Columnist Joe Delaney: Assessing the entertainment along the boardwalk

Joe Delaney

Thursday, April 22, 1999 | 11:54 a.m.

Atlantic City revisited. ... Monday, a week ago, we took the red-eye flight to Philadelphia, making the pleasant discovery at McCarran International Airport that Claude and Skip Trenier were on the same late flight, along with the rest of the group. ... They opened Tuesday in a new lounge area at Caesars Palace in Atlantic City.

There was room in the van sent to pick them up in Philadelphia so I hitched a ride, then proceeded to the Claridge hotel for three days of visits with daughter Megan, her husband, Dennis, my first granddaughter, Caitlin, and son Shay. ... Wednesday night, we caught a couple of sets by the Treniers, the lounge was packed.

First observations: Las Vegas' entertainment policy has become more like that of Atlantic City rather than the other way around, with star policy acts in for two- or three-day weekends.

A.C. rundown

This past weekend in Atlantic City found Danny Gans at Caesars Palace; James Darren (Claridge) and Julio Iglesias (Trump Taj Mahal's Mark Eless Arena), each in Friday through Sunday. ... Pat Cooper and Dick Jensen are scheduled at Harrah's, and Neil Sedaka will be the Resorts International attraction, both set for Thursday through Sunday.

"Legends In Concert" (Bally's Park Place); "Chantilly Lace," a 1950s revue (Claridge); The Tokens, Crystals and The Crests (Harrah's); The Four Aces and Four Lads (Resorts); Hypnotist Robert Kennzington (Sands); "Basin Street Follies" (Showboat) and an Ed Sullivan tribute a la "Legends In Concert" (Tropicana) are weeklong production show attractions.

Trump Marina, formerly Trump Castle, has "Four Swing Bands," the Trump Plaza features the Anita Mann Tap Girls and his Taj Mahal has a Broadway-style revue. ... Memorial Day starts the high season.

Peak season

During the summer months, through the week after Labor Day, Atlantic City still books stars for weekends only. ... David Copperfield, who plays LV's Caesars Palace three and four weeks at a time, is booked in for three days in June at Caesars, Atlantic City. ... Las Vegas, with well over 100,000 hotel rooms and tremendous convention business, should be able to have entertainment successfully seven days a week.

60th reunion

On Friday, Megan drove me to Merchantville, N.J., for the 60th reunion of Camden's Woodrow Wilson Senior High School class of January 1939. ... Forty-one of us out of a class of 106 survive. ... A few didn't attend but all who did were ambulatory; no canes, no walkers, no wheelchairs, but there were a good number of hearing aids.

Worth noting: The 50th reunion, which I also attended, was dinner at 7 and went on until almost midnight. ... This year we had a noon to 4 p.m. luncheon session and the place was empty five minutes past.

The flight home that evening was pure torture. ... Airplane seats in economy class today are made for people who are 5-feet, 5-inches tall, weigh under 150 pounds, and have no backsides. ... The person seated in front of me tilted his seat back at take-off and I spent more than 4 1/2 hours with the top of his head 8 inches from my chin. ... There was beverage service, but no food.

Welcome, NAB

In town is the National Association of Broadcasters, a great group. ... They love Las Vegas, take care of business and have a good time in the process. ... Technically, we are in the midst of a communication revolution. ... Too bad the same energy cannot be applied to improve the quality of radio and TV programming.

LV star-policy rundown

This weekend it's George Carlin (Bally's); Don Rickles (Desert Inn); Patsy Cline Tribute (Gold Coast); Clint Holmes (Golden Nugget); Alan Jackson (LV Hilton); Bill Acosta (Luxor); Carrot Top (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Righteous Brothers (Orleans); Danny Gans (Rio); and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Saturday (Stardust).

What Atlantic City doesn't have are the super-spectaculars that Las Vegas has in abundance from one end of the Strip to the other. ... Star-policy-wise, our stars and their stars are short-term and interchangeable.

Recommended: The group Justice, headed by top femme blues-rock guitarist Cheryl Justice, evenings at the Barbary Coast through Sunday. ... They are already scheduled for return dates, June 9-13 and Sept. 1-5. ... Welcome back, Penny France's "Naughty Ladies 2000" (Arizona Charlie's). ... See you Friday.