Variety (March 1959)

73 Wednesday, March ll, 1959 ISfikutTY NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS Hotel St. Regis, N. Y. Bill Hayes & Florence Hender¬ son, Milt Shaw's orch and Ray Bari Ensemble; $2 and $2.50 cover. Having nothing but youthful at¬ tractiveness and trained vocal tal¬ ent it’s not surprising that, on their first return to the St. Regis’ Mai¬ sonette, the “singing sweethearts” were welcomed back, enthusiasti¬ cally anew. While that “ss” billing is kinda off-the-cob it’s fittingly descriptive because their romantic good looks aptly fit the~lag. Flor¬ ence Henderson is a Broadway musicomedy ingenue who belongs back in a sock legit musical, and pop singer Bill Hayes has pro¬ gressed and seasoned well enough to rate a crack at those dual mass media, pix and video. Same goes for the femme. Hayes opens with a quartet of ballads, including some specially written lyrics by Bobby Kroll who did an overall capital job in script¬ ing the act. Hayes’ stint is capped by “Wait ’Til You See Her,” a flat¬ tering intro for Miss Henderson’s entrance. For once a thrush matches the buildup. She soon manifests her vocal prowess with legit musical items ranging from “The Song Is You” to concurrent excerpts from “Redhead,” “Music Man” and “Flower Drum Song” which lead ■into “My Hero,” “Tea for Two Cha- Cha” (segueing from a yesteryear song-and-dance concept into the modern treatment). It’s topped by a George M. Cohan medley, in it¬ self’ a refreshing change-of-pace. Cohah isn’t Rodgers & Hart and/or Hammerstein in sophistication bat they give the “Yankee Doodle Dandy” authority and professional polish. Season after season Milt Shaw is recognized by tradesters as a pro who gives some of the inadequately voiced . albeit well-stacked Gallic chanteuses yeoman musicianly sup¬ port; in this instance maestro Shaw and his orchestra do a yeo¬ man job playing from a fully or¬ chestrated and highly professional score for a couple of seasoned young pros who know their ways in the sharps-and-flats department. The orchestrations look like a legit' production score, and the Hayes- Henderson vocal interpretations match the fastidious preparations of their vocal chores. Abel. Flamingo, Las Vegas Las Vegas. March 5. Gisele Mackenzie, The Goofers (5), Mort Sahl, Barry Ashton Dancers (11), Jack-Cathcdrt Orch (13); produced by Barry Ashton; costumes , Lloyd Lambert; Miss MacKenzie’s arrangements by Axel Stordahl; lyrics, Ray Charles; staged by Jack Regas; gowns by Grady Hunt; $3 minimum. Gisele MacKenzie, one of the Flamingo Room’s hottest proper¬ ties, is presented this time with two strong supporting acts plus an en¬ gagingly provocative production number. The combo should do brisk biz for the next four weeks. Miss MacKenzie brings with her again the smallfry quartet known as the Curfew Kids, which no doubt is her delightful way of spoofing the other canaries who are backed by dancing boys. These youngsters, Mijte McGreevey, Ricky Dorn, Phil Phillips and Jackie Berger, are a refreshing in¬ jection to the town’s entertain¬ ment, and -neatly embellish the star’s songology. - Jack Cathcart’s orch (13) does the capable backing. The Goofers (Jimmy Vincent, immy Dell, Frank Nichols, Tom erry, Jack Holliday) return with their solidly busy act, one of the hardest 1 for any performer to fol¬ low. The vocal-instrumental com¬ edy, which includes pogo stick and trapeze zaniness, is top yock stuff. Curtain-raising “Girl Most Like¬ ly” production number concocted by Barry Ashton is a jovial jibe at the Vegas nude shows. The girls (11) are ingeniously costumed by Lloyd Lambert, giving them a hare-bosom appearance which is actually a surprise gimmick. The clever skit is certain to be the talk of the town. Mort Sahl is the type of offbeat humorist Vegas producers have been reluctant to book, sinpe the word has spread that he’s the darl¬ ing of the eggheads and his farii dom is confined to a cult. First- nighters agreed that no one like Sahl has ever appeared here, His studied irreverence matches the casual sweater and . bpen-neeked shirt, but he can’t be branded a beatnik, because he’s much too commercial—after all, he works for a living, doesn’t he? It’s true that Sahl has a limited audience, but he’d be the last one to be bothered by this fact. Only the sharpies dig his comments (not jokes) about current events, but the laughter of such hippies is con¬ tagious, causing the squares to at least pay closer attention and per¬ haps learn something. Sahl is an angry young man who’s not really That Angry—he has a disarming, smile doesn’t he? His turn boils down to the fact that he’s intelli¬ gently funny—very funny—and his is the kind of act that is flexible enough to improve day by day. The Vegas bookers need not have worried. Duke. Mister Kelly's, Chi Chicago, March 3. Kaye Ballard (with Arthur Siegel), David Allen, Marx & Frigo Trio; $1 cover, 2-drink minimum. Strong with the intelligentsia here per several previous stands, Kave Ballard makes her latest Kelly’s encampment a breezy romp that registers consistently. To nut¬ shell it, she has a fine sense of satire with material to match, and it’s hand-in-glove fitting for a fast and delicious half-hour. The Ballard manner is best de¬ scribed as energetic ease, with per¬ sonality projection that sparkles even the oldest bits in her file. In this case, familiarity, in fact, is a big comfort, albeit the fresh items also set very well at show caught. The big payoffs remain “Miltown Waltz,” with zany prop and patter interpolations, and the malaprop- ing cineminx longing for solitude. One of the newer parodies this visit is “Autumn Leaves,” very funny if somewhat heavy-handed. Though her Yiddish patois is so-so, Miss Ballard’s comedic ken gets the most out of a coupla droll Fannie Brice songs; then she proves fine on straight chirping with “Love is a Simple Thing,” a nod to her piano accomp of late, Arthur Siegel, who cleffed the tune. David Allen, jazz, piper in the cool vein, is new to the room and Of dubious value to it. Part of the fault is his own discomfiture on the stand; and vocally, apart from some sour-noting, he impresses as too preoccupied with style, which also sounds derivative at times. His conventional songalog only tends to raise invidious comparisons. For¬ tunate aspect was the savvy back¬ ing of the Marx & Frigo Trio. Sarah Vaughan repeats on March 24. PH. - Carillon, Miami Beach (FOLLOWUP) Miami Beach, March 3. Lou Walters has kept pace with the upbeat in tempo at the peak weeks and come up with his best balanced edition of the “French Dressing” revue he has had in¬ stalled as season occupant of this big hostel’s 650-seater, the Club Siam. Marion Colby, a local fave who has played the other class cafes on the Beach circuit, is one of the bright inserts. Miss Colby has her¬ self a new act staged by Carol Haney. It’s a light, airy and aud- winning concept that allows the brunet looker to give full-play to a flair for tongue-in-cheek comedy. She garners chuckles with her “I Wanna Be a Bad Girl” special, belts out a driving beat with aplomb and distinction then adds to impact with multi-change in smart gowning. Her eye-catching topper has her doffing gown for limb looksee, and accompanying vocalistics concentrate on a belt¬ ing, strut delivery. She more than earns the big-mitt callbacks. Noonan .& Marshall played at one of the big indie clubs here several years ago, before splitting up; their reuniting is a happy one for the duo. Pete Marshall is a ver¬ satile straight who guides the lampooning Tommy Noonan along a hearty laugh trail in the forepart of act. The big roar bringer is their standard broad satirization of the tv chef programs that marks Noonan a prime clown. Dominique has become a fixture in Walters’ production. In the clos¬ ing slot he whips up a storm of goodnatured indignation among his pickpocketing victims around the room. It’s smart lead into getting a group of males onstage for the faster - than - the - eye tricks that leave willing stooges sans posses¬ sions including undershirts. The group of showgirls and dancers are among the best lookers around, and work out their assign- . ments with all the talented enthu¬ siasm of an opening night, jack & Marilyn Nagle have set up taste- filled and colorful patternings that click. Piroska adds some French dressing with his leaps and splits, and an unbilled near-nude Pari- sienne is an eye-filling and amus¬ ingly accented “mistress of cere¬ monies.” Darryl Stewart makes his mark in the singing spot; he’s a personable, well versed, handsome young Australian import who is a bet to reach the upper echelon of song salesman. Jacques Donnet and his orch’ are plusses for the overall revue. * Lary. Fontainebleau, M. B’ch Miami Beach, March 6. Frank Sinatra (with. Red Norvo 5 ), Betty Kean & Lew Parker, Mur¬ ray Schlamm, Sacasas Orch; $7.50- $10 minimum. The high-gross mark that Frank Sinatra left last season in the old La Ronde will be easily, topped this outing. Based on the Sinatra pull, owner Ben Novack enlarged the plushery frqm 450 to 750-plus ca¬ pacity. With it he booked only the top names to insure fill-ups. That some did not come up. to draw ex¬ pectations facet is another story. With Sinatra riding in on 5,000 res¬ ervations in advance, Novack has himself a profit-in-the-bank two- weeker. Sinatra has a revised act this trip. He’s discarded the theatrics of former entrances down middle aisle, hat shoved back, coat “care¬ lessly” slung over one shoulder. He’s also abandoned the use—until last sequence—of an expanded orch (20 last year) and brought in with him, instead, the Red Norvo quin¬ tet to set the soft backgroundings his new approach calls for. It’s a concept that wins the auditors, holds their attention throughout and still builds devout attention despite departures from the Sinatra norm. In this big room, only Sinatra could command such reaction—a tribute also to his magnetic quality and fine vocal-shape that embraces canny selection of effortlessly pro¬ jected blues, torchants, record hits and driving-beat cleffings to change the mood. Norvo’s vibe-keyed back¬ grounds are artful moodsetters. To¬ ward end, Sinatra hits the let-your- hair-approach that is his trade¬ mark. The lyric twists and added phrases of his “gasser” inserts zing up the session into continuing we-- want-more plaudits that keep him on for over 60 minutes, with de¬ mands for still more long after he’s departed. Betty Kean & Lew Parker open the proceedings and quickly. win their first yocks with her entrance that winds into the cigarsmoking briefie. They sail from then on in, sparking sustained howls with an? act that is now a tight, musicomedy type concept. Standouts are their zany interps of “My Fair Lady,” a biting lampoon on an Ed Murrow "Person To Person” segment and finally, their updated, highly topi¬ cal dialog in trademarked “The Bickersons” reprise. They rate the big receptioil, not only for the solid stint but for grabbing and holding the attention of a packed house waiting for the topliner. Norvo, as noted, earns kudos for his fine Sinatra backing. Arriving March 17 will be Donald O’Connor & Co. Lary. Le Cupidon, N. Y. T. C. Jones. Jean Gibbons, Catun & Johnny Conquer Orchs; $3.50 minimum. In a bid for the chi chi trade Le Cupidon has brought in T. C. Jones, the bald, bewigged femme impersonator who has become a staple in the ‘eastsideries. To the uninitiated, and there must still be a few, Jones initially gives the im¬ pression of being an overstuffed beldame with a good sense of humor and a high degree of sophis¬ tication. The illusion gains momen¬ tum until Jones takes off the rug. Jones, per usual, comes in with a fairly sizable following and- a batch of new material. However, the quest for the newies has not been too successful. It’s only when he gets into his standbys, Bette Davis and Tallulah, that he reaches his peak. Otherwise, there are times when he appears to have been vic¬ timized by the scriveners, the mate¬ rial being so abstruse as to escape the majority of the patronage. However, the standards bring back the T. C. Jones that the eastsiders know and love, and they applaud violently, especially when he doffs the transformation. The other turn this session (s Jean Gibbons (New Acts) and the musical backing is by Johnny Con¬ quer Orch, while Catun provides the lull and terp music. Jose, hungry i „ San Francisco, March 3. Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Frank D'Rone, Frank Buxton, Bay- ya. $2.50 admission. The vocal jazz trio of Dave Lam¬ bert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross did a silent opening here with no advance ballyhoo at all, yet packed the house word of mouth and has repeated since with a strong,. consistent draw. The trio is a sensational act for a jazz-oriented audience and a solid one even for the square. They sing lyrics to big band jazz instru¬ mentals such as “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” “Little Pony” and others made famous in the jazz world by Count Basie. Each of the tunes has words for the instru¬ mental solos and for the. section riffs. In effect, they are little oper¬ ettas of jazz with chorus-and-re- sponse all written in the vernacu¬ lar and organized in intricate fash¬ ion. . The calibre of lyric writing makes Hendricks, who does all the material, one of the top lyricists around with a fertile mind for rhyme and a great ear. The numbers are delivered in exciting, swinging fashion by the girl and two boys. Annie Ross, a looker with a warm manner on a ballad and a exciting voice, -sells strongly on “Fiesta in Blue.” Lam¬ bert and Hendricks couple strong voices with a flair for comedy in intros and segues. Group acts out some of the lyrics with charm and good projection, is smartly cos¬ tumed and is slick. All and all, it’s a topnotch act to headline this show. Frank D’Rone, a smooth selling singer who is rapidly building into a strong local favorite; comic Frank Buxton and Israeli folk- singer Bay-ya round out the bill. Buxton, who filled in on short no¬ tice for Mort Sahl, is a nice look¬ ing, youthful college type who does anecdotes and impressions in the Sahl tet al.) fashion and is particu¬ larly good on sound effects. Bay-ya, a blonde looker, sings Israeli folk¬ songs but this act needs tightening/ It’s overlong. Rafe. Statler-Hilton, Dallas Dallas. March 6. Gretchen Wyler (with Shepard Coleman), Johnny Long Orch (11); $2-$2.50 cover. A favorite here since her show¬ ing in “Silk Stockings” at the 1956 State Fair Musicals, talented Gretchen Wyler'returns to frost the cake. At opening (5) she rev¬ ved- up the well-filled Empire Room with “It’s Good to Be Alive” and kept the pace through the 35- minute show. Sexily clad in black tights, well- stacked blonde animates the £es-. sion with terp bits, high kicks and stage strolls during vocals which capably encompass lyrics from “Pajama Game” and “Damn Yan¬ kees.” Highlights are her stints with “Mack the Black,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and an audi¬ ence participation bellringer— Miss Wyler’s slick takeoff on Ray Bolger, via song and dance, of “Once in Love With Amy.” She gets in the plug, natch, for her Jubilee album (out this week), with cozy lyrics of “An Occasional Man” and “You Got To See Mama Every Night” to raise the mitting. Fracture bit (“this is pretty cool and I hope you dig it”) is the lis¬ some gal’s vocal version of “Frankie and Johnnie” via hipped- up lyrics. Begoff bit is “Without You.” Miss Wyler could have done more, but was exhausted after an exciting show during which she didn’t favor a taped right foot. Shepard Coleman, who conducts the show, gets superb support from the Johnny Long crew for the in- .tricate score. Long and his boys intro the show with a “Salute to Victor Herbert.” Miss Wyler winds March 18. Varel & Bailly, with Les Clian- teurs de Paris, open March 19 for two weeks. Bark. Marie Antoinette Hotel FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA. Ft. Lauderdale, March 8. Kay Martin and her Bodyguards (3J; no cover or minimum. New pollicy has upgraded acts for the Cote D’or Room of Jo Cunningham’s Marie Antoinette Hotel this season. Kay Martin and her boys, here after a 16-week stint at the Sahara in Las Vegas, are in their second month here. The endowed redhead puts over her songs with considerable style and the body which her sidemen “guard” offers no apologies to either Jayne Mansfield or Jane Russell. Clad in black toreador pants and bra, the combination of talent and glamor is filling this posh nitery. When the group moves into the intimate atmos¬ phere of the Parisian Left Bank bar for the late show it is difficult to get a toe-hold on the brass rail. The singer’s sidemen are Jess Hotchkiss (her husband) on bass and the author of much of her spe¬ cial material; Tony Bellspn who contributes a rousing drum solo, and Bill Elliott, accordionist. - Act is toned down for diners, offering a group of standards, re¬ quests and a few dance sets. Later Miss Martin unfolds her special material, which is full of double- entendre, but never offensive. The group recently recorded eight sides for Decca plus a new album, titled “The . Sophisticated Savage,” featuring just Mjlss Mar¬ tin and drums. Culm. Hotel Plaza, N. Y. Diohann Carroll (Peter Maiz conducting), Ted Straeter Orch, Mark Monte's Continentals; $3-$4 cover. Diahann Carroll seems to have progressed and matured since her promising beginnings at the now defunct La Vie. The Negro singer in her bow at the posh Persian Room has attained stature and strength in the vocal department and a deeper-understanding and respect for lyrics. Miss Carroll, artistically, is a grown-up girl, and a welcome fresh face on the hotel circuit. There is a resemblance to Lena Horne in much of her material and delivery. However, Miss Carroll has a will and personality of her own, and further development of her own style and devices will aid her more than copying models. Miss Carroll obviously has some excellent minds behind her for this date. Her work in the film version of “Porgy & Bess” has given her a more dramatic insight into this Gershwin opus, which she uses for her finale. She’s also been waxed in this effort on the United Artists, label, of which her husband, Monte Kay, is an executive. More than that, Phil Moore has been able to get added plusses with his master¬ minding of the turn, so that she’s a more articulate and more de¬ veloped artist at this point. Miss Carroll was slated to open earlier, but went along on the junket to Cairo for the opening of the Nile Hilton Hotel. Her prede¬ cessor Lilo staved on for 10 addi¬ tional days. The Persian Room’s plans are set for the rest of the season. Marie McDonald, Jane Morgan and a reprise of Lisa Kirk follow before the summer closing. The singer is tastefully garbed in a flowing saffron colored empire gown, and delves into meticulous arrangements of standards plus “I Enjoy Being a Girl,” which also has the potential of an evergreen, and a Spanish and French tune as well. At a late stage in her turn she changes into a short clinging dress and goes in for the “Porgy” medley, which makes for a high- point She gives this group, strength and feeling and a lot of understanding. The applause was ample for several bows and a speech. Her bacldng is by Peter Matz who augments the usual, group of Ted Straeter 80?ers, with addi¬ tional musicians. The mus ; c is top- notch and Mark'Monte’s Continen¬ tals provide a r> incentive for terps and that additional drink after¬ wards. Jose. Beverly Hills, Cincy Cincinnati, March 3. The Modernaires (5), Sammy Shore, George Tapps Dancers (5), Gardner Benedict Orch (10), Jim¬ my Wilber Trio, Larry Vincent; $3 minimum, $4 Sat., $1.50 cover Sat. and holiday eves. Current two-framer, with two new exposures for Greater Cincy cafe society, adds to the run of click floorshows at Beverly’s swank theatre restaurant. Bowing are the Modernaires. starting a tour of class spots, and Sammy Shore, ver¬ satile comic. Bracketing is done by George Tapps & Dancers, already staple in the first half of a two- month engagement. Fronted by Paula Kelly, sweet in a blue gown, the Modernaires are grooming in this sfession for the switch to rooms from long as¬ sociation with Bob Crosby’s tv stint. Male supporters in vocals and on instruments are Hal Dickinson, Vernon Polk, Jack Travis and Johnny Drake. Ensemble group¬ ing or mike placements marred re¬ ception at opening Friday (27). Magic props and spinning of Ja¬ panese plates give a novelty belt to opening “Customer Is Always Right” song. Standouts in a 28- minute cycle are a barbershop and Glenn Miller medleys, the cute “Go to Sleep” duo special and “Juke Box Saturday Night.” Shore, opening loudly in a fla¬ menco takeoff, warms up with topical and risque gags and hits paydirt with yocks of his western character impressions. Scores also with a dance school telephone comeon for pupils and trumpet goofing and hot licks. Can leave ’em hungier by shaving a 35-min¬ ute routine. Tapps and two young couples rack up tremendous mitting with top¬ flight diversified numbers in- jive time, modern jazz interps and uni¬ son taps. Gardner Benedict’s combo back¬ stops proceedings and plays for in¬ termission dancing with Jimmy Wilber’s threesome. Larry Vin¬ cent sings at the 88 in the lounge. Jack E. Leonard tops the session starting March 13. Roll.