Columnist Joe Delaney: Charo gets hearty welcome back to Strip

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001 | 8:18 a.m.

Charo has been successful in Las Vegas dating back to her debut with the late Xavier Cugat and his orchestra at Caesars Palace's Nero's Nook in the late 1960s, and in the 1970s with Cugat at the Tropicana, before going on her own with strong stints at the LV Hilton and Sahara ... She and her husband, Kjell Rastin, have been living in Hawaii since the 1980s.

Stuart knows Las Vegas ... His "Legends In Concert" concept has been a winner internationally, still going strong here ... Bill Moore, another Las Vegan with a successful producing career, is also involved ... With the recent Robert Goulet/Venetian debacle in mind, will Charo & Co. be able to pay the rental fee, pay the ticket brokers, all expenses, and be left with enough for herself?

"Bravo" is scheduled to be presented nightly at 9 p.m., with an additional show Wednesday at 7 p.m.; dark on Mondays ... Melinda, First Lady of Magic will move to 7 p.m., dark on Wednesdays.

Congratulations, all concerned with Sunday's USO Concert, completely sold out and a winner in every respect ... This is the real Las Vegas ... Whenever it comes to fund-raising for a good cause, count on LV performers to be on the front line ... Mandalay Bay deserves special mention for making the Events Center available and absorbing the cost.

Comdex continues through Thursday, and several shows will be dark during this period; most of them will be back in action as of Friday ... Comdex brings in close to 200,000 people to town, but the majority are not show-goers; they do pay premium for rooms and eat, so it's still a good week overall.

Star-policy rundown

It's Amazing Johnathan (Golden Nugget); Mac King, afternoons, Clint Holmes, evenings (Harrah's); Wynonna, and Society of Seven in separate theaters (LV Hilton); Blue Man Group (Luxor); Louie Anderson & Roseanne, plus Ray Romano, Britney Spears, in separate venues (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy and Danny Gans in separate theaters (Mirage); and Lance Burton (Monte Carlo).

Plus comedian Richard Jeni (New York-New York); Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell (Orleans); Macy Gray, Friday only (Palms); Al Jarreau (Paris Las Vegas); The Scintas (Rio); Steve Wyrick, and Michael Holly in separate theaters (Sahara); Don Rickles and Patty Smyth (Stardust); Phyllis Diller (Suncoast); Rick Thomas (Tropicana); Melinda and Charo, 9 p.m. starting Saturday (Venetian).

All the best to the Maloof family and their Palms ... The Joseph Bernard Acting Studio presents "A Comedy Tonight," free at 7 o'clock tonight (Winchester Center) ... Actors Repertory Theatre's "Love Letters" continues through Saturday (Summerlin Library Theatre) ... Las Vegas Little Theatre's "Italian American Reconciliation" concludes on Sunday.

UNLV's Nevada Conservatory Theatre's production of Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors" ends Sunday (Judy Bayley Theatre) ... The Guitar Society of LV presents its annual showcase concert of local talent, 7:30 p.m. Friday (Winchester Center) ... Paris Las Vegas celebrates Beaujolais Nouveau, 6-9 p.m. Friday and 1-3 and 8-9 p.m. Saturday; check for locations.

As predicted, Ronn Lucas starts a new 3 p.m. series in the Rio Copacabana showroom on Friday, continuing through Dec. 2002, dark on Mondays ... Joe Behar's Community Drama Workshop presents its 38th annual Talent Workshop, free at 2 p.m. Saturday (Gold Coast showroom) ... Attention American Federation of Musicians members: General Election of Officers, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, AFM headquarters.

Grammy's Art of Music Gallery will have a private opening Friday at 6:30 p.m. Grace Slick, former lead singer of Jefferson Airplane, and Michael Greene, Grammy Foundation president, will be present ... It opens to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday in Caesars Forum Shops ... The gallery will feature art by some of the music industry's greatest artists.

Hasim Rahman vs. Lennox Lewis for the WBC and IBF heavyweight titles takes place Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center ... This makes for a great action weekend in Las Vegas ... Lewis should regain his titles ... It will be available on pay-per-view and closed-circuit TV ... Recommended: The Young Dubliners, Saturday, Jack's Irish Pub (Palace Station) ... See you Friday.