Roast with the most: Ross at M Resort
THE Kats Comedy Corner fires up the roast this week with the man known as the “Roastmaster General,” Jeff Ross.
Ross, debuting at the M Resort Pavilion on March 11, has flayed such celebs as Charlie Sheen, Roseanne Barr, Flavor Flav, Pamela Anderson, Justin Bieber and Bob Saget on the recurring Comedy Central roasts.
Invariably, the phone conversation turns to who is “roast-worthy.”
“Has anyone had the idea of staging a roast in Las Vegas, and roasting a Las Vegas figure?” I ask.
“I love that idea,” Ross says. “I would really be up for that. Who would be the ideal Vegas personality?”
We run through a list. Shaquille O’neal lives in Vegas, part time. Mark Wahlberg lives here now.
“Both would be roast-worthy,” the 57-year-old Ross says. “I know that nobody laughs harder at himself than Shaq. Nobody is more supportive and fun to roast than Shaq.”
“What about Mark Davis?”
I ask.
“That’s a really good one,” Ross says. “His roast could be a three-part miniseries, if he’d agree to it. We’d need to make it for a charity, like we did years ago for (former NFL star) Emmitt Smith.”
Ross is planning to roast audience members during his show at the M Pavilion. He’ll capture maybe a dozen, random ticket holders and speed-roast the lot of ’em.
“It’s going to be searingly funny, that much I can guarantee,” Ross says.
The comic is also, for the first time, using music in the act.
A musician is joining him on stage to provide a kind of sound bed for Ross’ material.
“I asked a friend of mine to come along and score my set, while I’m performing,” Ross says. “So my stories will be accompanied by music. It helps helps bring the emotion of these stories to life for me, and I think the crowd too.”
Ross has always appreciated the days of Vegas stage shows when the audience spruced up. He plans on going spiffy in his premiere at the M.
“Oh yeah, I’m gonna dress up,” says Ross, who often sports a fedora in his act. “I know there’s a spa there, so we might have people in slippers and bathrobes, but not me. No toga party. I’m going suited and booted.”
Mulaney’s ‘Hiatus’
Two-time Emmy and Writers Guild of America award-winning writer, actor and comic John Mulaney premieres at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas with five shows from April 19 to 23. The series is titled “Hiatus in Vegas,” which describes quite a few stage shows that have gone dark and never returned in this city.
But Mulaney is nails, with some of the best addiction recovery material of any comic. He most recently headlined Park Theater (now Dolby
Live) in September 2021.
Mulaney also appeared at “The Event,” Shaq’s annual fundraiser, at the MGM Grand Garden in October. The Encore dates mark Mulaney’s first extended engagement in Las Vegas.
Wynn for Shlesinger, too
The great Iliza Shlesinger’s own debut at the Encore Theater is next weekend. The top stand-up, set to perform Friday and March 11, is among the many headliners vacating the “Aces of Comedy” series at The Mirage.
Garrett’s return
Brad Garrett is cast in the feature film “Wildflower,” due in theaters March 17, with the digital premiere March 21, the same day he’s to be inducted into the UNLV College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame.
Jean Smart, Alexandra Daddario, Jacki Weaver, Kiernan Shipka and Chloe Rose Armstrong are among the co-stars. The synopsis from IMDB: “A coming-of-age film that follows Bea Johnson from birth to graduation as she navigates life with an intellectually disabled parent and an extended family who can’t quite agree on the best way to help.”
Garrett is busy at his eponymous club at the MGM Grand, hosting through Sunday night, back March 13 to 15, and again March 17 to 19.
Pauly gets Krusty
Recurring Vegas headliner Pauly Shore is bringing his ragtag rock outfit The Krustys to the Sand Dollar Lounge at 11 p.m. March 14. Shore headlined the club in September 2021. This was the night Shore informed the crowd that his guitarist was
comedy actor and writer Larry David, or Sen. Bernie Sanders. Because Bill Degillio is a ringer for both.
‘OPM’ welcomes NPH
Actor Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, actor and chef David Burtka, and a couple of friends took in the space farce “OPM” on Wednesday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Harris visited “Absinthe” about a decade ago. He’s a Spiegelworld fan and, as I understand, a good high-wire walker.
Carolla at Kimmel’s
Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel co-hosted “The Man Show” on Comedy Central from 1999 to 2003. It makes sense that when Carolla headlines the Strip, it’s at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club at the Linq Promenade. He returns at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, his first show at JKCC since its opening weekend in May 2019.
Cool Hang Alert
“The Dirty at 12:30” holds forth at Grandview Lounge at South Point. The adult comedy showcase runs every Friday, doors at 11:59 p.m. Expect adult language. Guests must be 21 or older to attend. No cover, but frequent the bar to support the cause. Go to dirtyat1230.com for more info.