Columnist Joe Delaney: Clint Holmes, others on the Strip where they belong

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Oct. 7, 1999 | 9:26 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears Thursdays and Fridays.Reach him at joe@ vegas.com or 259-4066.

Clint Holmes should do very well when he opens at Harrah's early in 2000. ... Now that he is where he really belongs, in a Strip venue, he will have to beef up his show in order to compete. ... Rowan and Martin of TV's "Laugh In," during their headlining days at the Sahara, a similarly-sized showroom, would open for 20 minutes, introduce an unusual act for 20 or 30 minutes, then return for 45 minutes to close out the show, a suggestion.

The late Dinah Shore was the first to do this, earlier in the 1960s, in the Sands Copa Room. ... Nipsey Russell was making his debut in her support. ... Dinah opened with a few songs, brought on Nipsey, then had him join her for bows when she finished.

Danny Gans moving to the Mirage, David Cassidy's Rio deal to replace Gans, magician Steve Wyrick having a showroom built for him at the Sahara, and the Holmes Harrah's deal, all augur well.

More Holmes

The Harrah's press conference suggested that stars should start visiting each other on stage as they once did in an earlier, much looser, much friendlier, noncorporate Las Vegas. ... We were here when Sinatra, et al would deal blackjack between their first and second Sands shows, do the midnight show then head to the Sahara Casbar at 2:30 a.m. to heckle Don Rickles.

One of the best nights like this, circa 1960, happened at the Thunderbird, then the Silverbird, now vacant. ... The late Dinah Washington was headlining in the T'bird lounge and the Clara Ward Singers came over from the Frontier and joined her for an onstage revival meeting that lasted three wonderful hours.

Prior to becoming a pop diva, Washington, born Ruth Jones, sang with Clara Ward's mother Gertrude in her gospel group. ... The Dukes of Dixieland were alternating with Dinah in the lounge and a very young Jack Jones would come over and join the Dukes onstage.

More impromptu

Bob Hope would come onstage and do some time when Connie Stevens was headlining in the old Flamingo showroom. ... This was before Las Vegas became corporate, when people still talked with people, before the star's personal manager and attorneys only talked with the hotel's marketing department and its attorneys, with very little personal star contact.

It would be difficult today for main showroom performers to join each other onstage unless one had a day off. ... It would still be possible for lounge acts. ... Even so, I doubt whether corporations would look kindly on having someone in their employ performing in a competitive venue. ... Las Vegas is no longer a person-to-person town.

Hotels today are too large to be a personalized home away from home, except for those special people who warrant VIP treatment. ... LV hotels today are becoming models of industrialized efficiency.

Star-policy rundown

It's George Carlin (Bally's); David Copperfield, starting Friday (Caesars Palace); Don Rickles (Desert Inn); Patsy Cline Tribute (Gold Coast); Bill Acosta (Luxor); Carrot Top plus Tommy Tune starring in "EFX" (MGM Grand); Paul Anka (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons (Orleans); Michel LeGrand and Liane Foly (Paris Las Vegas); and Danny Gans (Rio); making for great variety.

If you missed Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme at Caesars Palace last weekend, they're appearing up north in John Ascuaga's Sparks Nugget this weekend. ... Singer-impressionist Bob Anderson is back in the Resort at Summerlin this week, Friday through Sunday.

Irish singer David Parkes, said to be miraculously healed at Medjugorje, will give a free concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Our Lady of Las Vegas Church. ... There will be two more performances here the following week.

Weekend report

Golden Irish Tenor Frank Patterson had a goodly house Sunday at Arizona Charlie's and gave a performance that should warrant a return at UNLV next year. ... He was accompanied by his wife, concert pianist Eily O'Grady, and Sharon Lynn's superb Celtic Storm Irish Dancers, a local troupe. ... The Old Timer's Reunion at the Stardust seems to have been a success. ... It was unfortunate that both events were the same evening.

Hiroshima, celebrating the group's 20th anniversary, appears in Arizona Charlie's Grand Palace Theatre at 8 o'clock this evening. ... Elvis impressionist Steve Connolly opens Friday, doing 2 p.m. shows in Bally's Jubilee Room. ... Support local events, making them even better. ... See you Friday.