Acosta back after yearlong Vegas hiatus

Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 | 9:37 a.m.

Singing impressionist Bill Acosta will make his first Las Vegas appearance this weekend at Suncoast, since his show at Flamingo Las Vegas closed almost a year ago.

Acosta says his Las Vegas absence was because he and many other local performers were caught in the aftershock of Sept. 11.

"It shut a lot of things down," the 54-year-old entertainer said. "Overnight, I went from having 700 in the audience to 50. It changed a lot of things, but I think they will find their way back."

One of the changes was to force Acosta to look for gigs outside of Las Vegas, where he has performed off and on since 1970. One of his best known runs was as the opening act at the Sands for Patti LaBelle.

Most recently Acosta was at the Flamingo for 10 months, starring in "Lasting Impressions." Prior to that he was at Luxor for nearly two years.

Today he is performing at theaters in other parts of the country and at corporate functions. He also is doing voice-overs for television and working on cruise ships, biding his time until another opportunity opens for him in Las Vegas.

During a recent telephone interview, Acosta took a break from preparing for a trip to Amsterdam, where he would perform on a cruise to Lisbon. He was to be back by Wednesday, in time for his Vegas gig.

"We've altered the show for the Suncoast," he said. "It's much more intimate than the one we did at the Flamingo. The Suncoast's theater is more intimate."

Joining Acosta will be the Vincent Falcone Orchestra and tap dancer Jay Fagan.

"An Evening With Bill Acosta" will include his renowned tributes to Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. and his new "12 Days of Christmas," hosted through the voice of President George W. Bush. The show will also premier a special New York melody tribute to Sept. 11.

Even though he has a busy schedule, Acosta would prefer a steady local gig so that he doesn't have to travel.

"But traveling is a constant of show business," he said, resigned to his present schedule. "I've been in this buisness 40 years. If you want to make a living, you have to go on the road. That's just the way it is. People with steady gigs on the Strip don't realize how lucky they are."

Acosta spends about two weeks of each month on a ship.

"I did cruise ships for three years, and I loved it," Acosta said.

The ships are like floating casinos, Acosta said.

"The audiences are huge -- 900 to 1,000 at a performance," said Acosta, a Texan who grew up singing in church choirs.

Acosta has been pleasing audiences of all sizes since the age of 15, when he got his first professional job as a singer in Pete Fountain's Jazz Club in New Orleans. He was fired, however, when management learned he was under age.

Acosta learned singing impressions when he was a child, but only did them occasionally in his act during his early career. Eventually, impressions took over more of his performances. Today they are his stock in trade.

His repertoire includes almost 180 voices, but for his show at the Suncoast he plans to do one some people may not be familiar with -- Bill Acosta.

"I'm going to do more songs in my own voice," he said.