STATEN ISLAND SUNDAY ADVANCE - SEPTEMBER 12
ATLANTIC CITY

Staten Island Native Is Part Of 'A Really Big Shew'
Ellen Burke Rawls

"A Really Big Shew," the hilarious tribute to America's number one TV variety show for more than 23 years, has been packing in the crowds at Tropicana since its opening this spring. The takeoff on Ed Sullivan's immensely popular Sunday night fixture continues to draw repeat business for the same reason that Mr. Sullivan retained his viewers' loyalty for so long. The producers have rotated new variety acts through the run of the show.

The show is anchored by Jerry Hoban - an uncanny Sullivan clone - and the only other constant in the current production is some film footage of Topo Gigio. Of particular interest in the current lineup (through Oct. 17) is the appearance of Staten Island native Pete Michaels.

The very talented performer had been practicing ventriloquism since the age of five. As a young man, Michaels opted for more serious acting pursuits. After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he furthered his acting and voice studies with some of New York's most prominent coaches.

Comedy won out, however, and Pete won acclaim playing "straight man" to a Black hip-hop puppet, working comedy clubs, cruise ships, even repeat performances at the Apollo. He's taken his act to new levels with the introduction of a Luciano Pavarotti soft-sculpture. "Luciano's" rendition of the famed aria "Nessun Dorma" is a show stopper. Not only is the tenor showcase a tour de force for any singer, but the fact that Michaels pulls it off without moving his lips is nothing less than astounding.

Another brilliantly original bit Michaels incorporates into the "Big Shew" is the recruitment of a couple from the audience who are outfitted with "talking masks" - animated head pieces operated by the ventriloquist through pull strings. The couple emerge as Sonny & Cher, all the more hilarious because the young woman is a mustachioed Sonny and her husband a long haired Cher. Michaels manipulates the two in a bit of repartee and a classic duet of "I Got You Babe."

Pete Michaels re-appears later in the show with some truly hysterical standup schtick in the persona of Jackie Mason. So complete is his portrayal that he actually adopts the body language and facial mannerisms of the comic whose career hit the dust with an inappropriate gesture on the Ed Sullivan Show nearly half a century ago.

Islanders may have caught one of Pete's shows at the former Grampa's or Circle's. His TV appearances include "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," HBO, Comedy Central and "Good Morning America."

All Content, Materials, Images, Photos & Original Characters Copyright: Pete Michaels