Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997 | 9:28 a.m.
DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS and Blood, Sweat & Tears are the Orleans Hotel special attraction, Friday through Sunday. ... The late Dave Victorson, entertainment director for Caesars Palace in the mid-1960s brought the group to town for a three-day stand in the Circus Maximus during early December one year. ... Clayton-Thomas & Co. were ostracized by their peers for deigning to play Las Vegas. ... Attendance was fair.
Tonight, Chicago, a group originally formed in the image of BS&T, will start a four-day stand in that same Circus Maximus as CP regulars. ... Huey Lewis & The News, also regulars, will come in next week, Sept. 25-28.
Kenny Loggins was the Caesars Palace incumbent earlier this month. ... James Brown, who goes back to the mid-1950s, plays there in early October. ... The Legends of Motown perform two weeks later. ... Victorson & BS&T were premature, 30 years premature.
Anent Belafonte
Harry Belafonte is the Hilton showroom attraction Friday, one night only at 9 o'clock. ... Belafonte's original intent was to become an actor in legit Broadway musicals, not a career singing songs of the West Indies. ... As a student, he was a night porter at the Royal Roost on NYC's Broadway, the predecessor of Birdland to come, several blocks to the north.
"The Banana Boat Song," Belafonte's first hit, was a direct copy of the original by the Tarriers, credited as the writers. ... Alan Arkin, a fine actor, father of Adam Arkin, was a Tarrier.
Philip Rose, owner of the small label that RCA copied with Belafonte, sued, won, and used the money to produce several Broadway hits including "Raisin In The Son," launching pad for Sidney Poitier. ... The money Rose was awarded was reduced when it was revealed that the Tarriers also backed Belafonte on the RCA recording.
Star-policy rundown
It's Louie Anderson & Luke Torres (Bally's); Chicago (Caesars); Debbie Reynolds (her hotel); Wayne Newton (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Danny Gans is off this week (Rio); and Marty Allen & Kate Blackwell plus Robbie Howard (Westward Ho).
Counting Crows and the Wall Flowers will sell out the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts tonight at 7:30; Little Texas (Orleans) and Steppenwolf (Sunset Station should do likewise this evening. ... Had a call from Al Martino with the good news that he will be back at Sunset Station for New Year's Eve and several times during 1998.
"Imagine, A Theatrical Odyssey" has opened at the Luxor. ... The Dick Foster production will have its press premiere on Sept. 25 which we will cover for that Friday's "It Happened Last Night."
LV premiere
The Misfits Ensemble production of Gale Baker's original country-western musical, "Waterin' Hole," continues this weekend and next at the Winchester Community Center. ... Baker, a published poet, performer-songwriter and playwright, triples as writer, director and songwriter here. ... She has had eight of her plays produced in Los Angeles before deciding to re-locate to Las Vegas.
A Los Angeles Times reviewer described "Waterin' Hole" as "a funky theatrical homage to the sound of Nashville." ... We shall cover Thursday's performance in this week's "It Happened Last Night."
The 5th annual Seniors Blue Room Ball starts at 6 p.m. Friday, Sammy Davis Jr. Plaza. ... Vet blues recording artist Charles Brown performs at 8 p.m. Friday, Reed Whipple Center, and the LV Youth Orchestra plays at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sammy Davis Jr. Plaza.
Jazz beat
Friday's jazz is at Pogo's while Sunday's starts at noon with The Jazz Organ-ization (Santa Fe Pavilion) and concludes, 5:30-9:30 p.m., with the Marv Koral All-Stars (Manhattan). ... Mondays, we recommend Don Menza and Friends (Riviera)... The latest entry: Wednesdays with Gus Mancuso, et al (Rob Roy's). ... Support good jazz and good local theater as well. ... See you Friday.
