Columnist Kate Maddox: Leach party plans taking off

Kate Maddox

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2001 | 8:32 a.m.

National President Mike Conway gave his OK to a 15-percent fare discount for those who want to get in on the Leach-Penn-Broadway deal this week. (For information, call National Airlines at (888) 757-5387.)

But the truth is, the promotion was Robin's idea. Leach, who essentially lives the adage "the more the merrier" in all aspects of his life(style), thought an audience filled with his Vegas pals would be the fun way to go for his Broadway stint. Besides, more friends in the crowd means more people to hit the clubs with after the curtain goes down, right? Well, that was his thinking.

So far Leach has not only secured the special rate, he's told some friends that raucous parties await them each night post-performance, followed by a requisite recovery brunch (on him!) the next morning. So why not go all out and just let people bunk at your Manhattan pad?

"I'm sorry, my place isn't large enough to put (everyone) up!" Leach said.

As of Monday most of Leach's Vegas supporters had already signed up for the New York trip -- including members of the "Crazy Girls" and "Splash" casts. Leach and National are hoping the deal "helps New York and helps Broadway theaters."

The less-than-stellar reviews that audience members continue to supply following "Cats' " brief run at Aladdin's Theatre for the Performing Arts have Broadway lovers scratching their heads. But they should stop -- the performance was hardly organized by members of the Great White Way.

The touring version of "Cats" that came to the Strip was produced by Troika Entertainment, which one insider calls "a nonequity touring company ... with inexperienced actors." You might recall that the Maryland-based Troika was the organization responsible for "Grease" last year at MGM Grand. That show was yanked by the hotel two weeks early because, as one executive put it at the time, "things weren't working out."

Troika is also rumored to be the company trying to get a shortened version of "Chicago" into the Showroom at Venetian. And ever wonder what happened to that little-loved, self-help-book-turned-musical "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus," which played at Flamingo Las Vegas for less than a year? That production is scheduled to tour with nonunion actors (reportedly working for Troika's very low weekly rate) early next year.

As one insider who has intimate knowledge of Troika's operations put it: "If people are paying $60 to $90 for a ticket, they deserve to see experienced actors, not newcomers who have never been on a stage before. Or they at least have the right to know beforehand what they're paying for."

A spokeswoman for Aladdin says the box office had no requests for "Cats" refunds on any other night other than opening night, when there was a glitch in the delivery of scenery.

Macy Gray will christen the Palms' showroom/nightclub, Rain, on Nov. 16 when she performs during the hotel's opening weekend. The eccentric Gray was selected because she "emulates the contemporary artists" that the property is hoping to land for most concerts, according to a representative of the hotel.