Oh, to be Reege

Friday, Feb. 7, 2003 | 3 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION: Feb. 9, 2003

He's the popular king of morning television, the big man on campus at his alma mater, Notre Dame, and after nearly 40 years in the entertainment business, the former host of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" shows no signs of retirement.

Saturday and Feb 16, Regis Philbin of "LIVE with Regis and Kelly" will be in Las Vegas to perform his nightclub act with Lainie Kazan at MGM Grand's EFX Theatre, backed by a 22-piece orchestra.

Philbin recently discussed his career during a phone interview with the Las Vegas Sun.

Las Vegas Sun: You're doing a nightclub show, a little singing, a little comedy?

Regis Philbin: Very big. It's got a little bit of everything in it. I've been doing this act for a number of years now. In fact I appeared at Bally's, I don't know how many years ago, with Kathie Lee (Gifford) in our show out there.

So it's going to be good to come back to Las Vegas and I'm thrilled to be appearing ... where Dean Martin spent so much of his time.

Sun: Big Dean Martin fan?

RP: Yes, as a matter of fact I always have Dean playing in my office. Every day when I walk in my secretary has Dean playing so that I get fired up before the show. Then after the show, a little dessert, Dean is still singing. We have a huge Dean Martin collection here.

Sun: What kind of music do you sing in your nightclub show?

RP: Well, it's some of (Dean's) songs ... You know, the music today is not what I'm gonna be singing. Not the rap. I don't do rap, Kristen! No rap! No rap for Regis! Regis is not a rapper!

Sun: That's great.

RP: The songs, maybe you'll recognize but you don't hear much anymore.

Sun: Old standards?

RP: Yeah. Exactly.

Sun: You've also done this show with Susan Lucci in Atlantic City.

RP: Oh yeah. I've worked with Susan Lucci, I've worked with Lainie Kazan in Atlantic City and Lainie's going to join me for these two nights out there.

Sun: Lainie has quite a resume.

RP: Oh my gosh, yeah, Broadway, nightclubs -- when there were nightclubs -- TV and now, of course, got hot with this movie, 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' and currently it's been made into a TV series and she's part of the cast as well on that.

So, ya know, she's an old pro. And we do a few songs together, too.

Sun: The morning show is a huge success with Kelly Ripa.

RP: Yeah, Kelly brings a lot to the show and we have a great time together and now, of course, she's expecting a baby and that's always fun to see.

Sun: When Kathie Lee left were you concerned you wouldn't find a suitable co-host?

RP: No, I've had five co-hosts over the last 27 years and frankly, they've all been pretty good. Kathy Lee was with me for 15. Before that it was Sarah Purcell, Mary Hart, people like that.

Sun: You're 71. Any thoughts of retiring?

RP: No. Not really ... Every now and then you do think about it. But then when you analyze it and see what's the alternative: Where would I rather be than right there? It becomes clear that I'd rather be there.

Sun: Do you miss "Millionaire?"

RP: Yeah, I thought it was a terrific show. You know, I thought it was just a happy show. It gave somebody a chance to be a millionaire. It happened right in front of your eyes. We had about seven or eight of them. And I look around and I see the junk that's on TV now and I wonder why that's off.

Sun: There was talk of overexposure.

RP: Well, that didn't help. That's ABC for ya. It didn't have anything else ready to go and so they went with what was a sure thing, and, of course, ran it into the ground, which can happen.

Sun: How does it feel to be part of something that refueled the idea of game shows?

RP: Well you know, I think it was in a sense reality TV because these people were on the verge of becoming a millionaire had they answered 15 questions in a row.

All of the sudden from that came "Survivor" with the million-dollar pot, you know. A million dollars became a big deal. And then from that became variations of the big payoff, "Joe Millionaire," "The Bachelorette." It just veered off into a life of its own.

Sun: Why is "LIVE with Regis and Kelly" so successful?

RP: We have a niche audience, whoever is not working or going to school. And believe me there are a lot of people who are working at 9 o'clock in the morning these days.

I think it's a little bit of a haven from all the other stuff. If you watch morning TV and afternoon TV it's a series of judges talking to bad people. It's downbeat stuff, they've got a problem, a sexual problem, family problem. It's one tear jerk thing after another. I think this show gives you an alternative to that.

Sun: You've been in the business a long time. Is your success something you envisioned?

RP: When I was in college, I never thought I could do it. But once I started doing it I felt it was always a hit wherever I did it. In San Diego in the '60s, in LA in the '70s.

And I always thought that it should be on national TV. But people wondered and worried that the audience wouldn't sit still for, "What I did last night, or what she did last night." But that's precisely why they tune in.