NEWPORT - Jimmy Keys was out of control in a lot of ways.

For nearly two hours Sunday night, the singing, piano-playing comedian had control of the crowd with a combination of songs, impersonations and straight jokes. But the man barely stopped for air, intensely entertaining a captivated audience at the Newport Yachting Center, as part of the Newport Summer Comedy Series.

But Keys was ruthless, although it didn't seem he would be at first. Keys ran out in a bright green suit with thick white glasses. He seemed like an old-school variety show performer, but eventually took some low blows at celebrities like Mike Tyson.

"These lights are so bright I'm sweating like Mike Tyson at a spelling bee," Keys said.

The majority of Keys' act focused on different musicians whose songs he would cover, changing the lyrics to parody the artist. Keys took on Jerry Lee Lewis and Bruce Springsteen right away.

Keys made fun of Springsteen's lyrics and the way it seems he sings about what he did that day. He sang "Jimmy's Springsteen Song," mimicking the New Jersey rocker's voice but adding one of many fart jokes to the lyrics.

Keys sang about how his wife made chili that night and how Springsteen might write: "You smell like burning tire/ Honey, I suspect your butt's on fire."

Keys was able to pull off these type of jokes, although they got a bit redundant. He added in some straight storytelling jokes between musical portions of the act. One that drew a large response was about a time in Bermuda he was pulled over for drinking and driving.

"He said, 'You're drunk.' I said, 'You're ugly.'" Keys went on: "'Sir, have we been drinking?' I said, 'I've never met you, but I've had quite a few.'"

At every point in the act Keys seemed to be moving 100 mph, moving from one impersonation to another: Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Elton John.

He had the crowd rolling with his impersonation of a Japanese karaoke singer performing Neil Diamond, coming out with a World War II fighter pilot cap and glasses with squinted eyes.

Keys held no punches, playing on ethnic stereotypes and letting no one get away during his act. He made fun of the Indians, Polish, Scottish, English, American rednecks and the Irish.

He played the part of a pilot on "Irish Air Fungus," and said: "This is Capt. Murphy, speaking to you from the pointed end." He went on to rip into the Irish for their drinking problems, after already making fun of the Scottish for supposed infidelities with goats.

The crowd did not escape Keys either, and he made cracks on a woman with "big hair," saying she must be from New Jersey, and another girl walking across the room, who Keys asked if she was cold.

Keys was always talking or singing and constantly moving, earning comparisons to Robin Williams for his intensely spastic style of performance. Not five minutes would go by without a reflexive yell or high-pitched scream from Keys, which kept the audience's attention.

He serenaded audience members in the persona of Rod Stewart, dancing around under the tent at the Newport Yachting Center.

The audience called Keys out and he finished the show with "God Bless the U.S.A." by Lee Greenwood.

The Newport Summer Comedy Series will continue Sunday with Dave Russo and Bucky Lewis. For tickets or more information, call 846-3018 or visit the Web site: www.newportcomedy.com.