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ent000830-034
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Vista, Calif, press . W. 5,835) (Circ. \ 3S7 Hollywood, Calif. Reporter (Circ. D. 11,000) JilUn i ' _JL Esf. 2S88 Vegas Limelite ?╟≤ LAS VEGAS ?╟≤ By Barney Glazer All that jazz, razz, mdazz buzzin' 'round Las Vegas pointed to Pzazz! '68," which opened SeptT 2&,""at"the Desert Inn. The hotel has overhauled its boilers to present a mini, mod, mad revue that has no psychedelic parallel on the Strip, not even a soul brother in the entire county. Created, staged and directed by Donn Arden and produced by Frank Sennes, the musical goes va-va-voom with costumes that make mink look like rabbit, music with an obvious status edge, cosmic sounds that outkick 80-proof tequila, and individual acts that rhyme with the rest of the dazzling production. "Pzazz! '68" presents a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers tableau without the stars and a thundering waterfall that also salutes the film industry. A Boom Town episode burns an oil field. The revue's big finale flips back to the days of Beau Geste and the Foreign Legion. The Snyder Brothers ride the rapid transit to comedy with songs and dances. International juggler Rudy Cardenas proves as tricky as a cavalry captain wearing a monocle. Production numbers frame 70 dancers, singers and showgirls. Adding a timely dimension to the revue, the Dance Educators of America, composed of the country's dance teachers, recently honored Donn Arden with an award for his contributions to the dance, staging and choreography. Bambi McCormick, 23- year-old featured singer in the Desert Inn show, is a grandniece of the late renowned operatic tenor John McCormack (note the spelling difference.) Frank Sennes signed Bambi after hearing the youngster sing with Don Cornell at the Stardust. Mad, mod "Pzazz! '68" features 350 costumes, ranging from mini-burlap to full- length, deep-cut evening gowns. Designed by Bill Campbell and executed by Berman of Hollywood, the costumes add a Tiffany setting with spectacular beads and sparkling stones. Like Marco Polo, Campbell imported exotic materials from the four corners of the earth: elasticized cloth from London, woven brocades and chiffons from Paris, satins from Italy, silks from the Orient and ostrich plumes from South Africa. Seeing "Pzazz! '68" after previous Desert Inn productions is like slumbering in a feather bed after sleeping on wooden boards, like dating Brigitte Bardot after playing with Chatty Cathy dolls, like running to a touchdown after being thrown for a loss all afternoon. Whether you're a salty individualist or timid knight, "Pzazz! '68" will earn your E for entertainment. It's even more inspiring than that old time religion, that is, if you don't have any. Starting Oct. 2, the Bonanza stars not one but two sex- pots: Mamie Van Doren in the Opera House and Candyj Barr in the afternoon "Wa-'i tusi Stampede." . . . Harry ; Belafonte is the current Cae- sars Palace psychology ma- : jor in music .:. . Xaviar Cu- gat, the satin Latin, leads his band in Caesars' Nero's Nook. Hypnotist Pat Collins and comedian Richard Pryor catch the true carnival spirit at the Aladdin . . . Bobby Darin, the young whipper- snapper, adds the vocal scenery to the Flamingo's postcard . . . "Europa '68" makes a significant entertainment breakthrough at the Frontier ... At the Sahara, Robert Goulet sings in a mghtcluTMtar4h?╜.last time in a longtime before opening in a new stage musical at the L. A. Music Center . . . Mel Torme and Alan King pick up where Frank Sinatra left off at the Sands . . . Ginger Rogers and Dorothy Lamour dolly in and out of "Hello, Dolly" at the Riviera .. . The Dukes of Dixieland ride roughshod in Dixie jazz in the Tropicana's Blue Room, while the Folies Ber- By JOY Y Las Vegas. ?╟÷ Thunderbird wooing former prexy Herb Lodge back? Talk is he'll pull a MacArthur, but on his terms. . . . Local Nate Adelson beaming modestly, but happily, over the original lyrics penned by his nephew, Leonard Adelson, for the hit of the year, the Desert Inn's "Pzazz! '68." The spectacular ?╟÷ and there is no other word for the show ?╟÷ is one big hug and kiss for filmdom. And you can take the kids, for a change! . . . Abe Schiller into a top public relations spot at the Dunes within three days after severing connections with the Flamingo. Good. That Abe is a sweet guy. . . . That "indefinite engagement" of Mamie Van Doren's at the Bonanza may not be as long as some anticipated. ... Ed Levinson, Fremont Hotel top brass, off to Israel for a jaunt. . . . Patti Page, of the same spot, different capacity, fighting "Vegas throat" the past few days, but making every show. . . . Antonio Mo- relli, maestro at the Sands, making a wonderful recovery from his stroke. ... To the surprise of not a soul, Herb Alpert and gang packed the Convention Center on their recent one- nighter. Why work a big room for maybe $100,000 a week when they can pick up the kind of loot they can doing concerts? Joyce Stanley, who had one of the top roles in "That Certain Girl" at the T-Bird, has changed her name to Joy Todd, on the advice of her nu- merologist, and is doing good biz as a single in the smarter clubs on the West Coast. ... It will be Trini Lopez and Vic Damone openings at the Riviera Oct. 18; Trini in the big room, Vic in the lounge. Vic closes his Harold's Club engagement in Reno on Monday, wings down to LV for rehearsals and the opening. Guy Lombardo and crew take over the Harold's gig through Nov. 6. . . . Bob Joyce, KRAM show biz expert, cracked us all up at a recent opening when the line number turned out to be one that was MONTHS old. "I guess the boss decided the gals are going to do this routine 'til they get it right," quipped Bob. . . . Any truth to the report that the Sands has the inside track with La Streisand, even tho she still may have an option hanging with the Riviera? And how about the equally strong jazz that Sinatra may do a "farewell" two- weeker at the same spot? Just asking, just asking. . . . Happy anniversary No. 1 to Red Mcllvane and his darling Ginny, who celebrate Saturday. Red is wtih KORK-TV and radio and has to be the busiest guy in town. . . . Condolences to K-TOO disc jock Duke Hoover. Now that Dist. Judge Howard Babcock has upheld the Henderson city dads' bare bosom ban Hoover isy out of a most delightful "job." He had been voted "topless inspector" by fellow deejays of the area. gere dazzles in the Trop's main room. Casino de Paris at t h e Dunes is attracting crowds like free beer . . . Le Lido de Paris at the Stardust is the next best thing to owning a seat on the N.Y. Stock Exchange.