Carrot Top props up Luxor in 16th anniversary show

Carrot Top has hairsbreadth of orange, but the prop comic who seems to defy property is becoming a graybeard connected the Las Vegas Strip.

The headliner whose ineligible sanction is Scott Thompson marked his 16th day astatine Luxor’s Atrium Showroom connected Monday night. The chill kids turned out, either for the amusement oregon after-party, among them Brad Garrett, Tape Face with sidekick Christina Balonek, Piff the Magic Dragon and showgirl Jade Simone (with the just-turned-14-year-old Mr. Piffles), existent Laugh Factory headliner Jon Lovitz with venue GM Harry Basil; rocking mates Paul and Carmen Shortino; and galore Thompson household members, led by his mom, Dona, and brother, Garrett.

We hung with that unit and remembered the 2005 opening night, erstwhile then-Luxor President Felix Rappaport welcomed Thompson to the property. Rappaport died successful June 2018. He surely would person been arrogant that helium engineered this partnership, arsenic Carrot Top’s amusement has go a Vegas institution.

We’ve been on for the full ride. We arrived astatine this, aft the fete:

Sixteen Odd But Accurate Facts astir Carrot Top

16. He has a selling grade from Florida Atlantic University. His precocious father, Larry, was skeptical astir his lad parlaying that acquisition into a stand-up career. ““The lone selling large from FAU that I knew was selling cars.”

15. While successful college, helium designed the archetypal mentation of his Carrot Top logo earlier helium adjacent had an act.

14. His archetypal non-professional prop was a doorbell that a nun gave him successful archetypal people to awesome the extremity of recess.

13. He calls his aviator brother, Garrett, “Garrett Top.”

12. There are much than 300 dependable cues successful his amusement (including the twinkling from the 1960s sitcom “Bewitched” and a conception from Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me”).

11. He tin usage upwards of 70 props successful a azygous show.

10. He routinely rotates his NFL helmets, which are besides Kleenex dispensers, for whichever squad has suffered an particularly pugnacious loss. The Dallas Cowboys were Monday’s typical (he besides attached a disguise to Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers helmet).

9: He’s been performing his Michael Jackson regular since dressing arsenic Jackson for Halloween arsenic a inferior successful precocious schoolhouse successful 1982.

8. He wrote 1 of his archetypal jokes, “La Quinta is Spanish for ‘Behind Denny’s’” aft 1 of his archetypal nonrecreational gigs, astatine La Quinta successful Tampa, Fla.

7. The late, legendary heavy metallic drummer Vinnie Paul of Pantera and Hellyeah saw his amusement much than 100 times (by his ain count) astatine Luxor.

6. During a 2011 quality connected “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, helium premiered a transcript of Dick Cheney’s then-new book, which opened to an attached defibrillator; a Cheney necktie that doubled arsenic a stethoscope; and “The Dick Cheney Shotgun,” with the tube bent off-target to the right. All of this portion Cheney was seated arsenic a a guest, little than 10 feet away.

5. In his room is simply a motion from his mother, Dona: “Always support your beauteous imaginativeness & exquisite humor.”

4. He was erstwhile a impermanent connected “Regis & Kathie Lee” alongside pre-presidential Donald Trump. The comic walked retired and said, “It’s bully to yet beryllium connected a amusement wherever I don’t person the stupidest hair.”

3. The country beneath the signifier wherever helium stores his hundreds of props is known arsenic The Pit of Despair.

2. He work for a co-starring relation successful the original, 1994 drama blockbuster “Dumb & Dumber.” As helium says of the experience, “If you work the script, the archetypal enactment is, the cops saying, ‘Pull over!’ Pull over!’ and the bull pulls him implicit and helium says, ‘No, it’s a cardigan!’ and I said, ‘This is the dumbest (expletive) happening — I anticipation I don’t get the part.” He didn’t. It went to Jim Carrey.

1. He has been maligned by non-prop comics implicit the years. But George Carlin, Sam Kinison, David Brenner, George Wallace, Andrew Dice Clay, Garrett, Bill Maher and Jay Leno person been among his much influential fans. “When radical made amusive of me,” helium says, “I ever had that successful the backmost of my head.”

‘MJ Live’ Trops out

The fashionable Michael Jackson tribute “MJ Live” has its caller spot lined up, Tropicana, wherever reportedly it opens connected New Year’s Day. The show’s last show astatine The Strat Theater is Dec. 30. The Dick Feeney-Red Mercury accumulation was definite to beryllium leaving by year’s extremity erstwhile Adam Steck’s SPI Entertainment took implicit The Strat Theater operations successful July.

Now we get to sift done what amusement volition capable The Strat Theater’s docket (“MJ Live” was successful the prime 8 p.m. slot). And, however volition “MJ Live” co-exist with 2 different tribute shows astatine Tropicana, “Legends successful Concert” and the Jason Tenner’s Purple Reign homage to Prince. As we say, much volition beryllium revealed.

Swap these dates

We request to flip the dates successful the IAC’s upcoming play schedule. Use this: Friday it’s Tyriq Johnson’s Serpentine Fire set (doors 6 p.m., meal 6:30, amusement 8 p.m.) Saturday it’s Frankie Scinta (dinner 6:30 p.m., amusement 8 p.m.). Sunday it’s Zowie Bowie’s ”Vegas Holiday Party” (doors 6 p.m., meal 6:30, amusement 8 p.m.) Rock it, thrice over.

John Katsilometes’ file runs regular successful the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast tin beryllium recovered astatine reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him astatine jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats connected Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 connected Instagram.