V -- The Ultimate Variety Show

The spice of life

By Caroline Fontein

Some of the performer highlights include: master juggler Wally Eastwood; the Skating Aratas; The Crazy Gauchos from Argentina Eduardo Lomé and Hugo Latorre; Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast Tamara Yeroffyeva; Melinda - First Lady of Magic; comedian Russ Merlin; and comic impersonator Joe Trammel.

Eastwood, a world renowned juggler, is both the host and first performer of the night. He starts the show with a mesmerizing juggling routine. Eastwood’s enthusiasm paired with his mind boggling talent has everyone cheering.

“If you really want to enjoy the show and experience variety, start drinking,” jokes Eastwood.

It’s the first of many jokes that he tells this evening. His likeable personality and playful demeanor translate into a good time for those in attendance.

Husband and wife team Victor and Jenny perform a daring acrobatic roller skating routine as the Skating Aratas. Their routine is performed on a small platform that extends into the audience. While spinning at a high speed, Victor lifts Jenny in a series of incredible poses. Their risky routine has everyone in the audience at the edge of their seats.

The Crazy Gauchos, take the stage and follow Eastwood’s lead of infusing hilarious comedy into their routine. They are dressed in traditional garb and perform a fast-paced drum routine. They stomp their feet in perfect time to the upbeat rhythm resounding from their drums. After the applause dies down the two men tell jokes and even get the audience to do the wave as they compete over which one of them is the crowd favorite.

Yeroffyeva, a Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast, is another highlight in the show. She has competed in professional gymnastics championships around the world, and she placed sixth at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Her graceful movements enchant the audience as she demonstrates a series of beautiful poses while spinning a hula hoop on her legs or arms. Yeroffyeva’s routine becomes even more impressive as an increasing number of hula hoops are added while she continues to move and dance around the stage.

Merlin performs a comedy act with four volunteers from the audience. Each volunteer is given an outrageous mask to wear and assigned a different gesture to make when Merlin taps them on the shoulder. It’s not long before the entire audience is laughing at the hilarious scene he creates on stage.

Joe Trammel is the final act for the night. He does a physical comedy routine where he morphs into various well known entertainment icons through the use of wacky props and costumes. One second he's Superman and the next he's a member of the Jackson Five. People in the audience laugh at Trammel’s ever-changing appearance and hilarious portrayal of pop culture superstars.

If you are looking for a night of big laughs paired with an assortment of awe-inspiring entertainment, V -The Ultimate Variety Show has it all.