Rip Taylor "It Ain’t All Confetti"
Rip Taylor has been a headliner in Vegas since the civil war, or so it seems. He has had a long and very colorful career. Mr. Taylor has put together an evening where he regales us with stories from his life. He calls the show “It Ain’t All Confetti” a title that finds its roots in his act, which featured lots of confetti. Mr. Taylor began by giving us a barrage of Vegas jokes in his usual manic style and highlighted by him, literally flipping his wig”. It was extremely funny and won me over. Sometimes he seemed too big for television (think Zero Mostel) but in the intimacy of the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood it was perfect.
Rip Taylor has long been associated with camp humor and over the top comedy. (Think Carrot top). He tells us of a very difficult childhood of neglect and hardship. He bases the stories on his best selling autobiography “It Ain’t All Confetti”. His early years were in burlesque, strip joints and eventually the Catskills. He is the master of the pun, bad jokes, crazy antics, and hysterical laughter. What we witness is a lost art that he so lovingly represents. His act also touches out hearts as he tells of his rise from poverty and abuse to stardom. He eventually appeared on Broadway, Sugar Babies, Oliver, anything Goes, Peter Pan (can you imagine his Hook?). He has also gone “legit” at times in Indecent Proposal, Alex and Emma. But he is best known for his stints on television as the host of the Gong Show, and Chuck Barris’ $1.98 Beauty Show. He also made appearances on Password, The Tonight Show, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas Show, and David Letterman’s Late Night. In Vegas he won “Entertainer of the Year three years running. He shares with us some wonderful stories of his friends, Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, and even his ex wife (who was sitting next to me laughing along with all of us. It Ain’t All Confetti is a trip of nostalgia mixed with Taylor’s still relevant wit. You can catch the show at the El Portal until June 6th.