Variety (April 1956)

5& NIGHT CMJrt REVIEWS Pj^RIETY Wednesday, April 11 , 1955 Copacaiiana, N. Y. Red Buttons, Eileen Barton , # 4 Joes, Gary Mann, Sandra Devlin, Copa Girls (10), Michael Durso and Frank Marti hands; staged by Doug¬ las Coudy; songs, Durso, Mel Mitch¬ ell & Marvin Kahn; costumes, Billy Livingston (Mine. Berthe); orches- • trations, Deac Eberhard; $5 mini¬ mum. Biz has been extraordinarily off the past couple of months all over Gotham, as is now common knowl¬ edge, and whether the extension ot “the income tax bite to April 15 stretched the psychological down- beat, or "whether it’s just been a case of so-so shows (because a good attraction always seems to find its level, as witness the im¬ pact by Benny Goodman at the Waldorf, among others), the Copa too has suffered. The trend should reverse w'ith this lineup. It’s a good package and Jules Podell’s show¬ case should do OK b.o. Red Buttons’ return to the bis¬ tros is on the heels of his video impact and, while he deprecates his Trendex debacle, he makes capital of it in the same idiom that “Horn Blows at Midnight” has been a “straight” for Jack Benny. “Cute” is the description for Buttons who is a savvy youngster on anybody’s saloon floor. He’s un¬ questionably also a strong poten¬ tial for the parlor customers, via video. As he observes, kidding-on- the-square, he did much to place spotlight anew on the value of good scripters. A gag award from the Writers Guild of America was an intra-trade reference to his shifting brigade of scripters in an endeavor to solve his tv ratings' problem. .. . „ . For cafe purposes he has culled a good segment, including a re¬ prise of “Rocky Buttons,” wherein the punchdrunk pug is straighted by Allen Walker. There is an¬ other ■ “inside” crack about AAA (“I added another A”) which is in relation to Walker’s frequently self-admitted personal victory, thanks to the AA movement. How¬ ever, it seems out of key in an environment where drinking is a fundamental and adds nothing to the bit. “Bring Back Burlesque” harks back to Buttons’ Gaiety (Minskys) antecedents. The P.S. 125 gradua¬ tion autograph book is a solid framework for one-liners; “Gotta Have Heart” is a salute to show¬ men like Sinatra, Joe E, Lewis and Sammy Davis Jr.; and the finale afterpiece with Eileen Bar¬ ton is a departure for Copa head¬ liners,. who usually wind up alone. While Miss Barton erred in over¬ staying, this was a welcome cou¬ pling for the finale. Songstress retains her Arlen salute which somehow seems a little fulsome this time out. It lacks the zing of' her initial introduction at the Copa in the fall of ’5.4. It may be that the “impressions” have been extended to impart that im¬ pression. In addition she has added considerable, besides retain¬ ing the “trunk” routine—not the Judy Garland number, but in the same idiom—including a black¬ face makeup on-floor for the Jol- son medley. She clocks 32 minutes which is 10 ipinutes too long. She would have greater impact by leaving them hungry. The Four Joes are in the modern rhythmic group idiom of un-pear- shaped notes in their renditions, j Vigorous is the word for their vo¬ calizing. The male quartet sing toute ensemble in the, driving tempo of the day, two # of them sporting an accordion and a guitar for the accomps. After the spe-. cial intro, which establishes they started in Korea, they do their own conceptions of “Funny Val¬ entine,” “Pennies From Heaven,” “Blues in the Night” and “Bye Bye Blues,” latter capped by a lil buck and wing. DOug Coudy has done his con¬ ventionally good staging; three numbers interlarded with the spe¬ cialists. Maestro Mike Durso cOl- „ labed with Mel Mitchell and Mar- r vin Kahn on “Put the Zing in Spring” for the sprightly opener; “Don’t Be Afraid of Love” is the middle number and a Santo Do¬ mingo number is in the tropical idiom, all good tunes. The Billy Livingston costumes are natty. Gary Mann hahdles the vocal in¬ terludes authoritatively and San¬ dra Devlin is a good terp special¬ ist. Coudy should instruct the line to laugh it up a little or at least not act so bored when Miss Dev¬ lin is up front with her terp spe¬ cialty. The 10 Copa babes, inci¬ dentally, again indicate that Vegas and Florida must have lured the lookers away from Manhattan. Abel. ■ and special material make -a fine impression at the Flame Room I here. She’s plus in clothes know¬ how too, extensive wardrobe hav¬ ing femme eyes bulging at differ¬ ent shows. Show opens with conventional “Good Evening.” “Put Your Arms Around Me” is done as novelty, with’ man’s dress shirt; equipped with black tie, as prop used in clever fashion. Special material includes recita¬ tion of plot of “Carousel,” with vocals of a half-dozen tunes, and in eight minutes, and quite a trick. For encore, she does “LoVe Is A Many-Splendored Thing,” with segues out of and back into the operatic “One Fine Day,” indicat¬ ing vocal derivation obviously un¬ suspected up to then by most of tin- customers.* . . , ^ Thrush is best with lyric ballads. Sharp “Autumn Leaves” arrange¬ ment has • her doing four-bar stretches unaccompanied, showing off excellent voice and true pitch. Her style, employing good deal of acting, is less effective in jump rhythms. She!s a statuesque honey blonde with suave manner which permits her to get away with a couple of shaggy dog stories beside singing. Don McGrane orchestra, veter¬ ans at the stand, provides smooth backgrounding. M'urp. Cafe tie Paris. London » London, April 4. Virginia Somers, Ambrose Orch; $6.50 minimum. Virginia Somers puts on a better show here than she’s done in all the years she’s been in London. Not only has she acquired more confidence, but the act takes on a real professional shape. Her top- drawer arrangements (in which the hand of her cOmposer-arranger husband, Reg Owen, can be de-1 tected) improve above-average ma-! terial. Miss Somers, now featured in the Drury Lane production qf Plain and Fancy,” is an accom¬ plished pianist, as well an im¬ pressive vocalist. For a few of her numbers she’s self - accom¬ panied, and “Tea for Two” is of¬ fered as a piano solo. There’s a lively sparkle to her routine and her opening . with “Begin . the Begat” sets the mood. Her parody on “Tender Trap” is an amusing lightweight entry, as is her song description of an English weekend. “Love For Sale,” which she had previously tried out with modest results, now gets the sock dra¬ matic treatment, and “Lizzie Bor¬ den,” back in fashion because, of Princess Margaret’s patronage, is effectively presented. Her original lyrics about the things that come off in a lady’s boudoir closes the show in light vein. Alongside her growing confi¬ dence, there is also a definite im¬ provement in her delivery and personality projection. These fac¬ tors combine for a warm audience reception. The Ambrose orch in its customary polished manner gives her assured backing. Myro. Lake Club, Spgfld., Ill. Springfield, Ill., March 31. Evelyn Knight, Goldilocks & Three Squares, : Sammy Graham Orch ; admission $1.25. Evelyn Knight is modeling a chic assortment of gowns in her .Railisson, Mpls. , Minneapolis, April 3. Connie Towers, Don McGrane Orch (7). Connie Towers’ contralto .voice own Easter parade as she strolls around ringside doing a vocal promenade. Miss Knight, in re¬ tirement the past two years, scored a personal and professional triumph opening night (31) by drawing a healthy turnout on the toughest night of the year. Gaug¬ ing by her Easter eve popularity, her seven-day stint should be solid. She’s an area favorite with her Irish and Scotch arias. An updated wardrobe is the only major change in Miss Knight’s nitery format. With the exception of a new ballad, “The Better To Love You,” a nice addition to -her lilting repertoire, she sticks to her standby items, “Tenderly,” “Sep¬ tember Song,” “St. Louis Blues,” etc. Her tuneful turn is capped by a must medley from her Decca days, “Dance With the Dolly,’ “Powder Your Face With Sun¬ shine” and “A Little Bird/ Visually and vocally, Miss Knight.shows no slackening effect from hef retirement. HeF hair is blonde this trip. Last local en¬ gagement she wore a silver grey coiffure. The song stylist gets plush support from the Sammy Graham orchestra. Opening the current bill is a hepcat quartet who bill them¬ selves as Goldilocks and the Three Squares. Three males manipulate bass, cocktail drums and piano with a platinum-tressed rock ’n’ roll girl vocalist delivering if not selling their songs. • The unit could use coaching on how to work a big floor. The Lake Club ; is not a lounge affair. Waftru-. , Plata, N. Y. Vicente Escudero, Mario Escu-\ dero, Carminta Carcia, Felipe Lan¬ za, Chinin De Triana, Terista Osta, 1 Jose Barrera, Violeta Diaz, Lupe del Rio, Clarissa Talve, Pablo Mi¬ guel; Ted Straeter Orch, Mark Monte Continentals; cover $2 to $3.50. Under the new Hilton (eastern division) do-it-yourself booking pol¬ icy, a number of offbeat engage¬ ments have been contracted this season, Edith Adams and Lillian Roth being instances at the Per¬ sian Room. The system gives the managing director of each Hilton hostelry much influence, he being esteemed most knowledgeable with •respect to his own class couvert cafe clientele. The Plaza’s. Eugene Voit has taken a calculated risk with the Vicente Escudero troupe, report¬ edly at a bargain package rate for four ’ weeks; The gamble is upon Escudero’s fame and name, his uniformly excellent criticisms ear¬ lier this season as a concert at¬ traction and the this-is-your-last- chance-to-see-a-great-man comeon. (The Plaza is, of course, assured to Hilton management for another five years under the Government- gqided deal whereby A. M. Son- nabend acquired the Roosevelt, N. Y., and Mayflower, Washington, from Hilton and extended the lease on the Plaza.) ~ Escudero, now 64, who speaks no English, has had a bumpy time of it since returning to the States in Feb. ’55 under the management of' importer lacking theatrical savvy. Without going into the full tale, the dancer drew.rave notices but only 10 weeks’ work; where¬ upon half of the original troupe went back to Europe. Last November he- returned to Grace Salter, who had managed his dates in 1935, including his one U. S. feature film, “Here’s To Ro¬ mance,” starring Nino Martini. Mrs. Salter, widow of the Colum¬ bia Concerts exec, who has lived in California for 12 years, has since secured a tele date with Ed Sullivan and lined up a Columbia album wherein Escudero sings five songs, a talent unsuspected on this side. Breaking in cold at one\of Amer¬ ica’s top supper rooms, there \yere a number of obvious flaws in se¬ quencing which have since been fixed. Escudero came on the floor after 22 minutes of “& Co.” open¬ ing night, .much too long to wait for the star. He now appears al¬ most at .once. Re-routining also cuts the total time to 40 minutes, whi-ch makes sense where a full hour did not. With these obviously necessary tightenings completed, and. whole numbers eliminated, there’s an off¬ beat cafe package comprising a veteran of unique attainments whose nerve control rythmns, dancing without music, are memo¬ rable, plus a number of support¬ ing talents-—notably the fine gui¬ tarist, Mario Escudero (no relation) and the youthful Flamenco singer Chinin de Triana. A source of strength is conductor-pianist Pablo ■ Miquel, who with Senorita Garcia, Jose Barrera and the two Escu- deros are the survivors of the original band of early 1955.. Attention naturally focusses upon the star, whose classic austerity of style is self-described (out of one of his books) in a printed program “decalogue of the pure Flemenco dance.” His rules hint at a certain deliberation. “Dance . as a man,” his first rule. “Dance with sobriety and dedication” is his sec¬ ond, and a fifth rule adds, “Dance serenely with repose.” His work with heel-drops and castanets is cool fire and the ex¬ treme grace with which he man¬ ners his hands and makes music with his finger-nails (correct) all bespeak .the virtuosity of a very special performer. (Escudero was a painter in Paris for 15 years, re¬ vived his dance career at the Champs Elysees Theatre in 1954 and stretched one week into eight.) With the pruning, the word-of- mouth, the already extensive pub¬ licity (and more in the works) and the correction of the stage-waits of the opening night, this shapes up. Land. & Lewis touch inevitably conveyed by new hell-bent-for-laughs teams, j Once they get their frantic pace underway, the identification is for¬ gotten, thanks to material that is inventive and tightly tailored ■ to their brand of buffoonery. Highlight in their attacks on aud- risibilities is the ingenious handl¬ ing of a spoof on “$64,000 Ques¬ tion,” in which the . strongboy of the duo applies his energies to a climaxing triple-tongued answer to beat of “Holiday for Strings.” Coming in the middle of their canto, it intensifies continuing im¬ pact of- screwball-touched material. Tall, blackhaired, blue-eyed young songstress Eileen Rodgers is new to these precincts and proves a well-versed songstress whose tune-tales ate different. Discard¬ ing the ordinary in catalog, she serves up an intriguing blend, with a narrative-song reading of the score from recent tv version of “Our Town” her big palm-raiser. There are other well-handled in¬ serts, topper, “Ten Cents A Dance,” being an adroitly-handled revival of the Rodgers & Hart cuffing and fitting into the drama¬ tic groove established. Georgie Tapps and four aides— two males and two femmes—lends a colorful production touch to the proceedings. It's brilliantly han¬ dled modern-tap with Harlemesque touch, building a rising tempo to the intricate group-movement pat¬ terns which develop from atten¬ tion-grabbing spins, knee-slides and drops. Tapps and company open the show with a brace of the flashy routines, then come back to close matters with zesty interp of the much-kicked-around Ravel “Bol¬ ero.” Sparked by Tapps solo work, the theme takes on added dimen¬ sion to build into solid payoffs. Sacasas and his musicrew play the difficult backgroundings in adept manner. Lary. Fontainebleau, M. B’cli Miami Beach, April 7. Davis & Reese, Georgie tapps & ' Co., Eileen Rodgers, Murray Schlamm, Sacasas Orch; $3.50-$4.50 minimum . Club 59, N. Y. Tommy Mara, Betty Luster, De a Carroll, Steve Martin, Adelaide Robbins Trio, Latm-Boys (2 );jnini- mum $3.50. The small rooms, especially* on the east side, have become valu¬ able showcases, inasmuch as many are far off the regular routes, but still within a sufficiently short dis¬ tance for ganderings by agents and buyers. The calibre of the names in the smaller intimeries is going up steadily. The Club 59, for example, wound up a six-week stand by Meg Myles, and now has installed a triple-header compris¬ ing Tommy Mara (New Acts), Bet¬ ty Luster and Dea Carroll, which takes the customers over for a good share of applause. Miss Luster, who comes here from the Palace Theatre, indicates that her act goes over as well in a nitery as in a vauder. Ballerina has classical movements which are pared down to cafe dimensions. Her magnum opus is still a pop- ballet version of “Ritual ■ Fire Dance,” which gets her- off excel¬ lently. Miss Carroll similarly gets over well- in the song department. Al¬ though the bulk of her efforts are in a high register, she seems to do more in the lowers with ballads. At times, she strikes a nice plain¬ tive mood when she relaxes. Her work in the upper register carries a lot of weight and is generally designed for larger rooms, but it still gets to the pewholders. Emcee Steve Martin chimes in with a brief song turn, and musi¬ cal backing is by the Adelaide Robbins Trio, with the Latin Boys (2) doing the relief. Jose. Ciro’s, Hollywood ' Hollywood, April 4 Pearl Bailey, Bill Bailey ni r t. Stabild Orch (9), Bobby Ramos Band (5); cover, $2,50. . * If this three-week packaging of the talents of Pearlie Mae and Bill Bailey doesn't register peak busi ness, Herman'Hover is more than justified in giving up the ghost This is entertainment. On her own, Miss Bailey is i n disputably one of the great cafe entertainers of all time. The studied languor, the casual asides and the sly interpolations which are her trademarks are merely em¬ bellishments, sock as they may be The underlying truth is that she’s a fine singer with a good range careful phrasing and an under¬ standing of her material. She proves it with such items as “House of Flowers” and a lullabv that serve as remarkable changes of pace from the specialized Bailev ■ material like “Strike While the Iron Is Hot.” Basically, it’s the same act she’s been doing on the cafe circuit for some time (minus, unfortunately the standard “Tired” and “Laziest Gal in Town”), but it gains with each delivery. First-nighters who sat by for both shows are the best testimony to this. She gets able backing from the augmented Dick Stabile- orch (batoned this week by brother Joe) which is still around and sharing dance chores with Bobby Ramos’ rhumband. Complementing her own talents is the work of brother Bill on one of his infrequent nitery excur¬ sions. They - work together for some excellent next - to - closing, song-and-stepping stuff, dragging ringsiders up for added laughs. Opening night, they got Dick Stabile and Maxine Lewis. Stabile is still a great sax player. On his own, Bailey, holds the show with what he calls “a little tapology,” highlighted by. more than five minutes of casual step¬ ping without a note of musical backing. He was always one of the best in his field, bearing a re¬ markable facial and style resem¬ blance to the late Bill Robinson, and he’d be a tough man for any¬ one but his sister to follow. Easy, graceful and limber, he can hold an audience better and longef than any tapper current on the circuit. Bill Bailey, won’t you please come home? Kap. Gatineau, Ottawa Ottawa, April 3. Cab Calloway, Gloria & Jimmy Vincent, Tony Milo, Champ Cham¬ pagne Orch (8); $1 admission: Current array in the La Ronde of this new landmark on the Beach is one of the best-roundfc'd offerings in recent weeks, albeit the usual “big” name is missing. Topliners Davis Sc Reese, making another of the frequent returns to this room, keep building a following via the continued Improvement shown in their displays, each time out. They’re 4 Xesourceful.patr of zan- ties „wh^ve- ,elijninate;di >theMartin Like wine in the keg, Cab Callo¬ way’s pipes seem to improve with age. Still tinged with the old (Calloway style of shouting to reach pibove a big band but considerably mellowed and controlled, Cab’s chanting holds his Gatineau Club audience through a socko 30-min- ute stint, his first here as a single. With fine 88 backing by Dave Revere, Calloway clicks through items like “Black Magic,” “Some¬ times I’m Happy,” and others, giv¬ ing them a lilting bounce and gathering heavy response with a wild “Minnie thq' Moocher” stanza. Gatineau also has Tony Milo emceeing and working a turbulent comedy routine , to good impact. Milo’s bit is . overlong and in need of stronger, material, »but the frantic comic gets., okay, returns.. Gloria Sc Jimmy Vincent’brighten the bill with a pleasant terps rou¬ tine, closing with a Charleston session that- could be eliminated to strengthen, the act. Champ Chaippagne fronts the club's new house band fop dancing and shows. • ' , Gorm. Beverly Hills, Newport ■ Newport, Ky., March 31. Buddy Hackett, Francois Szony & Patti, Day, Dawn & Dusk, Dorothy Dorben Dancers (10), Dick Hyde, Gardner Benedict Orch (10), Jim¬ my Wilber Trio, Larry Vincent; $3 minimum, $4 Saturdays. This fortnight’s show is all-clicko and one of the season’s best at this Greater Cincinnati nitery. Buddy Hackett, absent for some time, wins a warm weleome from regulars as well* as new rooters via tv. Chubby comic puts a smash finish to 23 minutes of hilarious, exclusive chatter with his takeoff of a Chinese waiter’s confused or¬ der taking among a party of six. Day. Dawn & Dusk, paying an initial visit, insure returns with a 21-minute routine of solid syncopa¬ tion. Male harmonizers, one of them doubling piano, put action as well as singing into every num¬ ber, whether pop, spiritual or re¬ vival. Ease off with a fine calliope novelty piece. Francois Szony Sc ’Patti, class ballroom team, register in three routines, each distinctive. Szony, here before with another partner, has a worthy new one in Miss Patti. ^ Line of Dorben Dancers, fresh as spring flowers in three offer¬ ings, with Dick Hyde, singing em¬ cee, and the Gardn.er Benedict band fill their parts admirably. Koll. Rice Hotel, Houston Houston, April 5. ■ Bon-Bons (3), Joe Reichman Orch (8); $l-$2 cover. A sugarcoated trio of canaries, the Bon Bons, opened at the Em¬ pire Room Thursday (5) and dripped sweet syrup and sighs ah over the audience. Judging from house’s reaction, Houston has a sweet tooth and the trio will be able to supply the demand. : Youthful, senior-promish trio mixes rock ‘ ’n’ .roll, and wows the house with “Ballin’ the Jack, “Muskrat Ramble” and “Side by Side.” Joyce Weston, Barbara Jef¬ frey, and Audre • Armstrong are newcomers and should be polished with just a couple of more turns around the circuit. , They have.an excellent change of pace, but their phrasing, espe- daily, on the ‘ballad type, “Miny Splendored Thing,” needs A little more moxie. * or5 ‘