 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
| September 26-October 2, 2002 | ARCHIVES |
 | |
| "It's The Norm" - Recent Entertainment Events in Las Vegas | |
Went downtown the other evening to the Golden Nugget to see what all the fuss was about over a little ol' dance show called "The Spirit of the Dance." I left knowing what all the fuss was about: A great evening of dance and showmanship! If one has ever watched television (and who does not watch some TV, sometime during their lifetime) then you very possibly have heard of Irish Dancing and even better "River Dance" or watched "The Lord of the Dance" at New York-New York before it closed. Needless to say this is a takeoff of those dance shows, but in this writers opinion much better as if that is possible. What I liked about this particular revue is it encompassed all styles of dance from the Irish to American Jazz and all the stops between. The one thing hurting it however, was the size of the Golden Nugget stage. It's not the largest stage nor is it even a big stage. But, somehow, the 20 fabulous, youthful and exuberant dancers pull it off to a grateful audience. And like its title, the "spirit" is everywhere on that stage. There are no fancy stage sets nor are there expensive costumes. This show is limited to only one thing, dance, dance and more dance. What I also believe is one of the highlights is a young man who jumps to his own tunes' a fiddle player. Simon Painter is the fiddler and he's a good one! All in all I believe this 75-minute revue will please just about anyone who loves dance. It's all there from Flamenco, Waltz, and Fosse to a good old hoedown. And speaking of Bob Fosse, this particular jazz finale is definitely a highlight. |
A real good friend of this writer, and one we have talked about on numerous occasions, is Bob Anderson. He will take over a revamped lounge at the Stardust Hotel on Tuesday, Oct. 1 with two shows nightly (except Monday) at 9 and 11 pm. Anderson should by all rights be in the main showroom with his talent and longevity before audiences around the world. But his good buddy Wayne Newton owns that room. "I have a fantastic deal here and it's my room for as long as I want it," Bob said, as we stood enjoying some vino (at least I was) at a recent party. There will be old time seating (maitre d') and the tables will actually have tablecloths (back to the good old days) and locals will get a $10 discount off the $24.95 door charge. "I've changed my format around quite a bit," he said, as I continued to sip my wine. "I'll be doing some of my impressions that's for sure, but I'm going to include a lot more of me, Bob Anderson. I also think with my last show going off at 11 pm., a lot of my friends will be dropping by after their show to sit in and have some fun." Sounds like the good old days. Love it! If anyone has the respect of his fellow musicians and entertainers it's Anderson. His good buddy Vince Falcone, who conducted for The Man (Sinatra) for 10 years, will share the stage with five top-notch musicians including Santo on drums. Check it out! Hey, did you know that one of our very own residents took part in the 9-11 ceremonies in Washington D.C. Patricia Welch recently recorded a song she and her husband, Pete DuBarry collaborated on called "United We Stand." When she finished singing it at the base of the Washington Monument, Nancy Clark, chairperson for the event, asked her to sing it again with the audience joining in to make it even more memorable. Go to her web site at www.patriciawelch.com/united.htm and listen. It's beautiful gang, believe me! I'm
right now on "The Spirit" (Carnival cruise ship that is) with my daughter
seeing the wonders of Alaska. Sorry you can't be with me. I'm outa here!
|
