This would be The Female Half of the Staff on the Navajo Bridge, a footbridge spanning the Colorado River near Marble Canyon, AZ, off of Alt 89.
We found ourselves with an entire day to get from Flagstaff, AZ, (where we performed at Northern Arizona University on Friday night) to Mesquite, NV, (where we were to perform on Saturday night). We could have just as easily boomeranged back into Vegas, then shot back out through the desert to Mesuite. That would have been efficient, but somewhat dull.
We opted instead to forge northward out of Flagstaff on Rte. 89, through the Navajo Indian Reservation. The map indicated that the entire second half of our 320-mile trek had dots next to the road– the AAA code for “Scenic.” As we rounded the bend out of Flagstaff and headed north at 75 mph through the Reservation, listening to Navajo-language radio and taking in the spectacular scenery, we wondered just what a location’s gotta do to get that dotty designation.
Our questions were answered later on in the day when we were dazzled by the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument and the Kaibab National Forest, eventually making our way through the switchbacks and tunnels and canyons of Zion National Park. Kaibab, Vermillion and Zion deliver.
The whole trip delivered– “scenery overload” relieved only occasionally by the lightly settled towns and trading posts, decorated with the rusting cars, propane tanks, truck stops and “assembled homes” that are the trademark of small towns all over northern Arizona, Southern Utah and the Southwest in general.
This would be The Male Half of the Staff perched on a rock, with the vast expanse of the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument behind him, again, off of Alt 89.
We are back in Vegas now. We fly out Tuesday night. Vegas, as always, is the same. And changing constantly.
(Sometimes God or fate is the best comedy writer: Upon arrival at the Trop, the Male Half of the Staff ducked into the Men’s room to see two Japanese men changing their clothes near the sinks while “Puttin’ On The Ritz” blared over the PA system. Can you say “incongruous?” Hilariously so?)
Carrot Top is “indefinite” at the Luxor. His opening acts, on a revolving basis, will be John Padon, Charles Viracola and Carole Montgomery. Louie Anderson is also in an open-ended engagement at the Excalibur. While waiting for the light to change at the corner of Tropicana and The Strip, we noticed that Ron White and Dane Cook are both scheduled to appear at Mandalay Bay, though on separate occasions. If you think that such booking would make Mandalay Bay the most comedy-friendly casino in town, you might get an argument from someone who points out that the Mirage has bought the back page of the Las Vegas Magazine and is trumpeting the upcoming bookings of Jay Leno, Brad Garrett and Wayne Brady. (And, you’ll recall that David Spade, in a recent interview cited in this very publication, seems to be contractually married to the Mirage as well.)
George Wallace, who is four-walling a room at the Flamingo, is advertising David Brenner as his special guest for the month of April.
The Palms is touting Playboy’s Hollywood Comedy Tour in their Lounge venue, welcoming Jeff Richards and Dan Naturman (last night) and a new pair of comedians a week later.
At the Comedy Club at the Riv are Dennis Blair, Joey Elias and Robin Cee (through tonight) and, starting tomorrow night, Stanley Ullman, Scott Faulconbridgeand Brad Steward.
Here at the Trop, at the Comedy Stop, through tonight are Kevin Knox, Mick Lazinski and Christine Stedman. Starting tomorrow are Ron Shock, Bob Seibel and Scott Bruce.
At the Improv at Harrah’s are Jeremy Hotz, Tom Simmons and Frazier Smith ending tonight and Shelley Berman, Sulie McCullough and David Gee, Tuesday through Sunday. Dom Irrera will hold court on Monday, as part of a “Month of Mondays” all this month, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Improv in Las Vegas.