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9 Monday, May 16, 1960 ? α REVIEWS CIRO?╟╓S Frank Sennes has brought in the vi- I brant song personality of Roberta Sher- I wood to spark the reopening of Ciro?╟╓s. Headline-wise, it?╟╓s a booking to.please majority of the bistro - beaters, With Donn Arden?╟╓s ?╟úDames a la Carte?╟Ñ re- vue and Professor Backwards added plusses. It remains her rousing style which enhances and predimoniates Miss Sher- wood?╟╓s performance onstage. Last seen locally at the Cloister,, her mode of op- eration remains pretty much the same ?╟÷entrance from the table area, a gra- cious friendliness ?╟╓tween numbers and an extensive repertoire which includes such faves as ?╟úUp a Lazy River?╟Ñ and ?╟úYou?╟╓re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You,?╟Ñ among many, many others. Too many at the show caught. Intro?╟╓d at her Thursday bow1 by Walter Winchell, the songstress proceeded to give out lustily for 70 minutes. Good as it was, it was simply a case of overstaying. This time around, incidentally, Miss Sherwood has added the gimmick of sharing the floor briefly with her son, Don Lanning, for a pair of numbers. It turns out effective, with the lad having a soft albeit pleasant voice which evi- dences the potential to improve with added training. Professor Backwards is in the com- edy Spotlight, and happily. Material for the most part is laugh-provoking, never offensive and slanted toward a wide variety of subjects. Overall, he?╟╓s pleas- ing in both sight and sound. Plush wrapping to the layout is fur- nished by Donn Arden?╟╓s Revue. A visual treat, as always, performed by 10 eye - filling showgirls and a good (if loud) male singer, Don Chastain. Matty Malneck?╟╓s orchestra provides the back- ing and serves up a danceable beat for the patrons. Lisa Kirk comes in next, on May 26; to be followed by Jimmy Durante on June 1 0. ?╟÷ Neal Graham. Nil CIRO?╟╓S (No Cover; $5.50 Min,) ?╟úHave cymbal, will sing?╟Ñ is a suitable axiom for Roberta. Sher- wood. The matronly songstress, still carting a. sweater a la Peanuts blanket, is now at Frank Sennes?╟╓ Ciro?╟╓s. With her is the oldest of three sons (Don), Professor Back- wards, and a flashy Donn , Arden chorus of 10 scantily clad cuties. Spot, now operating without a cover charge and $5.50 minimum, looks to have the best dollar value entertainment in town. Miss Sherwood, aside from the addition of son, still parades the same act ?╟÷ strolling on mike from the rear of the room and stopping long enough to greet patrons while lyricizing her opener, ?╟úLove Is A Many Splendored Thing.?╟Ñ From here on in she belts away the usual faves ?╟÷ ?╟úAvalon,?╟Ñ ?╟úYou?╟╓re Nobody Until Somebody Loves You,?╟Ñ ?╟úWherever He Goes?╟Ñ and the expected ?╟úUp A Lazy River.?╟Ñ Her trademark is cymbal-ized throughout show on various selec- tions. It doesn?╟╓t matter that much of her routine isn?╟╓t aimed for the young set. In this case they don?╟╓t count. The oldsters are her follow- ing -4- and they?╟╓re the spenders. Her son took his turn at bat with solos on ?╟úI?╟╓m Gonna Steal You Away?╟Ñ and ?╟úJohn Henry.?╟Ñ Both were hits and brought good mitt response. The good lookin?╟╓ boy showed enough mike savvy and ; vocal prowess to make him a good l entry for single bookings, if need [be. ! Prof. Backwards^ a deadpanned ilaugh getter, shone under spot in jthe garb of a Kay Kyser. The Scholarly touch was shortlived, however, when the patrons decided that instead of cramming up on the Book of Knowledge ?╟÷- he spent fiis reading hours in the world of pomie books. Although much of his ?╟úmaterial is shopworn the prof kept the yocks rolling in the right direction by unloading his gags in an affable manner. Donn Arden?╟╓s production num- bers, though limited by space, were a colorful treat. The femmes were decked out thinly to do the most good and put the emphasis on a pretty girl. Matt Malneck?╟╓s house band kept a good syncopation throughout show and terp time. Lisa Kirk opens May 26. Kafa. Ay // Wo | wood, who opened at Ciro?╟╓s this week, turned to her guitarist and asked, ^Am I overdoing this, have I been on too long??╟Ñ He should have said, yes. / The ? remarkable Miss , Sherwood, who really , sings up a storm, was on ?╟≤stage nearly two hours. [ Over-long shows on open- ing night are common enough, but this was an especially flagrant exam- ple. Other than this, the lovely and gracious Miss Sherwood, who was intro- duced by Walter Winchell, I who discovered her some years ago, gave her fans what they came to hear. She sang in her most ex- uberant manner a wide variety of tunes, from ?╟úsa- loon songs?╟Ñ to hillbilly, old favorites and new ?╟÷ even an Italian and Hawaiian sopg. Dressed in a simple black lace gown she start- ed out a little tremulous- ly but soon was belting them out to a capacity au- dience of notables and well-wishers. She introduced her son, I Don Lanning, who also has a noteworthy voice, and reminded me a good deal of, James MacArthur, the young actor son of I Helen Hayes. Prof. Backwards, a very funny comic, warmed up the audience and the Donn Arden Revue, with vocalist Don Chastain and %0 beautiful girls opened the show. A1 Malnick backed the Revue and played for dancing. night. He kept a usually noisy bistro audience in attentive silence while he read a varied selection of poetry, several of Lin- coln?╟╓s s p eeches and Shakespeare?╟╓s Seven Ages of Man?╟Ñ Downstairs at the Cre- scendo the Mary Kaye Trio continues to pack the room, with Mprt Sahl and singer June Christy due on May 26. LOCAL HOLDOVERS l Other acts continuing on the local scene include Gi- sele MacKenzie at the Co- coanut Grove through May 24, with Nat (King) Cole ! set to follow her on the 25th. The Kingston Trio is scheduled for a June 17 opening just in time for graduating fans. Young singer Bobby Darin, who has been breaking records J (house records, that is) at the Cloister can still be , seen through May 18, with Tony Bennett 6et to follow on May 19, the first anni- versary of the club. The Slate Bros, are holding over Jackie Mason and Rita Moss until June 2. ] Paul Gilbert will be at the Chi Chi in Palm Springs through the week- ; end. Jazz pianist E v e 1 y n j Smith made her Los Ange- les debut this week at Jim?╟╓s Roaring 20?╟╓s (Won- derBowl-Downey). Duke Mitchell can $till be seen at the Black Bull in Mis- sion Hills. IN LAS VEGAS The three openings in Las Vegas next week will Moulin Rouge, H?╟╓f ???╜d For those oho haven?╟╓tjg|| good fortune and that it is to redi I Iv see a true comic work m today s Uuoer-geared atomic world of ?╟ S?╟╓?╟╓ comics-then ||g^J|gg| 1?╟úAn Evening With Red &Kenyu. I His L.A. nitery bow Sur}dayh^g I t>roved beyond question that he s I oneV of the ludicrous greats of all- |tilSkelton rafter an hour-and-a- |iyginn^ls^oew^gHeVaresponded to lit wtth the same emotion the au- \ dience felt during I the old war veU watching tne P rade pass by to the beal f Col. I Bogie March. Its a I Aside from a co&ple of minor 1 miscues, which Skelton admitted I were due to nervousness; it was 1 laueh-a-second. Comic doesn t rely, I c^^long, probelmatical, muddled j I lines to throw at the patrons. In I stead his routine is simple, honest, 1 in dtselfStto?? view the likes of Skel-' [ton, who does it without reaching |f"e,Cksome of his material was I familiar?╟÷guzzler?╟╓s gm, mgar smok, |ing politician, the alphabet speech. | But all of it, Plus new stuff like I the mechanical man, etc., drew tne I yocks Skelton took time from the I fun-stuff to warble straight two I folk songs ?╟÷ P,re^+hGira^p land ?╟úThe Foggy Dew?╟Ñ?╟÷with narp I backing. Watching this master fun- I sier enjoy his work, and remember- ing Hope and Benny one wonder^ I where are the new ?╟  clean replace* I Parla Alberghetti is a tremen- I dous prelude to Skelton. Contrahr I to, radiant in a white lace gpwfL Locks across numcroiw ltalian and I operatic numbers. Her cultures I voice was a delight to the crowd' (While- hitting highs. -Miss Alber- Ighetti has, though still young, all of the polish of a seasoned_ per- I former. Her future looks to be as bright and refreshing as her ap- PeArai6-gal chorus line opens show with the Donn Arden ?╜avor of 1 bountiful movements on stage. Joe Stabile?╟╓s house band suPPhes a musical tempo comparable to show. ?╟  Skelton was to close May 8, put will Stay an additional four days J winding up Thursday (12). Kaja. GALA OPENING THURSDAY, MAY 26 J ' j 9' Friday,June 3, i960 SCENE I Continued from Page 7?╟÷ [honor. . . . Bandleader GeriJ j Galian is a proud parent again I (his second daughter)?╟÷named I [her Patricia. :. . Reservation?! | for Joe E. Lewis* debut at ] [Giro?╟╓s next Friday are heavy. | Meanwhile, Lisa Kirk is keep* I ling the customers happy; sol are the chorines so gorgeously I .gowned by Donn Arden. . . .1 Next fancy-dress premiere in Our Town:: ?╟úElmer Gantry,?╟╓ I [starring Burt Lancaster and| [Jean Simmons, at the Holly- wood Paramount June 29. . . T [ Edd (Kookie) Byrnes with his I favorite date again (Asa May-j Spprtsmep?╟╓a / . . Irwin Berke swears he I |hoard a cherub ask her father: I ?╟úDaddy, what -is an angel??╟ÑI i?╟úA pedestrian ,sweetie, who| Humped too late.?╟Ñ