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THE APRIL 18. 1969 VEGAS BAGG by ^W^ \ [ iQx\^ w ..... SOMEONE SHOULD.... make a movie and call if "Audition"; the talent casting sessions of the past few* weeks have had all the drama, comedy, pathos, suspense, heartbreak, black humor, sex, sadism, whimsy, pomp i and ceremony of a clean-sweep Academy Award winner. Last week's call for the next Donn Arden super-spectacu- lar (tentatively titled "Jazz, Baby Jazz" with a late June opening at the Desert Inn) was a superb example of the behind-the-scenes excitement, competition, and creative projection that makes "an Arden production" the sparkling glittering crown jewel that it is. Many, many, many were called and came in various states of preparation, anticipation; some gifted and talented, eager, arrogant, confident; mostly nervous, anxious to please. Just the tour de' force presence of the great impressario, Donn Arden j would be worth waiting for. He was, by turns, withering! direct, witty, whimsical, charming or chagrined, warml encouraging and patient, frigid and frightening, andalway I aware, perceptive and decisive. Entertainment Director and producer Frank Sennes will be adding still another blockbuster to his long string of Las Vegas pace-setters^ CINEMA CITY Muchly touted singer-danW Joe Kyle may very quietly land the male lead in this year's I most controversial motion picture. Kyle will reportedly F be screen-tested by the studio; the producer has reportedly requested a lid on any casting publicity until the female lead is announced STRIP CHATTER .... about another entertainment coup by the Flamingo/International Hotel's Bill Miller; while other hotels were still talking about it, Miller snagged the Broadway hit "Hair" for the International's legit theater.... about some too-close-to-be- coincidental similarities in the Nancy Austin Show and "Bottoms Up." BU is where Nancy got her start some years ago. Both shows play Nero's Nook, The newest edition of "Bottoms Up" opens May 2 about International Hotel star Barbra Streisand's qualified win for Best Actress at the Academy Awards CELEBRITY CIRCUS .... Vietnamese singer Bach-Yen shares the stage with Italian Anna Maria Al- berghetti at the Tropicana Blue Room, opening in mid- May Apparently Kiki Paige's announced revue at the Hacienda has been shelved; the popular Miss Paige will be featured in the Donn Arden "Jazz Baby Jazz" The same show will also feature the return of Las Vegas favorites, sparkling Jacqueline Douguet, lead dancer Nick Navarro, and former 'Let's Make Love' stars Barry -Monroe and Ed Whiting and Cuba's Norma Reyes Peggy Phillips, press rep for the Center Theatre Group at L.A/s Music Center, will be unit publicist on the forthcoming National General Productions feature film, "Grass- hopper" to be filmed on location in Las Vegas later this month....Phil Ford and Mimi Hines (last here as the [ Riviera's "Funny Girl") co-star with Bobby "Honey" Goldsboro in his L..V. debut at the Flamingo, April 24... Good to see multi-talented John Veith marqueed at the Castaways; John's been at Caesars Palace (Nero's Nook) for the past two years DAWN PATROL...Beautiful Mikki Sharait, who opened last night is featured in AlanLee's "Femi-Nudity" at the Sahara, will do a series of television commercials for Paradise Spa, the plush health, beauty and recreational community ten minutes from the Strip Former Dunes dancer Janet Boyd will be the featured exotic in Barry Ashton s "Wonderful World of Burlesque" at the Silver Slipper when Kalantan departs next week.... Nero Nookers Gaylord and Holiday join the Rowan and Martin Laugh In gang for a one-nighter in the Anaheim Convention Cen- (Continued on Page 13) Unnguteiti Utamittg Jirortwt 7flfi0 SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 1969 m \D ?AT! Barney Glazer in Las Vegas/Tahoe/Reno Three major productions arrive soon in the Las Vegas area to enchance overall attractions on the famed Strip. The Thunderbird premieres on Juen 18 the musical comedy, "The Madame," starring this column's good friend, Delphi Lawrence. The booking gives Vegas visitors an opportunity to enjoy a musical comedy before it moves to Broadway. Miss Lawrence recently co- starred with Susan Hayward in the Caesars Palace version of "Mame," inviting acclaim as a young Tallulah Bankhead. Recognized in England as its No. 1 musical comedy star, Delplii also played many featured roles in British films. "Boys in the Band," smash off-Broaclway play, opens June 19 in the Caesars Palace new Roman Theatre, first legit house in Las Vegas history. Other plays were staged in hotel dinner rooms. The production is scheduled twice nightly, operating on strictly legitimate theatre basis, including seat reservations. Caesars Palace executives Jerry Zarowitz and Dave Vic- torson will present other established plays in the popular off- Broadway concept and will also encourage new playwrights *nd performers. DONN ARDEN is creating and will stage a new spectacular, "Pzazz 70! and All That Jazz, Baby", for the Desert Inn with either a July 4 or 9 opening. Cast will number almost 70 top performers. Theme for Arden's look-of-to- morrow will be out of sight. aiming at jazz in all its forms as played in cities "where it's at, baby" (who thinks up those marquee - crowding titles that nobody ever remembers? W< FRESH from a successful engagement at the Los Angeles Cocoanut Grove, Rouvaun opened Thursday at the Dunes as headliner of "casino de Paris." A tenor with a dramatic impact, Rouvaun should draw a legion of friends who caught his previous performances at the Dunes in the same revue. Nobody in the nightclub to* day approaches Rouvaun's tellingly massive tenor, a commodity in short supply. ??