Before They’re Dead

Among the greatest folk song writers and singers of our time, Christine Lavin is a must see if you want to think about the human condition and current events and have a few laughs at the same time.
I’ve taken advantage of several opportunities to see Christine perform when I was a NYC resident. One of my favorite places to see her perform is the legendary Bottom Line. Her comfort level is so high and her fan base so strong that those performances are like love ins.
She easily moves from the dark and serious to the absurd and silly. And, somehow it all works.
Christine is also well known in folk circles for her generosity toward young and upcoming folk singers, writers, and performers. This generosity comes through on and off stage.

I did get to see George Carlin before he died. It was in Atlantic City about seven years ago. He was incredibly funny and managed to offend everyone at some point during the evening…just as it should be. The super thing about seeing George live was that he was always trying out new material. Some of it bombed and the best of it ended up on his next HBO special.

His passing makes me sad. He was often a voice or reason. He’d see and say things that so many people thought but could never put into words. And, he did it with humor. While no one will ever take his place, here’s hoping that someone will try. We need more honest observation about the world, especially without regard to what others will say.

Read an online obit: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080623/us_nm/carlin_dc

Barry Manilow’s headline show Manilow: Music and Passion has been extended through 2009 at the Las Vegas Hilton. In a recent press release Manilow was quoted:

“Music & Passion has grown over the last few years into a major show, “ Manilow said. “But over the next six months we want to bring in even more new elements and focus more on the hit songs that audiences seem to love.”

I’m so glad that they extended Barry’s run. We had tickets to see the first run at the Las Vegas Hilton. We arrived at the theater to be told that the show was cancelled. It’s when Barry was having hip problems and went in for surgery. Needless to say, a headline performer canceling for hip problems is someone who deserves to be here on the Before They’re Dead site.

Here’s hoping that we manage to scrounge up tickets to his run before he’s gone again or needs more surgery.

Show Times: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Prices:
$110.45 Rear Orchestra
$132.45 Balcony
$143.45 Rows R-U
$165.45 Main Flr Rows L-Q
$198.45 Main Flr Rows A-K

Click here for tickets to your favorite concert or show!

Individual tickets for films, panels and honoree tributes for the CineVegas Film Festival are now on sale, both online and by calling 888-8VEGAS8.

Individual movie tickets will also be available at the Festival’s box office at the Brenden Theatres at the Palms Casino Resort starting Monday, June 2. Festival passes and ticket packages are also still available for purchase.

Tickets for most films are $10 each. Tickets to the June 12th Opening Night Film The Rocker, the June 21st Closing Night Film The Great Buck Howard and all honoree tributes cost $15 each. Tickets to the June 15th screening of Get Smart at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino range in price from $25 - $45, with proceeds going to The Rock Foundation’s Project Knapsack. Tickets to the special screening of Takashi Murakami’s animation piece Planting the Seeds on June 16 at the Lake of Dreams at Wynn Las Vegas cost $25 each, with special dining packages available.

Visit http://www.cinevegas.com for more details.

The Las Vegas Hilton has kicked off “Group Therapy” every Thursday in the resort’s Tempo Lounge, a new concept that features the Nova jazz group, drink specials by Sex Vodka, cozy blackjack tables and drawings for cash and prizes for players.

“ ‘Group Therapy’ is a new concept for the Hilton, one that offers a relaxing jazz environment for both locals and visitors,” said Peter Arceo, executive director of casino marketing. “We’re delighted to present a form of music that is rarely offered in Las Vegas.”

Tempo is an intimate lounge, located off the main casino, with a unique design that combines a bar area, comfortable tables for relaxing and a private area in the rear portion.

Nova will offer a variety of music, including all styles of jazz: standards, bossa nova, samba, cha cha, r&b, Latin, and easy listening favorites from Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Bobby Caldwell, Billy Joel, Elton John, Tony Bennett, gospel legend Steve Hess and Sax recording artist Ron Monday. Special guests, including jazz legend Robert Conti, will sit in with the group as well.

“Group Therapy” is presented every Thursday, 5;30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. After 10 p.m., the music continues with a DJ.

A few days ago I received a full box of Rusty Warren CDs. What a treat. It’s been more than 20 years since I’ve listened to her recordings. They remain fresh, relavant, and damn funny.

One of the things I noticed this time around was the reason I love her comedy so much is that she’s a story teller. She creates a scene or setting and then guides us through a series of events in that place and time. Along the way, through her unique, sexual observational style she shows us a view we may or may not have seen before.

Yes, I’m a gushing fan. I absolutely adore Rusty Warren and hope I get a chance to see her perform live before she’s gone.

Jersey Boys officially opened at the Palazzo Hotel and Casino on Saturday, May 3rd. I had an invitation to attend the opening night of the show and the gala party that followed.

Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. While tell-all shows have come and gone, this one takes the unique perspective of telling the story from the points of view of the band members. 

Here’s the offical line from the promo materials: This super-hit blockbuster takes you up the charts, across the country and behind the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Discover the secret of a 40-year friendship: four blue-collar kids working their way from the streets of Newark to the heights of stardom and experience electrifying performances of the golden greats that took these guys all the way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “My Eyes Adored You,” and more. As the New York Times says, “The crowd goes wild!”

The show is incredibly well written, staged, and directed with the exception of the opening rap number. Having spent 13 years living in New York City and seeing a lot of theater, I can understand where it came from, but it’s absolutely the weakest point in the Vegas version. I say cut it now because it just doesn’t work. The show quickly recovers from that opening number and from there on it’s a fantastic ride.

Rick Faugno is remarkable as Frankie Vallie. He’s got one of the best voices I’ve heard on stage in ages. In fact, it’s worth the price of admission just to listen to him sing.

One of the things I found so amazing were those moments that gave me goosebumps and caused tears to well up in my eyes. The show isn’t sappy, but there’s magic happening on the stage and when we see the boys find their sound it simply gave me chills. The only explaination are good writing and a solid cast.

I also enjoyed the staging, although some of the upstage scenes are lost if you’re in house right or left seats. There are a few cool moments when we get to see a staged version that mimics original film and we even get a moment of living through the backstage view of a “live” performance. Very original.

I’m not sure if it was simply because opening night started late, but 8 minutes just isn’t a long enough intermission. I wasn’t alone in trying to go to the restroom, have a cigarette, and get a drink during that short space of time. I almost made it, but not quite. I wasn’t alone in my intermission quest and that created a lot of rustling during the opening scene of Act II.

There are a few faults with the new theater space, especially having unisex restrooms on the mezzanine level. While I’m all for equality, let’s face it, men don’t need to add to the line usually only suffered by women in large groups.

The gala party was fun. The room was set up with classic elements of the Frankie Valli era with a car show theme complete with classic model cars being showed off by classic girls in beehives. My reaction to the taster menu was mixed, but rootbeer floats made to order and Moon Pies on the desert buffet made up for it, as did the open bar and go-go dancers both on stage and throughout the room.

All in all, this was a great party to kick off the opening of a terrific show.

Palazzo Las Vegas

Jersy Boys in Las Vegas

Jersey Boys National Tour

The classic lounge singer who gives all lounge singers a bad name is appearing six nights a week at the Cannery, Billy Mac.

While I sat playing my favorite machines at the Cannery, I had no choice but to take in this lounge act gone bad. One singer at an electric piano who, it’s easy to surmise, thinks he’s better than he actually is. I mean, who forgets the words to piano man and then is surprised that the rhyme doesn’t come at the end of the verse?

I think the saddest part of this is that his volume is turned up so loud that you can’t even hear the canned oldies tunes piped through the casino. There it was, a five times point night, and the casino was empty.

Actually, if it weren’t so sad, it’d be almost funny. He sounded shocked when there was only one play request for him the entire evening. I was tempted to offer a very large tip if he’d just go home early for the evening. I didn’t make that offer because I feared I’d simply loose my money and still have to listen to the dreck and dread ol’ Billy spews out.

With no range and a monster destruction of all the expected lounge singer classic tunes, Billy is the exact example of why lounge singers have gotten a poor reputation.

This dreadful performer is booked at the Cannery Tue-Sunday evenings, so avoid the place between 8-12pm if at all possible.

It’s disappointing that no one at the Cannery is willing to break this guys contract and send him packing.

According to an AP story, the brother and sister act that I grew up watching on TV, Donny and Marie Osmond, have signed a contract at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and will be performing nightly starting September 9, 2008.

Billed as a variety show with with Donny and Marie and a cast of dancers, the show will replace Toni Braxton when her contract expires in August. Donny and Marie are both aging well and I suspect they’ll have a nice run at the Flamingo.

It’s starting to look like performing at the MGM leads to headliner contracts with Harrah’s/Caesars properties. Donny and Marie appeared at the MGM in November 2007. Bette Midler and Cher also performed in that venue prior to signing their headliner contracts. If you’re an aging, headline-quality star, book yourself into the MGM Grand, sell out, and get that long-term contract.

At a recent Writer’s Pen & Grill social evening we somehow got on the topic of knockers as comedy and it sparked my memory. Rusty Warren was one of my father’s favorite comediennes. So, I asked if anyone knew what had happened to her. No one did.
 
I remember being a kid and secretly listening to Rusty’s Sexplosion and Knockers Up albums. Of course, it was without my folk’s knowledge that I consumed this to me racy material. After all, we’re talking about life before cable. Topics of sex were rarely discussed and never talked about with any sense of humor or fun. Rusty’s comedy was eye opening to me. It changed the way I thought about sex. And, she changed the way I thought about comedy and writing.When I got home from my meeting, I went online, did a Google search, and found her website.
 
Rusty Warren is still around. I placed an order for all her materials, including the DVD of her life story and several comedy and music albums I didn’t know existed. I even sprung for the autographed photo.I also found her email address and sent off a note. I figured she’d know who I was because of the large order I’d placed, one of everything on her list. She was pleasant and kind in response and, for those who might be interested, signs off her emails: Knockers Up!
 
I’m thrilled to know that in short order I’ll have my very own copies of Knockers Up and Sexplosion–now on CD. And, I’m thrilled to know this legend of the stage is still kicking! I only wish I’d gotten to see her live.