Columnist Jerry Fink: Drama added to Cuban show

Friday, Nov. 19, 2004 | 8:26 a.m.

Soon after a troupe of 43 Cuban entertainers delivered requests for political asylum to the Office of Homeland Security at the George D. Lloyd Federal Building on Monday morning, someone with the Cuban government reported about half of them had been killed in a bus crash.

"Representatives of the government called 10 parents and said their children were dead," Nicole Durr said Wednesday. "The parents were totally frantic. They called us just before the show Monday night to find out what was going on."

Durr is the creator, producer and director of "Havana Night Club," playing at the Stardust's Wayne Newton Theater through Jan. 11.

The bogus announcement of the deaths of some of the cast members of the brilliant revue, which traces the history of dance in Cuba, was only one of the elements in a dramatic story that made national headlines this week.

"Havana Night Club," which has struggled to survive in Vegas since arriving from Cuba in late August, is suddenly hot.

When the young dancers, singers and musicians (most of them in their early 20s) stepped off the bus at the courthouse and walked up the steps, it captured the attention and the admiration of many fans around the country.

Monday night's show was a special performance for police officers, firefighters and other Las Vegas-area public servants.

Tuesday night was for the media, invited guests and the general public.

So many fans were filing into the room for the 7:30 p.m. show that it didn't get started until 8 p.m. It was standing room only.

Among those with seats were Steve Wynn and his wife, Elaine, who seemed delighted with the production.

Siegfried Fischbacher was a guest of honor. He told the audience his partner, Roy Horn, was too exhausted after weeks of 10-hour days of physical rehabilitation to attend the event. Horn is recovering from the stroke he suffered after being injured by a tiger during a performance more than a year ago at the Mirage.

Siegfried & Roy are presenters of the production.

Also at Tuesday night's performance was Cherie DeCastro, the sole survivor of the famed DeCastro Sisters trio, who performed all over the world for more than 60 years starting in the '40s -- often performing in Cuban nightclubs.

The group began locally at the Stardust as an opening act for Noel Coward in his only Las Vegas appearance in 1955. They had gigs at most of the major hotels after that.

The original trio included Cherie, Peggy (who died in March) and Babette (who died in 1993).

Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt and vocalist and radio host Dennis Bono also were among the fans. Dean Cain, who played Superman in the "Lois and Clark" television show, also was in the audience.

A few of the guests grew restless for the wait, but most were enjoying the festive atmosphere. When the performers finally danced through the front door, down an aisle and onto the stage, the audience erupted in applause.

Tuesday afternoon six more Cuban performers arrived from Germany, where they and a seventh artist had been staying since September.

The six spent several hours at McCarran International Airport before they were allowed to leave.

Earlier, Durr had said the six were going to go from the airport to the Stardust and appear in the show. But she said they were too exhausted because of the travel.

Only one of the six, Kel Torres -- the show's lead singer -- performed.

Durr and most of her staff and cast are still exhausted. She has been fielding questions from newspapers and broadcast media from all over the country, conducting more than 60 interviews since Sunday.

"Especially from areas where there are large Cuban populations," Durr said. "Cubans were dancing in the streets in Miami."

In 2000, Las Vegas became the first City of Asylum for international writers, a program created by the International Parliament of Writers that includes a network of 25 cities around the world that provide havens for writers exiled from their homeland.

Maybe Vegas is destined to become a City of Asylum for entertainers as well.

Kerrigan on ice

Surely one of the visions of 16th-century prophet Nostradamus was that, when there is skating on an ice rink floating in the middle of a lake in the middle of the desert, the end is nigh.

Before the end comes, you might want to check out the new floating rink constructed by MonteLago Village at Lake Las Vegas.

The rink will be open to the public through Jan. 17. For times and prices, call (888) 387-1234.

Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan will be at the rink at 7:30 tonight to tape a TV special for CBS affiliates around the country. The air date is still to be determined.

Kerrigan made international headlines 10 years ago when she was clubbed on the knee by an assailant during the Olympic skating tryouts in Detroit. Skating competitor Tonya Harding was implicated in being involved in the planning of the attack, which masterminded by her then-husband, Jeff Gillooly.

Today, Kerrigan is busy raising a family and making occasional appearances around the country. She will host the skating special being taped tonight, but she won't put on skates.

"I'm 4 1/2 months pregnant," she said during a telephone interview from her home north of Boston. "Right now, I'm just taking it easy and playing Mom."

She and her husband, Jerry Solomon, have a 7-year-old son who has a budding acting career. "He's in 'Cinderella' with a local theater group here," Kerrigan said. "He loves singing and dancing."

When she isn't busy at home, she does a few different events. Last summer she helped promote her DVD, "Halloween on Ice" (a compilation of different shows in which she has starred over the years).

In December she will participate in "Star Stripes and Skates" in New York.

"It's a coalition of 9/11 families who are trying to give back to the community," Kerrigan said. "They feel they have received so much from the country, other families have suffered but don't get the support they deserve."

Kerrigan, 35, stays in shape for the ice-skating engagements.

"I do the same warm-up I've been doing since I was a little kid," she said. "It's a little tedious and boring. I don't do the five or six hours a day that I used to do. Being a mom, I don't have the time to put in."

Practice might be boring, but Kerrigan said she still likes performing for the public.

But not competing.

"I don't miss the competition," Kerrigan said. "I did that. It was very fulfilling, but it's time to move on."

Fish tale

When I first learned that Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World was going to put a gargantuan 165,000-square-foot store at the Silverton, I scoffed.

We're in the middle of the desert. How many avid fisherman can there be here?

Sure, there's striped bass at Lake Mead. But Vegas is the entertainment capital, not the fishing capital.

What idiot came up with this idea?

I thought about that as I sat in the Silverton parking lot Tuesday afternoon, the day of the grand opening of the sporting goods store.

I had plenty of time to think.

It took me almost an hour to get out of the lot. So many people came to the event, there was a traffic snarl of epic proportions.

Everyone was curious about the new facility, and everyone seemed to come away impressed (despite a picket by union carpenters that resulted in a squad of police officers standing by).

It's an outdoorsman's candy store. There's something for everyone, whether you are interested in boating, hiking, climbing, hunting or fishing.

Turns out the person who decided the Silverton should put in the Bass Pro store as part of the venue's $150 million renovation project is a genius. Suddenly the casino/hotel at the confluence of Blue Diamond and Industrial roads and Interstate 15 is on the map.

But what about that underwater show coming to the Mermaid Restaurant and Aqua Lounge at the Silverton?

I've seen a lot of odd lounge acts over the years -- bird trainers, magicians, fat Elvises -- but mermaids?

Who came up with the idea of putting a troupe of synchronized swimmers into a 117,000-gallon, $250,000 saltwater tank with 4,000 exotic fish? The days of Esther Williams (aquatic film star of the '40s and '50s) are long gone. No one is going to be interested in humans swimming with the fish.

Sure, I may have been wrong about Bass Pro, but about this I'm certain.

Just the same, I'm going to avoid the grand opening lest I get stuck in traffic again.

Nonclub has nonmeeting

Leave it to the singing, dancing, gun-twirling, Brazilian-Italian-American comedian Nelson Sardelli to come up with something so outrageous that it is capturing the fancy of a lot of Vegas old-timers.

Sardelli has a propensity for starting clubs. He came up with the idea for M.A.F.I.A., which initially went over like cement boots but eventually evolved into Cast Inc., an organization by and for entertainers and entertainment supporters that has more than 400 members.

Sardelli's latest clubbing is "The NonClub, F.I.O.R.E. (Fun Italians Organizing Ridiculous Events)," where every member is a president.

The "nonmeeting" meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month at the Greek Isles. Admission for the luncheon is $15 -- $20 if you don't eat.

Sardelli says only presidents can speak at the luncheon, but then everyone who joins is given the title of president.

Most members are of Italian descent -- or, such as comedian Pat Morita, have names that end in a vowel.

All of them are there for lunch, friendship, good will and dirty jokes.

Among the more than 30 guests at the Nov. 9 meeting were Morita, comedian Pat Cooper, producer Maynard Sloate ("Folies Bergere"), Babe Pier, Sonny King and Freddie Bell.

Sardelli announced that at next month's nonmeeting (11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Dec. 1) there will be a dance, complete with live musicians.

For the dance nonmeeting, the nonclub membership will be open to women.

"The guys thought it would be a good idea," Sardelli said. "Otherwise there would be a fight over who leads."

Krave says 'bi'

Krave, the only gay nightclub on the Strip, is going "bi."

The venue now shares its space on the second Saturday of each month with Girl Bar -- the renowned Los Angeles dance club for lesbians.

Girl Bar will host a monthly party that begins with dinner at E.A.T. (the restaurant at Krave) followed by dancing in Krave.

'Rock' changes

"We Will Rock You," at Paris Las Vegas, this week announced a new price for Sunday matinees and a change in the schedule.

All seats at the 2 p.m. Sunday matinee now are $49 (down from $57.50).

The new show times are 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays and on Fridays; 7 and 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays; 2 and 8:30 p.m. Sundays. It is dark on Thursdays.

For more information, call 946-4567.

Hong Kong song

Priscilla Chan, one of Hong Kong's most popular vocalists, will perform at the Hilton Theatre at 11 p.m. Nov. 26 and 8 p.m. Nov. 27. The 38-year-old songstress began her career at age 18 with the album "Young Girl's Diary." Tickets range from $40 to $60. For more information, call 732-5755.

E-I, E-I Aiello

Local comedian Joey Villa is taking a quick trip to Atlantic City from Dec. 3-4 to open for pal/actor/singer Danny Aiello at the Tropicana.

Joshin' around

For those fans who just can't wait, tickets for pop-opera star Josh Groban's March 19 concert at Mandalay Bay go on sale at 10 a.m. on Dec. 11.

Prices range from $42 to $120.75.

Star's son in Iraq

Michael Acosta, the 21-year-old son of Las Vegas impressionist/vocalist Bill Acosta, is among the Marines fighting in Fallujah, Iraq.

Bill Acosta noted that he and his son had been estranged for about three years, since about the time the younger Acosta joined the Marines.

The entertainer didn't know his son was in Iraq, but recently felt an urge to contact him. Acosta's former wife told him their son had been sent to Falluja, which has been under siege by U.S. forces.

The father and son, a native of Las Vegas, have spoken by phone several times since.

Acosta bills himself as "The Man of 1,001 Voices."

The one that matters most right now is that of his son.

Hooters cover up

Mayor Oscar Goodman knows a good cause when he sees one, which is why he will be at Hooters Restaurant, 5675 W. Sahara Ave., at 1 p.m. Wednesday to help kick off a clothing drive.

Hooters is helping Laborers Union Local 872 gather coats for the needy.

"After last year's campaign generated so much interest, we saw the need for an additional location that is open for extended hours," said the Local's political action director, Thomas Morley. "Hooters generously volunteered."

The goal is 500 articles of clothing for donation to local charities.

Participants will receive T-shirts, dining discounts and calendars autographed by Hooters girls. A donation also brings automatic entry in prize drawings.

Coats and jackets will be accepted through Dec. 15 at the restaurant or at the Laborers Union office at 4201 E. Bonanza Road.

Heroic drive

Tim Conway and Harvey Korman will be the featured entertainers for the annual Gala for the Children of Heroes fundraising event at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Las Vegas Hilton Theatre.

Money raised during the benefit will go to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF), which provides college scholarship grants, based on need, along with financial aid and educational counseling to the children of military Special Operations personnel who were killed on a mission or training accident.

Celebrity guests at the event are scheduled to include Robin Williams, Steven Seagal and Connie Stevens.

There will be a cocktail reception at 6 p.m.

archive