vv 10-23

Dyn-O-Mite Headed to Tropicana
By: Sam Wagmeister / People & Places
With the anticipation of the Oakland
Athletics relocation to Las Vegas, there’s
been speculation over
the Tropicana Casino’s future, site of the
baseball team’s upcoming stadium.
Harry Basil, partner and general manager
of Laugh Factory, the Trop’s comedy mecca,
assured those concerned that the expected
Dyn-O-Mite delivery is in the person of
Jimmie Walker, familiar to mid-70’s TV
audiences as “JJ” on Norman Lear’s Good
Times. “Dyn-O-Mite” became a catch
phrase of the era after Walker popularized
it while portraying the teenage son of James
and Florida Evans, “JJ”, residents of an
inner-city Chicago high rise.
Basil describes Walker’s approach to
comedy as “squeaky clean,” adding that his brand of humor was
cultivated in the era of Gabe Kaplan, Robin Williams and David
Letterman, disclosing that Walker was a writer on Letterman’s early
shows.
Last month, an audience of Baby Boomers filled Ahern Live, the
new comedy club at the Ahern Boutique Hotel for the venue’s 2-night
Grand Opening. Walker’s approach was reminiscent of the comedy era
Linda Lou & Jimmie Walker
of Seinfeld, Howie Mandel, Louis Anderson, Steve Landesberg (Dietrich
on Barney Miller) and David Brenner.
Laugh Factory and Ahern Live represent the growth of comedy clubs
in Las Vegas…Laugh Factory being among
the earliest and Ahern Live the most recent.
From those early days to the current day,
comedy often targeted a contemporary
audience with material that frequently was
edgy, divisive, controversial and blue.
Veteran comedian/comedy writer Cliff
Lawrence, who has collaborated with
Walker for over ten years, takes issue with
that approach. “If you work clean, you’ll
never be unemployed. I learned that from
Vic Damone,” he said. Both Landesberg
and Brenner were influential to Walker’s
approach to comedy, Lawrence added.
High energy comic/magician Lorenzo
Clark hosts the Ahern’s weekly rotation of
comedians at 7:00 pm every Friday and Saturday (free admission/
parking, 2 drink minimum). Fitting in perfectly between the Clark and
Walker was Henderson housewife/comedian Linda Lou who shared the
charm and humor of living in a 55+ active adult community.
Walker, a Las Vegas resident, will join the lineup at Tropicana’s Laugh
Factory for his annual Thanksgiving engagement November 20-26.
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