By MAGGIE MCMURRAY
Moapa Valley Progress
The Clark County Fair has long been known for its great entertainment, shows, performers and grounds acts. This year’s fair may end up being the most entertaining of all. We recently caught up with Clark County Fair entertainment director Denise Robison to get a preview of what is coming up this week.
Robison begins planning for the fair almost a year in advance. She scouts out acts at tradeshows and researches them thoroughly to find the best and most entertaining acts to bring to the people of Clark County.
This year she has brought back a few of the perennial favorites.But mostly there are new and exciting acts coming up, and they will include something for everyone.
Instead of the traditional main event Friday night concert, there will be a performance by Uptown Funk: Bruno Mars Ultimate Tribute Band.
“This group is very similar to the actual Bruno Mars and they really draw a crowd, which was one reason I chose them,” Robison said. “They were by far the favorite at the showcases that I went to. I think everyone will really like them.”
Uptown Funk will be performing on the Plaza Stage and will have shows before and after the rodeo on both Friday and Saturday nights.
If a band is not your cup of tea, however, maybe circus acts are. Zuma Zuma will also be performing on the Plaza Stage. This troupe will bring a show that is a blend between traditional and acrobatic circus shows in an African style.
Perhaps the best way to describe them is as an “African-style Cirque du Soleil” show with extremely high-quality and professional performers, Robison explained. Robison is very excited to be able to include Zuma Zuma in this year’s line-up and says, “Part Cirque du Soleil and part Harlem Globetrotters, Zuma Zuma is above all fast-paced and full of acrobatic ingenuity that I’m sure will be very popular.”
Joining these acts also on the Plaza Stage will be the a-cappella group The Sound Exchange. This group was the 2017 Harmony Sweepstakes National Champions. Their performance lineup includes songs from across all genres including ballads, rock anthems, chart-topping singles, and, of course, jazz. Best of all, they wrap it all together with a little comedy that keeps the audience laughing.
“I’ve seen this group and they are amazing,” Robison said. “What I really liked about them was that they are different than a lot of the a-cappella groups and a lot more like the popular group Pentatonix than we’ve had so far. They’re a lot of fun and full of energy.”
Returning acts to the Plaza Stage include the ever-popular hypnotist Tyzen and the Rock Bottom Boys. Both of these acts came a couple of years ago and are back by popular demand.
The Rock Bottom Boys describe their act as “tickling brains and warping reality” as they sing iconic rock songs that engage the audience with back-porch clowning and hillbilly notions. Their shows combine well-seasoned showmanship with “light-hearted, humorous, and intimate good fun for families of all ages.”
But there will be a lot more entertainment options than what is happening on the Plaza Stage, The Showcase stage will also have non-stop entertainment everyday. This area will feature some professional acts, but is mostly dedicated to local acts, groups, and performances.
Ground shows are also extremely popular and this year there are some fun ones. The Paul Bunyan Lumberjack show came a couple of years ago, but were located in a spot where many fair-goers might have missed them. This year they’ll be up front on the lawn near the Fine Arts Building where they will be easy to spot. Their show includes log rolling, tree climbing, axe throwing, and several other fun lumberjack related activities.
Also on the lawn will be Tumbleweed Crossing, a wild west style traveling comedy stunt show. Tumbleweed Crossing will be next to the front entrance on the grass complete with their impressive western town set.
“This group is really amazing because they are all very well actor-trained and just very classy,” Robison said. “They are really one of the more professional and classy shows that travel. They bring an old west set that looks really authentic and that makes the show even better.”
Street performer Snap Boogie will be located on the Plaza Courtyard. That is because his show is so big it can’t be confined to a stage. Snap Boogie was a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent, which rocketed him to the spotlight.
“This guy was one of our favorites at the showcases and I tried to get this him last year,” Robison said. “But he is so popular that he was booked way in advance. He does high-energy combination multi-disciplinary dance, which includes popping, break-dancing, and tap, combined with crazy physical stunts.”
Another group strolling around the fair and taking a trun on the Showcase Stage will be juggling act Something Ridiculous, which Robison says is a very funny show.
Magician Jeff Martin will be mystifying fairgoers with a magic show.
Marc Dobson, a talented one-man band plays 9.1 instruments including a backpack drum kit.
Tanna Banana will return this year to the kids’ area with her stories and songs specifically for kids.
And, of course the kiddie train will be operating as well.
Robison says that finding the best acts for the fair is a labor of love each year. She starts planning a year in advance and attends three different conventions and different fairs to find the best every year. Many people complain about the price of a ticket to the fair, but to go to a performance somewhere else for just one of these acts would cost even more. At the Clark County Fair, the single admission covers them all.
“For all the entertainment we bring, it’s quite affordable to come and to see all these acts as compared to what you’d have to pay to see them individually,” Robison said.
That fact alone may make fair admission the hottest ticket in town this April.
Robison encourages everyone to come out and take advantage of the opportunity.
“We have such great entertainment coming this year that we’re really excited,” she concluded. “We’re really looking forward to a great Clark County Fair and hope that everyone joins us.”
