Break-out
comedian Sebastian Maniscalo deserves his own TV series or a big movie.
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I saw Sebastian Maniscalco open for BB King & Al Green at Hard Rock
Hotel last September. He was brilliant and hysterical. BB's audience was
elderly and the acoustics were awful but Sebastian heroically plowed
through. The Joint has some VIP seating somewhere upstairs but I had a
standing room only ticket. This meant that 50 of us had to keep moving
around being shoved along by waitresses and security. For BB's and Al's
fans, small folding chairs lashed together with plastic ties were set
up. There must have been 500 or more people packed into The Joint. Many
of them had trouble fitting into the seats. One robust man called out
for a knife to cut free his chair so he'd have more room. When you have
a standing-room only ticket, it's not a good idea to get to the event
two hours early.
There were more canes
than at Lourdes.
Like me, Maniscalco was astonished at the HRH's dress code. All the
female hotel residents were walking around the casino in bikini tops and
thongs. All the guys were shirtless in low-slung swimming trunks.
Maniscalco (minus his raunchier material) is one of four comedians Vince
Vaughn has assembled for his "Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights
-- Hollywood to the Heartland".
I liked the fact that Vaughn %u2013 Lord knows he doesn't need to do it
%u2013 lived on the tour bus with the guys, introduced the acts, did
skits, cajoled his celebrity friends to turn up, and did Meets & Greets!
He did all the radio publicity! What a guy!
And not one movie star hissy fit.
Everybody loves the
Vince Vaughn movie persona. Here he is as likeable and hangs out! And he
brings along terrific clips and has helped his buddies from way back in
time (pre-Swingers") to make it.
The four comedians are the aforementioned Sebastian, former Vaughn
roommate Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, and Bret Ernst. Vaughn's buddies
include Jon Favreau (who claimed anyone could have played Vince's iconic
role in "Swingers" and proves it!), Justin Long, Dwight Yoakam and the
very generous Buck Owens (who gives Vince a guitar!).
Where were the comedy groupies hanging outside the buses? Where was the
pot smoking?
We get a snapshot of
every city on the 30 day tour. Not to be insensitive to the misery of
the real world, the tour stops at the heel of Hurricane Katrina, visits
a park site shelter, and invites the newly homeless to a benefit show.
I was disappointed with Ahmed Ahmed. Where was his tough, pissed-off
"I'm a Muslim in America" material? Besides the break-out Sebastian,
John Caparulo and Bret Ernst certainly have a future.
I'll be looking for
Maniscalco to headline [in Las Vegas] and after "Wild West Comedy Show",
so will you.
Victoria Alexander lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and answers every email.
You can contact Victoria directly at
masauu@aol.com or by visiting
www.FilmsInReview.com .
WILD WEST COMEDY SHOW: 30 DAYS & 30 NIGHTS - HOLLYWOOD TO THE HEARTLAND
Wild West Picture Show Prods.
Credits:
Director: Ari Sandel
Producer: Vince Vaughn
Executive producers: Peter Billingsley, Victoria Vaughn, John Isbell
Editor: Dan Lebental
Performers:
Vince Vaughn, Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst, Sebastian
Mansicalco, Peter Billingsley, Keir O'Donnell, Justin Long
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 115 minutes
