Sarah Silverman headlines at Mirage
11:27 AM PT, Aug 29 2007
I've only recently discovered the comedy of Sarah Silverman. Thanks to YouTube, I got a crash course in her edgy humor with deadpan satire on race and sex. Of course, when you have to ask if a joke is racist or about racism, you are in a zone that Vegas usually does not go for in comics.
George Carlin -- who goes wherever he wants with his humor -- recalled, in a recent interview with me, being fired by a few casinos on the Strip, from the Frontier to MGM. Carlin has developed a theory of Vegas audiences. He thinks that when you travel to other towns around the country, your hard-core fans, who really know what to expect, come out to see you. Whereas in Vegas, audiences are far more likely to be mixed in with lots of people -- some who just know Carlin from an appearance on "The Tonight Show" or others who recognize his name from a movie. And especially in Vegas, there are usually people in the room who just happened on comp tickets. A few members of a Vegas audience, even now, will walk out of a George Carlin performance once he gets going. (Movable Buffet photographer Sarah Gerke knows two people who were offended by one of Carlin's recent shows at the Orleans and walked out. Of course, they did not actually pay for tickets or really know much about Carlin before going in.)
A short time after I spoke to Carlin, I found myself backstage with Artie Lange just before he went on stage to do stand-up at the Hard Rock. Lange, too, had two pages of new material and was working out the Vegas audience issue. One joke (about a cocaine dealer) he decided to use here, and a more complex one (involving religion and global warming) he thought wouldn't work for Vegas.
When I interviewed Silverman by phone the other day, she said she has not performed enough in Vegas to have any thoughts on the audiences here. In fact, (a comedy benefit and a House of Blues show aside) Silverman's shows this weekend (September 1 & 2) in the Danny Gans Theatre at the Mirage will be her first time doing a traditional headlining gig at a resort in Vegas.
Danny Gans' show is typically schmaltzy, cheesy and dated, decidedly of the comedy/impressionist genre. So Silverman's humor is something of a departure for the venue, given her taboo interests and the edgier explorations of her humor. On the other hand, Danny Gans' show is just about the only reminder of the sort of property the Mirage used to be before the nightclub Jet and the Beatles/Cirque collaboration Love helped make Mirage one of the top resort hot spots on the new Strip. In this new Mirage, Silverman in many ways is a far better fit than Danny Gans.
Richard Abowitz: How have your experiences been with Vegas audiences?
Sarah Silverman: I don't have a lot of experiences with Vegas audiences. I did House of Blues and loved that show. But I haven't worked Vegas enough that I could have a theory about the difference between them and other crowds. I think working at some of the clubs in New York that are more mainstream is probably similar, because it is people from all over. But my boyfriend grew up there.
Q: In Vegas? (At the point we talked, I was not aware of Silverman's longtime relationship with television host/comedian Jimmy Kimmel.)
A: Yes. Jimmy has many friends and family there, and so I've been able to see Vegas in several different ways.
Q: What do you do here?
A: I don't do much gambling. Well, I play cards every once in awhile. I went to Jimmy's Uncle Frank's 70th birthday in Vegas. Jimmy is the one with the great Vegas stories. His family moved there when he was 9. He would be at the kids' section of the mall and see Sammy Davis buying suits there.
Q: Have you been in Vegas enough to actually know who Danny Gans is?
A: Is he the impersonator?
Q: Yes. You are headlining in the "Danny Gans Theatre." That is written in big lettering above the door.
A: Wow, the Danny Gans Theatre. Hmmm. That's cool. I don't know.
Q: Do you have a favorite Vegas show?
A: I went to see Elton John a year ago and I was just thinking about it yesterday. It was amazing. The mix of his music and David LaChapelle's stuff went together so well.
Q: Anything else on your mind you care to share?
A: I am empty inside. Is that enough or do you need a good ending?
(Photos courtesy EPA and Getty Images)
(Photos courtesy EPA and Getty Images)
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Sarah Silverman and Danny Gans are complete opposites. Sarah Silverman is funny in a fresh way and has a hit TV show on Comedy Central. Danny Gans is a no-talent hack who bullies other Las Vegas entertainers and performs Ross Perot impersonations.
Posted by: Greg C. | August 29, 2007 at 12:54 PM
Hottest comedian of all time. SNL blew it when they dumped her all those years ago.
Posted by: Gump | August 29, 2007 at 01:21 PM
What the hell is that sticking out of the fat dude's bellybutton?????
AND
What's the story with the fat dude? Why is he there?
Posted by: Big Karl | August 29, 2007 at 04:41 PM
This might be the worst story/interview that I've ever read. Is the author not a native English speaker or something?
Posted by: Pete | August 30, 2007 at 09:32 AM
Big Karl, I think that guy has an umbillical hernia.
Posted by: Reba | August 30, 2007 at 09:20 PM
Silverman and Kimmel? Who have guessed? Now really want to know how they make each other laugh.
Richard, you're right about Gans now being out of place at the Mirage. The place that changed Vegas has changed. I wonder if there will someday be a casino just for old style Vegas entertainment?
Posted by: Roberta | August 31, 2007 at 08:39 AM
I saw Sarah Silverman at the Mirage on Sunday Sept 2. I have been a long time fan. I came in with an open mind and not anything near high expectations. I was completely and totally disappointed.
A writer on her show performed the warm up. He was amateur night at the comedy shack bad. A heckler stood up ten minutes in and just started screaming "you suck" over and over and over again. At first, I thought this might have been some kind set up, but the writer didn't have any comebacks. The writer actually had to call security to get rid of this guy. I hated the heckler while he was interrupting the show, but I missed him when he was gone. He was the high point of the show.
They showed us a commercial for season two and then Sarah came out. She did a bit about birth control pills and Jews who drive German cars. She performed a song from upcoming episode "you're gonna die soon." The set up is that it is sung in an old folks home. She pulled out a little prop humor and reflected the light off her guitar onto the front row of the audience. All of the bits were flat, disconnected, and uninteresting.
The crowd was forgiving, open, and eager for something to be funny. towards the end she goes for the cheap GWB joke. The crowd was enthusiastic and relieved. There was this sense that the show was going to turn the corner and start to finally be funny. And, then she opened her mouth and killed the momentum, "I said that because it was easy..."
I have seen celebrity meltdowns before, but never one this boring and disappointing. The show seem like it was just a warm up for the Video Music Awards. Sarah seemed unprepared and unconcerned. She acted as if her presence alone was enough to justify a $75.00 ticket.
As the crowd flowed out through the casino and towards the exits, there was much chatter about the show. Some speculated that she wasn't used the heat. Some suggested that she was drunk. It seemed like most were looking for explanation. It was clear that nobody enjoyed the show.
Posted by: Eye Witness | September 04, 2007 at 10:37 PM