"V: The Ultimate Variety Show" is now playing at the "V" theatre inside the Miracle Mile Mall at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. It is a great evening that showcases the talents of some of the best variety acts in town. These are all part of the "A" list of talent that we have in our city. Many of these acts play multiple gigs---doing this show as well as other major production shows on the Strip. I have personally recommended this show to more people than probably any other show in town. It is simply a show that cannot miss. There will be something that everyone can enjoy in this show.

The evening moves very quickly from one entertaining element to another, and the show covers a large assortment of elements: magic, comedy, juggling, and other wonderful surprises. While the show maintains a core of people for the show, some of the acts rotate throughout the week. This allows for a greater variety in the show and offers a different show on different night of the week.

David Saxe first opened this show around ten years ago at the C2K showroom inside the Venetian. It immediately struck me that this was a brilliant (and yet obvious) concept...and why hadn't anyone thought of it before. The form and format has been duplicated and copied many times over at this point, but still, no one does it better. David really does have the best acts in town.

"V: The Ultimate Variety Show" encompasses and embodies the very essence of the term, "entertainment." Having been fortunate enough to see most of the shows in town, I have watched almost every of these acts in prior productions. David has done a good job at selecting the cream of the crop. It was like watching a "greatest hits" variety show. Each of the performers does a good job at overcoming that barrier which separates audience and performer. It is part of the very nature of variety acts--each segment is fairly short, therefore, the performer must bring a high-energy performance that makes a quick connection with the audience. Without that connection, a variety act would more than likely fail. These experienced artists are all masters at seducing the audience, and none of them had problems.

The host of the evening was Wally Eastwood---a lively and spirited emcee, who brought a wonderful atmosphere to the crowd. Wally is also one of the best juggling acts in the city. He has honed his craft from years of experience and knows exactly how to play a crowd. I have seen him perform more times than I can count, and he is still great to see. It was a pleasure to watch him every time he appeared on stage.

Jason Byrnes magic is incredible. The balancing act with Iouri and Nikoli is amazing. Russ Merlin is the best. Joe Trammel has been one of my favorites for the past 14 years. Aerial Expressions is great...It's a good and solid show.

The "V" theatre is an interesting space. Originally built as the food court in the mall, the converted space rates only fair as a theatre. Even after all of the time that it has been designated as a theatre and all the renovations that the space has gone through, the stage and seating still look like temporary set ups. Lighting angles and positions are awkward, and the sound is hit or miss depending on where you are seated. Presentation of the acts, though, worked well because, by their very nature, the acts don't use a lot of space or props and require no sets. Movement from one act to another appeared quick and easy.

"V" is a masterful production that brought the variety act to the forefront. It shows off some of the most talented people we have in our city. It is a show that is brilliant in its simplicity. This production spawned a series of imitators, but none does them as well as "V."

You can only truly appreciate and do justice to these acts by going and seeing them. It is a fun and wonderful evening of entertainment.

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