Columnist Joe Delaney: Many talents leave impressions on showrooms

Joe Delaney

Friday, Dec. 22, 2000 | 10:01 a.m.

Joe Delaney's columns appear on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at 259-4066 or joe@lasvegassun.com

Impressionist Danny Gans (Mirage) has done for his fellow impressionists what Siegfried & Roy did originally for other practitioners of the illusionary arts, made it a viable Las Vegas entertainment attraction ... Gans was preceded as a headliner here by Rich Little, who starred successfully in major hotel showrooms from the mid-1970s well into the 1990s.

In this year of the extended presidential election, Little, whose forte was his presidential press conferences, has been conspicuous by his absence here ... Little, in turn, was preceded in the late 1960s by Frank Gorshin, a perfectionist, whose main area was screen stars.

In the post World-War II period, most of the comedians included impressions as part of their act ... Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Cagney, Cary Grant and Edward G. Robinson were the usual voices along with Lionel Barrymore, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula.

A little history

Early comedians such as Guy Marks and Jackie Miles added variations ... Miles would capture the essence of certain male movie actors using vowel sounds, or proved that certain basic phrases used such as "Judy, Judy" were never actually uttered by Cary Grant ... Marks would combine Bogart, Robert Mitchum and Karloff as an American Indian chief in a skit and would occasionally duplicate a Metropolitan Opera radiocast or become an ostrich or a horse.

The late Sammy Davis Jr. was uncanny in capturing voices and would sing a popular song using a different voice every four bars ... Shecky Greene was famous for capturing early greats such as Joe E. Lewis, Al Jolson and Sophie Tucker, or sing an aria from "Madame Butterfly."

There was a proliferation of Jolson impressionists in the 1940s and 1950s after the success of the film, "The Jolson Story," just as there are a plethora of would-be Elvis Presleys today.

And presently

Gans is still the hottest ticket among impressionists in Las Vegas today, and Bill Acosta is now ensconced in the 10 p.m. spot in the Flamingo Las Vegas showroom, and Andre-Philippe Gagnon is at the Venetian ... Don Rickles, scheduled for New Year's Eve weekend (Paris Las Vegas), throws in a little bit of Tony Bennett and Dean Martin along with a full-fledged serious tribute to Jimmy Cagney as George M. Cohan.

Robbie Howard and the Walkers are in "Stars of the Strip" (Lady Luck), an impressionist show, as are "Legends In Concert" (Imperial Palace), "American Superstars" (Stratosphere) and the excellent, newly-arrived "Legends of Comedy" at the New Frontier.

"A Really Big Shew," reviewed below, is really an impressionist show, with Jerry Hoban as Ed Sullivan introducing variety acts and other impressionists as stars who have appeared on the original CBS show, which was top-rated from 1948 until 1971.

Weekend wrap-up

Nevada Ballet Theatre's "The Nutcracker" continues through Tuesday in UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre ... Enjoy the Christmas exhibit at Opportunity Village ... Catch Tony and Darlene Sacca's annual star-filled "Merry Christmas Las Vegas" on TV Christmas Eve (check for times) ... Friday special: "Fiesta Navidad," a Mariachi Christmas celebration, 8 this evening, UNLV's Ham Hall.

Enjoy this holiday weekend, whatever you observe. Take a moment to reflect on its true meaning ... Try to carry the spirit through until this time next year ... If we all did, it would be a much better world ... See you next Thursday.