Columnist Joe Delaney: Shows must be in tip-top shape on opening night

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Jan. 20, 2000 | 9:21 a.m.

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

Variety magazine, once the self-described "Bible of Show Business," set the rule on reviewing new shows early in this century. ... The show must be ready the first night it opens and charges full price for the performance. ... Notwithstanding the use of such terms as "preview" or "soft opening," it is subject to review.... This is the Sun's policy as well.

Last Friday we attended Clint Holmes' opening night at Harrah's. ... Approximately half of the showroom was filled with media and invited guests. ... Holmes, musical director Bill Fayne, their excellent horn-enhanced band and strong new talent Shonica Roland were ready, in top form, and the partially predisposed audience responded enthusiastically throughout.

Those paying the $44.95 plus tax seemed to have gotten their money's worth. ... Word of mouth as the crowd departed was uniformly positive. ... There were a couple of comments worth noting here.

Discordant notes

These comments all came from people in the 50-and-above age bracket. ... The first, from a woman there with her daughter, stated there was too much of the scat singing exchanges with various musicians. ... The second referred to an ensemble interlude paying tribute to various contemporary composers, saying earlier composers like Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and Rodgers and Hart (or Hammerstein) should have been included as well.

"Doesn't Holmes know any songs that I know?" asked a third person. ... If the three composers listed above are too far back, he might consider including "Misty" by Erroll Garner or "Tenderly" by Walter Gross.

Garner and Gross were highly respected pianists and composers. ... "Misty" and "Tenderly" were both originally written as piano solos, very rangy, too much so for many singers but not for a Clint Holmes. ... This could be one way of incorporating the over-50s into his show.

Star-policy rundown

It's Natalie Cole (Caesars Palace); Patsy Cline tribute (Gold Coast); Holmes (Harrah's); Bill Acosta (Luxor); Tom Jones plus Tommy Tune starring in "EFX" (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Smothers Brothers (Orleans); David Cassidy-Sheena Easton (Rio); and Andre-Philippe Gagnon (Venetian).

Justin Tranz's "Hip-nosis" (Flamingo O'Shea's) is building nicely, worth visiting if your wont is hypnotists and their subjects. ... Mac King, at 1 and 3 p.m. (Harrah's) gives that hotel two new winners in one week. ... The other is the aforementioned Holmes.

Nevada Ballet Theatre's annual Black & White Ball takes place Friday in the Four Seasons Hotel with Cartier as the sole sponsor. ... NBT's Woman of the Year is Toni Clark, a vital part of Las Vegas' history. ... There will be special entertainment as well.

Local happenings

KNPR 89.5-FM will conduct its first cyber pledge, "Netpledge 2000," today through Monday. ... Check the station's website (www.knpr.org) for details. ... Participants can also indicate that they don't want their names exchanged with other organizations. ... Cyber pledge means no program interruptions, no phones ringing in the background, no pitches.

Actors Repertory Theatre's "A Streetcar Named Desire" is in its second and last weekend (Summerlin Library Theatre). ... Jazz singer, one of the best, Diane Schuur, performs in Boulder Station's Railhead Friday at 7 and 9 p.m. ... Electric Light Orchestra II is the attraction, also at 7 and 9 p.m. Friday, in the Sunset Station's Club Madrid.

Master violinist Itzhak Perlman performs Saturday at 8 p.m., UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall, part of the prestigious Charles Vanda Master Series and Sunday at 7 p.m. in Ham Hall, it's the Drummers of West Africa.

Thursday addenda

Tommy Chong, formerly of Cheech and Chong, is the Sunset Station attraction, Saturday at 7 and 9 p.m. ... Don Menza's Big Band plays "Jazz on the Strip" Mondays (Riviera). ... Our best bet: Guitar virtuoso Joe Lano, bassist Chris Gordon and drummer Tommy Check, 6-10 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, in the Paris Las Vegas Napoleon Room; the easiest listening jazz in town.

Buddy Greco, Lezlie Anders, their big band sounds and special guests have been renewed for six months, Fridays in the Flamingo Hilton showroom. ... A radio syndication deal is in the works. ... Greco, Anders and Co. have created one of our town's nicest Friday evenings. ... See you Friday.