Friday, Jan. 7, 2005 | 8:29 a.m.
Impressionist Rich Little has performed before millions in a single evening via television, but among his most satisfying shows were those he recently completed for servicemen in Italy and Turkey.
His largest audience numbered about 200. Most of those he entertained were Air Force servicemen.
Little's showrooms included mess halls ("I've never followed sausage and beans before"), gymnasiums and lounges.
"Your satisfaction is seeing those guys' reactions," Little said after his return to Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. "They keep telling you over and over how much they appreciate you coming.
"Even those who didn't know who I was would line up for autographs -- they'd say something like, 'Oh, my dad told me to come see you, but I have no idea who you are.' "
Little's mini-tour, sponsored by the USO, was from Dec. 8-16. He had to hurry back to Vegas to prepare for his engagement at the Suncoast from Jan. 14-16.
"It was a quick trip, but well worth doing," Little said.
It was his first USO tour.
"I did it on my own," Little said. "I contacted the USO to see if they were interested and, to my surprise, they were delighted. But after they said 'Great,' I thought, 'Hey, wait a minute, can I perform for 20-year-olds?' "
He could.
"I geared the show pretty much to impressions of people living -- I didn't stray far, but for Jimmy Stewart. I was surprised at the reaction. It was incredible -- they liked the jokes even if they didn't know the impression."
The biggest crowd pleaser was actor Jack Nicholson.
"He reaches every age," said Little, who spends a lot of time these days touring the United States performing symphony dates as well as concerts.
Little also did impressions of a lot of people the younger troops know from television and films. His subjects included Dr. Phil McGraw, Andy Rooney and Clint Eastwood. Little also performed impressions of all U.S. presidents from Ronald Reagan forward.
Little's one-man show began in Naples, Italy, went 50 miles north to Gaeta and then to Incirlik, Turkey, north of Cyprus and 90 miles from the Iraq border.
Little said the show could have been larger, in the tradition of Bob Hope, with a cast of showgirls, an orchestra and other entertainers. But he preferred to keep it simple.
"A lot of the guys on the bases were gone because of the holidays," he said.
Little's wife, Marie, accompanied him on the tour.
"I didn't go out much," Little said. "My rifle jammed. My wife said, 'Let's just stay on the base and feed the stray cats.' "
Little says he's looking forward to doing another USO tour in December of this year.
Where the fans are
Connie Francis' performance at the Sahara last week was fun.
Sure, the 66-year-old pop queen of the '50s and '60s is a little older and a little heavier, but she can still carry a tune -- and she is still appreciated by her fans who came to hear her sing such favorites as "Who's Sorry Now," "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "Stupid Cupid."
The 850-seat theater was nearly sold out the evening I went (Dec. 30).
Perhaps with a little encouragement Francis will return to Vegas more often. The last time she performed on the Strip was 1989.
If she does return, hopefully she again will have female impersonator Kenny Kerr open for her.
Kerr is one of the most entertaining performers in Vegas. It's hard to believe the former star of "Boy-lesque" (which was at the Sahara in the late '80s and early '90s) hasn't found a showroom to display his talents.
No mas
A second production featuring Cuban music and entertainers arrived in Vegas during the holidays for a four-day engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton.
"Havana Night Club" at the Stardust has nothing to fear from the competition.
"Tropical Passions" had a world-class 20-piece orchestra that made beautiful music, but, alas, that was the best thing about the production, which featured about 30 dancers.
There was nothing special about the choreography. The costumes were kitschy. The Elvis impersonator was laughable. The comedian wasn't.
The production lacked the grace and the artistry of "Havana."
Marooned
Caught Maroon 5 at the Aladdin on New Year's Day.
My 12-year-old daughter, Lee, pulled me kicking and screaming to the light-rock concert. But once the music started, I settled down and enjoyed an evening of not-too-bad sounds from a group that seems to have come out of nowhere.
Their repertoire included their No. 1 hit, "This Love," and AC/DC's metal classic "Highway to Hell" (in this case it could have been titled "Highway to Heck").
I might not have been too familiar with the group, but apparently a lot of people are. The 7,000-seat theater was almost sold out to fans of all ages, not just screaming teens and pre-teens.
The only objectionable part of the performance was the band's onstage banter.
While the songs were relatively free of vulgarities, for some reason lead vocalist Adam Levine is very fond of the "F" word and used it quite liberally when talking to the audience.
I hear it routinely throughout the day, but it was uncomfortable to hear the word thrown about so loosely while sitting next to my daughter.
TNT: Steve & Eydie
The dynamite team of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, backed by a 27-piece orchestra, is returning to the Stardust for an engagement Wednesday through Jan. 15.
If you have never seen them in person, the duo will amaze you with how great they are at entertaining -- not just their vocals and harmonizing, but some great comedy as well.
Steve & Eydie, who reside in Las Vegas, have always ranked among the entertainment capital's more popular stars.
Their shows start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $69.95 and $79.95. For information call 732-6325.
Elvis party
Saturday is Elvis' birthday. If he had not died in 1977 he would have turned 70.
The Cannery will host a two-day "Tribute to the King Birthday Celebration" at the Club beginning at 6:30 p.m. today.
The first event will be a free pre-show party hosted by Elvis expert Stephen Christopher, who will take audience questions and emcee an Elvis trivia contest. The grand prize will be a trip to Graceland and a two-night stay at the Heartbreak Hotel in Memphis, Tenn.
Beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday the Club will show free Elvis movies and serve birthday cake.
At 8 p.m. each night Paul Casey and "The American Trilogy Show" will explore Elvis. Special guests will include Sonny West, Elvis' personal bodyguard; Ed Bonja, Elvis' official photographer and tour manager; Cynthia Pepper, co-star in "Kissin' Cousins"; and Darlene Tompkins, co-star in "Blue Hawaii."
Conducting the show is Elvis' original Las Vegas musical conductor, Bobby Morris.
Admission to "Trilogy" is $5.
As an added attraction, the Cannery Row buffet will have a special section featuring Elvis' favorite foods, including fried peanut butter and mashed banana sandwiches.
See Hughes' car
Director Martin Scorsese's new release "The Aviator," starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the brilliant-but-eccentric Howard Hughes, is a major hit.
Capitalizing on the film's popularity, the Imperial Palace is highlighting a Hughes-owned car that has been on display for the past year in the casino's Auto Collections Museum.
Fans who would like to get a closer look at how the billionaire lived should check out the custom-built 1954 Chrysler New Yorker, which features an air filtration system in the trunk to ensure there was always clean air in the cab.
Priced at $125,000, the car has 1,600 original miles. The original bill of sale to Hughes is still in the window.
The car was originally purchased from the Hughes estate by the Imperial Palace and then sold to a private collector, who keeps it on display in the Auto Collections.
Servicemen benefit
Impressionist Gordie Brown, similar to Rich Little, performed for servicemen this season, only a little closer to home.
Brown, headliner at the Golden Nugget, opened his showroom to 400 Nellis Air Force Base service personnel Dec. 15.
"The Golden Nugget and I were honored to open the showroom to such an amazing and courageous group of men and women," said Brown. "I cannot think of a better holiday gift than offering laughter to those who selflessly serve and protect our country every day."
Guests received Brown's new CD, "It's Christmas."
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