Marie Osmond goes solo (as Zowie Bowie declines offer), Joe Cortez’s hoops mojo, and more from Rick Faugno scene

By John Katsilometes

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 | 2:30 a.m.

So it was that Chris Phillips showed up at Rick Faugno’s show Tuesday night at the Lounge at the Palms (where dreams come true) with a tantalizing piece of information:

Earlier in the evening, he’d been asked to perform a few numbers with Marie Osmond. Onstage. As in, for real. Fill in for a time as Mr. I’m a Little Bit Rock ’n’ Roll at the Flamingo.

The founder of the popular Las Vegas act Zowie Bowie turned back the offer made two hours before the start of the Donny & Marie show. Phillips reasoned, rightfully, that he would not be able to learn a set of songs usually sung by Donny Osmond in just two hours (I joked that Phillips is still trying to learn the nuances of hosting “Name That Tune Live” at Imperial Palace, which closed three weeks ago). We joke like this, as we are friends.

The reason for the shuffling of the Donny & Marie stage show is the actual Donny Osmond has been resting his voice, as vocal issues have rendered some of our city’s great entertainers (especially Celine Dion, and Chrissi Scinta of “The Scintas” also has been struggling with her voice) temporarily out of commission.

So for the first time in Donny & Marie’s three-year run on the Strip, Marie went for it solo. One can imagine her unleashing, “I’m a little bit country! … And I’m still a little bit country!” without her brother standing at her side. But Marie reportedly was a hit and thrilled with the performance; just before she took the stage, she announced on her Twitter page that she was going out solo, asking, “Any song requests???”

Not that it’s going to be a regular occurrence, as Donny is expected to return to the show when his voice is well enough to sing again.

That was not all the unexpected, yet fascinating, information to spill forth from Faugno’s characteristically tireless Tuesday night performance. In the audience was famed boxing official Joe Cortez, a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame who is a friend of Faugno’s. The onetime “Jersey Boys” cast member worked out at Cortez’s home boxing gym on Saturday, and as Cortez remarked, Faugno possesses the stamina, dexterity and capacity to stick and move required to be a top fighter.

But getting punched in the face, that’s something of a roadblock for someone whose physical appearance is crucial to his performance. There should be no tap-tap-tapping on Faugno’s head. Better for him to just punch the pads.

Cortez also talked of his basketball skills. He’s quite adept with the rock, it turns out, a genuine master of trick-shot artistry. Check out the embedded YouTube video for evidence of that. As he sets up in the driveway of his Las Vegas home, Cortez says he has unearthed some “hidden skills” and puts on quite a shooting clinic, hitting 13 shots from 32 feet out with his back to the basket, all in a 40-minute period. Very good for someone whose regular job is to make sure boxers beat each other up within the written rules of the sport.

Cortez told the story to a group of folks after Faugno’s show. In the group were Las Vegas Wranglers President Billy Johnson and his aerialist/dancer wife, Erika. The collective response was one of disbelief.

All in a night on the streets, scenesters.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWithTheDish.