Columnist Joe Delaney: Comedy greats should have Las Vegas homes

Joe Delaney

Friday, Oct. 13, 2000 | 10:42 a.m.

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

Well into our 34th year as the Sun's entertainment columnist and critic, we thought it would be interesting to share a few observations with you ... Shecky Greene made us laugh longer and harder than anyone we have ever witnessed anywhere in more than 65 years of show-going ... Buddy Hackett, in a much different manner, ranks right there with Greene.

Greene is the quintessential clown; by the time he finished a performance, he looked like an unmade bed ... He was tonight's news made hilarious ... His non-act act might be a continuation of that day's personal happenings ... He had few peers as an impressionist.

Hackett is a conversational comedian; he seldom raises his voice except to squelch a heckler ... Hackett was graphic but never offensive ... His credo: "If it's funny, it ain't dirty and if it's dirty, it ain't funny" ... Each always earned their full quota of laughs per show and more.

Anent Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby is as free-form in his approach as either Greene or Hackett ... Cos actually conducts comedic seminars, usually built around universal family matters ... He could make a session in a dentist's chair into 20 minutes of nonstop laughs, so real that some in the audience sat there with their mouths open as if in the chair, trying to communicate.

Alan King makes anger very funny as he battles with airlines, insurance companies, doctors, lawyers, corporations and other "enemies" of the little man ... King is Everyman, an American Tevye ... At Caesars Palace, he would perform with top female performers with well-conceived finales ... King has lost none of his fire. His sense of humor remains intact.

One of Cosby's talents is the ability to do "Where're you from?" with the audience and never miss a laugh ... Pete Barbutti, now at the Plaza in "Hot Trix," is Cosby's equal in this area.

In conclusion

If Las Vegas still had entertainment directors rather than talent submitters, subject to marketing experts and other nonentertainment types, there would be a venue for the Greenes, Hacketts, Cosbys and Kings ... Certainly we have quite a few showrooms sitting idle these nights ... We would also like to see combinations: Don Rickles and Bob Newhart; or three-star shows similar to Joan Rivers, the Smothers Brothers and Jim Stafford, formerly at Caesars Palace.

Weekend wrap-up

Mario and Daniel, two very funny fellows, still appear occasionally in the Tropicana's "Folies Bergere" star spot, but their main concentration is a new TV sitcom, in Spanish, on Telemundo nationally at 8:30 p.m. starting this Sunday (Channel 39) ... For the past three years they have been touring with Kenny Rogers, in addition to their Tropicana appearances.

Marv Koral's All-Stars, featuring trombone legend Carl Fontana, will be at Houlihan's on North Rainbow and Lake Mead Boulevards this Saturday from 8-11 p.m. ... They should be there every Saturday night.

Reminder for classical fans: The Nevada Ballet Theatre has its season opener, through Sunday, in UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre, and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra opens the 2000-2001 season for the prestigious UNLV Charles Vanda Master Series at 8 p.m. Saturday in Artemus Ham Hall ... Support local events and there will be more and even better choices.

P.S.: The Old Timer's Dinner, formerly the "30-30" Dinner, is Oct. 22 in the Stardust convention area ... Contact Ken Johann Realty at 382-6336 for tickets ... See you next Thursday.