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Tues., Ap^l 3(^1974 NITERY REVIEW MGM Grand ($15 Minimum)^, Las Vegas, April 29?╟÷With hisjextensive credits over-the years for 'directing and choreographing the Lido show at'the Stardust Hotel, up to this point the quintessjinm^ Las Vegas spectacular, Donn Arden ascends to even, greater heights Bth his ?╟úHalleujah Hollywood.?╟╓^^^11 probability it will become the world standard for the most expensive supershow of ill type and should remain at the pinnacle for some time to come. The reason for tfiat is" not too difficult to ascertain. Starting with Palace promenade; the typical money, few'resort hotels or thea- :cax^^^m^scefie^^^^Pone^. the tres anywhere could afford such a .bombardment |nd^sinking of a nut, reasonably pegged at near||r pirate galleon into a grotto wherefa-; $2,000,000 preproduction coft|f?║pot near^ud^^^r 1 Bims with a counting jUHHenprmous expen- dolphin, and still another salute in ditureS'for the technical, mechani- a melange of film and live action cal and engineering marvels in the entitled ?╟ ?╟ Halleluiah|B|[|H^p)^d?╟╓s Zie|feld Theatre environs. Greaif|^- .The creati?╟╓^^^nces allowed to The iour acts dividing prOduc-flow, backed by such largesse, did ?4^^-^are good to ex<^^Pt, the 4Ig with eclat and |||is to Arden?╟╓s latter pr|l|||invariably bestowed credit and every other person in- upon illusionists Ziegfeld Siegfried volved in the .?╟ enterprise that all and Roy by audiences mystified as^ outdid themselves in quality, as to disappearance and appearances' ^|p as quanttflB The gTupper ^ cages, boxes and other para-echelon of MGM Grand know they phemalia of both the principals have a bargain v?½ ?╟úHallelujah and a lion, Bengal tiger, leopard, Hollywood?╟Ñ at any price. not to forget a covey of doves out of yhe first adjustment audiences' scarves, i must make in Viewing ?╟úHH?╟ÑHin David Rosaire and his perky becoming almost completelyPekes give a fillip as the Mandarin whelmed by si2e and numbers, the pooches go through paces, humo^ width of-the proscenium and depth tpsupplied by;$?║|||f^4nutt who gets 4of stage, the use.of side stages, into the hcg^ith no provoeati^ ceiling drops, bridges or spans, whatsoever and entire canine men-overhead tracks, the elevators, agerie hauled off at .closie by red traps, awesome ^ scenic changes stagecoach pulled by a great Dane before the eyes and scores of and a baboon riding shotgun, people and animals bathed S a The Volante^^p provide many Rititillating palette of lighting. thrills with their fooling around onj Technical and mechanical tall unicycles, touches of yockable problems took four months to solve banter toosed irb Alan Weeks and and the result is total exhilaratim Winston DeWitt Hemsl|y^ who also at contemplating the meld of these |||z around in several production forces and the human element, rounds, have their own song-and-^which, after all; is the paramount, dance sesh, hitting well with repeat or better still the MGM, issue at of their tapistry performed S the hand., mi^icdt ?╟úHallelujah Baby.?╟Ñ The nine acts comprising the Although some of the singers are pageantry "of films and stars of notlojetl'y^ stimulating, a few givlg yesterdays in; t A tribute To The production a necessary flpw. Prin-Magic World Of MGM?╟Ñ are them-Hcipals are Eileen Barnett^ Gary SjeMes the principal raison d?╟╓etre Marshal, Diane Findlay, Patrice^j for Arden?╟╓s nostalgem. And all are Chanlll Lou GarB, |||ev|| the actual?╟ ^rars^of the produc- Harmon, Chuck Karel, Geri tion from opening ?╟úStarama?╟÷ Garn|||Martin Rp'^p&ary Crakes, Hollywood Turns On,||lwith its Ross Davies, Marlene Vincenti, toast-to Gotham and updating to Reg Riedel and Penny Gaston. ?╟úBusby Berkeley Now,?╟Ñ until the There are 60 MGM girls, in-tribute to the theatre of Florenz eluding a brace of very healthy Ziegfeld in a mammoth finale two nudes, mannequins galore and hours later that in itself has suffi- fleet dancers who express the ideas cient mind-boggling components of choreographer Norman Maen for almost any ?╟únormal?╟Ñ show. with unsparing devotion to the Interim production galvanizers endurai^ce^-fests each number ^inmude a living curtain eye-popper requires. Tricia Lee is an outstand-with Leo the Lion on his own stage ing contributor with herifolog.'a r, above the stage surrounded by The dancing men number 14 and ?╟úThe Cat Pack?╟Ñ of dancers; handsome, agile and prodigal ?╟úJumbo,?╟╓gyyith Bozo the Clown fjy;v, with their multifacet talents, ing through the air suspended from Designated The Singing Ladies are an overhead track and the amusing warblers placed within the many tricks of Tanv^he elephanlpthe production, moods to solo occa-eastern scj>nd^iih camel and sionally as well as add body to the llama saf^ f^a^goIdS^i process- ojver?╜Ul meal sound, ditto the sing-sional follojp^|^y.^Kis^t^-*?╟÷-4 - - iitg-iheh. Also, the^reajiit^ngl'Mek Mb ?╟ Co^turrne designs by Ray In St. Lou%^cd^i<^ioq^itl^iirB -^na'^a# and Bob Mackie are the clipof JudyGar^dkngtng ^peaf 'piosllvorsatile of any production Mr, Gable,?╟╓?╟╓ and enaCTmen# W showactant in Las Vegas, adding to ?╟úThe Trolley Song?╟Ñ in the Crystal the ''' sumptuous^ feeling and the tt____ | f&ptinteous, expressionistic tributes ?√ß Lto ^Hollywood, New York or any- I place in the world this lush musical visits. Michael Knight?╟╓s art direction ||H superb, the settings paralleling all I the other munificent strappings. Production design by John DeCuir 4 ?╟≤ receives a similar bow. Lighting by H Jules Fisher in most unusual, the ?√ß spectrum of color being realized in Bj gorgeous tone splashes, muted effects and none of the multiwatt' ?√ßgarish overplay of candlepower ?√ß could^Qth#mse mar stfch a ?√ß huge undertaking. MrMts'^o to Bill De AnglB, the I Grand?╟╓s production supervisor, fcpffB |gp!patierice over the months after ?√ß many engineering breakdowns and lreSo^^ns, and to Lm|j|y Maldonado, ?√ß production coordinator^for8 Arden. I Spegi^^m^cal material and H lyrics are by Bill|| Barnes, orches-traii^^by 'Billy Byers, with his charts eloquently displ|^Sby a H truly out-of-sight orch placed be- H [neat^^^Sage and led by the H indomitabiV'pfblTsp?½^^# he patches alf stage act^Ebverffead H I sjhot from dozens of' monit9P tv H m Maggie Smith?╟╓ / |?║| 11 Section 1 28? Mary Martin, who hasn?╟╓t been* seen in public much since, her husband died, was at fa? MGM hotel Th) Las Vegas Thursday watching a dress reTitiyi'Sal ul1 Hallelujah Hollywood?╟Ñ produced and directed by Donn Arden. Mary applauded the show in the Ziegfeld Room, went up stage, and told Bonn, ?╟úI have always had great respect for Mr. Ziegfeld but if possible, this is better than anything I have seen.?╟Ñ Mary then chatted with the cast and stage-h a n d s and congratulated them too. /Wed.. May 1,1974 J us tjorVariety Ji&o , .. Rap;d Robert just returned from Las Vega? "where MGM?╟╓s Grandand Caesars Palace are still bidding to get him. (Latter has the edge). He saw ?╟úHallelujah Hollywood?╟Ñ at the Grand and ?╟╓ says ?╟úIt out-Ziegfeld?╟╓s Ziegfeld. It?╟╓sdazzhn^ookeda^vith^ew^ use on a special.?╟Ñ (Sans nudes, natch). J