at The Palm Reef Hotel.

`The Rhythm of the Islands' is a high-energy, non-stop riot of laughs as the musical whirlwind of excitement and fun embraces all of the enjoyment of a Gombey performance, Bermuda Cup Match, and Carnival. It even makes the sober Bermuda Regiment a thing of fun.

Greg Thompson's show, which opened at the Palm Reef Hotel this week, is a tribute to Bermuda. And, as such, it effectively highlights scenes from Bermuda life.

The show begins as an explosion of sound and smoke as Captain Follies (David Novich) entertains the audience with his ribald sense of humour. His comedic timing is so sharp that he leaves you wondering what his next antic will be.

His escapades draw the audience into his world of innocent mischief.

Lead Follies singer Kirsten Kite is a versatile singer; her repertoire of music covers a gamut of songs and styles, from West Indian to Latin to Portuguese. She is at her best with the Harry Belafonte classics `Day-O' and `I'm On My Way,' and also with her singing of a Portuguese love song, sung in Portuguese.

Her powerful vocal range and boundless energy make it seem unbelievable that such a tiny person could be capable of such exertion, and her infectious smile and quick wit are added bonuses to her vocal talent.

Rachel Kerr, Julee Loberg, Tonya Ortiz and Sonya White are extraordinarily accomplished as dancers. Whether the tribute focuses on the Gombeys, the Latin-flavoured `Cha Cha,' the `Voodoo Dance,' or `Africano,' they all pay homage to the musical styles that have influenced what is heard in Bermuda today.

Kerr belts out Gloria Estefan's `Rhythm Is Gonna Get You' with surprising force. It was hard to keep your toes from tapping.

By far, the highlight of the evening is the appearance of comedian/magician Max Clever. This gifted artist enraptured the audience with his sleight-of-hand tricks. However, even he was surpassed by his `supporting cast' of animals. Niffer the dog -- the cutest thing on earth -- does an incredible striptease, complete with bikini, and Spike the Wonderbird amazes the audience with his ability to open a beer bottle for a drink, and then flexing his `muscles,' Terminator-style for the ladies.

Max's salute to Fred Astaire is exquisitely done: his mastery of top hat tricks reminds one of the glory and grace of the dancing legend.

The Follies' salute to the Regiment is an exercise in razor-sharp military precision. They handle the life-size wooden rifles as capably as any Regimental recruit, in uniforms that are amazingly true-to-life; Captain Follies' heroic attempt as bandmaster only enhances the comical portrayal, rather than detracting from it.

The Palm Reef Hotel comes alive with the Follies performances, and Greg Thompson has shown what the right combination of talent, hard work, ingenuity and imagination can do. The show does not attempt to replace the genuine article. Rather, the Follies' tribute to Bermudian life should encourage visitors to go and try to find the real thing.

`The Rhythm of the Islands' is not a scaled-down version of the Rockettes.

Rather, it is the vibrancy of Bermuda.

TORY CREIGHTON CARNIVAL -- One of the Follies dancers during the tribute to Carnival.

FLEXING FOR THE LADIES -- Spike the Wonderbird strikes a Schwarzenegger pose for all the ladies in the audience together with magician/comedian Max Clever.

Photos by David Skinner.

HERE'S TO YOU -- Captain Follies and Follies lead singer Kirsten Kite add their unique brand of wit to make the Bermuda Follies Show an unforgettable experience.

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