Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Tribute group Fair Play leaves fans wanting more

Already bursting at the seams, Riviera's Le Bistro Theatre has shoehorned another act into its busy schedule.

"Fourever Tops," a tribute to the legendary Four Tops by the group Fair Play, recently joined a growing list of tribute performances in the 150-seat former lounge.

Fair Play, occupying a tough 11:30 p.m. time slot, shares space with Trent Carlini (an Elvis tribute artist), Jay White (Neil Diamond), Ricci Martin (Dean Martin's son) and "Rock This Town Live" (a tribute to old time rock 'n' roll).

If you prefer nontribute artistry, there is "Singing Sensation Marlene Ricci" (Ricci leases the theater from the Riviera and sublets to other performers), Dr. Scott's "Outrageous Comedy Hypnotist," "Lon Bronson's All Star Band," "Jim LeBoeuf and The Naturals" and (beginning Monday) "Shock," a comedy-magic show designed for those with strong stomachs.

Ricci's lineup is pretty strong. There may not be any home run hitters on a par with San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, but most of the players are worth the relatively inexpensive price of admission (in the range of $20 to $35).

Fair Play, the Four Tops tribute group, could be one of the best members of the team if it can survive the late-night spot.

Singing impressionist Bob Anderson, performing in a converted lounge down the street at the Stardust, learned a couple of weeks ago that fans who like his kind of music (classic standards by such legends as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett) don't stay up as late as they once did.

Anderson's audience is an older crowd, 50-and-above, and to accommodate them he changed his 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. shows to 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. He could do that because he leases the theater and doesn't share it with anyone.

Fair Play is facing the same age issue as Anderson, but because of the cramped quarters the group doesn't have the luxury of being able to change schedules.

However, if it can hang on, there is a ray of hope.

On the entertainment page of the Riviera website, there's a qualifier at the end of the lengthy list of performers at Le Bistro -- "Schedule is subject to change without notice."

And it often does.

The most recently dearly departed was impressionist Steve Sorrentino, a talented performer who left in a huff after a dispute with Ricci.

Sorrentino's departure opened up the 11:30 p.m. time slot, giving Fair Play the chance to get their feet in the stage door.

Maybe if someone abandons one of the earlier times on the schedule, the Four Tops tribute group can move to a spot more conducive to an older audience. Fair Play is good enough to be a centerpiece at Le Bistro, but it isn't likely to blossom so late at night -- a time that isn't fair to those who can enjoy their music the most.

There undoubtedly are a lot of young fans of the Four Tops (the three surviving members still perform after almost 50 years in the spotlight), but the bulk of the audiences will be those who remember dancing to some of the group's most popular hits of the '60s and '70s.

The Detroit group was formed in 1953 by high school students Levi Stubbs Jr, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Abdul "Duke" Fakir and Lawrence Payton. Originally they were The Four Aims, inspired by the vocal harmonies of the Mills Brothers, but combining it with a rhythm-and-blues sound rather than pop.

The quartet didn't take off until signing with the new Motown label in 1964. They performed together continually until 1997, when Payton died of cancer. The remaining founders still perform regularly around the country.

The vocalists who make up Fair Play are Ron Stevenson, Redd Williams, Kenny Walcott and Daniel Mitchell, who has a deep, powerful voice that fills the room. Each of the singers has his own style, and each has an opportunity to show individual talents during the show as the other three members harmonize in the background.

Fair Play united about three years ago to perform tributes to a variety of groups in addition to the Four Tops, including the Drifters, Spinners and Temptations.

One segment midway through a recent performance at Le Bistro was devoted to the Temptations (including the hits "My Girl," "It Was Just My Imagination" and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone").

The show opened with several hits by the Four Tops, among them "Reach Out (I'll Be There)," "Baby, I Need Your Loving" and "Walk Away, Renee."

Le Bistro doesn't have a dance floor, but that didn't deter several members of the audience from getting up and dancing.

My only complaint about the show would have to be its length. One hour is not enough, especially when you're trying to do justice to one of the longest-performing groups in American history.

Fans were treated to "When She Was My Girl," "It's the Same Old Song," "Standing in the Shadows of Love," "Bernadette" and "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" -- but when the show ended there was a feeling that you wanted more.

Many of the group's songs had to be omitted because of the compressed show.

Now, is that fair play?

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