| Show Review LARRY G. JONES at Fitzgerald's Hotel & Casino |
While many people want to avoid downtown Las Vegas and some people I’ve met seem to think that ‘any show under $50 must be no
good.’ I found out that show prices in Vegas are not always are reflection of the talent in them, it’s all about marketing. Newsflash: there
IS now a very good reason to go downtown, and some of the best shows in Las Vegas don’t cost a lot of money. When I went to see what
(at the time) was a ‘free’ show, I had no idea I would find a sparkling gem of a great singer-impressionist-comedian hidden in a small
showroom on the 2nd floor of Fitzgerald's Hotel & Casino.
Larry G. Jones, known as ‘the man of 1002 voices’ is a comedy impressionist like no other. He hits the stage like a dynamo and barely
stops singing, dancing around, and twisting his face and body long enough to take a sip of water for the next hour. If you like oldies music
from the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, you’ll simply love this show. But even if you don’t like music, there is such a wide variety of songs,
sketches, and voices presented in such a rapid fire sequence it’s almost impossible to get bored. Even the kids who were there loved it.
There were kids in the audience ranging in age from about six years to fifteen years old who may not have understood that many of the
songs were parodies of the original lyrics, but the kids definitely enjoyed Larry’s physical comedy, jokes, and his ‘rubber faced’
expressions that are so much a part of the characters and voices he portrays.
The comedy is unparalleled and you’ll laugh till it hurts with bits like: Ray Charles has been hanging out with Ricky Martin, six presidents
reciting the Star Spangled Banner, Jimmy Buffet tells you why he doesn’t drink tequila anymore, Bruce Springsteen is constipated,
Johnny Mathis is sweet on a guy in the front row (along with Minnie Ripperton), George Michael gets caught in the men’s room, James
Brown does the splits, Cher gets more plastic surgery and tries on a wig, Michael Jackson is hanging out with his chimpanzee (and his
glove), Julia Childs sings an Italian opera song, Mike Tyson gets ticked at Evander Holyfield, and Ross Perot talks about politics and
earwax.
He did well over 60 voices in the 65 minute show which ranged from the deep dark sounds of a side-splitting parody of Johnny Cash’s
ring of fire to the soulful sounds of Otis Redding, The Platters, The Drifters and the rough grinding voice of Louis Armstrong singing
‘Hello Dolly’. His vocal range of about four octaves allowed him to easily hit the very high notes of The Token’s ‘Lion Sleeps Tonight,’ Leo
Sayer, and a version of the Bee Gees’ ‘How Deep is Your Love’ in which the voices were so accurate you would almost swear he was lip-
syncing. But there’s no lip syncing in this show. It was his three ‘one man’ duets (Nat/Natalie Cole, Willie Nelson/Julio Iglesias, and
Michael McDonald/Patti LaBelle) that made me wonder whether to applaud wildly, laugh, or just sit there in amazement. While every
impressionist and impersonator has their ‘best’ and ‘not as good’ impressions, as a whole, I haven’t seen anyone who can match the
accuracy of the voices like Larry G. Jones.
With all things taken into consideration (such as the less-than-perfect sound and lighting system at the Plaza, the unglamorous
showroom, and the lack of outside marketing) - the fact that despite the odds Larry is talented enough to pull it all off as a ‘one man
show’ and deliver a performance on par with the ‘best in the business.’ It’s easy to say that this show is without a doubt as good or
better than Danny Gans (six-time ‘Entertainer of the Year’ winner and five-time ‘Show of the Year’ winner) who is constantly sold out at
prices of one hundred dollars and up a ticket. Simply put, Larry’s show would be a bargain at any price (it currently costs less than one
fourth Danny Gans’ show) and it’s a fantastic show no one should miss.
good.’ I found out that show prices in Vegas are not always are reflection of the talent in them, it’s all about marketing. Newsflash: there
IS now a very good reason to go downtown, and some of the best shows in Las Vegas don’t cost a lot of money. When I went to see what
(at the time) was a ‘free’ show, I had no idea I would find a sparkling gem of a great singer-impressionist-comedian hidden in a small
showroom on the 2nd floor of Fitzgerald's Hotel & Casino.
Larry G. Jones, known as ‘the man of 1002 voices’ is a comedy impressionist like no other. He hits the stage like a dynamo and barely
stops singing, dancing around, and twisting his face and body long enough to take a sip of water for the next hour. If you like oldies music
from the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, you’ll simply love this show. But even if you don’t like music, there is such a wide variety of songs,
sketches, and voices presented in such a rapid fire sequence it’s almost impossible to get bored. Even the kids who were there loved it.
There were kids in the audience ranging in age from about six years to fifteen years old who may not have understood that many of the
songs were parodies of the original lyrics, but the kids definitely enjoyed Larry’s physical comedy, jokes, and his ‘rubber faced’
expressions that are so much a part of the characters and voices he portrays.
The comedy is unparalleled and you’ll laugh till it hurts with bits like: Ray Charles has been hanging out with Ricky Martin, six presidents
reciting the Star Spangled Banner, Jimmy Buffet tells you why he doesn’t drink tequila anymore, Bruce Springsteen is constipated,
Johnny Mathis is sweet on a guy in the front row (along with Minnie Ripperton), George Michael gets caught in the men’s room, James
Brown does the splits, Cher gets more plastic surgery and tries on a wig, Michael Jackson is hanging out with his chimpanzee (and his
glove), Julia Childs sings an Italian opera song, Mike Tyson gets ticked at Evander Holyfield, and Ross Perot talks about politics and
earwax.
He did well over 60 voices in the 65 minute show which ranged from the deep dark sounds of a side-splitting parody of Johnny Cash’s
ring of fire to the soulful sounds of Otis Redding, The Platters, The Drifters and the rough grinding voice of Louis Armstrong singing
‘Hello Dolly’. His vocal range of about four octaves allowed him to easily hit the very high notes of The Token’s ‘Lion Sleeps Tonight,’ Leo
Sayer, and a version of the Bee Gees’ ‘How Deep is Your Love’ in which the voices were so accurate you would almost swear he was lip-
syncing. But there’s no lip syncing in this show. It was his three ‘one man’ duets (Nat/Natalie Cole, Willie Nelson/Julio Iglesias, and
Michael McDonald/Patti LaBelle) that made me wonder whether to applaud wildly, laugh, or just sit there in amazement. While every
impressionist and impersonator has their ‘best’ and ‘not as good’ impressions, as a whole, I haven’t seen anyone who can match the
accuracy of the voices like Larry G. Jones.
With all things taken into consideration (such as the less-than-perfect sound and lighting system at the Plaza, the unglamorous
showroom, and the lack of outside marketing) - the fact that despite the odds Larry is talented enough to pull it all off as a ‘one man
show’ and deliver a performance on par with the ‘best in the business.’ It’s easy to say that this show is without a doubt as good or
better than Danny Gans (six-time ‘Entertainer of the Year’ winner and five-time ‘Show of the Year’ winner) who is constantly sold out at
prices of one hundred dollars and up a ticket. Simply put, Larry’s show would be a bargain at any price (it currently costs less than one
fourth Danny Gans’ show) and it’s a fantastic show no one should miss.