Downtown Las Vegas comedy show plans early COVID-19 return
From its inception, “The Hilarious 7” comedy show has been something of an experiment: seven comics performing 10 minutes apiece, in a tidy 70-minute format.
The production is again testing its concept, planning to return — live — at 7 p.m. May 28 at Notoriety. The entertainment complex is on the top floor of Neonopolis on the corner of Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard.
The series, hosted by John Hilder, continues May 29-30, then is slotted for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. More shows will be added if demand ramps up (tickets are $34.95 on the ticketkite.com site, $15 if you use the “getout” promo code).
If these performances come off as scheduled, “Hilarious 7,” late of the Night Owl Showroom at Oyo, would be — at this writing — the first ticketed show in the city to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The effort is conditional on Gov. Steve Sisolak’s phase-in directives for large gatherings, but the room’s modifications follow the same provisions assigned to restaurants across the state.
Venue operator Ken Henderson of Best Agency and Pete Housley of Admit VIP, who runs the venue’s ticket operations, have prepped the room dubbed the Robin Leach Lounge accordingly:
Capacity will be knocked down from 320 to 100. Temperatures are to be checked at the door. Hand sanitizers are placed at the entrance. Tables will be moved 6 feet away from each other. Groups of up to eight will be permitted to sit together. Bar seating will be at the 6-foot distance, with table service for those seated. The staff will be required to wear face covers. Guests are also encouraged to do so. Masks will be available for purchase at the merch counter.
Henderson is also attempting to bring in the four-member Every Woman Band rock outfit to perform after “Hilarious 7.”
“We’re waiting to get a specific protocol, and we’ll be ready,” he says. “If it all works out, it could be a very cool evening.”
Turner the burner
Earl Turner kills it in person. He catches your attention online, too. Turner is heading up a lineup of vintage-era Vegas entertainers in the “Heart and Soul” virtual concert. The show is benefiting the nonprofit youth artistic company Broadway in the Hood of Las Vegas and streams from 5-8 p.m. May 23 on Turner’s Earl Turner Show Facebook page and the @broadwayinthehood Instagram page.
Turner has secured entertainment legend Ben Vereen for the livestream. He’s also signed up such “pioneer performers” as Clint Holmes, Kelly Clinton-Holmes, Frankie Scinta, Antonio Fargas, Mac King, George Wallace, Lance Burton, Bubba Knight, Lani Misalucha, Tony Davich, Sonny Charles, Jerry Lopez and Jonathan Potenciano of JAMM. More to be disclosed, but this is already a monster lineup.
Um, ‘Wow?’
Among the first shows to open overseas is Hanoch Rosenn’s “Wow Vegas” at Isrotel Theatre in Eilat, Israel. That resort reopens May 28, with the theater to follow in June.
The venue will run at 30 percent capacity and could be a model for how similarly scaled shows in Vegas can perform.
Rosenn produces “Wow” at the Rio and the new “Extravaganza” at Bally’s. The latter had just opened for previews the weekend before the state’s shutdown was announced March 17.
Virtual Cool Hang Alert
Members of Matt Goss’ backing band at The Mirage are performing a side gig on Facebook Live at 1 p.m. Thursday. Gossy mainstays Queen Aries, Jason Langley, Greg “Suave” Brown, Brian Bissell and Mike Gonzales are playing for donations until about 5 p.m.
Find the show, and where to support, on the Facebook pages of Langley, Brown and Aries. As we say, it’s all about the hang, even online …
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats! podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
