COMEDY : Stephens Will Hold on to His Hat

Comic James Stephens III calls himself “the cat in the hat.”

Stephens, who is headlining through Sunday at the Brea Improv, began wearing his trademark black hat after moving to Los Angeles two years ago.

“No, I’m not bald,” Stephens said with a laugh during an interview. “What happened was when I came to L.A. I wanted to try to come up with an image. I was doing OK with the one I had, but it wasn’t getting any attention. When I finally started wearing that particular hat, it started coming together. A lot of people remember me as ‘the cat in the hat.’ ”

The hat, in fact, just might be Stephens’ good luck charm.

Last year alone, he appeared on Paul Rodriguez’s “Behind Bars” comedy special and the “Ray Charles: 50 Years in Music” tribute, which he considers his breakthrough: The industry crowd gave him a standing ovation. (“I also got a standing ovation in the prison,” he said, “but I’m not bragging about that. “)

And in December Stephens not only starred in and produced but wrote both the script and music for his own short film, “Santa Claus Ain’t Comin’ “--a hip-hop takeoff on Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” with an anti-drug message--which aired on Fox’s “Sunday Comics.” Stephens hopes to release the rap song as a single.

Of course, there’s more behind Stephens’ growing success than his hat.

He’s a versatile performer who mixes his stand-up routines with musical impressions featuring a galaxy of stars ranging from Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles to Michael Jackson and Kermit the Frog.

Along the way he answers that most burning question of our time: Is Elvis alive?

As Stephens says, “Elvis is not dead; Elvis is black. He’s living in Compton now and calling himself Melvis.”

Stephens should know: Only the other day he played basketball with Melvis.

But while some of his best routines are the musical ones, he takes exception to being labeled merely as a musical impressionist.

“What I think I am is a basic stand-up comic who uses some musical premises in his act,” said Stephens.

Actually, only about 10 minutes of his 55-minute act is devoted to the musical material. And, Stephens emphasizes, every piece of music is used as a premise for a joke--such as doing Michael Jackson singing “We Are the World” followed by Diana Ross who sounds exactly like Jackson.

It’s the joke that counts, says Stephens, who wants to be known as a “funny comedian,” not just someone who is entertaining.

“My philosophy,” he said, “is if you’re not funny, then you’re not entertaining.”

The son of an Air Force pilot, Stephens grew up in towns all around the country. Always the center of attraction, he served as class president and quarterback on his high school football team. In college, he majored in criminal law and minored in music; he dropped out of law school after 1 1/2 years to devote full time to comedy.

In his act, the engaging Stephens puts this kind of spin on his childhood:

“When I was a kid, my mom would say, ‘You better get your (stuff) together or I’ll slap the black off of you.’ But I figured if she could have done that, people in my neighborhood would’ve been lined up at the door saying, ‘Hit me hard, I gotta get a job!’ ”

He also taps the black experience in America as seen through the eyes of James Stephens III. Such as the time he was performing in Montana, a place where, he says, there just are no black people:

“I was so scared I went up to my room and pulled out the Yellow Pages. I looked under black people. It said, ‘None. See white pages.’ ”

Stephens describes himself as a “cross-over comedian” who is able to play to different ethnic groups and nationalities.

Indeed, his act carries a message, which is evident in a song he wrote called “I’m a Negro,” in which he pokes fun at black stereotypes. His message--that we’re different but the same and we all need to pull together--is reprised at the end of his act when he impersonates Louis Armstrong singing “It’s a Wonderful World.” Stephens, of course, puts his own comical spin on the lyrics.

Who: James Stephens III.

When: Thursday, Jan. 23, and Sunday, Jan. 26, at 8:30 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 24, at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 25, at 8 and 10:30 p.m.

Where: The Improv, 945 E. Birch St., Brea.

Whereabouts: Take the Lambert Road exit off the Orange (57) Freeway and go west. Turn left on State College Boulevard and right on Birch Street. The Improv is in the Brea Marketplace, across from the Brea Mall.

Wherewithal: $7 to $10.

Where to Call: (714) 529-7878.