‘The Dirty Joke Show,”The King Lives — Pete Wilcox’s Tribute to Elvis’

Like the drinkeries that paved the way for it, Hooters Hotel believes in honest labels for its entertainment.

"The Dirty Joke Show" doesn't leave much to explain, though the title only hints at a novel, almost theatrical concept: three comedians hanging out in the alley behind a comedy club, firing off the promised goods.

And Pete Willcox, star of "The King Lives," puts his modest vehicle into perspective with a joke about Cirque du Soleil's new "Viva Elvis" spectacle: "They've got 47 dancers and 15 musicians and no Elvis."

The 67-year-old Willcox still has rival Elvi on the Strip, but he's more available. His small lounge tribute is booked five nights a week in the Night Owl room, while Trent Carlini only works the Las Vegas Hilton on Mondays, and the "Legends in Concert" Elvis must time-share the stage with other impersonators.

"The Dirty Joke Show" competes with many a stand-up club, but it's really something new and different. For starters, it puts three comics onstage together, instead of in separate sets. The oddly named Geechy Guy, who conceived and directed it, co-stars with Hooters' resident comedian Todd Paul and a third comic, usually Mickey Joseph. (Today it's Rob Sherwood, with Nancy Ryan taking over Saturday and Sunday and Joseph back on Monday.)

When Paul took Guy's concept to management, Hooters agreed to "Dirty Joke" as a late show and outfitted an upstairs banquet room to host it along with Paul's solo showcase.

The opening comes off as casual banter, yet skillfully reminds us modern stand-up has evolved into a more personal forum. Professional comedians usually consider it a cheat to use what Paul calls "a street joke," beyond the occasional "Here's one you can take home with you ...."

Guy, Paul and (at this show) John Bizarre come through a "Stage Door" to pull up some beer kegs and milk crates on the alley set, and you will need a good memory to take home 200 or more jokes they throw to crack each other up.

Only a handful would be printable, but there are lesbian jokes, Italian jokes, pope jokes, penguin jokes, elephant jokes, fly jokes, snail jokes, and, of course, a Tiger joke (amazingly, not until 50 minutes into the show). At one point Guy rings up 13 "A guy goes to a doctor ..." gags in a row.

Guy has a home-court advantage. A lanky dude who sounds a lot like late voice actor Lorenzo Music (Carlton the doorman on "Rhoda" and the TV animated "Garfield"), he calls his own stand-up "middle school": new one-liners delivered in vintage style. It's Paul who grounds the premise, believably playing the offstage comedian and proving the adage "acting is reacting."

It's still a work in progress, with challenges yet to solve. The boys could get up and move around more, and they need more of a structural arc to pace and spell the audience. So far, the barrage of jokes is broken up only by a bit of Paul's juggling and a song parody.

But the flexible format already has attracted drop-in guests. It's ambitious enough to create a hip, off-Broadway atmosphere and casual enough to draw other comics as a late-night hang. An admirable balance, one anyone bored with the usual stuff should find appealing.

Ironically, "The Dirty Joke Show" is more theatrical than "The King Lives," which I would call a "set" more than a "show." Nothing wrong with that, as long as everyone understands going in. It's a shame the business model has so shifted that quality lounge acts have to charge a ticket, even a modest one. (Both shows are bargain tickets to begin with, further discounted with in-house promotions.)

The narrow stage squeezes Willcox so tightly amid his four-piece band and two singers that he barely has room to throw any Elvis moves. Not that he wears the jumpsuit anyway. The suggested premise, not clearly articulated, is that if Elvis had lived long enough, he would have traded the iconic outfit for a sequined red blazer.

In Willcox's vision, age-appropriate Elvis also would be covering Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis" and Garth Brooks' "If Tomorrow Never Comes," and having fun mixing "All Shook Up" and "Don't Be Cruel" into a hip-hop shuffle.

These pleasant surprises fall amid the standard fare. Willcox sings all of it well, and his comic banter quickly puts the crowd on his side. He says he wants to go further and add other celebrity impressions. Why not? Sammy Davis Jr. did impressions, and now everyone imitates Sammy. Elvis is kind of entitled.

And if Willcox wanted to go tell a few dirty jokes afterward, I'm sure he'd be welcome upstairs.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.