Only in Las Vegas might one find a gathering of politicians, celebrities, icons and even puppets together on one stage…in this case, all these personalities are voiced by a lone performer. Popular comedian and “MadTV” alum Frank Caliendo headlines at the Monte Carlo, presenting his much celebrated and beloved impressions of stars and celebs including John Madden, Dr. Phil, George W. Bush and Al Pacino. Boasting some of the Strip’s most comfortable accommodations, including legroom aplenty, the Lance Burton Theatre houses the impressionist’s show from Thursday through Saturday at 9:30 p.m., as well as Sunday and Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Entering the theatre, guests may purchase cocktails from a handsome bar just outside the showroom. Once the audience is settled in the grand theatre, a live band performs rock classics and campy TV theme songs, warming up the eager audience. The band also occasionally accompanies Caliendo during the show. Next, comedian George Cantor provides the opening act prior to Caliendo’s anticipated appearance.

Inaugurating the show with some political parodies, Caliendo flawlessly feigns Bill Clinton’s bawdy banter with a smooth southern drawl and playfully exaggerates Dubya’s comically confused malapropisms. The two presidents take to the mike as Caliendo croons “I’m Too Sexy” as Clinton and offers an even sillier rendition of “Rubber Ducky” as Bush. Attendees may even be treated to Caliendo’s in-the-works impressions, including a surprisingly accurate proto-Obama.

Caliendo’s sporty send-ups include Taco Bell-peddling “knucklehead” Charles Barkley and fan-favorite John Madden, complete with curiously frequent references to Brett Favre. The comedian skillfully satirizes an obviously smitten Madden, who incorporates Favre into any and every discussion (his favorite number is “Favre thousand, Favre hundred, Favre-ty Favre”).

Some personalities need only be identified with a single sound or slogan, such as Caliendo’s caricature of Dick Cheney, rendered with a contemptible scowl and vulture-like shriek, or b-baller Barkley, who repetitively proclaims this and that to be “turr-ible”. Other impressions require a more physical approach, such as Caliendo’s conception of an intensely animated Al Pacino or his boisterous lampooning of Robin Williams.

At one point, Caliendo reclines on the stage, raises a bare hand to perform as a Kermit hand puppet (sans puppet) and, to his credit, never experiences a lull in laughter from the audience. Later, drawing upon a box of props a la Carrot Top, Caliendo integrates wigs and headpieces into his act, even donning a Snuggie to transform into Yoda or a particularly hilarious Dr. Phil.

Elder attendees will appreciate Caliendo’s spoofs of old timers Jonathan Winters, Andy Rooney and Ted Knight, while impersonations of Chris Rock, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jay Leno, Forrest Gump, Mike Tyson, Robert DeNiro, Jerry Seinfeld, Michael “Kramer” Richards, James Gandolfini, William Shatner, Christopher Walken, Chris Farley, Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler can be enjoyed by young and old alike.

Concluding the show, Caliendo enlists Cantor’s help in a quick-draw performance, rapidly shifting from one character to another in an impressive, high energy grand finale. Following the performance, attendees may meet Caliendo in the lobby for photos and autographs, as well as purchasing the entertainer’s merchandise.

Caliendo’s masterful delivery of topical, political and pop cultural humor as well as his spot-on satires of many of today’s personalities make for a side-splitting show not to be missed!

• Gordie Brown Las Vegas Tickets

by Erika Bayer-Polak

If you are looking for a lively fast-paced show filled with music, comedy and impersonations, Gordie Brown is a sure bet for an enjoyable evening. And even though his show is at 10 p.m., he keeps his act rather clean by late show standards. Unless you are an austere puritan, walking away from this show offended is impossible.

Brown manages to seamlessly morph his solid voice to correspond to a wide variety of performers, from Chris Isaak to Roy Orbison, from Willie Nelson to Tracy Chapman, from M.C. Hammer to 4 Non Blondes. Brown also seems to make a point in impersonating performers who had their heydays in the 1950s to performers who are presently at the top of their game. Covering such an assortment of acts is certainly a sure way to appease all generations in the audience.

While most impersonators sing the songs of other performers and leave it at that, Brown takes this a step further and crafts his own humorous lyrics. At times the lyrics mimic the performer’s notable tendencies, such as Joe Cocker’s famous wrenching movements, and at other times they spoof everyday or societal issues, such as Viagra or PMS. And when Brown’s delivery of his parodies benefits from him picking up a guitar and playing, he does.

Rather than purely focusing on singers, Brown also impersonates and pokes fun of several actors including a hilarious version of Christopher Walken auditioning for a prominent film role, and of course, the president. Brown’s version of President Bush can make even the staunchest Republican cackle, especially seeing that his portrayal is detached from any truly political stance.

Brown’s versatility shines through during the performance. Anyone who can flash a smile that no one would deny is a Tom Cruise look alike, and immediately transition to a faultless John Wayne bow-legged stagger deserves some acclaim. And seeing that the V Theater at Planet Hollywood can be described as an informal and friendly showroom by many standards, this only aids in Brown’s delivery and his penchant for interacting with his audience. The Gordie Brown show is definitely a worthy endeavor if you are looking for an evening of great laughs.

• Gordie Brown Las Vegas Tickets

• Ronn Lucas Las Vegas Tickets

By DW Grant

In Ronn Lucas´s world anything can argue with you; dragons, microphones, socks, feet, bare hands, and even some audience members. The 90 minute show, on stage almost everyday at 1 PM at the Thunder Room at the Excalibur Hotel is a fun world for both children and adults.

Ronn Lucas is not your average ventriloquist and his performance is not your typical dummy on a hand show. For 40 years he´s shared his world in command performances before three presidents and the queen of England. He has also appeared with David Letterman and Jay Leno, and on Night Court, Nip and Tuck, 1 vs. 100, LA Law, and his own TV show.

He has been awarded numerous accolades, including “The World´s Best Ventriloquist,’ by The New York Times and The London Times; honored as “Entertainer of the Year,’ by Gold Cabaret Awards and “Ventriloquist of the Year’ by the American Society of Ventriloquists. Lucas is also a two-time winner of Showtime´s “National Laugh-Off’.

Strangely enough Ronn Lucas grew up on the same central Texas plains as three other prominent ventriloquists, Terry Fader, Jeff Dunham, and Jay Johnson. “Must be something in the water,’ he explains.

For children Ronn offers ´scorch,’ the teenage dragon, trashing-talking his master and singing songs like “Teenager in Love’ and rapping other teen favs.

There are some slightly blue jokes for adults in Ronn´s world, flying over the heads of most kids, and some silly body humor that a young one or two may catch and giggle over. Scorch warns parents in the show´s opening minutes, before he is rushed off stage, “If mild language used by 3rd and 4th graders on the school grounds offends you then maybe you shouldn’t be at a show in a casino…’ Okay, so Scorch says “heck,’ “hell,’ “Belly Button,’ “Nipple,’ and “Henderson.’ You have to forgive him; after all he is just a teenager.

But the afternoon really belongs to his collection of partners, some he brings out of a trunk and some he brings up from the audience. Buffalo Billy flirts with the ladies in the front seats and duets “Row Your Boat’ with Ronn, even though Ronn tries to warn him a ventriloquist can not duet with his dummy. Amazingly they do it anyway, and we can´t help but love it.

Ronn pulls Chuck the Punk out of a trunk, but the whole acts pulls itself apart and Chuck is forced back in to the dark but not obscurity. We won’t forget him.

And then there is a signature Ronn Lucas classic bit. Pulling a member of the audience onto the stage Ronn dresses the “volunteer’ up like a puppet, with a hat, and bib with a tie, and a puppet mouth. It makes hilarious magic for the audience and humiliating fun for the participant.

The last set is a tribute to Ronn´s grandfather who first shared ventriloquism with him many years ago, via an ordinary sock and a hand. It´s funny and touching and as creative as any performance I have seen in Las Vegas.

After the show Ronn shares free autographs and photos with anyone who will line up just outside the theater in the company store. In the store he shows an unusual grace and warmth with both adults and children.

• Ronn Lucas Las Vegas Tickets

by Mara M. Mannella

Tucked inside a casino whose name is synonymous with glitz and glamour is a comedian who has paid her dues here in Las Vegas and her experience shows. Rita Rudner represents classic Vegas in a way that is both entertaining and unpretentious. An intimate theater is the setting for Ms. Rudner’s one woman show that keeps audiences laughing every night.

A woman comedian in a sea of male headliners is an eye-catching marquee on the Strip, where Rita Rudner makes her home at Harrah’s. The audience is welcomed to share in Rita’s life experiences, from the trials and tribulations of married life to the harrowing but hysterical journey of getting older. The unique delivery of Rita’s humor makes it so the audience isn’t sure what the next zinger will be. Poking fun at herself, her husband, and select audience members, you never know who the next victim will be.

As the audience laughs at (and with!) Rita as she shares chapters of parenthood and everyday life in Las Vegas one thing becomes apparent as you look around the theater. Pokes and pointed fingers of spouses, family members and friends are everywhere as the audience sees some of themselves in these situations! The seats filled with families, couples, tourists and locals prove this show has mass appeal.

The monologue is a pleasure to watch but another great segment of the show is the question and answer at the conclusion. The audience gets a new perspective of the down-to-earth performer and it showcases Rita’s quick wit. It is obvious Rita Rudner’s home is on the stage and her act is testament that a Vegas show can be a success without pyrotechnics and wild animals. This is a Las Vegas standard that certainly has stood the test of time and provides a great show night after night.

• Rita Rudner Show Tickets

• Wayne Brady: Making %@It Up! Show Tickets

Wayne Brady: Making %@It Up!
By Devon Brooke Clasen

A true Vegas variety show incorporating singing, dancing, acting, comedy and even that most perplexing of art forms: mime, Wayne Brady’s Making %@It Up takes the theatrical task to the next level, with fully improvised performance vignettes interspersed among prepared musical tribute performances.

Dialing the pressure up even higher, show business virtuoso Wayne Brady has to not only make everything up on the spot, but also make it consistently funny. Fortunately, Brady delivers with heavy doses of witty, sharp, topical humor, keeping even a Monday night audience in complete hysterics.

Housed in an intimate theatre, there really isn’t a bad seat in the venue, unless stage-shy attendees are seated just off the stage. This “danger zone” provides Brady, as well as his improv partner Jonathan Mangum, a proficient performer in his own right, the pick of the litter when summoning audience members to the stage to take part in an act, whether they like it or not. Be warned, if he calls you up to the stage, you may find it difficult to decline, especially when egged on by your fellow (often drunken) tourists. If you’d rather avoid the risk of center stage humiliation, select a seat a little further back, where you may safely and anonymously shout out improv suggestions while avoiding a possible coerced participation.

Even before setting foot in the theatre, Brady cleverly incorporates the audience into the action, as ushers distribute slips of paper requesting bogus song titles, which Brady may later recreate in the guise of such song stylists as Elvis, Rod Stewart, Louis Armstrong or even Alanis Morisette. Present Brady with random verbiage like “All You Can Eat Buffet” or “Porn Flyers on the Sidewalk” and watch him effortlessly render them into musical gold, with irresistible laughs aplenty.

Never hesitating to get up close and personal with his audience, Brady quizzes willing participants, with any and all disclosed information becoming fodder for his comedic antics. Audience members may be lovingly serenaded, playfully mocked or physically and tangibly integrated as living props into a performance. If participation is your cup of tea, skip the dressy duds, wear comfortable clothing, check your inhibitions at the door and attempt to keep up with Brady’s mind boggling mastery of improv and comedy.

Brady demonstrates his true improvisational genius by not only creating characters and themes, but also carrying the bits throughout the entire show. A mention of an audience member’s managerial job at GM or hometown of Fresno featured in one skit is later relevantly referenced in another unrelated skit, inspiring irresistible laughs from all, even sometimes an amused Brady himself.

Far from being the raciest show in town, Making %@It Up does feature occasional profanity and adult themes, often spurred on by the saucy (and perhaps sauced up) audience members called upon to participate. But Brady doesn’t rely on shock value to entertain his audience; rather, his astonishing and seemingly endless talents do the job to the audience’s delight. Putting on a truly memorable show, Wayne Brady creates an experience completely unique to a Las Vegas stage, with audiences never quite sure what they may see, hear or even do next.

• Wayne Brady: Making %@It Up! Show Tickets

• Second City Show Tickets
• Second City Performing At: Flamingo Hotel and Casino

Second City at Flamingo Las Vegas

Reviewed October, 2006 by Nancy Dickinson

When life’s clutches seem to squeeze the soul for it’s last drop of vitality, it’s definitely time for a change of scenery- a reminder to make fun of it all and not take ourselves too seriously- a trip to experience Second City.This relatively scriptless, improvisational comedy show tucked secretly in a comfy showroom inside the Flamingo, packs a unique comic punch of which it’s knuckles don’t fail to graze anything- young, old, straight, gay, and grotesquely yet beautifully human. The “Comedy Empire,” known for it’s hand in training comic heavyweights such as John Belushi, Bill Murray, Joan Rivers, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, and Dan Akroyd originated in Chicago in 1959 and it’s madness has seeped since into Detroit, Toronto, Denver, and Las Vegas. The final product is a show that literally puts all the fun back into mankind, dissecting the human condition relentlessly while exploiting everything at a satirical level off the charts.Each skit branches off from a central theme, one which demonstrates that nothing is sacred, not even religion. In an office setting are brainstorming workers (angels) and their almighty boss (God) trying to figure out what to do with humans down below. An example of their ingenuity as creators: “Why don’t we make the men smart like the women? Same reason we don’t make animals talk.” Demoralizing, insulting, and belittling? Perhaps. But a much needed laugh in the face of an often ugly world.

The rest of the material shares the same gutter. For instance, family issues, alcoholism, sex, weight gain, and divorce to name a few joys are all desensitized and brought down into the format of a child’s ghost story. What are those things after all besides one big nightmare anyhow? A similar sarcastic bit exhibits girl scouts singing with a chippery upbeat demeanor though their lyrics are far from sunny as they gaily sing about how life will slowly crush one’s soul.

The cast of Second City moves in and out of sketches and life’s idiosyncrasies so fast and unpredictably they give A.D.D. some real competition. This is appropriate as Las Vegas life fuels such dementia and one day in this town can give anyone comic material to last a lifetime. The new Vegas Slogan conjured up by Second City’s far from professional tourism and marketing department states, “Come to Vegas and leave with Gonorrhea.” Don’t forget to go overboard with new age beauty treatments such as the Bellagio Spa’s Koala Placenta wrap. Then, allow all the magic and romance to be sucked out of a Venetian Gondola ride as the Gondoliers sing in an Italian accent, “Tiiippppiiimmeeee pleeeeeeeasse. Oooooonnlyyyy $5.50 an hoooouuurrr to push these biiitchessssss arooooouuund!”

The cast then embraces one of life’s more regular characters in all cultures- the overbearing waitress that talks way too much and is incapable of minding their own business. One of Second City’s female comics pushes her annoying self into the faces of audience members and works on an improvisational level that is limitless. Any audience member’s shirt, name, even drink is all up for grabs in the name of ad-lib comic relief. And the cast is just as quick to tear apart the other side of the funny spectrum as well with a perfectly choreographed dance routine for an MTV spoof. It’s not, however, beautiful people in scantily outfits, it’s normal fat folks celebrating sweat pants and obesity. Any viewer will find the change in aesthetic focus quite refreshing. “Saggy Ass Sweet Pants.”

Yes, television definitely does tend to put a false smile and way too much make-up on the face of America. Second City likes to sprinkle a little truth serum on pregnancy test commercials changing them from celebratory moments to catastrophic realizations that drinking, partying, and irresponsibility are joys of the past. Also, Family Feud is does not really portray any family accurately. What might is this: Name something you find in your husbands drawer after he’s dead…Other women’s panties and Methamphetamine.

Well there it is, real life, naked and all uncomfortable in it’s skin, fat hanging over the sides with plenty of flaws of which to speak. All there is really to do is poke fun at it, make light of all the madness. Laughter can heal the hurting world.

• Second City Show Tickets
• Second City Performing At: Flamingo Hotel and Casino

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• Gerry McCambridge – The Mentalist Picture Gallery
• Gerry McCambridge – The Mentalist Streaming Video Preview
• Gerry McCambridge – The Mentalist Show Tickets

Gerry McCambridge – The Mentalist

Reviewed September, 2006
by Nancy Dickinson

It’s plain good ol’ Las Vegas tradition to capture the awe of viewers with dynamic props, extravagant effects, unconventional talent, and unparalleled showmanship (though often an overkill). One man, however, opens doors to the hearts, emotions, and spirits of people using entertainment weapons that far surpass the need for a stage crew: His mind and the minds of those he encounters.

Gerry McCambridge, better known as “The Mentalist,” has the undeniable ability to get into the heads of any and everybody. So much so that his 20 year cerebral career journey has taken him from celebrity events to a major NBC television series to his own full blown show at The Stardust. This man knows what is going on in the head of any person at any given time, facts ranging from their specific idiosyncratic personal habits to the exact name of their very first crush…and he is so freakishly accurate.

But Gerry himself is only a freak in how thoroughly and meticulously he refined his gift. Intuition alone wouldn’t cut it. He studied the mind to no end along with Psychology, Hypnosis, and Linguistics (just to name a few); watched how people communicate with one another; observed body language, eye movement, and tone of voice; he even worked in a psychiatric hospital and learned facts about how the brain worked. And lucky for Las Vegas, he’s sharing the whole psychological sha-bang.

“Make sure cell phones are turned…on.” On? Yes, if anyone’s phone rings during the show, Gerry will read the mind of the person on the other end. Amazing, yes, and a feat that leaves little room for conspiracy as anyone would love to somehow reveal that this guy is a fake. Gerry, as a matter of fact, holds up a check for $25,000 that goes to anyone who can prove any of his show material is conspired from anything else than his own special mind mastery.

Audience participation makes up the entire experience. People in the audience pick other audience members for his readings (again eliminating space for skepticism) and he proceeds with things such as their full name to if they’re married with children, how many children; even to mentioning the exact spot they may be planning to move. The reaction of the person at his mental mercy says it all. “Anything in your head I have access to. Be afraid, be very afraid.”

Blindfolded, very, very blindfolded, Gerry also demonstrates that he can tell what a material item is without touching it. Randomly, 3 purse items are picked from the audience and The Mentalist can tell exactly what they are, personal items as bizarre as guitar picks or travel bibles. His method for this is of a basic principal- the whole audience if focused on the item, feeding him the information he needs. Go ahead and try to be a skeptic now.

“Now, where there’s a door, passage through can go in more than one direction. This may explain how when random audience members were asked to pick a city (any in the world) or a color (more specifically any kind of weird color combination), Gerry already had their responses in a sealed envelope that remained on stage and untouched throughout the show in plain view. Yes, he was putting the responses he wanted in their heads. You were thinking Sydney, but for some reason said Denver? Well, that’s why.

And truthfully, this is only a small sample of Gerry McCambridge’s maddening display of what most want to deem impossible. Faith in his remarkable, highly tuned abilities lies in simply seeing him perform this earth-stopping trade. Could it just be categorized as plain magic? No, his only magic lies in making people believe in the unbelievable.

• Gerry McCambridge – The Mentalist Picture Gallery
• Gerry McCambridge – The Mentalist Streaming Video Preview
• Gerry McCambridge – The Mentalist Show Tickets

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• Carrot Top Show Tickets or Call 800-696-5721
• Carrot Top Performing At: Luxor Hotel Casino

Carrot Top

By Phil ArnoldDecember 2005

I Can’t Believe I Watched the Whole Show, and I Liked It!

How long has Carrot Top been around and how famous is he? I don’t have a clue about the answer to those questions, and his web site certainly didn’t help me find out information. Carrot Top may be a publicity hound, but what does that have to do with his show? Nothing I guess. I enjoyed watching this show and I was surprised.

Carrot Top does annoying commercials, kind of looks like the Wendy’s girl as he brings up in his show, but he is a unique type of comic. He is what I call a prop comic. I have seen this before in Las Vegas with a comic by the name of Joe Trammel. But Carrot Top is much more accomplished and has about four trunks of props he goes through during a show, maybe more.

There is an old saying, “a joke a minute.” But Carrot Top has a joke more like every ten seconds, and if doesn’t work he makes fun of himself and his audience, which makes him even funnier. There is some pretty silly stuff that he does on stage, and the sheer silliness is funny. He even has stagehands to help him with props, and when the stagehands are seen moving off stage with an obvious visual ploy that doesn’t look like it was supposed to happen, he would make fun of the stagehand moving off stage not supposed to being seen. But he was seen, and Carrot Top pointing it out was funny, and I suspect it happened before once, and they just kept it in the show.

For me this show was supposed to be an easy prelude to the later show in the Luxor Atrium Theater. I had no real desire to see Carrot Top. It was a matter of convenience and a chance to kill some time with a show I have never seen. But I really enjoyed this show to my surprise. The audience also enjoyed this show. Don’t sell Carrot Top short. He has done this type of comedy for quite a while and knows what works with audiences. I laughed and laughed some more.

My favorite jokes involved Las Vegas hotels. One was about the curtains that never quite close allowing a ridiculous amount of light in the room, and causing eyeball sunburn. I understood that joke, as I am always fighting curtains in Las Vegas rooms to shut out all that light that is trying to keep me awake. Ok, I’ll admit it; you had to be there. And then there was him lying on the floor bathed in green light and his joke was this is what it is like sleeping in the MGM Grand when the stupid curtains don’t close. And then he made fun of MGM Grand, and then realized that MGM Grand now owns the Luxor. So this humor is a little disjointed, but it is still funny.

While this may be one of the shortest reviews I’ve ever written, I am giving Carrot Top a strong recommendation. And I would have never guessed I would enjoy his show, yet alone enjoy it as much as I did. I give this show a 9.0 out of a possible 10. While this comedy is different, it is funny. I would say, go see it if you enjoy laughing at some pretty silly stuff. Normally I don’t like silly, but I liked Carrot Top and his six jokes a minute prop comedy.

• Carrot Top Show Tickets or Call 800-696-5721
• Carrot Top Performing At: Luxor Hotel Casino

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• Anthony Cools: The Uncensored Hypnotis Tickets
• Anthony Cools – The Uncensored Hypnotist Performing At: Paris Las Vegas

Anthony Cools – The Uncensored Hypnotist

Reviewed May 7, 2005 By Amy Rayner-Cooley

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be hypnotized? How about in front of a couple hundred people whom you then proceed to entertain for the next hour or so with the “suggestions” given by the hilariously funny Anthony Cools – The Uncensored Hypnotist? Let’s just say I’m glad that “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” My friends and I went to see Cools perform at Paris Las Vegas for “Girls Night Out” and we could not have asked for a better show to see. It was so funny and my friends laughed so hysterically, they cried. I wasn’t quite as privy to this hilarity at the time, because I was elected in my group to be one of the volunteers and was therefore part of the entertainment.

The show started off with a disclaimer announcing all of the four (and more) letter words that would be used during the show, and to get out if you didn’t like to hear them. Anthony Cools isn’t known as The Uncensored Hypnotist for nothing. Cools’ raw, razor-sharp adult comedy will leave you laughing the rest of the night. Click to read the complete review …

After a few opening jokes, Cools asked for volunteers from the audience to be the stars of the show. On the night of my visit, there were so many volunteers that several had to return to their seats. After getting everyone settled onstage and giving an introduction to hypnosis and what was going to happen, the audience was then asked to be silent while Cools performed the hypnotism.

Once hypnotized, we were given a variety of suggestions. These could be anything ranging from playing imaginary instruments to smelling certain odors to auditioning for an adult film. (The show is R-rated, but there is no nudity. Guests must be 18 years old to attend.)

Audience participation plays a large part in the show, causing it to take on a life of its own, which creates a unique experience every night. Cools also changes up his material every night making this a great show to see over and over because you never know what is going to happen.

Once the show was over, all my friends could do was laugh and tell me how funny I had been. We weren’t even out the door of the showroom and we were discussing who we wanted to bring back to have hypnotized. They were then kind enough to purchase a DVD copy of the show for me ($45 for DVD or $30 for VHS) so we could show our husbands how funny it was (and what they missed out on!) The price may seem a little steep for copies of the show, but they are worth it! It is a five camera shoot and the copies are available within a few minutes of the end of the show. I’ve watched it back twice already and I’m still laughing!

Anthony Cools has performed to sold-out audiences for more than 11 years and performs nightly at Paris Las Vegas inside Le Anthony Cools Experience. If you are looking for a fun show and are into risqué humor, this show is a must see!

• Anthony Cools: The Uncensored Hypnotis Tickets
• Anthony Cools – The Uncensored Hypnotist Performing At: Paris Las Vegas

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• Rich Little Show Tickets: Rich Little plays The Orleans Hotel Casino periodically. Call 702-365-7075 for latest dates.

Rich Little

Reviewed August, 2005 by Nancy Hruska

“George Burns” started off the show at The Orleans Showroom recently, cracking a joke about the well-known impressionist Rich Little. “When I die, they’ll have to bury Rich instead.” A native Canadian, Rich Little has been getting under the skin of and “becoming” celebrities and political figures alike for the last 40 years. Some of his impersonated victims include heavy weight celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone, Jack Nicholson, Arnold Schwarzeneger, and Clint Eastwood. But a lot of his voice and mannerism material comes from Baby Boomer friendly figures such as Dr. Ruth, the infamous Frank Sinatra, and even Kermit the Frog to name only a few of his 200 voice collection. Oh, and every U.S. President since Kennedy were certainly not spared by the “Master of Mimic.”

Rich jumped right into song, “One’s a crowd” which is the name of his show at The Orleans. The audience quickly learns why he opted for this title as Rich takes them through the times with a dynamic crowd including: Neil Diamond, Anthony Newly, Tom Jones, and Willy Nelson (Willy cleverly pegged with the tune “On The Booze Again.”).

Andy Rooney showed up later in the showroom complete with shaking finger, critical smirk, and shrewd voice- “If a vacuum cleaner sucked, would that be a good thing? Did you ever think about that?” Rich not only sounded like him, he became him and the audience was immediately brought back to an outlandish (perhaps annoying) episode of 60 Minutes.

Paul Lynd of Hollywood Squares and Alan Ladd (Rich’s childhood hero) are a few of which Rich spares no humility for during his show. However, what gets the crowd really roaring, is the infamous late-night Hollywood figure no demographic can deny knowing …Johnny Carson. How did Rich master Johnny’s mannerisms? “At the zoo …the Ostrich” (Carson’s famous Carnac The Magnificent bit). Rich continued on with a high bent knee walk and stretched neck Johnny, complete with backward envelope jokes for his bit.

Those in the audience familiar with Rich Little were more than likely waiting for a specific political number …The Presidents. Rich remarks, “All the big jokes are in Washington, but I brought them here tonight.” Reagan, Carter, Nixon, Clinton, and both Bush’s were shown no mercy for their side splitting character beating. None, however, were as rough as Rich’s supposed preparation to get into George W. Bush’s character. “Hold on,” he tells the audience. “I have to empty my mind.”

Frank Sinatra, a person which took Rich 7 years to master, started off the finale song. He was quickly interrupted by Dean Martin (both sober and drunk), Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, and other legends all singing in their renowned pitch and style. Rich Little voice capacity is as large as his collection of impersonations. From sex therapists to musicians to political figures to Hollywood stars, Rich does not discriminate regarding whose character to master. Anyone is liable to join Rich’s notorious “Crowd.”

• Rich Little Show Tickets: Rich Little plays The Orleans Hotel Casino periodically. Call 702-365-7075 for latest dates.

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