‘Honky Tonk Angels’ a fun return to basics

Friday, Aug. 9, 2002 | 8:42 a.m.

Before Garth Brooks and his ilk changed it all with explosive, supercharged performances, country music shows were pretty basic stuff.

The music was simple, perhaps deceptively so. The presentation unpretentious, without all the flash onstage audiences seem to expect today. Fans were moved by the words and the music, not by the explosions and the lighting. Think George Jones and Tammy Wynette.

"Honky Tonk Angels" is a show that keeps alive those early years of country, the days when the Grand Ole Opry featured the likes of Roy Acuff and his Crazy Tennesseans, Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb and, of course, Patsy Cline -- country music's "Li'l Darlin'. "

Cline, who died in the crash of a private plane in 1963, lives through the talent of Sharon Haynes.

Haynes arrived in Las Vegas about five years ago, starring in the "Patsy Cline Tribute with the Jordanaires" at the Gold Coast showroom. She began paying tribute to Cline in 1990.

The Jordanaires were Cline's band, as well as the band for Elvis Presley, Rick Nelson and other headliners. When the group went into semi-retirement three years ago, Haynes decided she wanted to stay at the Gold Coast. She recruited two other talented singers to join her in the tribute show whose name is a reference to Cline's biography -- "Honky Tonk Angel," by Ellis Nassour.

Corrie Sachs (as Reba McEntire) and Lori Legacy (as Dolly Parton) join Haynes in a show whose down-home country style is refreshing in this age of oversized productions. Their performances, individually and collectively, should satisfy the hunger any fan has for music. It not only touches the heart but makes you want to sing and dance.

Sachs looks enough like McEntire to be the clone of the Oklahoma-born superstar, who once sang the national anthem at rodeos. She has captured McEntire's twang and the emotion that McEntire pumps into her songs.

Legacy has a resemblance to Parton, and the resemblance becomes stronger with a little padding. She also sounds a lot like the singer she portrays, but it is more of a natural similarity in their voices, than a conscious attempt at emulation.

Haynes, the creator of "Angels," looks nothing like her Cline character, and her voice barely touches that of Cline -- but that is not important because the feelings she puts into Cline's songs are what is important.

Haynes is an excellent singer, but her strongest asset is her pleasing personality. She possesses a strong desire to make everyone in the audience leave the showroom with a smile on their faces and a warm memory of spending 80 minutes or so with a some great music from the world of country.

The trio are backed by the Cool Country Crew, conducted by Michael Dubay, keyboards; Russ Letizia, lead guitar; Michael Parrott, drums; Chris Riggs, bass guitar; and Harvey Sharp, steel guitar.

"Honky Tonk Angels" is not a straight tribute concert, but rather a mini-production that opens in a fictitious radio studio, with the band backing Legacy, who is a singing ventriloquist.

Legacy and her dummy, Sunshine, sing the rapid-fire "Auctioneer," made popular by Leroy Van Dyke in 1956. It's a tough number to do even in a person's normal voice. It was amazing to watch Legacy and Sunshine work in tandem.

After the song Legacy and the band left the stage and Sachs, dressed as a cleaning woman, comes on. A voice tells her to step through a magic door and she can become a great singer.

Sachs and Haynes emerge as Naomi and Wynonna Judd, respectively, and belt out a couple of the duo's more popular tunes, including "Girls Night Out"; "Grandpa" and "Rockin' wth the Rhythm of the Rain."

After the brief tribute to the Judds, Legacy does a set of Tammy Wynette hits, including "I don't Want to Play House," "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and "Stand By Your Man." While Legacy has a powerful voice, even as Wynette she sounds similar to Parton.

About 20 minutes into the show, Haynes emerges as Cline, singing some of her most memorable hits, including "I Fall to Pieces," "Walking After Midnight" and "Crazy," written by Willie Nelson.

After Haynes' set, Sachs becomes the highlight of the show, singing such McEntire favorites as "Fancy" and "The Greatest Man I Never New."

Legacy as Dolly Parton is an especially fun part of the evening, as she giggles and jiggles across stage and down into the audience, teasing some of the male fans while singing "Why You Come in Here Looking Like That."

Bob Caloca performed a tribute to Waylon Jennings, who died this year, with such memorable tunes as "Rainy Day Woman, "Honky Tonk Heroes" and "Good Hearted Woman."

While the three stars changed into their costumes for the finale, the band entertained the audience with a number of tunes that showcased their considerable talent, including Floyd Cramer's "Last Day."

The show closed with Haynes, Sachs and Legacy appearing as themselves and singing "Silver Threads" and "Angels Among Us."

"Honky Tonk Angels" may not be the best tribute show in town, but it is very good and is pleasing enough to draw large audiences nightly.

The production is not so much about paying tribute to certain entertainers as it is to paying tribute to having fun -- and in that, it is a hit.

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