Terry Fator opened at the Mirage last Saturday night and in what is otherwise a very quiet entertainment season in Las Vegas, the opening brought a bit of razzle-dazzle to the Strip.

Fator has taken over what used to be the Danny Gans Theatre. The invited crowd on opening night appeared ecstatic at the show. Fator opened with a smashing rendition of At Last sung by his lovely puppet Emma, one of his "cast of thousands"  sounding just like Etta James. It was deeply amazing and, even if it had ended right there the evening would have been memorable.

But Fator and his characters entertained for a full 90 minutes and most of the show was terrific. The only real misstep was a long, no-longer-current bit about Michael Jackson that touched on the less savory aspects of his character. If it were replaced it wouldn't be missed.

Maynard the Elvis Impersonator was on hand, as were all his regulars: Doug the stoner neighbor, Vicki the Cougar, Julius the Soul Singer and a new cast member named Lou Ferrigno. Yes, that Lou Ferrigno. The Incredible Hulk who, opening night, proved he's also an incredibly good sport. He let Fator bring him onstage, dress him up as Cher and joined Fator (dressed as Sonny Bono) to warble I Got You Babe (of course, Fator provided both voices).

In all, the show is a lot of fun. One Las Vegas sophisticate said, "Middle America will love this!" I think everyone will. The guy is talented. He works very hard and you'd be hard-pressed to find a more ingratiating entertainer.