Variety (May 1956)

Wednesday, May 30 , 1956 PSnTEff NIGHT aiJB REVIEWS 53 Savoy Hotels LoMilan Londop, May 24. Mi-ai Benicll & Co. (David Car- . r H a i Linden) with Leon Leo¬ pardi Ia n Stewart’s SavGy Or- vhaens, Francisco Cavez La.in- American Rhythm; $5.75 minimum. Apart from a slight reduction in the size of the supporting cast, Mirni Benzell’s “A Night 4 on the Town” package, whjfch is m for a month at this ace hotel, is identical to the show she presented last iall the Pierre Hotel, in New York. And if it does not make quite the same impact here, it will be due more to the peculiarities of the room than to any shortcomings in the performers. Every facet of tire presentation bears the hallmark of precision production. This is as much its Weakness as Us strength. Every , - -- has icsnitoni show in robbed of any spontaneity. But there are ing with clubs and styling while male partner 4 maxes atop unieycle. with juggling routines. MarteJs & Mignon, two hefty lads and a femme, go over big with their ‘casing o',f the distaffer high into the air and . all over the stage. Interwoven for aud gasps are stands in whicSi. one lad. holds femme upsitUi dkmn by head in palm oi one hand. Throw up and reverse '‘of femme, who comes down 1o land in sitting position on outstretched arms of lads, is clincher. Jan Well*, another Godfrey chirper, gets off the usual starry- eyed tribute to AG and gives forth with a high “No Arms Can Ever Hold You” and “Pm Gonna Live.” Femme works mostly with low spots and has some nice patter. Aud gives het good response. Opening with “High on a Windv Hill,” followed by “No. Not Much/ gesture and tvuy nuance has she display* good showmanship, clearly been tried and tieatOfl^anti g ne0 re of '%(ve Is Many Splen- . uored Thing” gets nice mitting. Merkeys,.three lady in sailor cos- I-e Ciipldon, N. V. Jackie Heller, Sheila Reynolds, Dave Rogers Trio, Luis Ortiz Trio; $5 minimum. J^STS±S£S& *B3& j r «-d chair edges ivtry uuich to die fore through- f. 11 l L he W Wltft their zany contor- eot Vfce 40*mifiiiiie run. I* °" s •» «| bars. They ’ , ... ^ strut around the stage in outland- By hei rating as a high-ranking positions, swine fmrn th*» hars coloiatura soprano, Miss Beuzeli adds c;?v and tone to the caSiaret ypne. aalthough sh* shows she ish positions, swing from the bars like monkeys and wrap up vrith a triple swinging routine lhat brings heavy palftj whaeking. Mike Grylorc} cuts h -jilick show and backs up the acts to nice fash¬ ion, also furnishing mtwic for the dance sets. Lou Weir i : s fine in the organ interludes. Guy. Hills* Newport Newport, Ky., jiklay 25. Georg m Gibbs, Merit Neglia, Lenny Col.wr, Donn Arde*) Dancers De-in Campbell, Gardner ..-., . i Berfediet Orch <1Q). Jimmu Wilber “uS^rnwttiWtoT^h i ’Sts^ ttrr » Vivcent; * h “Kiss Me” song us when hitting 1 * t.h« high notes* of “La Bp&emfc.' r Km’t lost touch with the high notes since she forsook the Met GpevA, the routine is styled to .pop¬ ular tastes, with no admit blending of the clerical and. the popular. The contrast is well made by bal¬ ancing operatic arias-with. a show- tune selection and an entry of the calibre of ‘"Where Are the Stage Door Johnnies?” Miss Benzeil, a . petite brunet, takes the contrasting vocal styles easily in her stride, and in as much And there's plenty of showmanship ir. her delivery and 1 in her free- *lyle movement around the r.isi*ig stage. In David Tib may's production, the two male singer-dancers, David Carter «od Hal Linden, are an in¬ tegral part of the iict; and carry a 3arge part of the proceedings with commendable credit, Leon Leon-| of ga g S im <fimitations 'with a'stand- ard?, the stars personal musical I out tnkeoff of Liberacc. director, at ! Maria Neglia. another newcomer, to vpLt-tecona oreci .\un |^ n muirter-hmit 1 nu.eistrrs sii.*w<-jnrir.g by an Stcwiirt'K i-fiSi- | j; 9 i K |.y .-» s a violinist and pf .eso?al- <!.<** rwnw. augmented by an addi- ! , iy jy lm]y filling in a wftite Ri ngsiders at kickoff this two- frame lineup greet'd Georgia Gibbs iilag a lon£-iusi sister. It’s the seventh visit by hc-r nibs to northern Kentucky’s ace nitery She contributes a TNT ftilf-hour song cycle to a pleasing 75 minute floorshov. Lewny Colyer, a newcomer, in tHs x/iicntjfig spot tops 18 minutes violin. Lively rhythm ses¬ sions are filled by tlvc Francisco Cavez La tin-American group. M pro. Holton Boston, May Ol. hot dress, the concert artist sim^ks over H>he number without usj? f.C a bow, and magnets attertlon throughout with roly-poly blue ‘ Miss Gibbs warms ‘em up a ul. k- jxi , wii iw w4i . . ‘V wiih “Changes »Made" aid lackie 'Vila* & Viiv* - - Ab- ’Autur^n. Leaven.’’ n<tds ei*i,nr-i- r A i \r\LiZ li- aswl v/'»h take-on wajs while dohg )t. Us Blue d^ yictte, MaricA. & SOPie her other .•'ecorde^ h.ts vflJP ... ^ * ! and characteriza^ons, and sigis Jlicluicl Cay'-ord <IW, L.yj 0 ff A V itf= “Tweedley Dee.” | Donn .^rden Dancers incre. '^? 1 h- i - vor on three new routines. ;n.’4u-| Jackie Miles, sLondup ;onnic with lilully dresse... well executed atd- the subtle way oi •.*sowing liibiun- ; ipiced wilfa vce appeal. Gals un* toy Ir.lea for vock effect that h.iS ^ tenor 'Jem: Cn/np'oell dtrn-g okw t-, bronchi him. hi£ following in *o»V vocal supporter, ana, essays his first whack at ’he Gardner Benedict’s -orew, rc- o'it*'he niterles wiib Ihiv hoolfi *fi turncc from a v-acatiun v5« cue TVp h) tiMnsfuib's, I,7ftO-scaJ-er. Ops i- ; Lewis revue and band evgagem:>m »V< it; 32'.50 ndhiwum, O'ghi of his weeii’s stiiut prov somotiiuig of a test", will-. i f V* .tskn g ffm r.jg r^j- vt ^yih'c :o hold do ,vo \ 1 ; ; «m- >•• 1 '•at ions ('ustomers here haw* ben tf d a -’i any diet of belters and Up the past lorinight. supplies ttf o'-uaky swell wbackihj',. Koh. i" la«uti<^l;tiva Ottawa. , ,\r«y 22. More & Chcnlsi.trK <4V ' all season. Milen is tn <,t' Hi . rh { , Eornm Sheldon, R-.;?- Ui»’ m Oi.if t in f/:*- ennf -avi ri * o .. . f to get. the tu{> spot avid ■' on’.es (he vastt;: ss of * xg rooii' vdfidi }-,ns s'-tied . anla^ n t- r Burnell Lovelies ((>'. m. u Sheldon <v Georgia-F*. u ■i ; d(ath *o eon.ic7;^,vm Jng\i)'A : iTr,> K-n-edy. Harry Fozy Ore) J V and .-a' ing Sivt b n : t stufV jor 1 *st a unisswn. h> nab a reusing, os a ‘.ion and i fee- < m-oi'es. Opening pan of Miles’ art ,:ad to i-uniend with fe.r-»ie (urly lalue gal'l.'ing, but otho)- in th«* , I'li.v'-ofl the offend, rs to ,ca;/i Minor outbreaks as .Milt's- w.ni.'-'y no were squelched by liins. t o- i-vdian has sock • dieoff on ^ o;dry. long version of a 'duV'r i Although tlv;. Ve into XUe JRo-( v \£ooi'i -it the Givmdiere Club o-u. die iiecls of the C’oofers, the sim.. lar conpedy cf Joe ]Ha>/.e 5- Chord.'- . men Viofr-n’t clasn. T'ltir music and 2 any antics are ciilferen 1 ' 1 yubi.gh to let the cu:;(omfvs for get the other group and ^ive t>v.> Maize orgi r,w,Y(ion a great scor.--.: IVTii ra ,!<v»l >'.n:ir\i-ilt anrl Le Cupidon has an in-between show that’s as effective entertain- mentwise as many of the more highpowered name displays. A tal¬ ent delegation headed by Jackie Heller and Sheila Reynolds pro¬ vides a tuneful divertissement that keeps the customers interested. Heller is one of the youngish vets on the song circuit, The smallish tenor has the showman¬ ship. of the era of the Jolson genre rigged to modern songs. Even the oldies that he brings in have the zip of the oldtime song- sellers tailored with modern ar¬ rangements that hit throughout his turn. He’s a strong starter with “Almost Like Being, in Love” and goes through “September Song,” a medley from “Can Can,” “Danced All Night" and hits his peak with "Birth of the Blues." Heller gets a strong measure of applause. Miss Reynolds, a returnee to this cafe, has effectively tailored her turn to intimery requirements. She has learned to take the meas¬ ure of a room so that she can sing with her lull voice or step down to the confidential tones. Result is a turn that hits it off excellently. Miss Reynolds has a wide song variety that embraces “Street S 2 You Live,” “Roofs of Paris” er big ones, "I Believe” and lada.” Wide diversification of her tune types brings ample re¬ turns. The backing is by Dave Rogers Trio, and relief is by Luis Ortiz Trio, who can also provide enough terp incentive to fill the floor. A comparatively new fixture in this room is Joe Hoffman, a vet maitre d’ who has seen service in many of the town’s top spots. Jose. Amato's* Portland. Ore. Portland, Ore., May 22. Oscar Cartier, George Wong Troupe (6), Ben Yos.’s Colleens (4), Herman Jobelman Orch (6); no minimum , $1.50 epuer. New fare at this plush nitery is lacking in marquee value but definitely not in entertainment. Opening nighters thoroughly en¬ joying the international variety show. wscar Carrier, rrench romif, is more than plearing in the deuce. Handsome guy talks with an ac¬ cent that lists as an asset to the stint. Cartier has an individual styling that is easy, soft, yet dry •nib*' 1 ?. His material is good and he works hard all the way. ‘Situation stuff is best. •jartier is a good comic; his de¬ livery is deceiving at firsr., but grows on the crowd. The Bert Yost Cotjeens get things under way with some nifty .display of pace and discipline along vvitn top chirping. Three brunets and one redhead fill the gorgeous gowns nicely. Girls move about handily and make for good listen¬ ing and watching. Doris Hartnagel knocks nngrid- err for a l^p wilu her iramen | operatic voice. Betty Joyce. Julio MaUidote and Dobie Cole also have , nett pipes. Miss Doth* handles the : announcing and cute stuff lori-i drawer. Best bets are “Dm sing ”oonv" bit of opera vs. jazz. Gais K-arncj solid returns throughout, j The George Wong Troupe click in closing slot with sensational contortion, aero and balancing. F-'Ur guys and two cute gals ex- tM-Mte seme of the most difficult I‘V>;1 awe-grabbing tricks ever seen in these parts. Outfit works in soVjs, duos, trios, quartets and, liw rs. Layout is fast, well staged, and strictly bigtime. Troupe- begs oil with still pier. 1 '' of palm whack- in? f iling the hall. Stubholders IiA'* the new 50-minute show 1 . Merman Jobelman and his house ei"xv play their usually top show a Hi for danV-e sets. Face. Johnny Conrad Dancers, caught earlier this season at Blinslrub's, do three. sets of impressionistic barefoot numbers, scoring heavily with jungle voodoo lerping. in which Cdnrad leaps high over the heads of his three slick femmes and tosses them about with mad abandon, Don Dennis, singing emcee, scores with new offerings, a med¬ ley of songs from “My Fair Lady.” Wins big palms with "I. Could Have Danced All Night”; takes “I’ve Grown Accustomed to. Her Face” for a nice ride to the gh notes and signs off with “On ihe Street Where You Live” for solid mitt. New incoming two-week show is repeat with Herb & Betty Warner, duet, and the Rudenkos, jugglers. Guy. Haus I’m llorlivt Berlin/ May 22. Ethel Reschk , Ursula Mauri, Erich Everty, Fredy^Sieg, Maecki Trio, Joiiny Gueldiier, Horst Jung Orch (6); no cover or minimum. Erich Carow’s “1-Iaus am See” (House at the Lake, named alter the Wannsee Lake on which it is situated) commands attention for two special reasons: first, it’s now celebrating its first anni; secondly, it’s W-Berlin’s only restaurant with a cabaret show which is doing sans politics. (This in contrast to the Porcupines whose forte is poli¬ tical programs.) Vet Berlin cabaret pioneer Ca- row has done a brilliant job in bringing alive a cabaret which, al¬ though located some 15 miles from the centre of Berlin, draws large audiences. Many obviously come for sentimental reasons as it - is a piece of Old-Berlin. Carow knows his customers. The place has “stimmung” and atmosphere (with community singing, swaying, etc.) and the eye-arresting scenery be¬ hind the large glass windows, en¬ hances this spot to make perfect dining, drinking and late evening dancing. Carow, now 64, looks back on a long career. He started out as a comedian during WW 1. In 1923, he established his “Carow’s Lach- buehne” (Laughing Stage) which throughout the years—until 1943 when it was bombed out—main¬ tained its position and reputation as one of Berlin’s leading cabarets. [The written dedications by Chap- iin, Harold Lloyd. Asia Nielsen, etc. In the lobby are Ciirow’s most treasured .tokens). Last May, he inaugurated this newly built house, investing some about $80,000 in the venture. Ultra-modern 600- seater stands in quite a contrast to the program and (he mood here. It’s mainly a spot for elderly peo¬ ple who have a soft spot for old Berlin. It has no hot music, no jive dancing, no nudity. Carow follows the old-Berlin style, with music mainly consisting of the old melodies by Lincke and Kollo and he has the right idea in doing so. Nevertheless it’s also a good place for overseas and W-Germany tour¬ ist who undoubtedly will enjoy the difference. No admission, inciden-i iduy. but upped prices nr> bever- } jj J i Jin)en i > sv hieh is already enjoy- Mardi Gras, lleno Reno, May 25. Kirby Stone Four , Don Haven Hi- Fis (5), Eddie Gomez Quintet with Nilda Tefrqce. This is a new entertainment con¬ cept, at least around here, and it remains to be seen how it will go. Based on the success of lounge entertainment in the other spots, the idea seems good. The Golden has- remodeled its theatre-res¬ taurant into a kind of theatre- lounge, but without the usual bar which surrounds the . stage. Enter¬ tainment is continuous from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. with the three units trad¬ ing off—the Gomez Quintet goes from 6 to midnight, Kirby Stone Four from 9 to 3, and the Haven Hi-FiS, midnight to 6 in the morn. Customers can eat or drink any¬ time during the 12 hours of eon-r tinuous show. Talent menu is nicely balanced. Kirby Stone is the act in the ar¬ rangement and is well fitted for the type of operation this is going to be. The brand of humor seems to be easily digested by a roomful or a few tables. Made up/of nonsensical bits scattered thr&ugh their musical ar- rangementsHPlus some clever rou¬ tines which they juggle through the evening, the foursome will have no trouble doing its six hours (or really three with a half-hour off every hour). Group is greatly supported by Larry Foster, a fine impressionist and- singer. Foster hasn’t the usual bag of impres¬ sions either, and alter he gets through singing ala Eekstine or Cole, he proves successful as a voice in his own right. Eddie Hal) is the brat in the group, slugged “Li’l Poison.” Michael Gardner is the opposite, straight out of a seance, and Kirby Stone tries to keep organization in all this while handling the comedy routines. Every kind of laugh is available among the quartet. Don Haven’s Hi-Fis blast off at midnight, well-timed and sure to keep things moving through the late hours. Essentially rock ’n’ roll, the quintet makes* plenty of noise. Haven • handles a lot of vocals with a fitting fog voice, and each of the men gets a chance to romp through a solo on occasion —driinyner, sax, trumpet and gui¬ tar. with Haven on bass. The evening starts quietly and modestly with the Eddie Gomez Quintet. Gomez keeps a Latin pace but flies off on a blues theme once in a while as in “Birth cf the Blues.” On these he flails to an effective climax in a very Ameri¬ can way except fer his accent. Sex walks on the scene in Ihe shape of Nilda Terrace, who sings as she slings in a tight gown. She puts • more of the idea across with move¬ ment than with any lyrical mes¬ sages. This new show policy should fit in well with the round-the-clock summer trade and there’s no rea¬ son why it cant be taken in as a show rounders’ rendezvous or an all-evening hangout. It’s future is being watched with interest. It could be a boon to lounge enter- and okay nvasica rd.v material ahlity. i he bill aiso has Herbie Sells, one of . « smartest impressuiiiists ■.n play this town, lie do(v .More ' Yii.'.n a score of apings, biori ^- r f 'in hi chant. ( ‘ ri'un <«bb ill • noth' ong, stretching ’.he “(.w io dim- ages and menus. Jonny Gueldner, vet local emcee, introduces Ursula Mauri, local ra¬ dio and stage thrush who con¬ tributes two well-applauded songs. Erich Everty okay ventriloauist; Fredy Sieg with old-Berlin songs. Kieg. now 78. hi s been with Carow, for 25 years without contract. Ethel Reschke, best known of the acts, contributes lour ballads, which she sells in appealing, style. Maecki Trio, parody group, has present- day character, ranging from the extremely popular free-style wrestling to the Monaco wedding. Carow himself handles the overall direction. Hans. riuli Gros<»< k ndo* Iletiittfon Ilous'on, May 23. Raul & Eva Reyes, Jose Ortiz Orch (6). t. with s-'-mV butuiscr... winding > * hiirirvlen ViMap*- J1 W ill I;*ij jr? in white gau-.r in, seguing vub- IV' room a(- ■'.ute sev.hir ehrme. !'*.n! *ld ho.If j’d C( v " v hi»p & yv;>r. : '■ v. >c4-, has blouue ». ban 80 ndnu ' -'Uriortrcri to a (vs ,«*» ;-. p ’ [itve li.tnv-a only . ’id tunny Sheldon •‘• w nds) gee o’ i t -ra cl Hires ibis w vek in a solo mu' i I \ v>. ,"luch show easy - his cblo pipqv, 1 n.-ie■». -jkI not ho a:staging saw.. > 5> " hi.' 1 • r dd arc* h* Bps* or Burnell » w : uveiits, . fri Wiutrhs. of i;/. or ilai rv Pozy plajs ior riio/.v :<rn/ J '.w-tk* da'wC’i/g. > tjrm. ing unprecedented success. Mark. l&Mx ^Sontreml Montreal, May 25. Josephine Premice (with Chino PozoJ, Johnny Gallant, Joe Setla- io Trio; $1.50-$2 cover. rirmly established ?.’■> one of Jhe regulars in the Ril/ C >!<•, Joseph¬ ine Premice winds up Ihe season in-' tlvs boitc. If the SRO b’z con¬ tinues as evidenced opening night, this attractive room should finish with the best returns since its in¬ ception several years ago. Backed by the skin beats ol Cluno Pozo, the piano ol Johnny Gallant and the bass player horn the Settano Trio, Mi's Premice. provich s a lively 35-minute session that opens with “Adam and Evil Blues" and closes with "B sa Me” bv Montrealer Roy v/c’,\;n. De¬ spite tael she tries to i-iho W!. ia.l new nimihc*.', mm ii:t, ((>':■ palrons a In Fancy I/iving,-’ “Gualrmabr’ and others which she has been dmng [lor many seasons but which never ' '■■cem to weary the custom! is. In between obligations, attractive clianteuse manages to inject such clicks as "This Is Love, Mr. Brown?,” "Lush Life” ai d "Charge It.” The latter lias just enough in¬ nuendo without going blue to please everyone. As with every appearance Miss Premice has nume in Montreal [since sh_ first appeartd as an in- lerp Mioofor, there has bun obvi¬ ous improvement show wise and present stint is no (supliun. Supporiing roles in a i.mrical and a stiiiigiit play in past year have done much to build her assurance ! and manner. Newt.