Nostalgia acts would benefit with more time

Friday, June 29, 2001 | 9:05 a.m.

The new 10 p.m. show at New York-New York's Cabaret Theatre, which features two doo-wop groups and a Motown legend, suffers from too much of a good thing.

Individually, the Platters, Coasters and Martha Reeves could carry the night. Trying to cram them all into one 70-minute performance does a disservice to all of them, and to the audience.

This is flawed corporate thinking. Entertainment is not an assembly line where the product is stamped out like cookies, cars and candy canes.

When an entertainer performs, he or she needs to be able to adjust the length and the content of a performance, to expand it if the audience is responding, or to contract it on an off night.

Giving three classic groups (or at least the heirs to three classic groups) approximately 23 minutes apiece onstage is frustrating -- they can't do a song to completion. Instead, they must rely on medleys and abbreviated versions of old favorites.

The attraction of these groups is the nostalgia created by the hits from the past. Not allowing them to sing the songs in their original length shortchanges the fans.

Perhaps it would be better to cut the number of acts and divide the time between the two remaining groups.

But who should go and who should remain is the question.

All have their good points.

The weakest link was Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, who started out in the early '60s. Reeves has had many hits ("Heat Wave" was one), but her voice has not endured as well as the music over the decades.

Yet, she was possibly the most personable, the most charismatic of all the entertainers. Before her nano-second performance ended, she had half the audience dancing in the aisles, and a few onstage with her.

Cornell Gunter Coasters were a delight. They opened the evening with a rousing rendition of "Baby Got Rock 'n' Roll," which got the audience into the spirit of things.

Songs such as "Do the Locomotion," "Searchin,' " "Love Potion No. 9," "Yakkity Yak" and "Charlie Brown" had the audience asking for more.

Although members of the Buck Ram Platters would never be mistaken for the originals, they all have superb voices. With its upbeat tempo and genuine love of the music, the group inspired the fans, who showed their appreciation with a standing ovation when the group made a hasty exit at the end of their share of the show.

To me, the most exciting thing about the evening was the fact that it was a demonstration of New York-New York's new commitment to entertainment.

Reeves and the doo-wop groups have the Cabaret Theatre's stage after comedian Rita Rudner finishes her 8 p.m. performance. They are expected to be there at least 12 weeks and, if they catch on, could be there longer.

Felix Rappaport, president of the hotel, said his organization is looking at adding a midnight show, one that is edgier and more attractive to younger audiences.

Demographic appeal is key in most executive decisions today. It was one of the things that prompted the organization to build the Cabaret Theatre for Rudner.

Demographics also were behind the signing of Reeves, the Platters and the Coasters, at least for the short term.