Ellen Sterling - Page 8

The gathering of extraordinary talent from around the world that is Australia's Adelaide Cabaret Festival has begun. And, through June 25, 44 stunningly talented individuals and groups will entertain and, in many cases, amaze.

Before I came to Las Vegas, I'd group all celebrity impersonators together. Most of them (like Rich Little) did several impersonations while some, like Vaughn Meader, did one person. (Of course, when his subject, JFK, was assassinated, his career was over.) But, whatever the number of people they did, they were copying the individual. But, since I've moved here, I've become quite familiar with another group of entertainers who 'do' their subjects, but are not impersonators. They are, instead, 'tribute artists.'

Think about it: How many times have you seen the title of a show or movie with an exclamation point on the end? There's Oklahoma! Airplane! ¡Three Amigos! Mamma Mia! Hot Shots! Oliver!....and those are only a few. Some of them actually, depending upon your response, may have deserved the exclamation. Most, however, do not. An exception to this general truism is Vegas! The Show.

Not being one given to exaggeration, I can say in all honesty that Earl Turner is the best solo performer in Las Vegas. Well, sort of. Earl is certainly the best, one of the people who earned Las Vegas the name "The City of Entertainment." But, sadly, he's not here often enough these days. Like so many other talented people, the economy has sent him packing, to other cities, on cruises - and Las Vegas-based entertainers are a staple of cruises these days - to anyplace there is work. In his case, that is a pity. Earl Turner is his generation's Sammy Davis, Jr. (Remember, no exaggeration!) He can sing, he dances and is a fine actor, too. While his show doesn't feature the latter, it certainly showcases his singing and dancing. He is also the only man I've ever seen perform And I'm Telling You (from Dreamgirls) and do it as well as Jennifer Holliday did.

In the very best "show must go on" tradition, the performers of Las Vegas' Broadway In The Hood troupe battled mics that didn't work and lighting that didn't always shine to perform The Best of Broadway Las Vegas April 21 at Texas Station Casino.

A Source of Joy Theatricals has gathered a group of 32 very talented, multi-cultural singers and dancers from Las Vegas to perform two very special benefit shows.

This new show really does signal a new day for Celine Dion and her fans and is very likely to bring her more and more devotees. In a word, her new show is gorgeous - gorgeous to watch and gorgeous to hear.

There can be no doubt that Terry Fator first winner of America's Got Talent has indeed 'got talent' in abundance. In fact, on a scale of 1 to 10, his talent ranks an 11. But, though he is talented and eminently pleasant, his show, Ventriloquism in Concert, in the Terry Fator Theater at the Mirage Hotel and Casino would maybe earn a 7.

There were so many celebrities in the Shimmer Cabaret at the Las Vegas Hilton the other night, it was difficult to keep track of them all.

It was something to see. The red carpet was rolled out in front of the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino on Fremnt Street in downtown Las Vegas and the world's biggest celebrities posed for fans and photographers.

In the fall of 2008, both Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil were pilloried by press and fans - fans of both Angel and Cirque - when Criss Angel Believe opened. It was touted as a perfect marriage of styles, Angel's goth, edgy act and Cirque's artsy "reinvent the circus" form. It was a marriage made in hell. Instead of blending into a cohesive, entertaining whole, the elements clashed. But, Cirque promised a retooling and the result is much better and, even, fun.

There are always lots of things you can do for fun in Las Vegas but,starting this week, there are two special things you could do for funny in Las Vegas. That's because Rita Rudner is back with her own show at the Venetian and Bobby Slayton is back for a limited run at Hooters.

When I moved to Las Vegas in 2005 it was widely touted as the city with the fastest growing Jewish population in the country. But, for a Jew from metropolitan New York, it was still quite a culture shock. In New York, everyone seemed to know the basic Yiddish phrases - and Italian phrases, too - and traditional food for holidays was easily available. Still today in Las Vegas, people one might imagine should know better - some in positions or great influence - may still use phrases like "you people" when asking a question of a Jewish person

It is a perfect combination - the ultra-cool of Frank Sinatra's music and put it with the heat of Twyla Tharp's choreography. Add sets, costumes and lighting and you have the show that opened Saturday night at Wynn Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is a unique city. One of - if not the - world's top tourist destinations, it seems a city that has it all - top-notch resorts, outstanding dining, excellent shopping, fabulous entertainment....well, you get the idea. It is a city of superlatives. And, judging by that standard, Domenick Allen fits right in.

Lior Suchard (top left) is a mentalist. I have seen him work his skill - or, perhaps, art - many times, both onstage and for casual audiences. What he does is jaw-droppingly astonishing. I saw new Suchard's show in the Palms in Las Vegas at a press night and, please be assured, there is no more cynical audience than members of the press. One even proved that by implying in print that Suchard set up segments of his act before the show.

It took me more than five years of being in Las Vegas but I finally saw Frank Marino's show. The city's best-known, and longest-running, drag performer is now in Divas Las Vegas at the Imperial Palace. The very special occasion the night I saw it was the celebration of Marino's 25 years as a Las Vegas Strip headliner.

In a very un-churchlike setting - the Las Vegas Hilton's Shimmer Cabaret, another venue where you can watch the show while drinking - Nunsense opened a six-month run, playing Wednesdays through Sundays at 4 pm.

It was a typical Las Vegas summer of entertainment. There were the big arena shows - Lady Gaga, Dylan and Mellencamp among them, the resident shows like Jersey Boys and Phantom (both wonderful), Cirque shows and the stars who have found homes on Las Vegas stages and play here regularly. Among those are Donny and Marie, David Copperfield, Tom Jones….the list is a long one, a good one. Las Vegas is - if you're not looking for a lot of traditional theater or opera (yes, we do have ballet!) - a great place to find entertainment.

Anthony Crivello laughs when he tells the story. In March 2006 he was appearing in the Chicago Shakespeare Theater's production of the Georges Feydeau farce, A Flea In Her Ear directed by Gary Griffin.