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Hometown Headliner
Local Jo Koy has made it big, and now he’s coming back for a weekend of laughs
May 5th, 2011
The 39-year-old comic Jo Koy strives to be relatable, which is why he gets the most satisfaction out of telling personal stories onstage. He tells stories about his mom because everyone has a mom, he says, whether she’s Asian and loves playing Wii, or not. He also considers himself a Las Vegas local. He spent 11 years after high school living here with his family and cutting his teeth doing stand-up. Koy, who recently shot a pilot to turn Handler’s book into a TV show and received one of the few standing ovations on Jay Leno’s The Tonight Show, will bring his comedy back home to Vegas on May 5-7. Read more »
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One-Man Variety Show
The multitalented Donald Glover brings his rhymes and jokes to Vegas
April 28th, 2011
There’s a huge risk/reward swing for performers who step outside their designated profession. Chasing those EGOT (an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) dreams can pay off for Justin Timberlake, when all everyone talks about are scene-stealing turns in Oscar-nominated films. Read more »
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X Marks the Spot
After four years of teasing viewers, this show comes back for another round
April 21st, 2011
The word “burlesque” evokes visions of beautiful women, outlandish satire, an intimate showroom and the art of sensuality. The show X Burlesque takes these classic elements and incorporates them into a high-energy production with a fresh, modern appeal. For four years, this simple combination has held its own in the highly competitive field of titillating Strip revues. And on its fourth anniversary, X Burlesque is signing up for two more. Read more »
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Baring it for a Good Cause
April 21st, 2011
Performers from the sexiest shows on the Las Vegas Strip will be taking it off for charity at midnight April 24 in the second annual Broadway Bares: Las Vegas ($20-$50, Chi Showroom at Planet Hollywood, BroadwayBares.com) Read more »
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Man of Many Voices
With classic impersonations, Gordie Brown has won a contract extension and showroom bragging rights
April 21st, 2011
Watching Gordie Brown perform at the Golden Nugget is a lot like watching TV with your Nana … if your Nana has ADHD and refuses to give up the remote. Brown and his band keep the channel-surfing pace going from start to finish, clicking through impersonations of all the old favorites: Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Jimmy Stewart, Sammy Davis Jr.—you get the picture. Read more »
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Ballet Without the Theater
Beyond Words and Text brings stories to life while allowing fans a peek behind the scenes
April 14th, 2011
As a lover of dance, I’m often left wanting to know more about the creative process behind a great artistic performance. Fortunately, Nevada Ballet Theatre created a learning opportunity by opening its rehearsal space to the public for a series of performances called Beyond Words and Text: The Studio Series. Read more »
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A Clog in the Machine
Insurgo Theater’s tale of female empowerment gets caught in a bad script
April 7th, 2011
Woman is trapped in loveless marriage. Woman feels suffocated by life. Woman goes mad and kills husband. Woman is put on trial. Woman is sentenced to death. It’s a pretty straightforward plot, one that’s inspired by the real-life murder committed by Ruth Snyder in 1927. However, Insurgo Theater’s Machinal makes it all convoluted. Read more »
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A Man, a Voice and a Handful of Felt
With two years under his belt and a new puppet, Terry Fator continues his run at The Mirage
March 31st, 2011
As the second anniversary celebration of Terry Fator: Ventriloquism in Concert reached its midway point on March 18, Terry Fator put down his puppets to sing his original song “Horses in Heaven,” about a young boy with cancer. It was a rare solemn moment in an evening dedicated to straightforward gags involving handheld people made of felt. The America’s Got Talent winner seemed to enjoy the solo spotlight, almost as if he was trying to prove that he was a legitimate singer who didn’t need to rely on plushy partners. Read more »
Stage
Party Like a Gazillionaire
Absinthe’s eccentric ringleader invites you to enjoy a decadent new show
March 24th, 2011
To understand Absinthe, a carnival burlesque production that debuts at Caesars Palace this week, you need to understand its star, The Gazillionaire. Read more »
Stage
Wonderful Wanda
Sykes might be a jack-of-all-stages, but she’s returning to her stand-up roots
March 10th, 2011
Since coming up in the mid-’90s, Wanda Sykes has ranged far and wide. She’s been on TV and in movies, was an Emmy-nominated television writer, a talk-show host, a Crank Yankers puppet and, recently, played Miss Hannigan in a run of Annie. Really, doesn’t everyone want to terrorize Depression-era orphans just once in their career? Yet the constant has always been stand-up. In 2009, she scored an HBO special with I’ma Be Me. After Fox canceled The Wanda Sykes Show last year, the comedian went back on the road with an eye on putting together another hour. She appears March 11-12 at The Mirage’s Terry Fator Theater. Read more »
