Louie Anderson

As my favorite host of Family Feud, and star of a beloved childhood cartoon, Louie Anderson is a gem with a long history of performing in Las Vegas, where he made his debut at the Dunes. After a run at the Excalibur, Louie is now at the Palace Station. Louie performs in the old comedy club that is now named The Louie Anderson Theatre. Inside the theatre reasonably priced beverages are available, as all drinks are $10 or less and include a souvenir glass. 375ml bottle service is available for around $30. The cheap booze was perhaps an omen that an extra substance was needed to make the show more enjoyable.

Louie titles his show "LOL" which to most would mean laughing out loud, but in this situation means lounging around Louie. It is apparent by some of the advertising that Louie strives to make his show family friendly. It seems like an oxymoron to do this as his show is inside a casino, a place for adults. The absence of profanity and crude sexual jokes was appreciated, but attending his show was more like listening to a conversation with Louie.

The opening comedian for Louie was a person from Minnesota who had recently moved to Las Vegas and focused the majority of his material about driving around Las Vegas and things to do in Las Vegas. His material did not gain a significant amount of laughter, but was a decent start to the show. His job duties are dual as he was seen after the show selling the Louie Anderson merchandise.

Before Louie comes onstage, there is a video montage that displays his career that includes stand up comedy, television shows, and films. His jokes focused on two categories: his weight and airports. Louie was not overly harsh on himself about being overweight, but focused more on struggles overweight people go through, such as trying to fit into a coach seat on an airplane to which he connected the other part of his material about airports, airplane food, and the post 9/11 security measures. Louie also ranted about how big the Las Vegas airport is and how moving from one end to the other is like completing a marathon. Louie also did a rant about driving with his father and shouting "Dad, McDonalds" several times. The self-deprecating jokes did not stir up much laughter, perhaps since the majority of people are overweight.

Unfortunately, about halfway through the show Louie began to go off on several tangents that did not contain any comedic material, but were more like having a conversation with a friend. Some may consider this a style of improvisation, but it did not have much direction and lead the audience to wonder when the next series of jokes were going to occur. A discussion about his career, including the places he has performed at as well as interactions with other performers would have been appreciated. Being the host of a Family Feud, Louie could have discussed funny things contestants have said in the fast money round.

Louie is like the beloved aging employee that one cannot let go of. A new younger one may be more productive, but the older one has a special place in the company. Louie seemed tired while performing his show, and it leads one to question if this gig is just a paycheck since he does not do that much anymore. One interesting observation was his whiney voice that he is known for is fictional, as it appeared only occasionally during his show. At $50 a ticket it is frustrating to get a conversation with Louie, but for any Louie fan his show at the Palace Station is the best way to experience Louie.

Louie Anderson
7 p.m. Wed-Sat
The Palace Station
2411 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89102
702-367-2411
$78.60 - $136.90