by Norm Johnson Send Me E-mail

Took in three shows last week and, as promised, here are my impressions on each of them. First off the bat, I have to tell you that all three are very good shows. The only complaint I have is that one was overly loud (the late columnist, Joe Delaney, would have walked out), but the entertainers were wonderful.

My first visit was to the Hilton Hotel / Casino on the Paradise Strip and its Shimmer Cabaret, where The Scintas family is firmly ensconced. As mentioned last week, the family is home once again, and I personally hope they stay for a long, long time! From the moment the band strikes the first note to the final note, "Laugh Out Loud" (LOL) is a great 90 minutes of solid entertainment - which includes comedy, impressions, great vocals and just down-right old Las Vegas. There is about a seven minute opening film that is funny as heck. Frankie Scinta (the middle child) immediately follows and shows his versatility when he begins to play the banjo and ends up on the "spoons" (That's right Mabel, the spoons), and then goes right into a country music comedy routine using the guitar. Chrissi Scinta (the youngest child), attired sorta country style, performs "Any Man of Mine." "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," one of many Charlie Daniels hits, is done quite well by Frankie on the fiddle with Joey (the oldest child) assisting. The Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis skit by Joey and Frank is one very funny bit of business.

Without question, the entire family, including the adopted child Peter O'Donnell on drums (he's the bald one), are an extremely talented group. Among the three singers there is no question about Chrissi or Frank - they are the best. Frankie, more or less, is the engine that keeps the show moving. Take his Frank Sinatra or his Sammy Davis and Louis Prima tributes - they are tops. And, when Chrissi hits those high notes in "Don't Rain On My Parade," you would swear its Ms. Barbra herself - and Chrissi is really tiny.

Another highlight is when Joe and Frank honor their late father (a fire fighter) with their classical rendition of a Billy Joel medley, combined with "Love Story" and the theme from "The Godfather." It is quite a tribute, folks. The band, consisting of Marc Chauvette, Enrique Corro and Christopher Hoffman, create more music than an entire orchestra would ever make, and are a vital part of the show. The final number is "Lean on Me," with Joe, Frank and Chrissi. All I can say, is that if you want to spend a wonderful 90 minutes, then you simply must catch The Scintas. A really nice touch, is when they greet the audience outside the theater after the show. They are definitely family!

Next in line is a very well performed show titled, "Motown Revue...Hitzville," starring Jin-Jin Reeves at the Harmon Theater, inside the Krave Nightclub next to Planet Hollywood. This is the show that I thought was a wee bit loud, in that the band (great band incidentally) was louder than the singers - thereby making it real hard to hear the words. That is my only complaint! Jin-Jin is a terrific singer and beautiful to look at - and who doesn't like to see beautiful ladies on a stage? The show takes you back in time, to a decade where the Supremes were supreme and the Four Tops topped the charts. Gladys Knight and the Pips are well represented by Ms. Reeves when she performs "I Heard it Though the Grapevine," and "Midnight Train to Georgia." Just terrific, gang, just terrific. The O'Jays open the show with Ron Stevenson and Dan Mitchell putting words to "I Love Music." Alexzandria Morgan does a beautiful Mary Wells number, "My Guy," which is followed by The Drifters and their hit, "Under the Boardwalk." " Heat Wave," by Martha and the Vandellas is wonderfully performed by Mirage Baron, followed by three Aretha Franklin hits as sung by Jin-Jin.

The Temptations stop by to sing three of their hits, followed by non-other than the fantastic Supremes topping off three hits with "Stop In the Name of Love." Jin-Jin really gets hot and heavy when she appears on stage with a fabulous wig and performs Tina Turner's, "Simply the Best" and "Proud Mary."

This is a show worth seeing, and it also features an "All You Can Eat" Soul Food Buffet, which in my humble opinion is worth the price of admission alone. Showtimes are 7 p.m. nightly with buffet seating at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets are priced from 54.95 plus taxes, and $30.00 without the buffet, plus taxes. For further information call (702) 836-0836.

The third show on the agenda, Larry G. Jones - Superstar Voices in Concert at the Royal Resort Hotel, 99 Convention Center Drive, will have to be held over until next week as I have run out of space and time. Needless to say, this guy should be in a big room like Terry Fator and Danny Gans. He's that darn good! The room Jones is in is small in comparison (well, actually it's really tiny) but you get a full show and up close. The show is hosted by Brian Hoffman, a Red Skelton look-alike.

I'm outa here!

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