Columnist Joe Delaney: Risk-taking rewards a bevy of comics in LV

Joe Delaney

Friday, July 21, 2000 | 8:55 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at joe@ lasvegassun.com and 259-4066.

Howie Mandel, in residence at Caesars Palace in the Circus Maximus through Sunday, was working as a salesman in Canada when he and some friends, on a business trip in Los Angeles, decided to catch the action in Mitzi Shore's Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip ... It happened to be "Open Mike Night," and his friends dared Mandel to get up and perform.

Luck was with him ... A television producer in the audience was impressed and helped him land a spot on a comedy game show, "Make Me Laugh" ... More Comedy Store exposure led to a tour opening for Diana Ross and, later, his role as Dr. Wayne Fiscus on TV's "St. Elsewhere."

Mandel has had 10 successful HBO specials to date in addition to creating an animated children's show, "Bobby's World," plus hosting "The Howie Mandel Show," a TV talk program ... All of this because his friends dared him to try out that night in 1979.

Others who dared

Rita Rudner, playing to capacity crowds five nights a week in the newly named MGM Grand Cabaret Theatre, left her native Florida for New York City to pursue a career as a dancer ... One night a group of friends dared her to perform at an amateur night in Manhattan's "Catch A Rising Star" ... This has led to a multileveled career as an author, playwright, actress and stand-up comedian.

Louise DuArt, one of the finest female impressionists in the business, is another L.A. Comedy Store "Open Mike" walk-on who has created a comedic career for herself ... DuArt opens July 28 at the LV Hilton in support of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, who are "Together Again."

Louie Anderson, a main showroom headliner here for years, was a stress counselor in Minnesota who, on a dare, went on stage at a small comedy club and never had to go back to his day job.

Still another trend

Siegfried & Roy's phenomenal LV success story opened the door in Las Vegas to all the practitioners of the magical arts who have followed ... Danny Gans seems to have performed a similar service for various impressionists ... Performer duplicators are finding receptive audiences in Las Vegas, at the Lady Luck downtown and hotels on the Strip.

Justin Tranz's "Hip-nosis: Playin' With Your Head" has caught on with shows at O'Sheas, Tuesdays through Saturdays, plus midnight shows at the Flamingo Las Vegas on Fridays and Saturdays ... Now there's Vandersaal at Boomer's on Friday and Saturday nights, plus Dr. Naughty, an "X-rated" hypnotist, nightly (Bourbon Street).

Could this be the start of another trend ... We hope not, although it does fit in with the current vogue of watching fellow human beings in dire circumstances, a la "Survivor" on television.

And a renaissance

Ricky Martin's return to the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Saturday at 8 p.m., the emergence of Marc Anthony, the continued success of Julio Iglesias, the acceptance of his son, Enrique, who opens the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts on Aug. 19, plus heavy LV crowd counts for Juan Gabriel and Vicente Fernandez, indicates a revival here of Latin music -- Spanish, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican and the Americas.

For the real thing, we recommend the Four Kings of Rhythm & Blues, currently at the MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre ... See you next Thursday.