Night Clubs Reviews

Jul 10, 2004 - Larry Wilson's wacko "Wonderland" at Harrah's Reno is off the walls and a kick

By Jack Neal

Nutcake comic and pseudo magician Larry Wilson has conceived "Wonderland," the new show at Harrah's Reno, built loosely around "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." There's a talking rabbit, a sexy Queen of Hearts, the delightfully madcap Platt Brothers, six lovely and terrific girl dancers, and Wilson himself as a white tie and white tails goofy and slightly weird Mad Hatter who never ever wears a hat.

Combining magic, comedy, rock 'n roll, and dance set in what has become Alice's through-the-looking-glass "menage a comedie," "Wonderland" scoots along on laughs and the absurd with a lighthearted zest that has a lot more to do with Austin Powers than a little girl and her white rabbit.

It's Wilson's nonchalance and wit that infects this show with a tongue-in-cheek quality that delights. One of the rumors I'd heard about the show before seeing it was that lots of people were puzzled about what Wilson's "Wonderland" is all about. Puzzled the humor challenged may be, but most people won't bother pondering the show's deep psychological meanings; they'll just giggle and snort and that's all that "Wonderland" requires. It's not, after all, "Long Days Journey Into Night."

Wilson is an engaging talent. Good at illusions, terrific at timing and fabulous at playing off an audience, Wilson's personality is the stuff from which entertaining shows are made. The show's two wide-eyed and naive young clowns, The Platt Brothers - Cheetah and Cy, help immeasurably to keep "Wonderland's" good nature way, way, way upscale. The Platts are called upon to flesh out many sight gags and sketches and they're as fine a silly team as any I've seen.

The beautifully matched set of six girl dancers are as superb at dancing as they are gorgeous to look at. J.T. Horenstein is the show's choreographer. What he's given these lovely ladies to do hits on the high side of good night club fare.

For such a colorful cast of characters, and the possibilities for eccentric looks Alice's world embraces, Jeremy Railton's set is a tad nondescript. But that doesn't detract much from the fun of it all. It's just a guess, but it's my take on this funloving little showbiz package that as a kid Larry Wilson was always putting on backyard shows for his friends that made them laugh. And he's still doing it. Only now he's at Harrah's and his friends have grown taller.

To borrow a lyric from Donald O'Connor's legendary routine in "Singin' in the Rain," "make 'em laugh" is what Larry Wilson's "Wonderland" is pretty darned good at doing. And they're such very clean laughs at that. To be sure, the indomitable Alice and her funny white bunny would approve this spoof of a burlesque on her clean-cut wonderland world.

"Wonderland" is scheduled to run in Sammy's Showroom at Harrah's Reno until sometime in September, 2004. "Wonderland" showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays, and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturdays. "Wonderland" is dark Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Tickets are $39.95. For information call 775-788-2900 (web: www.harrahs.com).