Comedian/impressionist Frank Caliendo, known particularly for his impressions of sports figures like Charles Barkley and John Madden, and presidents Bush and Clinton, entered the Las Vegas entertainment landscape when he signed a 10-year contract with the Monte Carlo in the fall of 2009. This was about eight months before "Master Magician" Lance Burton announced that he would be retiring from performing at his custom-built showroom at the property, although the rumors were already circulating well before then.
We never got to see the show, but read mixed reports from readers who posted comments on our site, a number of whom observed that the comedian seemed short of material. The next thing we heard was in December, 2010, when out of the blue we received a press release stating that Caliendo's run at the Monte Carlo would end in the spring of 2011 so that the performer could focus on "family and other projects."
He was quoted as saying that the "demands of traveling from Phoenix and away from my family have been harder than I anticipated. With this move, I hope to take advantage of opportunities in television and film that will allow me to spend more time as a husband and a father."
Whether there were any personal issues behind the scenes that precipitated this decision, or whether the "personal" card was played as a euphemism for the need to truncate the run of a show that had under-performed, we could only speculate. Caliendo opened right in the middle of some of Las Vegas' worst times, and a lot of established shows, restaurants, and even casinos didn't make it.
All we can tell you now is that according to Frank Caliendo's website, he's now taking his show to the road, with upcoming gigs all over the country through the end of the year, including a couple in Nevada (Wendover and Reno, not Las Vegas). Click here for the schedule.
