Columnist Joe Delaney: Wondering aloud about entertainment scene

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Feb. 1, 2001 | 8:44 a.m.

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

No one asked me, however ... Since the "Forever Plaid" deal did not work out at the Lady Luck, why not try the Golden Nugget at 7 and 10:30 p.m. on either side of David Brenner? ... It could work regular hours on his night off (Monday) and a very early and a late, late show on Saturdays ... The Golden Nugget is the class of Casino Center, and "Forever Plaid" is a class production ... Lady Luck has a coupon deal that works very well; why mess with it?

In the same vein, the Flamingo Las Vegas should think again about letting "Forever Plaid" get away ... "The Second City" is no "gimme," especially if the price exceeds $25 ... "Forever Plaid" could do 6 and 8 p.m., "The Second City" 10 p.m. and midnight.

If "The Second City's" price exceeds $25, it will have to have strong marquee name value to overcome Harrah's Improv, Riviera's Comedy Club and the Tropicana Comedy Stop at $24.95, $16.95 and $17.50, respectively ... Look for each of these three winners to beef up its weekly lineup.

"Storm" is due to open shortly at Mandalay Bay, yet there has been no pre-opening buzz thus far, not even a weather report ... Will "Storm" have a marquee name as headliner? ... "Chicago" was doing quite well until the marquee-name strength was diminished considerably.

Still unasked, but offered, nevertheless: Recognition has always been a major factor in making entertainment work for a particular hotel ... Elvis Presley and the Las Vegas Hilton (then known as the International) were synonymous from the start of the 1970s until Presley's death at age 42 in 1977 ... The original Rat Pack and the Sands were as one during Sinatra and Co.'s heyday.

From the mid-1950s if you said Louis Prima, Keely Smith and Sam Butera, you added "at the Sahara Casbar" ... From 1960 until he moved into the Congo Room as a headliner, Don Rickles and the Sahara Casbar were as one ... The same was true for Shecky Greene and the Riviera, the Mary Kaye Trio at the Tropicana, and the acts that played the Stardust Lounge.

Earl Turner was allowed to build a following as well as a recognition with the Rio with his current long stint in the hotel's RioBamba Lounge ... This business of acts playing one- and two-week stands at various hotels does little for the hotel or the longevity or development of the act as a draw.

Classic examples of hotel-show identification are "O" and "Mystere" at Bellagio and Treasure Island, respectively, Siegfried & Roy (Mirage) and, more recently, Danny Gans at the Mirage ... Brenner seems well on his way to creating this type of relationship at the Golden Nugget, and Clint Holmes is in his second year as a Harrah's drawing card.

"Jubilee" at Bally's and "The Best of the Folies Bergere" (Tropicana) are two more classic examples ... This hotel-show identification can also be done with star-policy performers who wish to use Las Vegas as home base ... Look at the successful association of the Stardust and Wayne Newton, which has just been enhanced by adding an exclusive contract with Rickles for select weeks when Newton is away.

This same policy can be done (as with Turner) developing lounge acts as part of the hotel's overall long-range marketing plan ... Why isn't more of this being done?

Star-policy rundown

It's Bill Acosta (Flamingo Las Vegas); Brenner (Golden Nugget); Holmes (Harrah's); Scintas (LV Hilton); Engelbert Humperdinck plus Rick Springfield starring in "EFX Alive" (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy plus Gans in separate theatres (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); "The Kenny Kerr Show" (New Frontier, beginning Saturday); Mel Tillis (Orleans); Natalie Cole (Paris Las Vegas); Pete Barbutti (Plaza); Rickles and Bob Anderson (Stardust) and Melinda, First Lady of Magic, plus Andre-Philippe Gagnon (Venetian).

"Legends of Comedy" remains at the New Frontier for the foreseeable future, but with new afternoon times starting today, 2 and 5:30 p.m., dark on Sundays ... Tickets for the 2 p.m. show are $21.95 plus tax; the 5:30 p.m. tab is $26.95 plus tax ... "The Kenny Kerr Show" has the 8:30 and 10 p.m. slots, also dark on Sundays ... See you Friday.