Columnist Joe Delaney: Remembering the holidays — and departed friends

Joe Delaney

Thursday, April 1, 1999 | 11:33 a.m.

Holy Week concludes with Easter services on Sunday. ... The Hebrew observance of Passover began at sundown Wednesday. ... Holy Week in Philadelphia was a solemn period in the 1930s, especially Good Friday, when the hours between noon and 3 p.m. were spent in church silently, kneeling and praying. ... Most nightclubs were closed for the week, reopening on Easter eve. ... It was a time for reflection.

Easter Sunday morning, after sunrise services, my cousins and I would be given our individual Easter baskets and the bargaining would begin. ... Black jelly beans were my favorite and I would trade until all of my jelly beans were black. ... Then came the Easter egg hunt in the backyard.

Chocolate-covered fruit and nut eggs were special. ... Uncle Phil always saw that I got one, otherwise the trading session could become physical. ... Aunt Mary had a wonderful way of preparing ham for Easter. ... We always made room for her ham and yams.

Passover memory

Passover begins with a Seder ceremony on the eve of the first day. ... A favorite memory is a Seder presided over by Theodore Bikel, onstage after the midnight show of "Fiddler On The Roof" at Caesars Palace in the late 1960s. ... Marty Allen was present, along with the late Dave Victorson, Caesars' entertainment director, and the "Fiddler" cast.

Philadelphia story

Philadelphia was my birthplace. ... As an orphan, I lived in homes all over the East Coast. ... Notwithstanding, you can take the boy out of Philadelphia but a little bit of Philly always remains.

Philadelphia back then was the Liberty Bell and Betsy Ross's House; William Penn's hat; Shibe Park and Baker Bowl, home of the Athletics and Phillies baseball teams; the Academy of Music; Robin Hood Dell; Horn and Hardart's automat; Linton's daily specials; scrapple; Philly steaks; sub sandwiches; and Wildwood, N.J., in the summer.

Star-policy rundown

Caesars and the Desert Inn are dark this holiday weekend. ... Elsewhere, it's Clint Holmes (Golden Nugget); Bill Acosta (Luxor); Wayne Newton, plus Tommy Tune starring in "EFX" (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Vikki Carr (Orleans); and Danny Gans (Rio).

One-night stands: Alanis Morissette (Hard Rock); Berlin (House of Blues); Julio Sabalas (LV Hilton); and the Steve Miller Band (MGM) on Friday, plus Billy Joel (Hard Rock); Teena Marie (House of Blues); Jonathan Butler (Palace Station) and B.J. Thomas (Sunset Station) on Saturday.

Stephanie Pope has replaced Ute Lemper as Velma Kelly in the Mandalay Bay musical smash hit "Chicago," joining Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen, Marcia Lewis and Ernie Sabella in the raucous musical romp that depicts the Windy City in the 1920s, a must-see.

Thursday addenda

Indestructible octogenarian Alan Stephens and his wife, Teresa, were in town last week. ... We were at Decca Records, now MCA, together in the late 1940s. ... Alan, an accident victim, was all but counted out recently but still made it here as scheduled. ... A New Albany, Ind., activist, he supported Caesars' successful bid for a riverboat casino, eight miles from their home.

Despite the proximity of the new Caesars Palace casino, the Stephenses continue to be LV regulars. ... Alan says, "Once you've been to Las Vegas, everything anywhere else is minor league."

"Mysterious" Sal Vincent was a good friend, a cab driver-comedian and later a host in Bob Stupak's Vegas World. ... A lung cancer victim, he moved to L.A. to live with his daughter Michelle. ... My Sunday phone call was a day late. ... Sal will be buried in Riverside (Calif.) National Cemetery.

An Appreciation

While roughing out this column at home on Monday, I received a phone call with the sad news that singing great Joe Williams had died. ... Whatever the musical style -- jazz, blues, gospel or pop -- Joe ranked with the very best. ... His was a commanding presence, dignified but never stiff, ready to tell a story or share a hearty laugh.

Williams was a regular at the Kennedy Center Honors each year. ... Two years ago, he sang in tribute to honoree B.B. King. ... It's sad that Joe was not so honored in his lifetime, he richly deserved it. ... He deserved better in his adopted hometown as well. ... We shared some great times together. ... For our readers, enjoy your holidays. ... See you Friday.