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| May 9, 2008 | NEWEST - PRIOR WEEK - ARCHIVES |
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| "It's The Norm" - Las Vegas Entertainment Events | |
JERSEY BOYS OPENS
This is the big weekend for yours truly and my friend, Paige O'Hara. Yep, this is the weekend of the Annual ArtFest on Water Street in downtown Henderson, of course! Paige and I will be ensconced inside the air-conditioned Convention Center in booth 461, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and closing at 5:00 p.m. both days. It should be a busy weekend and we, Paige and I, are looking forward to meeting with our many friends and making new ones. Please drop by and say hello. Of course we will be selling our wares (my sculptures and her oil paintings). I will have eight sculptures, plus a clay model of a Humpback Whale I'm working on. Ms. O'Hara will have at least 12 oil paintings on display, including her exclusive "Belle." Went to the "Jersey Boys" Media Grand Opening last Friday at the new Palazzo Resort / Casino, and I must to tell you right up front - this is a winner! It is fantastic. It is fabulous. It is magnificent. It is everything you expect and more. It tells the story (the good, bad and ugly) of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, spread over the years between 1960 to present day. It tells the whole story, believe me.
One constant throughout the nearly two hour production (there is an intermission) is the music. It is just about every song ever recorded by Valli or the group, including most of the hits you would expect to hear: "Sherry," "Walk Like a Man," "Bye, Bye, Baby," "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." Each song is well received by the audience, and on this particular evening we even did a sing along to a couple of them. It was that kind of a magical evening.  And what really makes this show so unique (I believe it will run in Las Vegas as long as the producers want it to run) is the four guys who comprise the Four Seasons. Of course Frankie Valli, as portrayed by Rick Faugno, hits those very rare notes for which the real Valli was so well known (and remembered). Erich Bergen plays the part of Bob Gaudio (who wrote many of the groups hits over the years), while Jeff Leibow is Nick Massi. Tommy DeVito (who lives here in our little village) is well played by Jeremy Kushnier. Not only are the guys talented actors, but they can really sing and dance. |
The show is just one fantastic presentation and I would say a must see for anyone who loved the music of those bygone years. Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice wrote "The Book" for the production with Gaudio and Bob Crewe doing the music. Crewe was one of the producers (and lyricists) that worked with the Four Seasons in those great recording sessions. There is not one slow-up during the entire production. Every actor and singer is at the top of their game and it shows. The cast moves props on and off the stage, thereby saving a lot of time. They depart the stage (most of the time) by climbing a steel ladder and walking on the bridge situated in the back of the stage (in clear view of the audience). It is a neat way of "bridging" time. And, one thing I learned about the group was that a young upstart by the name of Joe Pesci was one of their early buddies. Yep, the same guy who is a famous star today. Who would've guessed it? Oh, yes, you should be warned that there are a few cuss words spoken frequently in the show, and I would suggest not bringing any youngster (under 12) to see "Jersey Boys." Tickets range from $70.00 plus to $249.00 plus. Earlier this week,we visited the Riviera Hotel & Casino to see the new version of "The Soprano's Last Supper." It is a vast improvement over its earlier outing at Krave. It moves quickly and is a fun show. During the 90 minute interactive presentation, it brings you (the audience) into a world seldom visited by us innocent residents of the world - glamour, deceit, murder, mayhem, and of course a lot of fun. It is a party and you are part of the party. This particular evening a special guest stopped by to say hello and partake in the fun - a real Soprano. Steven Schirripa, the real Bobby Baccalieri, Jr., from that little TV show that ran for a couple years on HBO (you remember that show I'm sure?) For a fun evening, this is for you. It is performed Tuesday through Sunday with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the production kicking off at 6 p.m. VIP Gourmet Dinners and a show are available (dinner is at 4:45 p.m.) with members of the cast. For further information call the Box Office at (702) 794-9433. Tickets are priced at $65 for the show and $95 for the VIP package. THIS AND THAT QUICKLY: A reminder that Mother's Day is this Sunday and that the El Cortez, downtown, is giving every mother a free dinner in its famous Roberta's Restaurant during the afternoon. The only catch (and it's so easy to resolve) is that you be a member of its Cortez Club... The monthly meeting of the F.I.O.R.E Club, where everyone is a President, will be held this coming Monday (May 12th) at noon, instead of its usual Tuesday. It'll be held, as usual, in the Take One Nightclub at 7th and Fremont. This is an organization designed for fun with no agenda. Stop by and visit with us youngsters (many of us have been around a long, long time). We are slowly dwindling away, gang. We have lost some of our pioneers, such guys as Freddie Bell, Blackie Hunt and Sonny King. Their history and stories can't be replaced. And, when we get together at Take One it is story telling time. Well, gang, that's about it for another week. I'm outa here!
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