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ent000813-055
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    University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Libraries

    /'?√ßVrf MOULIN ROUGE ($2.50-$5.50 Package) From Arizona to Africa, from London to Hollywood?╟÷with three white steeds, a trio of baby elephants and 100 nattily and sometimes scantily attired humans?╟÷the latest Donn Arden Revue, ?╟úWonderful World,?╟Ñ opened at the Moulin Rouge Thursday night to an audience packed with stars, many of whom ended up on stage to wish Frank Sennes a happy birthday. If the whole 90-minute show can be likened to Sennes?╟╓ birthday cake, then the topping?╟÷a striking combination of talent and looks?╟÷is Anna Maria Alberghetti. The voice that Miss Alberghetti maneuvers with such ease is of excellent timbre and range and, what is just as important in a nightclub, she realizes this is not a concert hall. The balance of classical and pop selections is perfect, and there?╟╓s a mighty fine act here, besides. Joined by skilful dancers Jerry Antes and Pepe DeChazza, Miss Alberghetti flows just as smoothly through her routines as she does through her repertoire. Her stage presence is made of light-hearted dignity; she is sometimes soft and tender, often exciting and always in good taste. On opening night, the vocalist?╟╓s mother, a pianist of no mean talent herself, Steinwayed a session of boogie that scored with the audience and her daughter. Up for Act II of ?╟úWonderful World?╟Ñ are the Happy Jesters, a trio of zany funnymen-singers who rate solid kudos for their impersonations and happy sound. The tallest boy is a particularly fine clown. The newest Donn Arden Revue, said to have cost $250,000 to mount on the newly expanded panoramic stage, has the extravagant look of the old Metro filmusicals and the exuberant look of modern choreography. It starts with ?╟úAmericana,?╟Ñ a wild west show in which pinkclad cowpokes and girls raise the standards for ?╟úGumsmoke,?╟Ñ ?╟úWyatt Burp?╟Ñ and ?╟úHave Gun Will Run.?╟Ñ Next up is ?╟úBig Ben Beat,?╟Ñ a study in red, white and black, with the final production number being ?╟úAfricana,?╟Ñ a rousing, fiery savage spectacle that includes a bonfire sacrifice of the sex-mad huntress. Taste, imagination and showmanship are keys to Arden?╟╓s talents, and great assists come from music and lyric writers Lenny Adelson and L y n Murray, costumer Madame Berthe, choreographers Bonnie Hunt and Larry Maldonado, scenery designer Harvey Warren, musical arrangers Jack Hayes and Ruby Raksin and choral director Johnny Mann. Backing up the entire, evening with top support and artistry of its own is the Dick Stabile Orchestra (16). The Moulin Rouge, particularly with inauguration of a new low-price package to mid-week patrons, MOULIN ROUGE Lavish staging again keynotes a new revue presented at Frapk Sennes* Moulin.Rouge?╟÷Donn Arden?╟╓s ?╟ú;WonderfuI World.?╟Ñ And the star attraction, Anna Maria Alberghetti,.: is;a solid click. For this latest Sennes extravaganza, the center stage has been expanded, to encompass two higher stages along the side wall^ a la the Tropicana, Las Vegas. Added area does much to heighten the sweep and effect, although it?╟╓s a certainty the center stage never lacks for want of action during ?╟úWorld.?╟Ñ The Arden portion of the revue is divided into three parts, with The Happy Jesters* (3) and Miss Alberghetti acts IV and V. Opening production number, ?╟úAmericana,?╟Ñ is a wild west and corral hoedown, using the entire ensemble. Staging of routine ?╟╓makes excellent use of center - stage stairs and runways, and the choreography of Bonnie Hunt and Larry Mat?║j donado is ace. Stunning cost u mes of M ad a m e Berthe and the eye-appealing scenery of Harvey Warren help set off ?╟úBig Ben Beat,?╟Ñ a musical suite on a London street. To a degree, it?╟╓s reminiscent of; the ?╟úMy Fair Lady?╟Ñ ball, sequences. The finale, ?╟úAfricana,?╟Ñ again employs all hands, as native girls, viljp lagers, tribal queen, warriors, workers, hunters, fire dancers, etc. In this routine,.., too, pigeons and elephants add color a$ did the horses in the western round-tip. The Happy Jesters, a male trio (one with guitar), serve up a snappy 10 minutes of song and comedy ?╟╓tween two of me production numbers. M i ss, AI be rghett i, starred, continues to sh^v constant improvement as a nitefy topliner ?╟÷- something of a feat inasmuch as she started out on rather an upper plateau. Simplicity of her setting ?╟÷ black, slightly - parted curtains revealing a pink background ?╟÷ was a welcome contrast and highlighted the soprano?╟╓s natural appeal. Opening with a pair of Italian numbers, which accented her sharp, clear tones, the songstress hit a change-of-pace with a beauty of a ?╟úCot World On a String?╟Ñ before chirping another pair from Italy, ?╟úHow?╟╓s Your Romance?╟Ñ and ?╟úReturn To Sorrento.?╟Ñ Earning solid applause was some fancy terping by Miss Alberghetti* and two male dancers, each attired in black suit and derby, as they whipped through ?╟úBidin?╟╓ My Time.?╟Ñ V^nd-up, ?╟úUn Bel Di,?╟Ñ was a solid should do especially well with its new show and already boasts some 25,000 advance reservations. Miss Alberghetti will hold down the top spot through Oct. 22, with Roberta! Sherwood and Paul Gilbert then ( taking overw Ron. clincher for a singer with as fine a 1 ^voice as hers. Dick Stabile?╟╓s orchestra did a her- 1 culean job in backing the show. Origi- j nal music and lyrics by Lenny Adelson | and Lyn Murray were well-suited to B the ?╟úWorld?╟Ñ theme, although none 1 looms a pop hit. Arrangements were 1 by Jack Hayes and Ruby Raksin, choral I direction by Johnny Mann. ?╟úWonderful World,?╟Ñ overall, stacks'?√ß up another 90-minute testimonial to B the talents of Donn Arden, who stageS -9 and directed. ?╟÷ Neal Graham. I PREMIERE | all new DONti ARDEN Musical extravaganza "WONDERFUL WORLD" starring WEEK* ANNA MARIA ALBERGHETTI WORLD?╟╓S LARGEST PANORAMIC STAGE IN HOLLYWOOD RESERVATIONS HO 9-8333 S5.S0 PLUS TAX / FOR DINNER, DANCING, SHOW NIGHTLY EXCEPT MONDAY L *?·* |:-t ?║11) World' Top Revue For Rouge By GEORGE H. JACKSON ?╟úPanoramic Staging?╟Ñ has f 'V* '?╟╓v * '.'M arrived on the local playspot scene with the opening of ?╟úWonderful World,?╟Ñ Donn Ar- j den?╟╓s sumptuous new revue ! at Prank Sennes?╟╓ newly re-1 modeled Moulin Rouge. Those patrons familiar| With Sennes?╟╓ past offerings j will be interested to know j that he and producer Arden j have achieved a seemingly j impossible assignment?╟÷top- \ ping their previous shows! for splash effect and production quality. Spectacular The open purse method ? employed so successfully byj Sennes in previous years is i once again put to use with?╟≤ spectacular results. He esti- \ mates that a quarter of a million dollars have been j spent on the new revue, plus \ another $50,000 for his pan-1 oramic staging. This new idea finds the audience half surrounded by stages with one on the right;?╟≤ arched out over the band I area and used mostly for dis-1 play purposes and a like area I being built on the other side s of the theater. With this vast staging area | Producer Arden has been f able to achieve some spec-1 tacular effects, especially ini the opening routine, a fast t moving, splashy tribute to | the west, ?╟úAmericana.?╟Ñ It has S an outdoor, cowboy theme \ and the costumes defy de-1 scription. Also well adapted to the huge stage is the finale, ?╟úAf-1 ricana,?╟Ñ which, as the title | implies, treats of White hunt-1 ers meeting a horrible fate; in the darkest regions of the j dark continent. Fluff Chari-1 ton, one of the few holdovers j from the previous show, is | spotted in this as the White ( huntress who is put tp the \ fire torture. It?╟╓s a colorful I number. For the remaining spec-1 tacle routine, the cast, which, | by the way, is highly talented j and extreme 1 y well re-f hearsed, takes part in a blues number called ?╟úBig Ben Beat.?╟Ñ I The guest star policy which | had proved successful in re* | cent months is being con-| tinued. For this premiere en- S gagement, Anna Maria Alber-ghetti, the beautiful and tal* | ented songstress, is star per-1 former. She displays a ver-1 satiie talent, and, as might be j expected, scores heavily with I her Italian songs. Talents She also shows off her com- j edy and dancing talents, too, I but the idea remains that her f wonderful talent could be t better exploited to create a great act for the supper club 1 circuit. Also on the bill are the l Happy Jesters, a fun trio, ?·