Friday, Sept. 24, 2004 | 8:57 a.m.
Since being evicted from the showroom at the Aladdin by a former producer of the show earlier this year, "Ovation" has found a new home downtown at Lady Luck.
When the revue premiered in November at the casino on the Strip it was co-produced by David Saxe (who was also producing "V ... The Ultimate Variety Show" at The Venetian) and John Stuart (who was also producing "Legends in Concert" at the Imperial Palace).
After a few months at the Aladdin's Ovation Theatre, things became a little complicated.
Stuart (who no longer produces "Legends") bought out Saxe's interest and continued the show at the venue on the Strip while Saxe concentrated on his production at The Venetian and on productions at other locations.
Then The Venetian announced it was closing its showroom for remodeling to make way for another production ("Phantom of the Opera").
Faced with his own eviction, Saxe bought the Ovation Theatre in May, sent Stuart and "Ovation" packing and replaced it with "V ..."
Fortunately, the new owners of Lady Luck were looking for a solid show to bring to their downtown location. Partners Keith Grossman and Bob O'Neil had seen "Ovation," liked what they saw and invited Stuart to camp out in their tent -- the showroom at the casino is in fact a large tent.
Whether "Ovation" is a strong enough show to lure fans downtown remains to be seen, but at least Grossman and O'Neil are willing to make the effort to bring quality entertainment to a historic part of Vegas that had been an entertainment desert until just a couple of years ago.
Since new owners have taken over several of the downtown casinos, among them the Golden Nugget, the Plaza and Lady Luck, there is a concerted effort to improve the image of the area and to bring in some real entertainment, not just amateurish productions that view downtown as a last resort.
"Ovation" had a decent run at the Aladdin. It's certainly good enough for the Strip. But again, is it dynamic enough to draw crowds downtown or is it going to have to rely on customers who are already in the area?
As an incentive, discounts are offered. But in the end, the production will rise or fall on its own merits.
There are a lot of good things about "Ovation." It has a few weaknesses, but it is still fun -- especially if you were a fan of Ed Sullivan and his array of acrobats, contortionists, plate twirlers and other entertainers with unusual talents.
The premise of the show, which is the same as that of "V ...," is a cast of specialty acts -- performers who would normally appear for five or 10 minutes in a larger production to allow for costume or set changes.
Siegfried & Roy were once a specialty act.
Stuart has brought most of the acts with him from the Aladdin to Lady Luck. A couple of good ones, including Mark Kornhauser, are no longer with the show.
Kornhauser, who also hosted the show when it was on the Strip, is a comedian with an incredible memory act -- remembering the zip codes of a dozen or more audience members.
He has been replaced by veteran comic-magician Fielding West, a Vegas fixture for more than 20 years. He has appeared in such productions as "Hocus Pocus: It's Fielding West," which was also at Lady Luck.
West can be hilarious and is an engaging emcee.
Among the better performers who made the trek downtown include sleight-of-hand artist Jason Byrne, the aerial team of Cess & Caty, the balancing act of Tino Ferreira and puppeteer Christopher.
Christopher is always hilarious with his four life-sized Village People dummies that are attached to him by two poles on either side. They mimic his every move as he dances to "YMCA" and other songs by the group.
Byrne is a delight to watch as he produces yellow doves from scarfs, clay and other objects.
Ferreira provides the most exciting moment as he balances upon a stack of cylinders measuring more than 6 feet high.
Cess & Caty are sheer physical poetry as they hold onto a strap that takes them into the air and they perform their aerial dance routine high above the audience.
The other acts are not as interesting.
The New Dynasty Chinese acrobats are a low-budget Cirque du Soleil-style act, jumping through hoops and climbing poles upside down, backward and every other way imaginable. Their feats require a lot of physical strength and agility, but it isn't particularly exciting.
The "Balloon Man" is a one-joke routine -- he blows up a giant balloon, about 5 feet in diameter, and climbs into it. The bit is peculiar and good for a chuckle, but not the highlight of the evening.
But the beauty of "Ovation" is that acts are interchangeable. Some will be with the production for a long time, some won't.
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