Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Columnist Jerry Fink: Centennial a mission for Arlen’s son

You may not know the composer, but you almost certainly know his music.

He wrote the Academy Award-winning "Over The Rainbow" -- which has been recognized as the No. 1 song of the 20th century by the Recording Industry Association of America, the National Endowment for the Arts and, most recently, by the American Film Institute.

His list of memorable songs is lengthy, going on for pages -- "Stormy Weather," "I've Got the World on a String," "Paper Moon," "Accentuate The Positive," "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," "Let's Fall in Love," "That Old Black Magic," "The Man Who Got Away" and "One For My Baby (One More For The Road)."

When vocalists say they sing the standards, they often are talking about a song composed by Harold Arlen, who died of cancer on April 23, 1986, at the age of 81.

He would have celebrated his 100th birthday on Feb. 15 of this year, the same year Vegas is celebrating its centennial. While Las Vegans are honoring their city's birth, Harold Arlen's son is spending the year honoring his father's life.

"My goal is to bring Harold's name to the forefront," said 46-year-old Sam Arlen, a musician and resident of New York. "Most fans of his songs don't know his name."

As part of his effort to put his father's name into the limelight, Arlen is producing a show that will go on tour in the United Kingdom in September and then, hopefully, come to Vegas.

He and his wife, Joan, were in town last week scouting possible locations.

It was Joan's idea to tie the Arlen centennial celebration into the Vegas celebration, which seems to be a reasonable connection since so many singers (including Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.) sang many of the standards composed by Arlen.

The Harold Arlen celebration concert, "Over the Rainbow ... The Journey Continues," is being created by arranger Artie Schroeck (a Las Vegan) and Nigel Wright (who has been the musical director for such entertainers as Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett).

Vocalists for the concert will be The Three Crooners, made up of Las Vegans George Bugatti, Darin Ames and Nick Cole, all of them accomplished vocalists.

Arlen will discuss his father during the concert.

"I will talk about Harold's history, hitting the key points of his career and discussing his incredible arrangements," Arlen said.

Arlen said Streisand and Bennett are honorary chairs for the Arlen celebration, which will feature events in cities across the nation and around the world -- including all-star gala concerts at venues including Carnegie Hall in New York and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Arlen, a saxophonist, has already paid tribute to his father once before on a commemorative CD available in record stores nationwide: "Arlen Plays Arlen -- A Timeless Tribute to Harold Arlen."

Harold Arlen exhibits are on display at various locations, including the Lincoln Center and the Library of Congress in Washington.

Arlen said his father avoided the limelight, which is one of the main reasons few people recognize his name today.

He also wrote with such diversity that it is difficult to categorize Harold Arlen into one genre. He did not write in one instantly recognizable style.

"You have to know the catalogue to know it was his song," Arlen said.

Forbidden homeless

The final performance of "Forbidden Vegas" at the Westin will be May 7. But producer Bob Cayne hopes that it won't be the final performance in Las Vegas.

"We're certainly looking for another venue," Cayne said. "We've prepared boxes of promotional material and dropped them all over hell's half acre."

But the chances of it having a new home by May 7 are slim.

"It's highly improbable that we could segue right into another room," he said. "Realistically, we will have to step back, refocus and negotiate a new deal.

"Our name is out there. We're trying to get somebody to come to the table."

It's a shame that a production as well written and performed as "Forbidden Vegas" is having a difficult time finding a stage. The satirical revue is patterned after the successful "Forbidden Broadway," a show that lampoons Broadway productions and performers.

Gerard Alessandrini, the brilliant creator, writer and director of the original "Forbidden," has reworked his show to do to Vegas what he has been doing to Broadway for the past 23 years.

The production premiered at the 250-seat Westin theater in November. At the time the hotel, which caters primarily to business people, promised its long-term support to the production.

But when the company built a convention center at its Vegas location, it decided to get out of show business.

In a press release, Fred A. Buro, chief marketing officer for Westin's parent company, Columbia Sussex Corp. of Fort Mitchell, Ky., said: "Due to overwhelming demand for convention space at the Westin, we would like to turn the Westin Theatre into meeting space."

Cayne says the customers who stay at the Westin are more interested in the "heavenly beds" than entertainment and other diversions offered at the hotel.

"The Westin does an incredible business occupancy," he said. "But the customers walk out the door for food, drink and entertainment."

Cayne said very few of those who stayed at the hotel attended a performance of "Forbidden Vegas."

About 48 percent of the show's fans are locals, and most of the others come from other hotels.

Succeeding as long as it did in a showroom off the strip in a hotel where the show was ignored is remarkable.

"It was mostly by word of mouth," Cayne said. "We had to solicit locals and reach tourists as best we could.

"Given the fact we didn't have the kind of advertising budget a big show has -- we still drew in a lot of fans. We were reasonably successful, given all the limitations."

With any luck, the production should land on its feet after stumbling at The Westin.

"It's a niche show," Cayne said. "But there is a place for it -- people do enjoy it, which is the reason we kept on trying so hard to do different things.

"Despite the limitations of the Westin, people walk out with a happy smile."

Moan-ah Lisa

Sixty-seven-year-old former nude performer Lisa Medford still has a photographic memory and a photogenic body.

She remembers in great detail an adventurous life that has taken her around the world, mingling with mobsters, working as everything from a journalist to a loan officer.

Medford dated Cary Grant, appeared in "Folies Bergere" off and on for 10 years, produced and directed documentaries and sold her home to Steve Wynn in 1968 ("It was where the MGM parking lot is now," she said).

But perhaps the most memorable of all her experiences was as the first nude (almost) performer at the Riviera in 1957.

Medford has been helping the casino-hotel celebrate its 50th anniversary, which was April 20. She turns out for special events, talks to guests about her life and attends a variety of functions.

Medford was discovered while working as a pinup model and office manager for a photographer in Los Angeles.

"One day two old guys came in smoking big cigars and said, 'We're from Vegas ...' They were putting on a show and were looking for two nude models," recalled Medford, who was 18, a recent graduate from a Catholic girl's school and newly married.

She helped the men look for candidates, and ended up being one of those chosen to appear onstage with Harry Belafonte, whose career was on fire at that time.

"I signed a contract in 1957 for $250 a week," Medford said.

She said the director wanted her to wear pasties, but she refused because they were so ugly and convinced him to let her put glue on her nipples and dip them in glitter.

She also thought the underpants they told her to wear were ugly and so they allowed her to use a discreetly placed piece of tape.

Her performance involved standing like a statue on a pedestal, wearing only a large headdress that looked like a fountain, with water coming out of it.

"I didn't move for two minutes, with my hands above my head, and then I moved them down to my hips and people started screaming -- 'My God, they're real' -- no one had seen nude women in Las Vegas before. We were naked, but for the tape."

She performed in two shows a night for a month and then rejoined her family in Los Angeles.

In 1959, Medford returned to Vegas, fully clothed, as a showgirl with comedian George Gobel.

Medford says she used to come to Vegas in the '40s with her father.

"He used to come up here to play poker with Bugsy Siegel," she said.

Medford remembered once when she was 8, Siegel braided her hair.

"His eyes were so pretty," she said. "I called him Uncle Ben."

'X' changes

"X: An Erotic Adventure" producer Angela Sampras has bought out co-producer Bobby Boling's interest in the adult near-topless revue at the Aladdin's V Theatre.

"I was very amicable," Sampras said. "I made him an offer, and he accepted."

She said a number of changes have been made to the production, including dropping the use of a former Playboy playmate.

"I felt the 'X' girls are so talented, we didn't need the playmate," Sampras said.

Sampras says there have been several changes, including a new finale, a scene involving bungee cords, the use of multimedia effects, new costumes and a magic bit.

One thing that hasn't changed is that the girls still wear electrician's tape to cover their chests -- the theater where they perform isn't zoned for topless acts.

"X" premiered at its new Vegas site in November. Since then the producers have been trying to get the zoning of the Desert Passage (where the theater is located) changed so the performers can go topless.

Semmelman's back

NBC's "Today" show was in town this week for the grand opening of Wynn Las Vegas, with a live broadcast schedule for this morning.

Former Las Vegan Jim Semmelman was one of those set to work behind the scenes during the broadcast.

Semmelman, who is in his sixth year as stage manager for the early morning TV show, acted in, produced and directed numerous projects at UNLV, Community College of Southern Nevada, Spring Mountain Ranch and Vegas community theaters.

Among his memorable local productions were "Grease," "Jesus Christ Superstar," Studs Terkel's "Working," "Two" (featuring former "Bottoms Up" principal B.J. Doolan Ortwein), "Standing Room Only" and "Starting Here, Starting Now."

Since moving to New York, Semmelman has acted in many productions and acted as a stage manager, working with Carol Channing's last "Hello, Dolly!" tour, Christopher Plummer's "Barrymore," "Meet Me In St. Louis" and "Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks," starring Polly Bergen and Mark Hamill.

Semmelman also created "Mooseltoe," a family-style holiday musical.

Dante produces

Singer, composer and producer Ron Dante (formerly of the Archies) not only produced songs for Barry Manilow at the height of Manilow's career, but also was a producer for twin pianists Mark & Clark.

The brothers perform at 7 p.m. Saturdays through Thursdays at the Tuscany.

"I had a good time producing those guys," Dante said recently. "At the time I never could tell them apart, or who was singing what line. It was fun though. Really good musicians and easy to work with."

Dante said the studio had twin grand pianos.

"It sounded like a concert every night," he said.

"I remember the first session -- my arranger didn't show up for some reason and my friend Paul Shaffer (musical director for the David Letterman Show) came to the rescue, writing the charts on the spot."

Dante, who has been performing in Vegas from time to time for the past year or so, will be at the Cannery during Memorial Day weekend (May 28), performing with Andy Kim and Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods.

Dante recently released a new double-CD set, "The Essential Barry Manilow," with 36 of Manilow's biggest hits, produced by Dante.

Performing Plant

Robert Plant and The Strange Sensation kick off the Las Vegas Hilton Center Concert Series with a one-night performance on July 16, according to Hilton spokesman Ira David Sternberg.

Plant, former lead singer of Led Zeppelin, will make the Hilton Center performance his only Las Vegas stop on a VH1 Classic tour that kicks off June 15, according to Sternberg.

Plant's new album, "Mighty Rearranger," will be released May 10.

Vegas Views

Four Vegas shows either closed or moved this month:

Magician Steve Wyrick's final day at the Aladdin was Thursday.

The Amazing Johnathan's final show at the Riviera was April 20. He is scheduled to start at the Sahara May 6.

Wayne Newton's final show at the Stardust also was April 20. He moves to the Hilton for six weeks beginning June 14.

"Aussie Angels" has its final performance at the Las Vegas Hilton on Saturday.

Cagle active

Local entertainer Michael Cagle will perform in two shows this week, including a one-man singing engagement at a local nightspot and a gig hosting and performing at the Music and Fashion Expo at Fremont Street.

The Expo began Thursday and continues through Sunday. Cagle was scheduled to perform in a showcase at 2:45 p.m today.

"An Intimate Evening with Michael Cagle" will begin at 7 p.m Friday at Steven David's, 545 E. Sahara Ave.

Cagle is a vocalist with a wide range of musical interests.

Killer comedy

Eddie Griffin's Killer Comedy Club premiered April 22 at the Ba-Da Bing Speakeasy at the Stardust.

Griffin's comedy includes impressions of Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Cosby, Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor. Griffin will perform a limited engagement there through Sunday. Shows begin at 10 p.m. Tickets are $75-$110. For information call 769-2222.

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