Las Vegas Shows Reviews

By: Nicole Acevedo

When you say “Art”, many will think of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”, Michelangelo’s “Sistine Chapel”, or even The Golden Gate Bridge, but almost no one will ever think of ventriloquism. Except for maybe one man, 8 puppets, an auditorium full of people 5 nights a week on the Las Vegas Strip, and millions of American viewers who voted Terry Fator the winner of the 2007 America’s Got Talent show on NBC. Art is not only talent it is imaginative and fun, soulful and straight from the heart. It is exactly what Fator delivers night after night to an audience echoing shouts of laughter and cheer.

Fator immediately impresses the audience with an impersonation of the great Etta James singing “At Last”, by his puppet Emma. Following Emma came one of his most popular puppets, Winston The Impersonating Turtle. Winston undoubtedly wins audiences over with his humorous charm along with impersonations of Maroon 5 singing “This Love” and the Bee Gees singing “Stayin’ Alive”.

This is not an ordinary hand puppet show for the kids. Fator’s show is unique in his ability to accurately impersonate and sing with a wide vocal range of popular artists and hit songs using ventriloquism. His art is so polished that it is easy to forget that he is doing all the voices. There were long periods where I would find myself being so carried away by the chemistry between Fator and the puppets that I forgot the puppets were not real, like a child watching Sesame Street believing that the puppets are really talking and interacting with other people.

Soon after each puppet is introduced in the segment there is a sense that each one undoubtedly has its own unique personality, completely separate from Fator. Even though Fator is demonstrably handling the puppets himself and singing and talking for them, his transitions between voices are so smooth and his interaction with them so natural, that the whole performance seems effortless and “real”. One such puppet is Maynard Tompkins the Elvis Impersonator.

Others have personalities all their own. Maynard is shy in front of audiences and has a speech impediment so he tends to stutter. Another example is the heavy metal puppet, Dougie, with long hair, torn jeans and a black AC/DC shirt. Also known as “the annoying neighbor”, Dougie rocks audiences by singing Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, but when Terry Fator tries to rock audiences with Z.Z. Top, Dougie falls asleep on Terry’s shoulder. Dougie gets the crowd going again with the whole audience singing along to “Sweet Home Alabama”.

Accompanied by an amazing live band playing many more hits than I was able to mention, Terry Fator has so many unique characters, each one charming and entertaining audience members with their humor and uncanny impersonations of classic hit songs. Even Fator himself does a hysterical impersonation of Michael Jackson followed by a side-splittingly funny dialogue and duet with Walter The Country Man. Don’t let the mere idea of a ventriloquism show fool you. This is more than ventriloquism, but an artful performance of humor, creativity, and fun. Fator is a one-man show of a multitude of voices and talents as he fills the night with non-stop laughter!

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by Denise Almas

Photo Credit: Denise Truscello

Scantily clad, the performers of Planet Hollywood”s Peepshow bring high energy to an array of sexual fantasies. At the start of the show, we see a short video about a young woman who comes home to a dog and an empty house. As she falls to sleep, she is enveloped by the sexual fantasies of her dreams and her quest to find a man.

The cast, currently led by former Spice Girl Mel B and Kelly Monaco, bring these fantasies alive through dance and song. Throughout the show, the performers are careful not to bare it all. Instead, they attempt to tease audience members by showing just enough flesh to augment the fantasies they are portraying.

Mel B

Kelly Monaco

It is clear that this show is designed for both men and women. Prior to the show starting, Mel B reassures the audience that there is plenty of flesh for both everyone. Though the performers are primarily female, there are several men who sing and dance for the delight of the women of the audience. Their role is not just to entertain the women, but to allow the young woman to transform herself from a state of near innocence to learning that being naughty can be fun.

As the story progresses, we watch the young woman gradually lose her clothes along with her inhibitions. She is the true tease of the show, as the audience awaits her transformation from nice to naughty. Throughout her transformation, she is witness to sexual fantasies such as “Three Men in a Tub” and “The Big Bad Wolf.” Because of the show”s quick pace, nearly every possible fantasy is explored, giving this show wide range appeal. There is truly something for everyone, including bachelors, bachelorettes, desperate housewives, and couples that simply want to spice up their night.

Highlights abound! First, the vocalists have tremendous talent. It is clear that Mel B is still an outstanding singer and the other singers in the show are equally talented. The dancers are also quite skilled. The dance routines are demanding and complex; tremendous physical strength and talent are an absolute necessity for these performers. Also, the choreography is well matched to the fantasies being portrayed and these dancers do not miss a beat.

Photo Credit: John Ganun

At the end of the show, Mel B”s enthusiasm is boundless as she urges the audience to “go home and get laid!” If you are interested in a romp Sin City style, this is certainly the show to see. So, get your “peeps” and enjoy the show.

Photo Credit: John Ganun

Photo Credit: John Ganun

• PeepShow Las Vegas Tickets

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by Sara Steinberg

Impressionist, singer and entertainer Gordie Brown takes you on a wild ride, in his show “Gordie Brown Live” at the Golden Nugget, and you won’t want to get off. Most of the show is made up of songs heralded by famous musicians and spoofed by this amazing talent. In addition to his phenomenal mimicry, Gordie replaces the song lyrics with his own and you can’t stop laughing. Brown is backed by a talented band.

He nails Randy Travis singing without moving his lips, jumps around the stage as an aging Mick Jagger, shows us what an oversexed Tom Jones looks like and hurts himself in order to reach the high notes as Joe Cocker. We hear Bruce Springsteen’s take on Internet Dating, Barenaked Ladies ordering a meal with Chris Isaac finding a roach in his soup. Brown moves seamlessly from performer to performer, poking fun at the idiosyncrasies that set each one apart. One of the highlights of the show is of Sean Connery, Ray Romano, Nicolas Cage, John Travolta, Christopher Walken and Chris Rock all auditioning for the role of Batman.

Brown doesn’t let the politicians off the hook either. During a hilarious spoof between Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, who has trouble reading and needs “Hooked On Phonics,” and George Bush who lacks brain cells, Gordie Brown’s genius lets loose. The result of his clever and quick mind is humorthat is a delight to watch. His impersonation of our new president, Barack Obama, talking with his hands is dead-on. If Jesse Jackson had become our first black President, he’d still be giving his inaugural speech. We also get to see what it would’ve been like if Bill Cosby had been elected. And the best part is – none of it is offensive as it’s done in great fun.

Then it’s back to the music. Brown’s take on the Rat Pack include a cross-eyed Sammy Davis Jr. singing “Mr. Bojangles” and Frank Sinatra crooning “I’ll Do It My Way.” Impersonations of Jimmy Stewart and Katherine Hepburn are hilarious. Louis Armstrong’s “It’s a Wonderful World” sung by Gordie is flat-out amazing.

This talented performer shows us what it would’ve been like if Coldplay had written the soundtrack to “Brokeback Mountain.” We see how Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart” could morph into the Barney theme song, and instead of Willie Nelson singing “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before,” it’s much funnier when he replaces the lyrics with “To All The Plants I’ve Smoked Before.” Imagine Usher as a theater usher, Vanilla Ice as a white rapper and a white dancer, and Neil Young – not so young, but practically on his deathbed. Vegas Icon Wayne Newton is made fun of for building a $30 million fence for his penguins who can’t fly.

Brown has received rave reviews by both critics and audiences alike and you’ll see why. This is one of the best shows in Las Vegas which you won’t want to miss. Gordie Brown can be seen at the Golden Nugget every Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

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