VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah:’Zumanity’ faces the naked truth

Friday, Sept. 5, 2003 | 5:12 a.m.

The tweaking of "Zumanity" ought to be completed by Christmas.

In a remarkably candid conversation with VegasBeat last week, show choreographer Marguerite Derricks said her Cirque du Soleil bosses have given her a full three months beyond the show's Sept. 20 opening date to iron out the wrinkles.

"I'd estimate the show will be as much as 75 percent different than when it was first performed," she said.

Derricks was brought in from Hollywood to rescue the adults-only show at New York-New York just before its first performance, on Aug. 14.

Public reaction to the show was generally critical, and Derricks, "without disrespecting anyone or anything," does not argue with the initial response.

She said there were "no smooth transitions from act to act," "not much in terms of choreography," and while there are some "very talented and wonderful dancers" in the show, "it just wasn't working."

Derricks' remarkable choreography has enhanced hundreds of films, television shows, commercial and music videos. She won three consecutive Emmy Awards in the 1990s for her work on the Goodwill Games, "Third Rock From the Sun" and "Fame LA."

"Now, after a few weeks, I am seeing the show come together. People are settling in," she said. Cirque founder and president Guy Laliberte "is not a man who is going to fail. He is pushing the show to a place that deserves the Cirque name."

Gene Pitney, the anguished singer of '60s pop anthems who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, is making what the Stardust claims is his first Las Vegas headlining appearance when he appears at the Wayne Newton Theater from Sept. 17 to Sept. 20.

Culture vultures alert: Las Vegas is getting a new guide to its finer attractions.

On Tuesday Nevada Public Radio will launch a new yearly publication, the Southern Nevada Cultural Guide, with a gala event at Fashion Show mall.

There is a rich arts and culture community, and "we felt it needed to be put in one place to fill an information gap," KNPR 89.5-FM President Lamar Marchese said.

The launch party, which is open to the public, starts at 11:30 a.m. and will feature live performances by Nevada Ballet Theatre, Las Vegas Philharmonic String Quartet and UNLV College of Fine Arts Jazz Ensemble.

Talk about a room with a view. Drai's was stuffed with beautiful people Thursday night when Robin Leach and his pal, AMP Salon partner and Canyon Ranch Spa Club Director Michael Boychuk, celebrated a joint birthday. Among the revelers: Palms owner George Maloof, KVBC Channel 3 anchor Jim Snyder and wife Adeana Shendal, chefs Kerry Simon and David Robins, Susan Anton, Joan Severance and most of Leach's colleagues on the KVVU Channel 5 morning news show, including anchor Cher Calvin and station GM Susan Lucas.

At the end of the evening, folks persuaded the DJ to play the old Archies' hit "Sugar, Sugar" -- so guests Ron Dante and Andy Kim, who wrote and recorded the tune, could get up and sing it.

How time flies ...

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