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ent000826-049
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Hollywood, Calif. Variety (Cir. 5-W. 9,924) i 11869 JIL r^M i Est. 1888 JW.il 1968 THE BEST IN ME TO YOU BY JAY TELL BBOODC SPECTACULAR PRODUCTION AT D.I. "Pzazz 70" is breathtaking! TTTFTJesert Inn's new $1,000,000 superspeetacular is the highest budgeted extravaganza in world history. Don Arden and Frank Sennes surpass all previous plateaus for excitement with five major segments, including the Chicago, San Francisco and Cotton Club production numbers. The near- 100 troupe excells in timing, showmanship and pure talent. Our visit backstage prior to opening revealed a huge new block-long annex built to hold 40-foot sets. "Pzazz 70 and all the jazz, baby" will feun will over a year to sell-out crowds, Fri., July 11, 1969 DESERT INN (&7.50 Minimum,) Las Vegks, July 10?╟÷Donn Arden has come up with, another . surefire hit, which will be an entertainment landmark for a couple of years. "Pzazz '70 and All That Jazz, Baby" is" a strong sequel to the highly successful "Pzazz '68," which had a marathon run. After opening night, Arden, who created, staged, and directed the girly gala, and producer Frank Sennes can gaze on a colorful extravaganza which has only a couple of things to be doctored to make it a powerful lure for Vegas show patrons. About 10 minutes should be trimmed from the 105-minute running time, and if comedian Will Jordan's next-to-closing spot was moved to an earlier slot, he, and the whole show would be better off. At preem, the festivities were soaring to a peak, and then Jordan came on, putting the audience down because his familiar jokes didn't get the appreciation he ex- which it needs to just about break even. It's truly a credit to Las Vegas! < He might register better with a more general audience, for the first-nighters were mostly Vegans, and they knew the punch lines to almost all his jokes. In any event, Jordan would be wise to chop the one-liners and concentrate on his impreshes, which are top drawer, especially his famed Ed Sullivan, plus good carbons of Groucho Marx, Jack E. Leonard, Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, and Peter Lorre. Perhaps Jordan could improve the fast pace of the show by switching spots with the Four Little Steps, male sepia youngsters whose zinging terp acrobatics are frantic and fun to watch. Arden's production numbers, done with taste and imagination, involve such cities as Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago and Hollywood. Each are populat&d with exceptionally beautiful showgirls (14), expert femme (14) and male (7) dancers, blended with girl singers (7) and male singers (7). Standouts are Kiki Paige, doing a takeoff on Texas Guinan; Bobbi Hill on Helen Morgan; and a James Weiss on Harry Richman. Sheila Sparr and Lillian D'Honau are also show stoppers; Jacqueline Douguet, Nick Navarro, and Bernard Charey are skillful body manipulators with their displays of flashy, fleshy aero dancing. Song team of Barry Monroe and Edward Whiting ("There's A Place For Us") clicked handily with first-nighters. Gordon Cornish as the singing pianist in San Francisco number is sterling asset to show. Arden long ago ran out of w.k. disasters (his shows here have dramatized in dance, song, and frightening scenery upheaval such events as the sinking of the Titanic and the zeppelin Hindenburg destruction) so he made up a dandy for this outing, the gunning down of a gangster in Chicago. "Pzazz 70" is gracefully punctuated with specialty acts which give stage hands time to set up the big production numbers. Handsome juggler, who mixes ballet into his incredible flipping and balancing, is billed simply as "Montego." Marvin Roy, who does seemingly impossible stunts with light bulbs, is a highlight of the show. Finale is a salute to Duke Ellington. Scene is the old Cotton Club in New York, and it's indeed a rouser. Special credit should go to the original music by Jim Harbert, the lyrics by Leonard Adelson, the gorgeous costumes by Bill Campbell (executed with class by Berman's of Hollywood and International Costume Co.) and the overall production design by Harvey Warren. Carlton Hayes and orch (20) back the bash with the proper aplomb. Show is in for indefinite period. Duke.