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THE REPORTER Monday, May 4, 1970 JnVight?╜Clut>R eviews Las > STARDUST Las Vegas.?╟÷You don't even have to like "Las Vegas French revues" (and a lot of people don't) to enjoy the all new ninth edition of the Stardust's Lido de Paris revue. It's an absolute mechanical marvel! The cos- times are dazzling, expensive and ultra-revealing. The specialty acts are exceptionally fresh an dtalented. The featured dancers and singers in the huge cast are strikingly beautiful/ handsome, and perform their solo stints with animation and considerably above par skill. The sets are towering and complex, the special effects both special and effective; and the 35 girls of Les Bluebells and Les Belles (dancers and nudes, respectively) are, with very few exceptions, gloriously endowed, feline or fiery, and as the occasion demands, equally adept at intricate terping or seductive slithering. The choreography, always such a major role in revues like this, is obviously the work of several choreographers. It ranges from an often seen "busy hands and busy feet make hits" type choreo-ing to some exceptionally original and genuinely exciting routines. The Bluebell Girls ?╟÷ Paris' Rockettes ?╟÷ and seven boy dancers handle their various assignments with flash and style. There are five major production numbers. The opener could be subtitled "Pourquoi Pas Pzazz Encore?" It's the mirrored ballroom effect from Donn Arden's first "Pzazz" (and even portions of the music are reminiscent of that show), and is ?╟÷ as it is on any stage ?╟÷ a breathtking and opulent creation. Act IV, called "Symphony of the Sea," features a festive Greek village, a storm at sea, and a bubbly, beautiful and imaginative un- derseascape that becomes the Temple of Athena. This production introduces the lead adagio team of Jillian and Ron ?╟÷ a most extraordinary couple who were one of the show's biggest assets, hits and highlights. The team appears first as happy tourists who become shipwrecked. They reappear ?╟÷ virtually nude ?╟÷ and dance for Athena (Marya Linere) and Hermes (Tom Allison). The seaweed costumes shimmer with a thousand colors for the ensemble gods, goddesses, muses and graces. A third production, "The Theft of the Mona Lisa," doesn't quite come off what with three helicopters (two above the audience), a barrage of sirens and gunshots, flashing spotlights and a profusion of cops and robbers chasing all happening at once! It's a bit too much to absorb against the gigantic backdrop of the city of Paris. Jennifer Pierson is the voluptuous mastermind of the caper with dancers Johnny Ritske and Dan Parker her limber and lithe accomplies. The best of the productions comes in Act VIM?╟÷"Rhapsodie Espagnole." Here we have a little gypsy soap opera, but it's well defined, easy to follow because of the acting talents of the principals, and builds to a dramatic, erotic and sensationally choreographed climax. Nicky Gorska & Ron Watson are the wedding pair at a gypsy fiesta. Marya Linero, the fortune teller, is both sensual and sinister. Jillian, the gypsy hellcat (on horseback), steals Watson away and takes him to a wildly bizarre bordello that looks like a mammoth cave. He strips her, she strips him, they dance ?╟÷ in a manner of speaking ?╟÷ and are in a torrid embrace when the fortune teller and the forsaken bride find them. Watson saves the bride from almost certain ravishment and Jillian, in typical gypsy spite sets the whole place afire. The finale, inexplicably switches to London, is London in a three scene tableau: the Royal Guards parade, a page of history featuring Queens Elizabeth, Mary and Victoria, and a final Piccadilly Circus with the entire company. Betwixt all these more eye-popping, mind-boggling epics are five specialty acts that ?╟÷ for a nice change ?╟÷ more than hold their own while sets & costumes are being changed. Three of the acts have been seen in Las Vegas before, but are among the best of other shows. Magicians Siegfried and Roy not only do they do the fastest switch from handcuffed man in a bag in a locked trunk to the partner outside and on top of the trunk but with a complete change of costumes. For their parting shot, it's a mind blower when Siegfried cages Roy and voila! a live full grown tiger appears in his place! The Volantes are comedy uni- cyclists who win their share of both thrills and laughs. Rudy Cardenas is the world's foremost juggler of golf balls, glasses, hats, etc. Utilizing the Strip's only on-stage ice rink is statuesque Heather Belbin?╟÷with singers Tom Allisen, Charles Gray and Dick Moll singing a shortened medley of hits. Miss Belbin really should have a male partner to achieve the impact and poetry of figure skating. And finally, in what many consider the star slot of the spectaculars, is illusionist- pickpocket Dominque. Dominque uses males from the audiences for his humorous and mystifying heistings of wallets, ties, suspenders, socks, shirts, etc . As in previous years, the Frank Sennes production was staged, created and directed by the gifted Donn Arden; costumes designed by Folco and executed in Paris; original music and lyrics are composed & arranged by Jim Harbert and J. P. Landreau with orchestrations for Eddie O'Neil and his orchestra by Harbert, Bill Stafford and Ivan Lane. Arden's choreographic assistants are Larry Maldonado, Carl Jablonski and Jerry Jackson. Art direction and sets are by Harvey Warren with special credit for the finale designed by Michael Knight and the Mona Lisa decor designed by Raymond Fost. Foy staged the flying sequences and Eddie White supervised the lighting and sound. The ninth edition of Le Lido de Paris was conceived, in Paris, by Pierre Louis-Guerin and Rene Fraday. "Pourquoi Pas?" is in for an indefinite engagement. ?╟÷Mark Tan.