Byline: Keith Marder
On the street being called ``all that'' is the ultimate compliment. If you're ``all that,'' you're in the 99th percentile.
Nickelodeon's new show ``All That,'' which premieres tonight at 8:30, lives up to its name and then some.
Adults have to watch cruddy sketch comedy shows all the time. Witness ``Saturday Night Live.'' Thanks to Nickelodeon, children don't have to suffer in that way.
Nick has a knack for entertaining kids of all ages with quality shows like ``The Adventures of Pete and Pete'' and ``The Secret World of Alex Mack.'' Now it has scored again with this hip, fresh sketch show with an all-kids cast.
The seven actors in the ensemble are between 12 and 18 years old. They taped the show in front of a live studio audience at Nickelodeon studios in Orlando, Fla., between October and January and received tutoring on the set.
The players are back in school now where they will be critiqued by their classmates on a weekly basis.
``They're totally excited for me,'' said Alisa Reyes, 13. ``They saw me on the commercial. If they do get jealous, they're not my friends.''
Besides, if they have any taste, they will be down with the vibe of ``All That.''
It wasn't a big deal for Reyes to miss school for the extended period of time. She attends the Professional Performing Arts School in New York, where her classmates frequently miss time while they work on projects. Tutors are a way of life.
Reyes has also appeared on the television shows ``Saturday Night Cannot distribute vertically String not found, STYL = STYL.INL, PC = 38B6 Live,'' ``Law & Order,'' ``Baby-sitter's Club,'' the movies ``Life With Mikey,'' and ``The Super,'' plus on music videos for Mariah Carey and Peter Gabriel.
Although she has never appeared on Nickelodeon, Reyes, who will be 14 in less than two weeks, said she has been watching the cable network ``ever since I was a kid.''
Now, though, her favorite programs are ``Beverly Hills, 90210,'' ``Melrose Place,'' and ``My So-Called Life.''
If you're looking for her in tonight's opener, she will play Ear Boy's cheerleader girlfriend, and an angry customer at the Good Burger restaurant.
Ear boy is one of many troubled teens in one skit. His friends are Pizza Face, who has a slice of pie for a face and can get to a party ``in 30 minutes or less,'' and Egghead, who was ``fried from studying.'' Ear Boy finds out from his friends and ``Ross Perot'' that his popularity will soar if he gets an earring.
Celebrity impersonations will play a big part in the show. Kenan Thompson plays Bill Cosby, loud sweater and all, in the opener.
Reyes will do her Rosie Perez in an upcoming episode. It should be pretty good based on the quick sample I heard during a telephone interview earlier this week.
Cannot distribute vertically ``I used to play around with impersonations,'' said Reyes. who lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. ``I didn't think I'd ever be in a comedy show . . . My friends always told me I was funny. I heard about this audition so I gave it a shot.''
Armed with a bag full of hats for props, Reyes did a comedy routine that obviously impressed the decision makers.
The rollerblader, who likes to go to movies and hang out in Central Park, is also into dancing. She will perform this spring with the National Dance Institute at Madison Square Garden.
During this series, the dancer got to meet the singers. One signature Cannot distribute vertically of ``All That'' is the musical guests from the worlds of Hip-Hop and R&B. Da Brat, who ``wears really cool jewelry,'' appears in the first show, and others who will appear include TLC, who produced the show's theme song, and Coolio.
Reyes said that she was excited to meet all of the musical guests, especially the younger ones.
``Brandy and Immature, they know how we feel,'' said Reyes, who is self-described as being bouncy with a lot of energy. ``Singers are very different than actors. They are very focused on their singing.
From the looks of the first episode, Reyes and company are very focused on producing a very slick, very funny comedy half-hour. Cannot distribute vertically
CAPTION(S):
SEVEN YOUNG ACTORS, including Alisa Reyes, second from right, star in Nickelodeon's new comedy sketch show ``All That,'' tonight at 8:30.
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