Multiple Talents
Gans Scores a Home Run at Mirage

Showbiz Magazine
By Hilary L. Green

Danny Gans’ show at the Mirage is one of the hottest tickets in town. His astonishing success in Las Vegas has broken box-office records and taken the local entertainment industry by storm. Gans is probably the most talented singer-impressionist-comedian-actor-dancer in the business, which is even more significant considering he had planned on being third baseman for the Dodgers.

“My dad played professional baseball and had an injury,” Gans explains. “He vowed that someday he would have a son, whom he wanted to name Danny, who would take over and play baseball. So, I came along and from the time I was about 5 years old, I had this glove in my hand and I was going to be a baseball player. That was our dream. When I finished college, I signed a contract and I was on my way.”

Or so he thought. One day, all of Gans’ hopes and dreams came to a crashing halt when he suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon.

“I had to have immediate surgery and following surgeries,” Gans recalls. “I just couldn’t get back into the game.”

Noting that their son was blessed with an excellent singing voice and a knack for telling jokes, Gans’ supportive parents encouraged him to pursue a career as an entertainer.

“You ought to get up on stage and do some of the things that make us laugh at parties,” his mom told him.

From that point on, Gans channeled his energy in a new direction. His focus was on honing and refining his talent as a performer. He spent the next 15 years on the road, singing with bands, doing stand-up comedy and perfecting his innate ability to replicate voices. But it was when Gans’ saw Sammy Davis Jr. perform that all of the pieces fit together.

“He did everything I ever wanted to do in one show,” Gans says. “He sang, danced, did impressions and played instruments. He was funny, he was dramatic, and I said. ‘That’s what I’m going to do.’”

All of his hard work and perseverance paid off. Before long, Gans was on the receiving end of praise from celebrities such as Bill Cosby and Joan Rivers. Natalie Cole says, “No one has ever done a better impression of my dad,” and critics were showering Gans with praise. He was the darling of the coveted world of corporate entertainment, where he was in high demand by international businesses like IBM and Heinz.

In addition to his blossoming show business career, Gans was enjoying similar success in television. He appeared on shows such as “Roseanne” and “Married With Children,” and was a regular on Fox TV’s series “Open House.” He starred as Dean Martin on the “Sinatra” mini-series, and he had a recurring role on “Silk Stalkings.” And it wasn’t just television. Gans made his motion picture debut in the hit movie Bull Durham, in which he played short stop Deke Rivers.

Then Gans achieved what most performers only dream about. He starred in his own one-man show on Broadway, where he was portentously referred to as “a superstar in the making.” It was a golden opportunity and one that he could have extended. However, when the offer came to move his show to Las Vegas, where he could settle down to a life with his wife and children, he chose his family over Broadway.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history. Gans has been embraced by the city as one of its premier performers and one of its favorite residents. In addition to his devotion to family and career, Gans is dedicated to assisting local charities and children’s causes. He’s a gifted entertainer and an all-around great guy.

Plan to take the family to see Gans, “the man of many voices,” in his remarkable show at the Mirage. It will be an evening you will never forget.