Comedians are clever and not just because they present words in a way people find amusing. Oh no, their true skill comes from the fact they have traded a psychologist bill for an audience and a microphone.
With the introduction of the new Sapphire Comedy Hour at Sapphire Las Vegas, the world’s largest gentleman’s club has opened its doors not only to comedians who vent about their lives, but also to magicians and a belly dancer in a show worthy of your consideration.
First up was the host Sean Carlin, five-time college entertainer of the year. He knows the secret of a good marriage to a Colombian—don’t worry, he’ll tell you all about it. He also knows the proper way of watching SpongeBob SquarePants. Whoever thought there was a proper way to watch a cartoon? Oddly enough, there was and Carlin explained the correct etiquette. As host, he claimed it’s his job to make it loud—doing that made his boss happy and everyone should strive for a happy boss.
Seth Grabel, the only known acrobatic magician, followed Carlin. I have to confess, I had no idea how a magician like him performed his sleight of hand tricks. One second, he held a deck of cards. The next, they’re gone or in the other hand. Just beware of the flying cards toward the end of his act. He flicked more than a dozen a good hundred feet from the stage.
Comedian Penny Wiggins followed with how people from her native land of St. Thomas give directions. She also did a spot on impression of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Just close your eyes, click your heels three times, and you’ll become a believer in her comedy.
A winner of the Monte Carlo competition of magic followed Wiggins. His name: Mon Dre the Magician. He swaggered before the audience in a way that said he owned everyone in the room and was prepared to prove it. For the next five minutes and fifty-five seconds, Mondre unleashed his skills. He made three pigeons appear out nowhere and performed his prestidigitations — a fancy word for quick fingers, with a tranquil laid back expression as though to signify his finale would be absolutely phenomenal. Animals such as pigeons are a magician’s best friend because they’re docile creatures that can hide in a sleeve or in a box and not give themselves away to the audience. The same cannot be said of a cat. When a white feline appeared out of nowhere at the end of his performance, Mondre gave the audience a look as if to stay, “Impressed?”
My answer, “Uh, yeah, very impressed!”
What was great about the show at Sapphire was the variety of entertainment. Leila Sas, 1998’s Miss Hungary, Miss Blublocker in 2005, and Miss Yugoslavia in 2009 took the stage. Leila touts herself as one of America’s premier multi-talented belly dancers and I must wholeheartedly concur. She possessed the necessary skills to captivate an audience. Any woman who has gotten over her shyness can wiggle her body parts either without a prop or around a pole. Leila brought an artistic grace to the stage with her Egyptian form of belly dancing. During the five minute forty second performance, she commanded everyone’s attention and moved muscles that I didn’t know could move on their own.
The headline act for the evening hailed from San Antonio, Texas. NBC has called Jade Esteban Estrada “America’s Prince of Pride”. Another credit to his resume was becoming the 2005 Entertainer of the Year. Estrada entered the stage wearing a tux and pink feathered boa along with a whole lot of glitter. Flamboyant… oh, who am I kidding? FA-BUL-OUS (and you must sing when saying FA-BUL-OUS!) best scribed Estrada and his view of the world. Just be careful. He will ask if there are any Mexicans in the audience. Should anyone applaud, he’ll expect a ride home after the show.
