Columnist Joe Delaney: Laughter still proving to be the best medicine

Joe Delaney

Thursday, April 18, 2002 | 8:35 a.m.

Many books have been written about the power of laughter as a palliative, a relief from pressure and pain, and sometimes for its curative effect ... Through the centuries, oppressed people used humor to alleviate their situations ... It should also be noted that those who make us laugh also live longer and enjoy life more.

George Burns made it to age 100 ... If it were not for a fall that forced him to cancel his Caesars Palace commitment, Burns might still be with us ... Bob Hope is still with us at age 98 ... Milton Berle took his final Friars Club bows a few weeks ago at 93 ... Jack Benny was 80 and Red Skelton, 84, when they left us in 1974 and 1997, respectively.

The great ventriloquist Senor Wences spent his 100th birthday in Las Vegas, performed until he was 101, lived in a New York second-floor, walk-up apartment, and made those steps until he put away that box with just a wooden head in it that answered "All right" when Wences asked him, "All right?" ... His protege, Michele LaFong, appears nightly at Bourbon Street.

Five Las Vegas comedic headliners -- Shecky Greene, Buddy Hackett, Alan King, Jerry Lewis and Don Rickles -- have reached or passed the three-quarters of a century mark ... Only Lewis, who has been ailing, and Rickles remain active here ... Lewis seemed sure he will be on hand for the annual "Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon" over the Labor Day weekend.

Recently comedian Max Alexander spoke with our Hotel Entertainment class at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and we dropped him off afterward at a local deli where he was having lunch with Lewis, Lewis' son, Jeff, and longtime associate Joe Stabile ... Lewis was in fine fettle as we had a cream soda and brought each other up to date ... Rickles will appear at the Stardust May 2 through May 5.

Rickles still shows no sign of slowing down, his Stardust commitments continue; he has just signed a two-year deal to appear at Tropicana in Atlantic City and completed a "Dean Martin Roasts" infomercial, which will be aired nationwide ... Phyllis Diller, still very funny and in full command at age 85, will officially retire with her May 5 Suncoast performance.

Sonny King and Blackie Hunt, mainstays at the popular Bootlegger Bistro celebrity sit-ins Fridays and Saturdays, are septuagenarians, while longtime Las Vegas entertainers such as Peter Anthony, Pete Barbutti, Freddie Bell, Carme, Babe Pier and Cork Proctor are still in top form and comfortably past the 60-year milepost. ... Each should be working regularly in Las Vegas.

We also note that Rodney Dangerfield has been an MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre regular at age 80, but has postponed a recent scheduled date and is not listed in the upcoming months ... We wish Dangerfield well and trust he will be back in action soon.

Star-policy rundown

It's Gladys Knight (Flamingo Las Vegas); Tony Orlando, 8 p.m. and Amazing Johnathan, 10 p.m. (Golden Nugget); Mac King, afternoons, Clint Holmes, evenings (Harrah's); Smothers Brothers and Gary Mule Deer, 8 p.m., Doobie Brothers, 10:30 p.m. (LV Hilton); Blue Man Group (Luxor); and Dennis DeYoung, plus Rick Springfield starring in "EFX Alive" (MGM Grand).

There's more: Siegfried & Roy and Danny Gans in separate theaters (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Rita Rudner (New York-New York); The Lettermen (Orleans); Natalie Cole (Paris Las Vegas); Ronn Lucas, afternoons, Scintas, evenings, plus Penn & Teller in the Samba Theatre (Rio); Marlene Ricci (Riviera); and Steve Wyrick (Sahara).

And still more: Wayne Newton (Stardust); Little River Band (Suncoast); Rick Thomas (Tropicana); and Melinda, First Lady of Magic (Venetian) ... Orlando ends his 13-week stand at Golden Nugget Saturday; it was a good run ... It would be nice if Orlando could find a Strip room with all-out support, as Holmes did after he left Golden Nugget.

Those showgoers who like to participate in simultaneous televising of a performance will enjoy Rich Little's "The Presidents," April 25-27 (Paris Las Vegas) ... Little appears as the nine presidents, from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush, with Elaine Bromka as the first ladies, plus a cast of five ... It will be featured as part of the August PBS annual fund-raiser.

One of the finest blues and jazz guitarists, Cheryl Justice, opens in the Lady Luck's Lounge on Saturday for a four-weekend run ... Her group includes Rachel Leslie, former backup singer for Jennifer Lopez, plus Mike Hardin, keyboards, John Morrison, bass guitar and Cathy Trickle, a drummer who has toured with Roy Buchanan and Bo Diddley.

Final weekend for LV Little Theatre's "Foxfire," and for UNLV's "Louder Than Words" in the Black Box Theatre ... Community College of Southern Nevada's production of "Pippin" opens Friday for a two-weekend stand ... Check for times.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra presents "Peter Schickele meets P.D.Q. Bach" at 8 p.m. Friday, UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall ... Also in Ham Hall, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, UNLV's Symphony Orchestra will give a free concert ... Both events are well worth attending ... Please give what you can afford to the Sun Summer Camp Fund ... See you Friday.