CPAC
rustles up variety for tribute to Ed Sullivan
show
Tribute: Diverse entertainmentwas abundant
for the variety show done in tribute to
Ed Sullivan and his late-night show.
By
Kristen Force
On-line Forty-Niner
“The
Big Shew” was a big hit Sunday at the Carpenter
Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long
Beach.
Based on “The Ed Sullivan Show” of the 50s
and 60s, the show provided a variety of
acts from the top performers of that era.
Las Vegas performer Jerry Hoban played Ed
Sullivan, introducing each performer with
comic monologues and a hunched over, twitchy
stance.
The show opened with a routine from the
Villams, a husband and wife team from Budapest
specializing in plate-spinning and juggling.
Their talent was impressive, but the question
must be asked: Why would someone spend so
much time learning to spin plates on metal
poles? The entertainment value ran out after
the first few minutes.
Gailyn Addis followed as a convincing Marilyn
Monroe, singing “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best
Friend” and flirting with the men in the
audience. She did a good job working with
a tough crowd, composed mostly of people
old enough to remember the original Ed Sullivan
show and the real Marilyn Monroe.
Scot Bruce as a young Elvis Presley was
believable and had a very accurate voice.
Pelvic thrusts and leg gyrations left no
doubt “Elvis the Pelvis” was present. Bruce
must be given credit for getting the audience
involved in the show by standing up to clap
and sing along. With a little encouragement,
the people in attendance were enthusiastic
and willing to participate.
Comic and magician Ed Alonzo played the
“Misfit of Magic,” placing more emphasis
on the comedy than the magic. He was funny
but bordered on obnoxious when he asked
a woman if her hair was really Velcro. The
magic would have been good if it had not
seemed like an afterthought to the skit.
The Beatles tribute band, “The Fab Four”
closed the show with a fun, upbeat set of
songs originally featured on “The Ed Sullivan
Show” such as “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
and “Eight Days a Week.” The band was remarkably
close to the real fabs, with a left-handed
Paul McCartney and historically accurate
1964 Beatles suits.
The show did not stick to one time period,
with some jokes from the 50s and some from
the 90s. Sometimes the performers were pretending
to really be in the original show and sometimes
they were admitting to be impersonators.
Consistency would have made the jokes more
understandable.
The event was entertaining and could be
best appreciated by people who remember
when “The Ed Sullivan Show” was the most
popular variety show on television.
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