Sorrentino's 'Voices in
My Head' is the surreal deal
By CHUCK DARROW
(Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post
09/24/2004
ATLANTIC CITY - If
you decide to see "Voices in My Head" at Tropicana, it is imperative you
arrive on time, as the first 10 minutes or so constitute the show's most
entertaining stretch. And although star Stephen Sorrentino doesn't quite
maintain that initial level of hilarity, "Voices in My Head" - which
runs through Oct. 8 - nonetheless provides a stellar 90 minutes of
showroom high jinks.
The Vegas-based musical mimic opens his turn with a self-penned
original tune, "For All the Stars," before he launches his comic
rockets.
The first is a Johnny Mathis impression. Of course, Mathis' silky
vibrato is one of the most impersonated of all voices. But Sorrentino
plows new comedy fields by adding a twist: He hilariously points out
that Mathis never enunciates consonants, and proves his point by singing
vowels-only snippets of Mathis signatures.
But as clever as that is, the sequence merely sets the table for the
subsequent brilliant, and howlingly funny, bit that features a series of
Led Zeppelin songs performed by a zany roster of stars. This wonderfully
twisted concept what-ifs, among others, Willie Nelson singing "Kashmir,"
Ethel Merman doing "Immigrant Song" and Jerry Lewis' Nutty Professor
babbling his way through "Black Dog." The mere memory of this routine
has me laughing out loud.
Beyond the Led Zep shtick, Sorrentino's best work comes at show's end
with his clone-like Elton John tribute, which he has performed in
Atlantic City as part of the "Legends in Concert" revue. Thanks to his
stocky build, accurate costuming and sharp piano playing, the Sir Elton
segment ends "Voices in My Head" on a note nearly as high as the one on
which it begins.
What transpires between the early and late pieces is a mostly
successful potpourri of celebrity impressions interspersed with video
presentations, dance numbers by the 10-woman Sin City Dancers and
occasional instrumental turns that allow the star to display his musical
versatility.
The roster of artists paid tribute to (and gently mocked) by
Sorrentino includes The Bee Gees, Frankie Valli, Luciano Pavarotti and
Joe Cocker. Particularly effective is the bit
that showcases Sorrentino's on-target takes of both Jim Morrison and
Jose Feliciano doing their worlds-apart versions of the Doors' "Light My
Fire."
Sorrentino also scores points for having the courage (if not
necessarily the common sense) to perform "Hocus Pocus," a 1972
instrumental by the obscure Dutch rock band Focus. As he himself
admitted, it's not a boffo piece among the bus-riding matinee audiences.
However, it is one of the coolest things ever offered in a casino revue.
He also has some fun with mannequins during a Sonny & Cher bit, and
offers video homages to the Marx Brothers and more contemporary comics.
Special mention goes to the 10-man Robert Sluys Orchestra, which
provides Sorrentino with crackerjack support as the star navigates the
show all over the musical map.
Tropicana has not had all that much success with its production shows
the past year or so. Happily, "Voices in My Head" appears to have put
the brakes on that trend.
Showtimes are 9 p.m. Friday, 8 and 10:30 p.m.
Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; 8 p.m. Monday and Thursday, and 3:30 and
8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Admission is $27.50 and $25. For tickets
and information, call (609) 340-4020 or go to
www.tropicana. net.
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