The Spice of Life

Paul Stone figures he has just the thing for Southern Nevadans who would like to inject a bit of variety into their long Thanksgiving weekend.

Namely, "Variety Live," a family-friendly show direct from the London Palladium that features an international cast of performers. The show runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Suncoast Showroom.

"Variety Live" will star: Las Vegas-based magician and illusionist Joseph Gabriel, who some will remember from his performances in "City Lites" and "Lido de Paris" here; juggler Kris Kremo, of Switzerland, whose resume includes stints in shows along the Strip; Tino Ferreira, from Spain, who presents an acrobatic balancing act; hoop artist Yelena Larkina from Russia; and British singer Ben Stone.

Paul Stone, who produces variety shows in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, has presented several editions of "Variety Live" in Las Vegas. And, for him, events such as this weekend's shows mark at least a momentary return to the theatrical genre that made Las Vegas great.

"I'm one of the few people left, actually, that is keeping variety alive," he says. "And it's a great concept for a show, because you can see new things and a selection of great performances all in one show. It's a really good show, and it appeals to all ages and has very visual acts."

Gabriel has performed in several "Variety Live" productions. And while the specific theatrical disciplines -- magic, juggling, acrobatics, singing, dance -- represented may change from show to show, he says, "it's always the top people around."

For Gabriel, this weekend's shows will mark a reunion: He and Kremo -- whom Gabriel calls "one of the best jugglers in the world" -- met more than two decades ago, when both were working as featured performers in shows on the Strip.

Gabriel's own career includes performances around the world, his own Broadway show, numerous awards and more than 20 years performing in Las Vegas. Gabriel admits that he misses the days when the classic variety show was a staple of Las Vegas' entertainment scene.

Variety is "what the town was built on," he says, and it wasn't all that long ago when "every hotel had a revue. Even smaller hotels had smaller revue shows."

A variety show offers audiences the chance to see the best performers in classic theatrical disciplines, and, Gabriel says, sates their desire to "see a personality."

"I do believe that when you have a variety show (with) the best juggler, the best magician, the best balancing act, with personalities (that have) a connection to the audience's emotions, that, to me, is why we're all here."

Singer Ben Stone, Paul Stone's son, gained an early appreciation of the variety genre from his father.

"Really, I've grown up around it," he says. "He's been producing shows all over the world for as long as I remember."

Now, as a performer in his own right, Ben Stone splits his time between Europe and Las Vegas and performs all over the world. During this weekend's show, he says, "I'm going to be sort of stripping down acoustic versions of everything from Motown to pop, with all of your favorite pop and rock songs. And, being from Liverpool, there will be some Beatles classics in there as well."

Paul Stone, meanwhile, notes that the Suncoast Showroom is a good venue for a variety show, because "everywhere you sit, it's a good seat. It's all close, and you feel a part of it."

In fact, if he wasn't already performing in the show, Gabriel might well show up to see it, anyway. Gabriel admits that he's as avid a fan as anybody else.

"When I do a variety show, I'm almost like one of the audience in that I'm just as amazed as they are," he says. " 'How did he juggle that ball and a top hat and a cigar and throw it and catch it all in his hands?' I'm like the kids, or anybody else, in the audience."

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal. com or 702-383-0280.