Variety (December 1957)

56 M«HT CttB BEVTEWS _ p$*zwr&T Wednesday, December 18, 1957 Copacabana,. N. IT. Jules Podell presentation of Louis Armstrong All Stars with Velma Middleton; Paul Gilbert; Holly Twins, Line (10), Michael Durso & Frank Marti Orchs; $5.50 minimum. With holiday time approaching, Jules Podell has himself a power¬ ful attraction for the vacationing collegians as well as. the bulk of the adult trade who have never lost a feeling for the powerful, sprightly and humorous jazz dis¬ pensed by Louis Armstrong, Hav¬ ing done the cause of American culture a tremendous amount of good in hiis recent world travels, Armstrong has become, perhaps, one of the best-known exports from the United States. He’s the “Have Satch. Will Travel” goodwill emis¬ sary to the hep world. > He’ll do the cause of boniface Podell a iot oi good, too, wnen tne kids start returning from studies this week. The Copa should get the bulk of the youngsters' biz, as well as that of their elders. Arm¬ strong sjdms over the great mo¬ ments of jazz. He’s a traditionalist from one of the most celebrated schools in the jazz firmament. His work has the sepse of solid Crafts¬ manship laden with humor and dis¬ pensed with vigor, style and show¬ manship. The Satch recalls: some, moments Of his recent picture, “High So¬ ciety,” along with such pieces as “Sleepy Time Down South,” “Back Home in Indiana/’ “St Louis Blues” and, of course, the famed getoff piece, “Saints Come March¬ ing in.*’ Velma Middleton assists toward the latter part of the turn with her vocalizing, and the dance bit, while, adding some humor, seems unnecessary in lieu of the basic rymor which Armstrong is; hble to fuse into his work. His gravel-voice song style is also well received; as are the solo efforts of all his sideman. Paul Gilbert is a new comic for the Copa, and he seems to have learned well his lessons in projec¬ tion through his tours around the country. However, he shows a need of material more in keeping with Coph standards. There -are some blue lines that could easily De ^dropped. His “Know Your Doctor” bit' has an okay comedy format, but the lines sometimes fail to hit: Overall, he looks like he couid make it with further study of cos¬ mopolitan tastes. The Holly Twins, a blonde and brunet, sing and provide their own accompaniment. The ladies are lookers, their voices blend well and hit some good moments. The girls also show ability to trick up their voices into jungle sounds. Some of it is in the humorous vein, but their best exhibits would be in the record rooms patronized by the juves. They figure to get their best response during the vacation pe¬ riod. The Copa production holds up well with Sammy Devens and Cin¬ dy Tyson doing the vocal chores, and Peggy Womack, replacing Elaine Deming. doing an excellent bit of terpobats. The music -by Michael Durso in showbacking hits its. usual peak , of excellence,: and the Latino music by Frank Marti hits it welL The Copagals decorate the floor; nicely, per usual. Jose. Havana Riviera, Havana Harry & Ben Smith presentation of Jack Cole production starring Ginger Rogers and The Toppers (4); Jack Cole, Anita Ellis, Tybee Afra, Hal Schaefer Quintet, Felix Fuerrero Orch; $3:50 minimum. The Havana Riviera is probably the most impressive hotel built on the ocean-to-ocean Havaria-Miami Beach circuit, . The Smith. Bros., Harry & Ben, who also operate the Prince George, Toronto, have car¬ ried out their dream hotel in the tropics. It has a look of opulence, elegance, taste and careful plan¬ ning, So has the Copa Room, the major nitery operation of the inn. Unfortunately, as the: show’ situa¬ tion presently shapes up, the hotel is a tremendous hit, but the Show isn’t. However, the latter can al¬ ways be fixed. In the first show for the ; hotel, the Smiths got Ginger Rogers to play her first cafe stand. Jack Cole was coaxed out of virtual retire¬ ment as a performer to stage the show and put on his dancing shoes, Apparently, these major cogs in the layout have been out. of touch with the nitery orbit. Again the Veiy design of the stage,: which is too deep for. its width, militated against free movement In the en¬ trance and. exit, department, and destroying, a lot of the intimacy. Overhead mikes also didn’t seem too practical. Miss Rogers, Whom a term paper is rendered under New Acts, is undoubtedly an International draw*: She’s fondly remembered from her long string of pix as, the dance partner of Fred Astaire, and she has apparently taken the cafe turn seriously, as evidenced by its production, careful arrangements, cdutouriering, and virtually every other element that's poured into a new and expensive tujrn. But there are a lot of buts in the Overall re¬ sult.: ; Cole, who has done much, film and legit choreography in. the last few years,, has had a. lot Of ele-^ ments to overcome on the initial, show/Problem of properly working put entrances and exits, for J one thing, npeds further study. There was ope serious flaw in the music. The Hal Schaefer Quintet works behind the choreography, while the major orchestra conducted by. Felix. Fuerrero Works on the side, of the house. The two elements rarely jelled, to the detriment of the pro-r duction. The motifs used by Cole were borrowed from his former stage turn. There, was his Oriental b ; t in jazz tempo, and the black- suited ballet, both of which were sock in its day. Probably they could: still be as potent with prooer breaks in the other departments: There was also an appalling lapse when, after 40 minutes of Ginger Rogers in a singing act, Anita El¬ lis went on for more of the same., A young and. vigorous vo'ce belt¬ ing out familiar numbers was a somewhat unfair touch. Tybee Afra is a looker—-and so she let ’em look while rigged out in an Oriental job. The orchestra conducted by Fuer¬ rero filled the requirements well for Miss Rogers, but was unable fo overcome the technical difficult’es imoosed bv the long-distance mesh with the Schaefer group. One of the major production, lifts was-ihe costuming of Irene Sharaff, Who brought a lbt of imagination into the effort . Stage facilities include one of the most lavish lighting boards In any nitery which can enhance the looks of any production. Also a rain and steam curtain, thpugli n °t ready for the. preemi.night. Jose. Golden Slinper. Jack. Wallace, Three Chicks & A Chuck; Danny Davis & Bill Diablo Qtchs; $2.50 minimum. Harold Snyder, operator of this Long Island large-sCater doesn’t believe iri using names. “Why should I make actors my partners sp that I have to work three days to pay them off.” His entertainment policy is geared primarily to turns that go well in the neighborhoods and cut down the size, of the room to intimate proportions. With an active banquet department, he ap¬ parently makes out well in filling, a profitable portion of the. 700 seats. The present shbW policy is some¬ what reminiscent of the old Leon & Eddie’s. The emcee makes a lot Of the visiting Parties. Suddenly the air fills with a lot of jokes about a couple celebrating an an¬ niversary, or some industrial plant in the area, and there’s laughter in various sections of the house. The commercials pay off handspmely: - It’s-ah axiom, here that this nitery doesn’t thrive on comestibles and entertainment -alone. There’s has to be a lot of extracurricular hon¬ ors bestowed on. the partyites to insure, repeat trade. Singer-bandleader Danny Davis does excellently in this respect. But his big punch is still'his.sing¬ ing. He dotes on novelty with a trick rendition of “Object of My Affections” as his forte which he recorded for Cabot. He’§ well liked here. . . The topliner on this layout is re¬ peater Jack Wallace, a disk-pan- tomimist who works costume changes with the rapidity Pf Owen McGivpey. Wallace starts off with Elvis Presley and segues ’into sun¬ dry characters; including “Eloise,” Helen Kane, Patti Page, and Works effectively in a lengthy stand in which he shows his, skill in many characterizations. There are some blue touches, but they: seem within the bounds of reason ih his charac¬ ter developments. He carries a multitude, of props,, artfully, ar¬ ranged to facilitate his quick changes* and he gets a steady string of laughs. , Completing the session are Three Chicks & a Chuck; Who worked the Copacabana, N. Y. In this show- illness cut . down: the act to tWo chicks. Despite the improvisation needed tb'fill the gap, the chore¬ ography. and performance held up excellently. The. trio contributes a. routine contrasting classical and modern ballet, an artfully con¬ trived bit that hits top applause. - Ambassador Hotel, L. A. Los Angeles, Dec. 12. Bob Crosby & Bob Cats (5) Modernaires (5), Freddy Martin Orch (14); $2.50 cover. The Yule season is the time for warmhearted musical nostalgia and the Cocoehut Grove dishes it up in a bubbling package with this. two- week booking of Bob Crosby & Thp Bobcats and the Modernaires. It’s sprightly entertainment for the generation that learned its dancing when the . bands Were in their prime, but there’s nothing creaky about it; there’s a bounce that will fldso register with the home-for- Tbe-holidays crewcuts. Crosby’s local nitery debut has been too long delayed, on the basis of his initial show. He’s an easy, assured performer, as his years on radio and tv attest,, and he’s put together his offering with plenty of savvy. There's a judicious mixture Of material from the . Bobcats and Crosby’s own singing, the former, of course, geared almost entirely to reprises of numbers that the origi¬ nal crew made famous. As Crosby remarks, they Play what Wingy Marione calls “the truth,” and they peddle the twtebeat stuff: With a dedicated vigor that keeps ring- siders foot-tapping. Crosby also has a good routine ih “Songs My Brother Taught Me,” a medley of some of Bing’s early hits, plus “In the Middle of an Island” and “All the Way.” He winds with a routine with Paula Kelly on “Penny in a Gtim Slot” that’s a little too cute and a fine “S’Wonderful” with the Modernaires. On their own, the Mods have a fine half-hour song layout spiced now by some excellent trumpet Stuff from Dick Cathcart,. newest member of the quintet. Group’s fine harmonic blend gets an added zing from exceptional arrange¬ ments, whether on such pop tunes as “C’a C'est L’Amour” or a bar¬ bershop medley. And the “Salute, to. Glenn Miller” medley that re¬ prises such tunes as “String of Pearls/’ “Perfidia” and “Chatanoo- ga Choo Choo” is a natural high¬ light, that evokes both memories and sustained applause. As. usual, .the Freddy Martin band does a top job. of handling dance rhythms and gets the show off to a fast start, with a nifty ar¬ rangement of “Malaguena.” Kap. Beverly Hills, Newport Newport, Ky., Dec. 10. Sam Levenson, Terri. Stevens, Dcmn Arden Dancers (10). With Chris , Roberts, Ronny Meren, Marlene Powers; Gardner Benedict Orch ; (i0), Jimmy Wilber Trio, Larry Vincent; $3 minimum, $4 Sat. Picking up where he. left off a year aga on his first visit t p this swahkery, Sam Levenson bids to surpass that heavy draw in‘the cur¬ rent fortnighter, already high with pre-Noel party reservations. With the master mohologist is newcomer Terri Stevens, eye-ahd-ear pleasing chirp, and the Beverly crew of Arden Dancers and Benedict toot- ers to: whip up a great Cabaret presentation, .. Pounds lighter and sporting a crew hairdo, Levenson also has. re¬ juvenated his material- He’s oh the boards for 43 minutes arid the Jocks keep up a continuity that Would wear down the needle on a laughmeter.. Mother and his severi brothers and sisters continue to be the springboard fur most of his stories and sayings. A highlight is the reading of frightening mes¬ sages from -junior in boys’ camps. Miss Stevens, brunet looker, em¬ phasizes an hour-glass figure with a black and white chiffon creation, making her. an . attention-arrester through a highly.; pleasing 17-min¬ ute song cycle. Makes a nifty spe¬ cialty of “Flower Song” and has the sitters handclapping on a rhythm tune. Racks up comeback insurance. . Chris Roberts, personable bari¬ tone, is the new. emcee with the Bonn Arden group, which has tal¬ ented Ronny Meren and Marlene Powers. as featured terps team. Jack E. Leonard tops the show opening Dec. 20. KolU Rite Carlton, Montreal Montreal, Dec. 10. Monique Van Vo&ren, Johnny Gallant, Paul Notar Trio; $2-$2.50 cover. The pre-Christmas doldrums, ap¬ parent in most niteries around town, mean nothing at the Ritz Cafe with Monique Van Vooren in for a three-week stand. Current engagement is third time around for this blqhde beauty arid present offering is by far the best of any seen, to date. : , Previous dates for Miss Van Vooren shoWed little more than a handsomely endowed femme, ele¬ gantly gowned, breaking in an act Which was a combination of many things—most good but nothing definite. This time, Miss Van Voo¬ ren strikes out in bolder style, has better control over her material arid offers both comedy and ballad items with plenty of pro overtones that establish her as a click per¬ sonality for the more sophisticated boites anywhere on the circuit. Sporting a new hairdo which is attractive, a healthy Havana tan arid a simple but revealing gown, songstress skips nimbly through a songalog loaded with neatly turned lyrics and delivered in a deft and pleasing manner. Preamble during intro periods is amusing arid on night caught; she scored with. a new ballad by Bart Howard titled “Ini Other Words” and a rambling cpmedy bit about Marie and her mink coat. A near-capacity .room was generous with applause and singer was equally generous with her encores doing a solid 35 min¬ utes before bowing out. Newt. Americana, Miami B. Miami Beach, Dec. 15. Eartha Kitt, Billy Vine, Jackie Heller, Lee Martin. Orch; $5 'mini¬ mum- There was some doubt about Eartha Kitt making an appearance in this hotel’s posh Bal Masque at all this season. The “yes” decision was a good thing, both for any doubts Miss Kitt may have had about reception, here and for the room, Which saw its biggest open¬ ing night crowd in months and a strong weekend kickoff for the just starting name lineup booked for rest of winter. Miss Kitt’s impact on the some¬ what conservative crowd that, makes the Bal Masque a habit was in show-stop class throughout her varied stint. She adds up as an adroit performer Who blends her catalog into a shrewd, winning ses¬ sion of straight, tongue-in-cheek ad special-lyric that jell into a sock whole. Command of fablers is evidenced from walkon, with de¬ liberate waits between numbers; breaks during song bits for dead- panned stare-irito-breakup with ringsider, bordering on chance of. attention loss. In her case it was carried off for full measure of steady aud build, to the point of palm-pounding winds to her stand¬ ard record clicks, and the clever specials tailored to her slinky style, from Which she breaks for added impact via highsoaring blues chants. She can name her own return date here, as far as crowd is concerned. Billy Vine, a vet Beach returnee, knows his Way around the foibles Of its mixed groups. The know¬ ledge pays off in spades for Vine, who mixes a loa*d of new gags with his standard drunk and dialect stories, to keep the laugh rise on high all the way. Jackie Heller’s balladings belong in a show of this i type, arid the little guy makes it big, ratirig added bows.for getting the big croWd into attention mood half way through his song turn. He’s a plus factor in the emcee slot when he’s playing it on the more subdued side, which fie does iri this outing, to tie the proceedings into a smooth-flowing affair. Lory. Bimbo’s 365 Club, S. F. San Francisco, Dec. 10. Harry (Woo-Woo) Stevens, Bob¬ by Winters, The Double-Daters (4>, Allan Cole with Dorothy Dorben Dancers (10), Al Wallace Orch (9); $1-$1.50 cover. Corn is the stock-in-trade of barijo-playing Harry Stevens, and “woo-woo” is his standard audi¬ ence-participation gag. After a few minutes of hesitation, crowd goes for it Wholeheartedly and Stevens, when he winds up his 25- miriute stint, gets a big hand. He gives out first with a full-dress version of “Hey, Mr. Banjo” and for most of the rest of. his act plays and sings just bits and pieces of other tunes such as “Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey," “Dark- town Strutters Ball,” “Yessir, That’s My Baby/’ “If You Knew Susie,” etc. Everything moves ter¬ rifically/fast, so that if one . old joke lays an egg, another one’s waiting for a laugh, and the. same is true of his singing and playing. Crowd appreciates hefty efforts of this pleasant personality who is living proof that talent ’ isn't a prime necessity in show business. Bobby Winter^, rubber-faced and relaxed, gets nice hand for exceed¬ ingly skilled and humor-tinged juggling, and the Double-Daters, two guys and two gals, sing and dance well—it’s hard to say which they do; better* Dbrothy Dorben line, turned out stunningly, as usual, is a little con¬ fused in first number out. of “Les Girls” but recoups handsomely in finale. Allan Cole is a good sing¬ ing .emcee and Al Wallace orch plays hour-long show excellently. Show’s set for three weeks. Stef. Royal York, Toronto Toronto, Dec, 11. Cindy Sc Liridy, Moxie Whitney Orch (12), Irene* Hall, Ralph. Richards; $2.50 cover, $3 mini- mum. On their first Canadian, visit Cindy & Lindy (Cindy Lord and Lindy Doherty) move into the posh imperial Room, 600-seater of the Royal York Hotel, arid are over, big with the carriage trade on -her hoydenish chirpirig arid behavior and his madcap clowning. Both the bruriet looker, and the masculine blond are notable for their extra- special Vivacity/. They’re a fast song & dance act that has no difficulty getting over on timing and delivery, plussed by the White and gold evening gown of the girl, with male in evening clothes. Pair open with bouncy Alexander’s Ragtime Band/' then into their hep “Language of Love” recording. Youngsters also do "April Love” in baited style, she the contralto and he the baritone, to a rousing reception. Pair are many clowns again in “I Never FClt Better” and then go into a. mixed “My. Fair Lady” med¬ ley for a switch in mutual timing of pathos and cockney comedy; Back for encore after vociferous applause, they cany On With “Who's Got the Suitcase?” written by Sherman Edwards and Ben Raleigh, and a. happy blend of “You” songs, for a rousing begoff. These youngsters, are a natural. Moxie Whitney’s orch lends able backgrounding to. Cindy & Lindy.. arid, in addition to its “society” dancing, is putting on a nice show of its own. This includes his black- clad Irene Hall, a Scottish brunet of two-weeks’ importation who’s 'a click with sexy ^Fascination” and a,: Charleston taRoff; Ralph. Rich¬ ards on ballads arid his work at the piano, and: Luigi Antonacei cn accordion. This also marks Whit¬ ney’s ninth winter season at the Royal York, following his 12th sum¬ mer season at the Banff Springs, a record for both Swank hostelries. McStay. Chateau Madrid, N. Y. Lucy Fabery, Goya Reyes Jc Pc- pita, Eddie Carson, Harry Bell, The- 4 Senoriias, Ralph Font and El Caney Orchs; .Candi Cortez; $4-$5 minimum. Current Chateau Madrid layout is satisfactory. Topping: the bill is Puerto Rican singer Lucy Fabery, whose savvy songstyling was re¬ viewed in New Acts last week, and ditto Harry Bell & The 4 Senoritas. The balance of the bill takes in two other acts, flamenco terpers Goyo Reyes & Pepita and ventro Eddie Garsori. Reyes is a familiar figure at the drib, having appeared there several times, but not al¬ ways with just one partner. He’s an excellent stepper, with a fine dramatic flair. Teamed with him this round is Pepita, a comely lass, who also clicks with her footwork. Garsori’s voice - tossing with a. Spanish-styled dummy is okay. Showbacking by Ralph Font’s orch is good, as is the music dispensed by the Caney orch for the hip- swingirig patrons. Jess. Black Orchid, Chi (FOLLOWUP) Chicago, Dec. 12. Jerri Adams is the first fully au¬ thenticated femme performer to get on the Black Orchid platform in a month. The buxom, redhaired. chirper comes in 'following the record business done by Johnny Mathis over nine days, while Prof. Irwin Corey, held over from the previous bill, moves up to the head¬ line spot. Since the name appeal of the former show is lacking here; both performers are working under an obvious psychological handicap;, in a sense both have to show that they can “replace” Mathis. Miss Adams-acquits herself well in her first Chi performance in some time. Her slow tempoed bal¬ lads are 'well controlled, pleasant but pablumized * during the first part of her stint, with nothing to really stimulate the audience. Not until she gets to “Love for Sale” does the girl show, some fire. Her set of carefully worked out stage nuances on this one make it a fine showpiece. A few more danseus- tics in her songalog should be no challenge to this performer and could make the very competent routine a really exceptional one. Irwin Corey continues his come¬ dies but this time he shows weak¬ nesses, dropping out of his stage personality of the libidinous pro¬ fessor with a performance that is sometimes less spontabeaus and seems a bit disjointed. A few fresh quips save the show for him in such circumstances: “But the U.S. will.be first to the moon with for¬ eign-, aid,”, or telling the floral dec¬ orations,. ‘^There’ll be no pollinat- irig while I'm on stage.” Leva,