.”

Of county politics, Nerdley said he couldn’t figure how they got so many people to run for “co-missioner.”

“Then I found out they done closed two mental hospitals in Alabama,” he said.

Nerdley, also known as Danny Posey, shared the stage with Paula Sue Duebelt and Angie Sasser, Ted Watson, Sisters by Grace with Ricky Counts, and Jeff Sellers and Jeremy Craig.

Terri Jones and Janna McGlamory hosted a WAAO “partyline,” fielding calls about levitating cats, a mother selling her son’s “lab” in the backyard, and a mayor in search of a big house at which to have parties.

Perennial RGR favorites Cathy and Roger Powell made light of politicians, singing, “Me and Mrs. Jones,” and “High Cotton.” In a discussion of presidential politics, Mrs. Powell said she’d like to get her “mitts” on Romney.” Of Ron Paul, she said, “I love his wife’s fishsticks.”

The Ritz Crackers, including Parrish King, Shannon Glenn, Ben Bowden, Scott Riley, Jeff Hopkins, and Jeffery Douglas, entertained the audience with a Napoleon Dynamite dance spoof, and the Red Garter Review dancers were at their best.

The Star-News’ own Mrs. Grundy also made cameo appearances in which she peeked from her Venetian blinds to report on Baptists, restaurants and local politicians.

The Andalusia Junior Woman’s Club, which sponsors the event, hosted this year by Johnny Brewer, asked that The Star-News not share all of the punchlines.

“So if you want to hear the rest of that joke,” Nerdley said, “you’ll have to come back (Saturday) night.”

Show time is 7 p.m. Tickets, which are $12, are available at the door.