Rich Little
The Royal Room of the Colony Hotel, Palm Beach, FL
March 4, 2015
Review by Jeffrey Bruce for Cabaret Scenes
“Rich Little? Really?” I know. I read your mind. In truth, my reaction was the same. As a kid I loved his impressions of the multitudinous celebrities in his imagination. Could he still be as quick and amusing as he was “back then?” The answer is a resounding YES!
In a long (95-minute) show, Little managed to fit in over three dozen spot-on recreations people of a certain age will remember (me being one of them).
From the Rat Pack to a hysterical Andy Rooney, truly the highlight of the show (“D’ya ever wonder why they sterilize needles for lethal injections?” “Can ya cry under water?” “If ya choke a Smurf, what color would they turn?”) to Jack Nicholson, James Stewart, et.
al., Little manages to, if not gain perfection, at least give the audience the essence of the great men (and women! Carol Channing is a hoot) he adored.
Ottowa-born, he is also an accomplished pen-and-ink artist. On a TV screen at the side of the stage, one of his portraits accompanies each target. A charming stage presence, with a self-deprecating sense of humor of his own, Rich Little deserves the standing ovation the capacity crown honored him with. Long may he reign.