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a This Clipping From HOLLYWOOD REPORTER HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. FEB 19 1959 This Clipping From DAILY VARIETY HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. MOULIN ROUGE Comedians sometimes turn audience heckling to advantage, especially since they're well prepared with a fund of snapper retorts that, by their seeming spantaneity, can well draw bigger laughs than prepared routines. Hecklers, however, can be murder for a romantic singer to whom the slightest distraction can destroy audience rapport. Such was the plight of Vic Damone on his opening Tuesday when unintelligible heck lings from large parties in two different quarters were made obvious by the singer's courteous efforts to quell same. It would have been better had he completely ignored the jibes for, though finally brought under control, they built sympathy for Damone from the rest of the audience. But the heckling also distracted the audience and thus also dampened its enthusiasm. Unquestionably, Damone is one of our best non-gimmick pop singers extant. He has a full, rich baritone with well-controlled shadings on soft torches, such as "Our Love Affair," which he did for the pic "Funny Valentine," and "Someone to Watch Over Me." He exhibits fine full - throated prowess, too, on belters like "Fascinatin' Rhythm," "You Do Something to Me" and "Cheek to Cheek." His is a straight singing act ,except for a nice bit of soft - shoeing on "Two Left Feet," but the voice in itself is strong enough to warrant star billing. Undoubtedly, without the heckling, which was unjustified, he'd have scored strong all the way in the reaction department, which was alternately heavy and weak. Another debut act was French prestidigitator Marvyn Roy, who scored solidly with clever manipulations that found him pulling lighted candelabra out of thin air and a 15-foot string of lighted bulbs out of his mouth, a modern variation of Houdini's razor-blades trick. The Donn Arden Revue, opening with a western production and closing with its African themer, loses none of its spectacular effect in repeated view- ings. ?╟÷ Hank Grant. MOULIN ROUGE ($5.50 Package) Vic Damone has a smart singing 1 act in which he bowed at the J Moulin Rouge Tuesday night to a \ good house. Concentrating on \ scngs with a minimum of patter, Damone's act is well-paced, has variety and style, and its novelties have both showmanship and musicianship. Donn Arden's "Wonderful World" revue continues in abbreviated form at Frank Sennes' j theatre-nitery. D'amone opens behind the curtain with "Our Love," strongly identified with him, goes into "You Do Something To Me," after the curtains part, and segues from that into "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)," and from there to a jump version of "Cheek To Cheek," and into a dramatic rendition of "I've Got You Under My Skin." He does a Gershwin medley, "Maybe," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "You Can't Take That Away From Me," winding with "Fascinatin' Rhythm," latter including some special lyrics. He comes back with "Arrivederci, Roma" and "Separate ^ables," does a casual soft-shoe to "Two Left Feet," and signs off with "The Street Where You Live." One of the trickier items in this second set is a counterpoint version of "Funny Valentine," in which Damone sings the Rodgers and Hart music and lyrics, and his new accompanist, Robert Smale, plays Chopin. It's an effective and unusual arrangement. Damone is backed by Dick Stabile's fine orchestra (14), which also supplies accompaniment for "Wonderful World," and for dancing. A new intro act, Marvyn Roy and his "Illusions Electrique," a novel magic number, is interesting. Roy's props consist of lighted electric bulbs, which pop out of his jacket, his pockets, his mouth with no visible means of support or current. He works up to producing, via the handkerchief trick, a large crystal chandelier, lighted. It's a diverting and intriguing act. Powr. Moulin ftoiige, H*wn?╜d Hollywood, Feb. 20. Vic Damone, Marvyn Roy, Donn Arden "Wonderjul World" Revue. Dick Stabile Orch (16); $5.50 package. - Vic Damone's singing act is a smart one as seen here for the first time in a year. It's a reprise for the Moulin Rouge, where lie last showed in the area, and he drew an except'onally good house for his opening on Tuesday (17). Concentrating on songs with a minimum of patter, Damone's turn is well-paced, has variety and style, and the noveites have showmanship and musicianship. Damone opens behind the curtain with "Our Love," identified With him, goes into "You Do Something to Me" after the curtains part, then runs through "I Got-It Bad (And That Ain't Good)," a jump version of "Cheek to Cheek," and "I've Got You Under My Skin." He follows with a Gershwin medley, "Maybe," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "You Can't Take That Away From Me," and finishing with "Fascinatin' Rhythm," including some special "exit" lyrics on tlie latter. Pie comes back with "Arrivederci, Roma," and "Separate Tables," does a casual softshoe to "Two Left Feet," and signs off with "The Street Where You Live." One of the trickier items in his second ! set is an original version of "My Funny Valentine." In tlrs, Damone sticks to the Rodgers & Hart music and lyrics, while his new accompanist, Robert Smale, counterpoints with some Chopin. It's effective and unusual. Damone is on for about 50 minutes. Damone is backed by Dick Stabile's fine orch, which supplies accompaniment for the regular Donn Arden revue, "Wonderful World." A word should be said about the consistently high quaiity of this standard feature of the Rouge. Although seen several times over the past year, the revue stays consistently bright and fresh. Costumes and chorus performances are kept topnotch. ; A new intro act, Marvyn Roy; is a novelty magic number. Roy's props consist of lighted electric bulbs, which pop out of his jacket, pockets, etc., with no visible means of support or current. He works up to producing, via the handkerchief trick, a large crystal chandelier?╟÷ lighted. It's a diverting act, running 10 to 15 minutes. Powe.