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| March 31, 2006 | NEWEST - PRIOR WEEK - ARCHIVES |
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| "It's The Norm" - Las Vegas Entertainment Events | |
GORDIE BROWN LEAVES DOWNTOWN
& THE SOPRANOS ARRIVE
Went to the Golden Nugget the other evening to see a young man I've personally been watching for more 14 years. I first spotted Gordie Brown when he was a integral part of the Rich Little Show at the Sahara Hotel in 1992. Over the years, I've been able to observe this particular impressionist, singer, comedian come into his own "As one Heck of a performer!"
This was his last week at the downtown hotel / casino, which is undergoing a major revamping that will include a new and larger showroom. So, my friend and I decided it was a good time to see him (the current Nugget showroom is a perfect venue for an act like Gordie - it's up close and personal). Joe Leone, entertainment guru at the Nugget, set us up with a great table and, for the next 90 minutes I sat in disbelief. I had not seen Gordie in more than a year. He is not that struggling impressionist / comedian anymore, who worked in an old pair of Levi's. No, gang, today Gordie is a perfectionist who was quick to pick up the vibes from a mixed audience and gear his entire show towards this particular crowd. And he now works in a very nicely tailored shirt and pants (I think they're still sorta like Levi's however)! The kid's come a long way!  An impressionist is in reality an actor. He is performing not as himself, but as Jack Benny, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne or any of perhaps 50 celebrities Brown does during his show. He is also a singer in his own right and of course loves being a comedian - he's very quick with wicked ad-libs (not outwardly foul either) that holds him in great stead. Gordie Brown is an act one remembers. The late impressionist Frank Gorshin was one of the best at contorting his features into whomever he was doing an impression of. Another who has this rare ability is Las Vegas favorite Babe Pier. Gordie has it too! His Sammy Davis, Jr. is right on (as Sammy would say). Nobody can outdo Rich when he does Louie Armstrong's "It's a Wonderful World," but Gordie comes darn close - his idol, after all, is Rich and the two are also great personal friends. One (and believe me there are many) of the funniest bits is Gordie's Bob Dylon / Ozzie Osbourne being interviewed, and another was Sonny Bono and Cher. There are the usual voices spread between his own voice and jokes, but his closing 10 to 15 minutes is devoted to a fabulous rendition of Elvis. It is funny. It is endearing and it is respectful. Gordie Brown closes the show with his rendition of "My Way." A fitting way to close his show because he has become a star the hard way - he did it "His Way!" |
This Saturday (April 1) Mel and Marilyn Larson (they used to own Action Helicopters and Mel was an executive with Circus-Circus for more than 20 years) are opening their mega-million $ estate in Sandy Valley where they will stage a huge benefit for the Las Vegas Animal Foundation Building Fund. These two wonderful friends have already donated $1 million to the Animal Foundation and Marilyn has been involved with the organization ever since she moved to Las Vegas. Their estate includes an unbelievable three-story mansion with a heliport on its roof and an elevator to the first floor. The couple have arranged for guests to be bussed to and from the estate (from Las Vegas) beginning at 4 pm. The party starts at 5 pm. and ends at 9 pm. Three artists have been asked to participate in the event. Award-winning actor Tony Curtis will have his fantastic paintings on display. Los Angeles Times writer and Las Vegas resident Bobbie Katz will have her one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry on display. And yours truly has been asked to display my sculptures. Naturally I accepted. All of our items will be for sale with a hefty percentage going to the Animal Foundation. It's for a fantastic cause and the price is right. A donation of $150 per person, which includes transportation, food and beverages, is the asking price. For more information call (702) 893-0246. See ya there! This years annual Joe Williams Music Scholarship Fund Concert will take place in The Orleans Showroom at 2 pm. Sunday, April 9th. Those scheduled to perform include Robert Goulet, Marlena Shaw, Freddie Eckstine, Pete Barbutti and award-winning composer, arranger Artie Butler. Butler, along with Phyllis Molinary, wrote "Here's to Life," a hit for the late Joe Williams. Tickets are $34.95. For reservations call (702) 365-7075 THIS AND THAT QUICKLY: It seems every time I turn around I'm going to a funeral or a wake these days. Another wonderful guy has passed on to the great band in heaven. Jack Eglash, who I had the privilege of working with over the years (especially when he was at the old Sahara Hotel), was a song writer, musician, conductor, husband and father and was simply one of those "great guys!" Jerry Lewis, who spoke at his memorial, perhaps summed it up best when he said, "He was very loyal and loved to do great stuff. He loved stuff! I can't believe we'll ever see anyone like him again... Aren't we lucky we had him as long as we did?"...
"Lunchtime with Ira, Live from the Las Vegas Hilton" is quickly becoming a very popular radio show. It originates from the Shimmer Cabaret and is carried locally on KDWN and nationally on Cable Radio. It's streamed live on www.lvhilton.com and is now being aired on the Watchit TV channel on hotel in-room television sets, starting at noon every Monday... Well, gang, that's about it for another week. Oh, yeah, I have just heard a rumor that Gordie Brown has inked a contract to appear in a major showroom on the Las Vegas Strip. I'm outa here!
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Two funny guys will be at the Stardust April 6-8, Tim Conway and Harvey Korman with a 7:30 show time. A new revue opens on Tuesday in the Stardust Showroom titled "Headlights and Tailpipes." Showtimes will vary. Call the hotel for further info...
The Mob returns to Las Vegas for its final dinner. "The Sopranos Last Supper" will open at KRAVE (on the Harmon side of the Aladdin) on Thursday, April 6. It's a 2 1/2 hour interactive show with a four-course dinner. For reservations call (702) 733-8669. It's sorta an offer you can't turn down since the invitation comes directly from Tony...