Columnist Joe Delaney: Preaching about the benefits of live music in showrooms

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Feb. 18, 1999 | 11:46 a.m.

Today's sermon: Prerecorded music is a false saving. ... It may reflect favorably on the bottom line. ... The negative is a loss of spontaneity. ... Taped music is a severe performance limitation. ... There can never be that magic moment when all of the elements come together in that oneness that makes a performance an emotional experience.

Singers and dancers must perform to the prerecorded music, not to and for the audience. ... A tape cannot respond, it dictates. ... In a show such as the Flamingo Hilton's "Great Radio City Spectacular," should the Rockettes miss a beat, lose tempo, it could be a technical disaster.

Any quality singing act will tell you what a grind it is to sing to the same prerecorded tape night after night. ... "Lerner and Loewe: Brief Shining Moment," last weekend in UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre was so much more effective because of a full live orchestra.

Continuing on

The Russian National Ballet performed "The Sleeping Beauty" in UNLV's Ham Hall last week. ... The performance was lacking in spirit, largely because it was performed to recorded music. ... When the Bolshoi performed here previously, it really came alive with full orchestral backing. ... The Nevada Ballet Theatre performances have extra energy when performed with a live orchestra. ... Need we say more?

Still on our soapbox: Sam Butera & The Wildest (Orleans) and The Treniers (Showboat) conclude their respective two-week stands this Sunday. ... Both groups, proven winners here for five decades, deserve longer engagements. ... They are gone before fans know they're there.

Lounges became important when acts worked at a particular hotel most of the year, building both local and tourist business, building an identification with that hotel, part of its marketing program.

Star-policy rundown

It's George Carlin at 11 p.m., "Jubilee" at 7:30 (Bally's); Caesars and the D.I. showrooms are both dark this weekend. ... It's the Patsy Cline tribute (Gold Coast); Bill Acosta (Luxor); Tom Jones, plus Tommy Tune in "EFX" (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons (Orleans); and Danny Gans (Rio).

Producer Bill Moore and his late partner George Arnold had a long history of successful shows, mostly ice skating spectaculars, for many years. ... Moore is enjoying rave reviews for his new version of "Spice On Ice" in the Crystal Sands showroom in the River Palms Hotel, Laughlin.

A regular reader reminded us that Carl Lodico has a fine big band that plays on Thursdays at Pepper's Lounge. ... So noted. ... Chuck Diamond's Dixie Jazz Band, noon-6 p.m., Orleans Lounge, deserves regular status there a la the Sorta Dixie Jazz Band at the Gold Coast.

More Jazz

With Brian O'Shea's Sextet (Green Shack) Wednesdays; Carl Lodico, Thursdays; Irv Kluger at Pogo's, Fridays; and Dan Menza's Big Band (Riviera) Mondays, plus The Mike Breene Trio, Wednesdays through Saturdays (Santa Fe) and The Jazz Organization there, noon on Sunday; the Ernie George Four (Carollo's), Fridays and Saturday evenings; Marv Koral's All-Stars there Sunday evenings; good jazz is now available six days a week.

The Rocky Lombardo Quintet with Rocky, trumpet; his wife, Ruthie, piano; Joe Lano, guitar; Bruce Phillips, bass; and John Abraham, drums, are in concert 2 p.m. Sunday, Whitney Library Recital Hall.

The main event on Sunday is the 24th Annual Concert of Love, benefitting Opportunity Village, at 3 p.m., Caesars Palace, starring Wayne Newton plus Glenn Smith, Kenny Kerr, Nicky Dewhurst, and the Siegfried & Roy production dancers; a great show for a vital organization.

Thursday addenda

Terry Ryan, his keyboards, and live Legends Orchestra have been the one constant in the 17 years "Legends In Concert" has been in the Imperial Palace showroom. ... Terry has conducted for 20 different Elvis,' four Michael Jacksons, two Kenny Rogers, plus multiple versions of dozens more who duplicate performances with their own voices, no lip-sync.

Recommended: The Kammerchor Stuttgart Choir concert, 7:30 this evening in UNLV's Ham Hall, presented by the UNLV Department of Music and the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society. ... Don't miss Irish poet and Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney Friday at UNLV. ... See you Friday.