Columnist Joe Delaney: The Dice Man is still on a ‘Bad Boy’ roll

Joe Delaney

Friday, Nov. 9, 2001 | 9:45 a.m.

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

Andrew "Dice" Clay, also called the "Bad Boy of Comedy," headlines a special benefit performance Saturday at 8 p.m in the Stardust's Wayne Newton Theater ... Clay and his Bad Boy Comedy Club -- Jim Norton, Bobby Lee and Uncle Joe Diaz -- are donating this show's proceeds to the New York City Police Department's Endowment Association's Widows and Children's Fund.

Andrew Clay Silverstein was born in September 1957 in the tough Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, N.Y. ... He was doing impressions and entertaining his family in the living room at age 5 ... He was a fair drummer in high school and made spending money playing dances and bar mitzvahs as Clay Silvers ... At 21 he first gained notice at Pip's, a tiny comedy club in Brooklyn.

His act at that time consisted of an impression of John Travolta playing Danny Zuko in "Grease" plus a carbon of Jerry Lewis in the original "Nutty Professor" ... Clay is a devout Lewis fan, and the two have had several discussions in the past about doing a film together ... So far, nothing ... He began playing the various Manhattan comedy clubs with moderate success.

In 1980 Clay moved to Los Angeles where he became a regular in Mitzi Shore's Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard ... This led to a number of acting roles in minor films and television appearances ... At the Comedy Store, he was still trying to find the right onstage persona.

Basically, Clay is an actor and a good one, an excellent comedic actor ... His first "Dice" persona was a Jewish kid from Brooklyn acting like an Italian street-corner tough guy, wearing a Fonz-like outfit, his own leather jacket, and still doing bits of his favorite performers such as Elvis Presley, Travolta and Sylvester Stallone, but finally dropping Lewis.

In 1984 Clay was on the first Comedy Store at the Dunes bill, along with Jeff Altman, Louie Anderson, Jim Carrey and Paul Rodriguez ... Knowing the Clay of today, pushing political incorrectness to its outer limits, it's hard to believe that he was sent back to L.A. after the first show opening night because his act was "too bland."

During the mid-1980s he was a regular on the hit TV series "Crime Story," parts of which were filmed in Las Vegas ... In 1989, going beyond the limits set by Redd Foxx, Lenny Bruce, Buddy Hackett, Richard Pryor and those who have followed, Clay caused a sensation at a charity banquet ... This led to his controversial "The Diceman Cometh" special on HBO.

His album "Dice" was certified gold, and in 1989 he sold out the 20,000-seat Madison Square Garden two nights in a row ... In the early 1990s he took time out to get married, settle down and attempt a career as the "Niceman" ... This was short-lived, as were two TV sitcoms, so he went back to his rude, crude and lewd "Diceman" persona and renewed success.

Clay is not for the faint of mind ... Remember, he is an actor playing a part onstage, one that the public has accepted and responded to consistently ... In addition to Saturday's benefit performance with his Bad Boys Comedy Club, Clay returns to the Stardust in concert Monday through Wednesday.

Weekend wrap-up

Reminder about the Cholly Atkins "Class Act" book-signing 1-4 p.m. Saturday at West Las Vegas Arts Center ... Susan Abbott, Ruth Brown and Norma Miller will be joining "Eagle Eye" Shields, Walter Mason and myself for the special program.

Atkins will be awarded an honorary doctorate in the performing arts by Oklahoma City University in February, along with Bunny Briggs, Buster Brown, Henry LeTang, Geni LeGon, Fayard Nicholas of the Nicholas Brothers, Leonard Reed, Jimmy Slyde and Prince Spencer ... Atkins, Briggs, LeTang and Spencer are active Las Vegans.

If you cannot attend, you can still participate (via donations) in the USO fund-raiser Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Mandalay Bay Events Center ... The Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society presents "Let Freedom Ring," a salute to the armed forces, 3 p.m. Sunday (UNLV's Ham Hall) ... See you next Thursday.