Columnist Joe Delaney: Old favorites make return to entertainment scene

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000 | 8:54 a.m.

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

Welcome back, Aladdin hotel, almost all brand new, bigger and better than ever, not quite ready but with the future assured ... The initial opening is at 7 this evening, with the grand opening in a month or so ... Partial openings were quite costly to both the Stratosphere and Venetian, with both struggling before achieving hoped-for potential.

Las Vegans should be grateful that the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts was spared and, in fact, the recipient of approximately $25 million worth of much-needed refurbishment ... Enrique Iglesias opens the ATFTPA on Saturday ... The theatre was the home of the International Mariachi Festival each September for six years, from 1992 until 1997 ... The Aladdin was closed in 1998 ... It's good for LV to have a 7,000-seat theatre-styled venue once more.

More welcomes

The Blue Note Jazz Club, opening tonight at the Aladdin as the Blue Note Las Vegas, will present Lou Rawls and Nancy Wilson through Saturday, with future jazz bookings to include the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Cassandra Wilson, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, David Sanborn, Greg Allman, Roberta Flack and Chuck Mangione, a welcome addition.

My Blue Note memories are of the club on the east side of Manhattan, with great steaks and always a fine rhythm section plus a top trumpeter such as Jonah Jones or Erskine Hawkins. Ralph Watkins was one of the owners who later opened Basin Street West with Louis Armstrong and the original All-Stars, plus Sam Butera and the Witnesses backing lovely Lili Christine, the Cat Girl.

Basin Street East came even later with Moe Lewis as the man in charge, playing Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett and other headliners, more pop than jazz ... Lewis was also a fixture in Las Vegas until his passing.

And still more

Breck Wall and Patrick Maes have brought back "The Best of Bottoms Up," now ensconced at the Flamingo Las Vegas, 2 and 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays ... Wall is joined by David Harris, both are original cadre, plus Sue Motsinger, Billy Smith and a talented cast in the mother of all comedy revues ... "Bottoms Up" has always been a winner, especially in Las Vegas.

The sketches are topical and always funny ... Wall is the quintessential host/catalyst, always sharing, giving Harris, Motsinger and Smith their fair share of time and stage ... The impressions are pure caricature at its best ... The dancers and the dance numbers, first class ... "Bottoms Up" is both timely and timeless, a "laffternoon" special.

Equally welcome is the new policy in Addison's Lounge at the Regent Las Vegas, a return to what made LV unique, with superior saloon singer Sonny King and special guests ... Check dates and times.

Star-policy rundown

It's Enrique Iglesias, Saturday only, plus Lou Rawls-Nancy Wilson, Blue Note (Aladdin); George Carlin (Bally's); Julio Iglesias (Caesars Palace); Gladys Knight (Desert Inn); Clint Holmes (Harrah's); Bill Acosta (Luxor); Earth, Wind & Fire (Mandalay Bay); Tom Jones, plus Rita Rudner, plus Tommy Tune starring in "EFX" (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy, plus Danny Gans (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); and Dion (Orleans).

Plus David Cassidy-Sheena Easton (Rio); Sally Struthers-Rachel Ricca in "Always ... Patsy Cline" (Silverton); Little Anthony & The Imperials-Sonny Turner's Platters (Stardust); Melinda, First Lady of Magic, plus Andre-Philippe Gagnon (Venetian).

Saturday night is "Irish Nite," starting at 8 p.m. at Hank's Place on South Eastern Avenue, with Anne Marie as the attraction this Saturday, followed by D.J. Curtin on Aug. 26. Michael Keane is featured weekly.

Closing thoughts

Marty Allen and Karon Kate Blackwell continue through Aug. 28, Fridays through Mondays, at the Gold Coast, which is also continuing its "Doo Wop Gold" series on Thursday nights ... The Del Vikings, the Chiffons and the Clovers are the attraction, tonight at 8, with the Penguins ("Earth Angel"), the Dixie Cups and Cadillacs on Aug. 23.

Sting's "Brand New Day" tour will be at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday at 8 p.m. ... You can still help the Sun Summer Camp Fund with your tax-deductible contribution ... See you Friday.