Comedian Wallace lends hand to big, small

Correction: After Mike Weatherford's column was printed for today's Living section, comedian George Wallace changed his participation in Danny Gans' Partee Fore Kids benefit from today's concert to Monday's after-tournament luncheon, so he could attend the Los Angeles premiere of his friend Jerry Seinfeld's "Bee Movie." (The Sunday Living section is printed earlier than other sections of the newspaper.)

Wallace's publicist, Laura Herlovich, said the Gans organizers originally offered him the choice between today or Monday, and he initially picked Sunday without realizing the scheduling conflict.

Just like the paid gigs, Las Vegas has both the prestige benefits and the not-so-glamorous ones. For both, the lesser ones may better test an entertainer's character.

Earlier this month, comedian George Wallace was the rare Las Vegas headliner to perform at Andre Agassi's Grand Slam for Children. The arena concert raised $9.1 million.

Wallace walked the red carpet before the show and later received a hero's welcome from the likes of pop star Rob Thomas when he walked into the after-party.

Today, Wallace plans to perform at an afternoon benefit for a downtown halfway house, one that needs to raise $20,000 by December to stay open.

Don't look for any red carpet, unless it's in the adjacent movie theater lobby.

Wallace also took part in Steve Harvey's recent Hoodie Awards at the Orleans Arena. Few show business secrets remain in pop culture, and any "Entertainment Tonight" viewer knows about the gift bags stars receive for high-profile events or awards shows.

"They give us so many gifts it was crazy. So much stuff in there," Wallace says of Harvey's event. "You walk out of there with $15,000 or $20,000 worth of gifts."

Today, Wallace says with a laugh, "I'll get a McDonald's certificate and I have to give it back to them."

In other words, one benefit's gift bag would meet another benefit's goal. That is, if a climate-controlled dog carrier (from the Agassi concert) or $5,000 in dental work (from Harvey's awards) could be translated into hard cash.

The 2 p.m. benefit at Boulder Station carries a $40 ticket and a 500-person capacity, says organizer Doug Starks. "If we fill it, we make it," he says of the $20,000 goal.

Starks is a comedian and former Sammy Davis Jr. tribute performer who has known Wallace for at least 15 years. Benefits large and small depend on relationships. Wallace's age-old friendship with Jerry Seinfeld probably explained his invitation to the Agassi event, just as Starks tapped his connections to recruit Wallace, actor-comedian Gerry Bednob and Marsha Warfield, best-known from "Night Court."

"You got to help the low man and the big man," Wallace says. "That's why I have to do it. Some of the smaller charities don't have the know-how (or) the star power."

On Oct. 20, Wallace made both an NAACP banquet and the Hoodie Awards before doing his regular show. Today, he goes from the Samaritan House benefit to the Mirage, where he will be part of the Danny Gans Partee Fore Kids with Gans, Lance Burton, Louie Anderson and Kenny Rankin.

Sometimes, the prestige benefits and the lesser ones are even on the same day. So that test of character? Maybe it lies in the ability to ignore the difference.

Mike Weatherford's entertainment column appears Thursdays and Sundays. Contact him at 383-0288 or e-mail him at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com.