V Is Satisfying Variety Show, Not Ultimate

The variety revue has been a staple in Las Vegas since the first neon lights began twinkling decades ago.

Usually, you would find miscellaneous acts such as jugglers, magicians and maybe a trained dog or two in between the main event, whether that be a singer or a dozen showgirls. Today, Cirque du Spectacles rule the Strip, so what is a good comic juggler or magician without a white tiger to do?

Inquire with the good folks at "V: The Ultimate Variety Show," which takes the best of these variety acts and puts them into one tidy package.

I enjoyed the show the first time I saw it at the Venetian so I decided a revisit was in order in June 2005, as the show has taken up residence in a new theater at the Desert Passage Mall at the Aladdin (soon to be Planet Hollywood) and have revamped the show.

Just as before, the emcee for the evening, Jeff Hobson, embraced one of the variety act staples: the funny magician. He channels Paul Lynde with a healthy dose of Jack from "Will & Grace" thrown in for good measure, and I probably should have been offended, but he was pretty funny and his magic bits were terrific, eschewing grandeur and hydraulics for the kind of up-close slight-of-hand that leaves everyone scratching their heads.

He took on the introducing duties, bringing out acts that ran the variety gamut. Although the acts change regularly, it's a fair bet to say that what I saw will be a representation of what will be there if you decide to see the show. In fact, a couple of the acts were the same as when I attended the first time.

There was a drummer suspended by wires on the wall, a really good juggler, a Russian hand balancing/strength act, an aerial act that sent two performers flying out over the audience, an illusionist, and an impersonator/performance artist. All of them were quite entertaining, except for perhaps the impersonator, who was just odd.

On their own, these acts amount to nothing more than pleasant diversions -- entertaining in their own way but not something you'd go out of your way to see. Put them together in one big package, though, and the overall effect is satisfying, if not particularly groundbreaking.

Then again, maybe turning the spotlight on these overlooked variety style acts is groundbreaking enough. It certainly is entertaining.

The one downside of this updated production of "V" is the new theater. Originally designed as a nightclub/restaurant (it was Sevilla, where Charo performed for a while), the room is not the optimum setting for seeing a show. The flat floor is packed with banquet-style chairs and small tables, leaving little room for anything even remotely resembling personal space. The sightlines, both over the head of the person sitting in front of you and around the support pillars, are terrible.

The show deserves better.

Vegas4Visitors Grade: B

V: The Ultimate Variety Show
The Desert Passage Mall
3663 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
(702) 892-7790
VTheShow.com
Shows: Nightly at 7:30 and 9 p.m.
Tickets: $65

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