‘Opium’s’ Harry M. Howie cruises his ‘Roller’ on Las Vegas Strip
Harry M. Howie has his satisfied his “Roller” fixation.
Last week, the Australian character/producer of the interplanetary show “Opium” at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas revealed his custom-painted Rolls-Royce described as a 2021 Space Roller (a car truly ahead of its time). The car seems to be designed in the spirit of a new-model Rolls Royce Phantom.
A nice ride, no doubt. Howie won a ton of money on the roulette wheel to buy these wheels. The numbers are once again hitting the burgeoning entertainment executive unexpectedly after traveling through the cosmos. This has not pleased the Cosmopolitan, which I understand has banned him from the tables.
“When I get hot, I gotta play,” he said. “I throw all the money back at the show and the roller.” The Spiegelworld vehicle (meaning, the show) is running 8 p.m. daily, dark Tuesdays, with 10 p.m. shows this weekend and also Wednesday and April 6-7.
Howie, who says he has drawn creative and even financial inspiration from the Gazillionaire of sister production “Absinthe,” said he’s pleased with fan response to “Opium” thus far. The show has run about two weeks in previews, and after each show ticket-holders are given review cards.
“We had one that said, ‘The show is like the 1960s smothered in cocaine, with a $30 budget,’ ” Howie proudly recites (the same could be said of The Archies, but I digress). “How great is that?”
Howie’s futuristic Roller is piloted by a silent, bearded, bohemian sort in a blue-satin jacket and matching driver’s cap. He answers all inquiries, such as, “What is your name?” with a sideways sneer. The Roller delivers a pair of characters in the production and also from Howie’s life, Dr. Roger Regis and Nurse Raquel.
These two wear black spacesuits and fuchsia-colored capes, and tend to Howie’s various (medical) needs. They are also new performers in the Spiegelworld production at Opium Theater at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. The show is themed for space travel and set in a spaceship.
Dr. Roger is not just a medically trained and aggressively costumed medical professional. He is also the ship’s lone qualified magician, and this is where we say he can make a rabbit — and also gout — disappear. Nurse Raquel is said to take your temperature even as she raises it. She kisses everyone, including strangers, full on the mouth, germs be damned.
I believe Nurse Raquel carries some sort of disinfectant towelettes for post-meeting sanitizing. If she doesn’t, she should.
The two carried a half-dozen record albums, which are used for “research,” they say. Perry Como’s “By Special Request,” “The Exciting Voice of Al Martino” and “Jose Jimenez Talks to Teenagers of All Ages.”
“He’s really funny,” Howie says of Jimenez, a frequent guest on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” He then asks our unnamed drive to play the album in the car’s audio system. “Go ahead and pop this in there.”
There is no record player in this 2021 beast. Our driver sneers again.
We lurch along anyway to the familiar McDonald’s on West Tropicana Avenue. We order nine hot apple pies (“Opium’s” unofficial snack food), fries, chicken nuggets and a coffee (my unofficial morning beverage of choice).
Howie has run his show for a couple of weeks. It’s heavy with raunchy comedy and dance numbers, punctuated by some so-so singing and costumes from Machine Dazzle highlighted by a character dressed as a giant spider. The craft is intimate, with 262 folks seated in the “Right” and “Wrong” sections, in line with the hotel’s “Right Amount of Wrong” slogan.
“It’s a new kind of show, new comedy, new people, going into the unknown,” Howie says. “They are like astronauts, in a way. A new exploration.”
As he says that, I glance at an album he’s handed me, “The Best of ‘66,” featuring such stars as Tony Bennett and Ray Conniff. In its exploration of time and comedy, “Opium” knows no limits.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter.
