Variety (May 1957)

NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS 53 The Copacabana is now the Gotham homebase, for Toby Mar¬ tin, who used to spend his Manhat¬ tan summers at the lamented Bill Miller's Riviera, across the Hudson- River, , An authoritative, personable dis¬ penser of*, ballads, Martin knows his 'way-, with and ' around songs and( songwriters. He culls from the best with result that the med¬ ley is a blend of the cream of the crop of Pbr ter, Rodgers & Ham- merstein, Berlin,. Loewe & Lerner and others. He makes the late Victor Young’s ''“Around the World” (thematic' for the Mike Todd picture) stand up and out, including a crooning reprise around the ringside that is sooth¬ ing balladeering at its best. Mar¬ tin is too much the pro to warrant further analysis but he's a prime example of what basic song .values and a romantic approach to his singing chores can achieve with saloon customers no .matter the age . group or the environment. Fundamentally these sturdy ditties will last, as they have, and outlast any of the of - the - moment rockalypso oddities. Yet' Martin has pace, variety, and tempos for all tastes, from the forthright fox¬ trot ballad to the beguines. His small-talk is as slick as his song- stering. ; He salutes- his new pianist- maestro-arranger A1 Sendry and, in a topper-offer with dancer Bobby Van (New Acts), their clowning takes them off to solid returns with “Lullaby of Broad¬ way.’.’ The Doug • Coudy-staged floor- show is in his best traditiofi; The eight Copabeauts wear the Sal An- thony-Mme. Berthe gowns with haut monde demeanor; they look like lammisters from a beauty pageant; and make their '‘St. Louis Look” and “Old Beatup Suitcase” openers count for^something. In Tom Rockford, Marilyn Cooper and Jeff Bolton as number-leaders the line has important upfront as¬ sist and, in fact, terp specialist Bolton, given a spot that shouldn’t happen to the proverbialJLeopard, following the rousing legmania of Bobby Van, still makes his hoofol- ogy important. The Charmonaires, femme trio, two brunets'and a redhead, got to them finally with their novelty thrushing, mostly on the rhythm side, Bobby Van has been around but for the- Variety records, and not without recognition of that Variety songalog, which he uti¬ lizes as a peg ^for hie Rousing spe¬ cialty, is under Nejy Acts, since he is absent from .such’ individual spotlighting in this journal’s files. The Copa cuties come on with a “Please No Calypso” * novelty and that’s where Rockford clicks with his (Caribbean dance conceit, de¬ spite the,Van impact. Then Mar¬ tin for almost a solid hour of socko singing. Withal, Copa bossman JuleS Podell has a winning month ahead of him with this lineup. Abel. Palmer House, Clii Chicago, May 16. Crew-Cuts (4), Page & Bray, Charlie Fisk Orch (10) ;. $2 cover . This 45-minute show is one of the shortest the Empire Room has yet offered. Everything comes off smoothly, but the sparkle that gets word-of-mouth and repeat business has yet to show itself in this layout. The Crew-Cuts must stand essen¬ tially on their disk appeal. Stage- wise they are one . of several well- received vocal quartets making the nitery circuits. The heavily-accented rhythms of the Crew-Cuts are most effective with their tried-and-true material, “Sh-Boom,” “Gum-drops” or “Graduation Day,” but the special material that should set their pipings in relief is not im¬ pressive. The opener “Great to Be . .” is too obviously meant to be ingratiating. A bit billed as a George Gershwin Tribute” fails to make an impression despite the vocal crew’s best.efforts and the solid support of the-Charlie Fisk house orchestra. Treatment oL ‘Take. Me Out to the Ball Game” combines good, choreo and vocals for the best showpiece of their turn. Page & Bray are a handsomely synchronized hoofing team. Sharp and clear technique lends smooth¬ ness to their anti-gravitationa' ( gyratiohs, and the flame-haired femme lends her flexible frame to the suave handling of the'male member of the team.- Interpretive- ly, there is room for more variety. Each of their four numbers are very much the same. Too ttpich spectacular acrobatics seems to be expected of cafe dancers, although Palmer House . audiences have shown themselves receptive in'the past to more open anjl stately choreo, with which this pair should be equally at-home. Edye G'orme heads the next Palmer House lineup, June 13. & - Leva. Riviera, Las Vegas •. ’ Las Vegas, May 17. . Liberace, George Liberace, Jean Fenn, Darias, Ilona - Adams, Janlk & Arnaut ,® Bahi Trio, Bobby Brandt, Ray Sinatra Orch (24), Dorothy Dorb'en Dancers J12); $3 minimum. Liberace & Co. have returned to the Riviera boards. As in the past, the mixture of longhair & pop tunes, terps, comedy, and lavish production -numbers gets cheers and applause. Soprano Jean Fenn is. still with the group, and most appropriately fits into the occasion by effectively offering such numbers as “Ciri Biri Bin,” and “I Could Have Danced All ‘Night.” George Liberace has more •to, do' on this . trip', solos “Trub Love” on the violin, and vocally solos part of a song cleffed by Liberace, “Anybody Who Don’t Like This Life Is Crazy,” bo.th efforts’ being rewarded with hefty salvos.- Displaying smooth versatili¬ ty. Liberace switches, from Bach to boogie-woogie on the keyboard, sings (£mong others) “September Song,” and “Faith Unlocks the Door,” and gets yocks during a soft-shoe terp when he asides, “I’m not good—but I’ve got guts.” Star kids the calypso craze by doing skit in exaggerated costume.—in which he’s joined by a fine Cuban bongo player; Darias; and he kids himsglf by tossing gags about his current bout with Confidential magazine. Initial portion of bill consists of holdover acts, from “Blackouts of ’57,” all of which blend well into the' festive atmosphere. Ilona Adams, a beautiful blonde exotic terper, graces an exciting African produc¬ tion number with the Dorothy Dorben dancers (12); Janik & Arnaut are Seen in a fascinating man vs. serpent dance; The Bassi Trio skillfully does foot juggling of such unwieldy objects as beds- & tables; and Bobby . Brandt does his intricately acrobatic terps. Ray Sinatra and George Liberace guide the orch (24) okay. Show is set for three frames. Duke. Blinstruli’s, Boston ' Boston, May 13. Jaye R Morgan, Alcettis (2), Du- quaines (2), 3 Ghezzis, Moro Lan¬ dis Line (10), Michael. Gaylord Orch (10), Lou Weir; $2.50 mini¬ mum. Jaye P. Morgan, RCA Victor dislfer headlining Stanley Blin- strub's layout on the platter format he has used this season, seems more suited for intimate spots than' big rooms of this 1,700-seater type. Blonde femme looker works hard to jive it up, but has trouble reg¬ istering- over the din of diners. Opening Monday (13), in for a week ending Sunday (19), the chirp’s stint is overly -.long with special material, reprise of disk numbers and a production number of '■“Daddy, Don’t Mention My Name.” . Opening with special material welcome, she segues into “Life is. Just a Bowl of Cherries,” goes to “Jubilee” getting aud to join in handclaps, and then does a medley of “A Little Love” and “Danger, Heart Break Ahead.” She tries for dramatic “Hi Lili, Hi' Lo,” with intro and works, which doesn’t quite come off, one reason possibly being the number has been done to death by almost every piper coming in here. Alcettis, novelty act, balances soup plates and turkey platters bf’ gigantic proportions ‘ on slender sticks. Clincher is balancing of tray with four filled goblets and lighted lamp on double sticks, first at angle and then straight up, for good returns. Duquaines, terpers, caught here previously this season, are fine in spins, twirls .’and lifts. Ghezzis, trio of. aci’o workers, knock themselves, but with planks, stepladders and table 'hijinks for heavy mittirig. Mike Gaylord backs the show with Lou Weir handling the dance interludes ^n the organ. Moro Landis Line has, an okay Hawaiian production number and a slick Scottish terp 'routine in which two‘line hoofers make with a crossed sword bit for nice effect. Jaye P. Morgan exited Sunday (19X Balance of show holds through Sunday (26). Lane Bros, opened for repeater Monday (20). Guy. 1 Uakiety . Hotel Plaza, IV. Y. Dorothy Shay, Ted Straeter Orch, Mark Monte Continentals;^ $2.50, $3 convert. Dorothy Shay has popularized the hillbilly accents on the supper club circuit with a sophisticated rural charm to the swankeries. She has made the backwood,s ballads part of the upper crust cafe scene and has done it with charm and ease. For many years now, Miss Shay has been ^ fixture in- the .carriage trade spots and has de¬ lighted the clientele at shch places as the Persian Room, where she’s current, and the Hotel Waldorf- Astoria. ' H?r competence in tfiis depart¬ ment has been . a recognized fact. However, like all performers, there are off-evenings for which nb one can account. On- the late show of her preem night, the rains came just as the theatre was breaking, and if a cabrwas available, instruc¬ tions probably said, “Home James.” Fortunately, an offnight gives a performer, and her audience a chance to see a. little exhibited side of an artist. It’s an. oppor¬ tunity to take inventory of the- negative aspects inherent in an act, and an occasional offnight can fre¬ quently turn out to'be an ultimate advantage. . Seemingly, Miss Shay put every¬ thing into her turn, but bn eve¬ ning in question, the essential johnny-one-note character of the act made it the most dominant motif. The tales of the girl who winked involuntarily, the recitals of Uncle Fud, her plea to learn to relax, and other similar items that make her hillbillyisms a delight, just. didn’t get off ' on the right note and, despite the warmth of the reception, net result wasn’t one generally expects from Miss Shay. It’s difficult to retrieve a perform¬ ance once it goes off the wrong way, especially in situations where every note is accounted for and tire’s no .changing routines mid¬ floor without confusing the orches¬ tra as well. Even Babe Ruth never made a hit all the time; The Ted Straeter crew show- backs excellently, and occasion¬ ally provides a novel arrangement that keeps customers amused. The Mark Monte Continentals dish up a clever brand of relief.. Jose. Hotel Moitteleone. N.O. New Orleans, May 19. ~ Jon Ann Miller, Wally Griffin, Cheri Lee, Nick Stuart Orch (7); $3 minimum. Patrons • of the plush Swan Room of this hostelry are finding the new show on display pleasant, effervescent entertainment that’s pleasing all the way. Sultry-voiced Jo Ann Miller has a smooth, sophisticated way with a tune that holds undivided atten¬ tion. She’s a stimulating person¬ ality with warmth and projection. Songstress sells a tune with sensi¬ tive feeling in unadorned style that’s refreshing. Her repertoire ranges from the calypso to the rousing “When the Wagon Comes,” a blues number done a la Bessie" Smith. Wally Griffin, a first-timer here, impressed tableholders with his warm baritone voice, fresh com¬ edy material and friendly manner. Singer-humorist generates en¬ thusiasm with his musical fairy tale ’ parody bit, “Little Riding Hood.” He also kept the crowd in high spirits with the calypso, “Bachelor Song,” plus “I Like a Lady,” “Everybody. Talks About the Good Old Days,” “Great to Be Alive” and “Birth of the Blues,” among others. * Nick Stuart and his band are in excellent fettle and dish out a mix¬ ture of rhythmic*farce that draws dancers to the floor. The band’s new vocalist, Cheri Lee, makes an effective -debut. The Johnny Charles duo render violin and ac¬ cordion music during the inter¬ missions. Dotty Lamour headlines next bill on May 28. Liuz. Viennese Lantern, N. Y. Galena, Judy Foster, Paul Mann, Harold Sandler; $3.50 minimum. Max Loew’s Viennese Lantern has become an international show-' case. No longer are the Wiener- leider the major product of the Singers. Of late, this spot has premiered Latin and French song¬ sters as well as the local varieties. On this trip, there’s a Russki girl, Galena, who previously exhibited at the Cotillion Room of the Pierre Hotel, along" with Judy Foster (New Acts). Even with the singers, the mood of the spot is set by the lush strings in the orchestra. Violinist-singer Paul Mann . and fiddler Harold Sandle are a pair of stringers who pour out the kind of music that befits the candlelit atmosphere. Galena is a linguist of consider-. 1 able attainment. She sings in a multitude of tongues, giving each tune dramatic content far and above the call of duty. She knocks off tunes with a .wide variety of movement, shows' further accom¬ plishment by a session at the piano. However, it’s her Russian medley that provides the most resounding hand of the evening for her arid it gets her off comfortably. Jose. Mftpes Skyroom, Reno Reno, May. 16.- Marie McDonald ,* Johnny Bach,- Dick . Merritt, Eddie Fitzpatrick Orch; $2 mirfamum. Although no reference has been made to Marie McDonald’s recent headlines, there seems to be a vas,t and curious Crowd who have come to see “The Body.” Since no one had any idea what to expect in the way of an act, especially with the art and advertising which pro¬ ceeded the show, it came as a pleas¬ ant surprise that Miss McDonald sings a warm, intimate song. .Breaking in her new act at the Mapes, ffter a “10-year absence as a vocalist of any kind,” everything goes fairly smoothly. Her songs are mostly on the cozy side, there’s no attempt at gimmicks or effects, no remarks to recent news. It’s played straight—or as straight as a beautiful femme can play it who is more on display than on trial for singing. Material is all tasty or* sophisti¬ cated stuff and this is her forte. Most the time she uses a hand mike and moves around the stage. An eight-minute sequence in four languages, while quite enjoy¬ able, has a little too much produc¬ tion to it. Musical director Hal Bourne, who has perfected her ar¬ rangements behind her, bridges be¬ tween the songs with the “drone of airplane engines as she arrives in another qlime. Her four stopovers, Japan, Tel Aviv, Rome and Paris, make it a bit of a travelogue. In her most intimate moOd, she perches on a stool in a soft light to medley with such things as “Em- braceable You” and “I Gdt It Bad," coming off as a legitimate act with a fine enough voice. Johnny Bach,,a.-dancing, sweat¬ ing pianist, not only whips himself • up into a frenzy, but manages to make a nervous wreck out of most of the aud. The pure e'nergy of the act takes hold of the room eventually. The piano session adds up* to more pounding than tech¬ nique. No one is quite sure what he did that they liked, but nobody’s presence was ever made more evi¬ dent. Dick Merritt, production singer with the Skylets, has whipped up a cute parody on “Love for Sale.” Eddie Fitzpatrick has made it easy for Miss McDonald to start her nitery career with his clear arrangements. Mark. Interluile, Hollywood Hollywood, May 17; Mort Sahl, Shorty Rogers & His Giants (5); cover $1; minimum two drinks. Booking of a humorist into this room is frankly an experiment, but it's one that will pay off heavily. Mort Sahl is an extremely funny man, but not in the gag tradition of comedies. He’s a humorist with a point, of view and a biting^wit and the great strength of his "ma¬ terial is in tfie truisms. His seem¬ ingly rambling 45 minute monolog develops a constant stream of chubkles punctuated regularly by guffaws as he discourses on such diverse topics as hi-fi, Dave Beck, Arthur Miller,, evangelists, cops and the army. It’S replete with- one-line-, throwaway barbs that are delivered with skilled timing and a wonderful flair for tilting at pomposity. For this room too, he delves occasionally into a trade item (“I was with NBC for 18 months but didn’t do a show—they were trying to avoid over-expo¬ sure”) that pays off handsomely, Sahl works in a rumpled sweater with a newspaper under his arm, frequently reading items from it to come up with some new com¬ mentary sharply reminiscent of the late Will Rogers’ ability to dissect current events. It’s a comedy turn that has something for everybody, moving with ease ,from political to social topics to bring his shafts home. •" . Alternating on the stage with Sahl. is Shorty Rogers and his Giants, easily one of the best jazz groups extant on the Coast. Rogers, on trumpet, has surrounded him¬ self with top musicians to pour out half-hour of listenable and techni¬ cally excellent music. It may, how¬ ever, be a little too much for the same stage as Sahl, since each act is sharply individualistic. Humor¬ ist’s act might better be comple¬ mented by a small jazz combo. Kap. Lake Cluli, Sprlngf’d, 111, Springfield, Ill., May 16. Phil Ford & Mimi Hines, Mau¬ reen Hughes, Buddy Kirk Orch (8); $1.20 admission. The work of husband-wife team, Phil Ford & Mimi Hines, offers' a sophisticated combination of com¬ edy and music in the Lake Club’s current layout which has an extra session of rhythm, in a song stint by single soloist Maureen Hughes. A talented team, Ford and Hines set a fast pace for themselves in an opening routine recalling the heyday of vaudeville. Their com¬ edy patter, including brief and breezy sketches, is reminiscent of Peter Lind Hayes, and Mary Healy. Especially since Ford and Hines are in the same age bracket and their costuming is also comparable. Most effective bit by Ford and Hines is a dual treatment of “Tenderly,” first as a straight so¬ prano solo by Miss Hines, then as a culinary satire on a steak which the supper singer dreams about. Ford furnishes the vocal for the comedy bit while his partner gives lip synchro service. Songstress- Maureen Hughes shows vivacity in her stint. Stand¬ out ' tune is her rendition of “Namely>-rYou.” Although she skips aft but the minimum of be- tween( song chitchat her gestures hint comedy potentialities. Her vo¬ cal -delivery, however, 'is straight. Wayn. Colony Cluli, Omaha Natty LaMotta's Calypso Trio; no cover or minimum. Back in biz with a completely refurbished club after fire de¬ stroyed their old Spot, Skee Fisher and Pat Foley are once again ex¬ perimenting with live talent. While the opening act, the Harmonicats, did big biz in a three-night stand even with a $1 cover, the current Calypso group Is flopping without an extra tariff. Leader of the trio, blonde Natty LaMotta, is practically the whole show. Two male backers provide most of the music but all eyes are focussed on her as she struts and bounces in her snug outfits. Music never strays from the Calypso beat and while guys are steady at the piano and strings, she switches from bongos to tambourines, etc. Messrs Fisher and Foley ,, tried the gimmick of luring patrons by giving • away free N straw Calypso hats. No luck. Ttump. Stailer-ISiltoHj Balias . Dallas, May 17. Myron Cohen, Bob Cross Orch (12); $2-$2,50 cover. In his first local date Myron Cohen gets "off strong. Working easily and softly, yarn spinner keeps Way ahead with dialect stories. It is when he departs from the dialect bits that he slips. Cohen, feeling his way at open¬ ing, quickly returned "to the Yid¬ dish bits. Seemingly apprehensive about his audience (there was no big doubt, because -it was heavy-with garment district moguls), Cohen wrapped' his too-sbort 35-minute stint with a quickie: “What’s with this Taft-Hartley Bill?” Answer from partner: “To hell with it, pay it.” Cohen’s in for two frames, with Buddy Ebsen due May 30 for .two weeks. Bark. Black Orchid, Chi . Chicago, May 13. Hi-Lo’s (4),. Irwin Corey, Joe Parnello Trio; $1.50 cover. ■ Present package is well-suited to the small room, both acts gaining from the intimacy of,.the quarters. The Hi-Lo’s combine jazz vocals in their, own distinctive idiom with an easy-going manner that holds "a tight reign on the audience through a 30-minute session. Gene Puer- ling intersperses the tightly woven four-part harmony’with well-timed quips that avert the strain of long listening. The foursome show here that they work as effectively with just piano, bass and drum, support as with the big band that has backed them on their "recordings. An a capella rendition of “Tenderly” goes over handsomely. Best show¬ piece, though, is a special material bit, “Hi-Lo Story,” involving sock imitations and burlesques of other vocal groups, with neatly wrought choreos and plenty of laugh-getting lines. Held over from the last show, Prof. Irwin Corey continues his high-Q humor bits preluded with an intensively characterized panto bit. Corey’s unmatched blend of pomposity and ribaldry makes for a hilarious 40-minute stint. His routine is rich enough for repeat crowds 1 even without revisions. Show -sfays till June 3. Leva.