Columnist Jerry Fink: Sedaka not a solitary artist

By Jerry Fink

Friday, March 25, 2005 | 8:23 a.m.

Neil Sedaka keeps getting rediscovered.

Widespread interest in the American idol from the '50s and '60s resurfaced last year when "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken included Sedaka's 1973 "Solitaire" on the album "The Way/Solitaire."

This year it's 1971's "(Is This the Way To) Amarillo" that is getting airplay -- especially in the United Kingdom, where Tony Christie's version has made the song No. 1.

And a musical based on 25 songs by Sedaka, "Breaking Up is Hard to Do," is headed for Broadway.

"It's an original story," Sedaka, who will perform at the Orleans from Tuesday through April 3, said during a recent telephone interview from his home in New York. "It has nothing to do with my life."

He described the production as "a mixture of laughter and tears -- comedy and pathos."

Sedaka, who performs at the Orleans five times a years, said "Breaking Up ..." isn't anything like "Mamma Mia!" which is at Mandalay Bay (among other venues around the world).

"That's kind of a jukebox show," Sedaka said. "It's the biggest hits of ABBA. "Mine is a mixture of my known hits and some of my lesser-known numbers, my hidden treasures. The story will incorporate them."

He said "Breaking Up ...," which is being produced by Harbor Entertainment, is "more theatrical" than "Mamma Mia!"

Other than having written the songs, Sedaka says he has no involvement in the production, which will debut in Albany, N.Y., in July before moving to Broadway.

Meanwhile, Sedaka is busy with other projects. When he finishes his engagement at the Orleans he will tour Australia for a couple of weeks in April.

"Australia has been very kind to me," he said. "I was the first American rock 'n' roll star to go there in the late '50s.

"I also was the first to go to Italy and Japan and South America."

Even though there is interest in his music in England, he says he won't be touring that part of the world.

"I've stayed away from a lot of traveling (around the world)," he said. "There's the jet lag and, besides, there is so much work in the United States."

Evening at ...

"An Evening at La Cage" headliner Frank Marino spent an evening at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday.

The Joan Rivers impersonator has a cameo in the Sandra Bullock film "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous," which made its U.S. premiere earlier this week at Grauman's and opens across the country (including in Las Vegas) today.

Marino took a week off from his Vegas revue -- which features a cast of female impersonators -- to participate in the festivities, including a stroll down the red carpet and an after-party.

Marino may well have been the best-dressed male/female on the carpet, if not the only one. He wore a designer gown and carried a matching handbag.

While Rivers, Marino's mentor, hosts a pre-Oscar show each year at the Academy Awards ceremony in which she critiques the way celebrities are dressed, she wasn't on hand to criticize her biggest fan Wednesday.

Marino, who got a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars in February, talked about the event shortly before leaving Vegas.

He says this isn't his first film.

"I had a part in 'Vegas Vacation' but the whole segment was taken out," Marino said. "I ended up on the cutting-room floor."

Not this time. Marino says he has 15 or 20 minutes on the screen.

"I got a phone call about a year-and-a-half ago from (producer/actress) Sandra Bullock's people," Marino said. "They said she was in town and would like to see my show."

After his performances, Marino signs autographs for fans. Bullock introduced herself to him while he was signing pictures.

"She said she was doing some research for a new movie, 'Miss Congeniality 2,' and she asked me if I would like to be in the film," Marino said. "I said, 'Of course, I would love to be,' but then I forgot about it."

Marino said he was on vacation in Hawaii last summer when he got a call from Bullock.

"She asked if I was still interested in being in the movie," Marino said.

He plays himself in the film.

Marino, who is no stranger to creating illusions, said Bullock's production crew recreated the La Cage Theatre on a soundstage in Hollywood.

"They made the showroom amazing," he said. "It looked better than the real thing."

Marino spent three weeks working on the film, taking time off from his production in Vegas.

Giovanni at Suncoast

Giovanni -- premier international pianist, composer, singer and star of QVC and the Home Shopping Network -- will perform at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday at the Suncoast.

Giovanni will be remembered by many Vegas residents for his 10 years at Caesars Palace during the mid-'80s and '90s.

The son of famed Italian musician and conductor Alfredo Marradi also has performed at the Stardust and the now-defunct Desert Inn.

This is Giovanni's first Las Vegas engagement in more than 10 years. He has spent the past decade recording, writing, touring and performing on the Home Shopping Network and QVC.

Giovanni set a record on QVC in 1998 by selling 120,000 CDs in two hours. He has sold more than 2 million records through the shopping show.

Among his many popular CDs are "Live from Las Vegas" and "Return to Me."

Russian hunks

A troupe of Russians are joining the ever-growing lineup of male revues in Vegas.

"Candyman: From Russia With Love" will make its United States premiere at 10:30 tonight in the second-floor Fitzgeralds Showroom. There will be a second show at midnight. Admission is $34.95.

Other productions featuring something for the ladies include "Men The Show" at Seven, "Chippendales" at the Rio and "Thunder from Down Under" at Excalibur.

"This is really different from the other shows," co-executive producer Michele Mosey said. "They don't just get up there and shake. They do some really wild stuff."

Mosey said the cast includes eight dancers and three former members of Cirque du Soleil, who have a separate act.

All of the dancers have been trained by Cirque, she said. They have been performing in Russia since 1997.

Acts, not the actors, change every six weeks.

"Their routines are charismatically theatrical," Mosey said. "Each of the cast have their own specialties; the routines have their own themes -- each scene has a theme, like a play."

She describes the scenes as "erotic and sensual."

There are 10 shows per week -- at 10:30 nightly, 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays and midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

Tickets are $34.95.

Tony Awards

The Cast Inc. honored actor/artist Tony Curtis, a longtime resident of Las Vegas, with a lifetime achievement award ceremony Sunday at the Sahara.

One of the highlights of the evening was a montage of some of Curtis' more memorable films. The clips, compiled by board members Tony Sacca and Steve Lippia, included "Some Like it Hot," "The Defiant Ones," "The Boston Strangler" and many others.

Cast Inc. is a nonprofit charitable organization created to help entertainers in need and to help raise funds for other worthwhile causes.

Sacca presented Curtis with proclamations from Lt. Governor Lorraine Hunt and Mayor Oscar Goodman.

Entertainment included Buddy Greco and the Buddy Greco Orchestra; Greco's wife, Lezlie Anders (who created the Peggy Lee tribute show "Fever"); vocalists Michaelina, Lippia and Sacca; and comedian Pete Barbutti.

House of Gans

For some couples, marriage is made in heaven.

For Thaddeus Johnson and Nina Tiu, it was made in the Danny Gans Theatre.

Johnson recently surprised his girlfriend with a marriage proposal at a Gans performance. The surprise was to have taken place at church, but Tiu had tickets to a Wednesday night show and it would have taken heaven and earth to get her to give them up.

So, the groom-to-be arranged with a showroom usher to bring the bride-to-be a dozen roses and also to pop the question.

The usher said, "Thaddeus wants to marry you, what do you say?"

Johnson went down on one knee and handed her a ring.

Tiu was speechless, so the full house of fans chanted, "Say yes! Say yes!"

She did and the audience gave her a standing ovation.

Hearing voices

Impressionist/vocalist/comedian Bethany Owen gave a memorable performance at the Stardust on Friday night, demonstrating her skill of mimicking dozens of celebrities.

Owen, based in Los Angeles, tours the country performing at clubs and corporate events.

She would be a welcome addition to the Vegas entertainment scene -- Owen has great comedic timing, a fine singing voice and most of her impressions are dead on.

Her Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Lena Horn, Peggy Lee, Fran Drescher and Marilyn Monroe numbers were especially intriguing.

Owen shares the stage with dozens of wigs and costumes, which she changes into in front of the audience.

Among her funniest numbers is a Martha Stewart version of "Jailhouse Rock," and the voices of the mothers of celebrities such as Jackie Mason and Andy Rooney.

Syn City

OK, let's sort this out.

Years ago Le Bistro was a lounge. Then entertainer Marlene Ricci leased the room from the casino. Then Ricci subleased it to various acts, some of which stayed longer than others.

When Ricci's lease was up this year, the casino reclaimed the room, but will continue to lease it as Le Bistro Theatre to other performers.

The current lineup includes holdovers Jay White (a Neil Diamond tribute artist who performs at 7 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays) and "Outrageous Comedy Hypnotist" Dr. Scott Lewis at 9 p.m. Mondays.

Added to the list is Art Vargas, a versatile vocalist of old-school Las Vegas, who performs at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

At 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays the theater switches gears, becoming Syn City -- an ultra-lounge that features DJs Bryan Wyld and Dynamixx.

Admission to the ultra-lounge is $20, which includes two drinks.

Vegas views

"The Uncensored Hypnotist" Anthony Cools, a former headliner at the Stardust, debuted at Paris Las Vegas this week.

Cools performs in his own 210-seat room, called Le Anthony Cools Experience.

His performances are at 9 p.m. Sundays through Fridays and at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturdays.

Magician Dirk Arthur, who has performed extensively at Vegas venues, debuts at the Tropicana on Saturday. Shows are at 2 p.m. Saturdays through Thursdays.

"Xtreme Magic," produced by David Saxe, features a lineup of Bengal tigers, white-striped tigers, a pure white snow tiger and black African leopards.

Arthur's afternoon show replaces Rick Thomas, who has moved his magic to the Stardust.

"Splash," the long-running revue at the Riviera, will reduce its performance schedule beginning April 12 to prepare for a reworking of the production, which will be unveiled May 31.

The new show will coincide with the 20th anniversary of "Splash" and will be a part of the celebration for Las Vegas' centennial.

The abbreviated schedule will include a 7 p.m. performance Sunday and Wednesday through Friday, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday and dark Mondays.

When the new show is unveiled it will return to its regular schedule of 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. Friday and dark Mondays.

"Forever Plaid" has added a 3 p.m. Sunday matinee, which includes the option of Sunday brunch in the Ports O' Call Buffet.

Tickets are $29.95 for the show and $34.95 for the brunch or dinner and show package.

Beginning on Tuesday the production will have a new weekly schedule, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays (dark Mondays) and the 3 p.m. Sunday matinee.

Ticket prices for the "Mac King Comedy Magic Show" at Harrah's have gone up, from $16.95 to $19.95 -- still a bargain for one of the best shows in town.

Performances are at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.