Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 | 5:02 p.m.
Bob Anderson’s inspired production “Frank: The Man, The Music” will not quite make Old Blue Eyes’ 100th birthday celebration.
The show is closing Nov. 28, a couple of weeks shy of Sinatra’s birthday of Dec. 12.
Anderson himself confirmed the show’s closing today in text (Anderson was en route to his show tonight and unavailable to talk about the show closing).
The production, in which Anderson is made over by stage-show artist Ron Wild (who took over that task from Oscar-nominated film artist Kazu Tsuji), opened in December and in June signed an extension through the end of the year. Anderson had not anticipated performing at Palazzo Theater past Dec. 31, but he had looked forward to lasting through Sinatra’s birthday.
“Frank: The Man, The Music” served as an inspiration for musicians throughout Las Vegas, with its 32-piece orchestra — all members onstage — performing under the direction of onetime Sinatra music director Vince Falcone. But the show played under a difficult financial model, as it needed about 600 paid ticketholders per show to break even.
Highly regarded in the Las Vegas entertainment scene for decades (especially during his decade-long run at the Top of the Dunes from 1975-’85), Anderson had complained about ineffective marketing of the production and talked of launching a widespread campaign to help reinvigorate the show.
He also has invited potential investors to the show in the hopes of moving it to Broadway or sending it on a national tour of performing arts centers.
Those who have visited the show and given it high praise include Tony Bennett, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin’s daughter, Deana Martin.
With top accommodations, first-rate entertainment, high-end shopping and a slew of acclaimed chefs, the Palazzo has positioned itself as one of the most luxurious resorts on the Strip.
More than 3,000 all-suite rooms start at 740 square feet and are decorated in a modern, yet classic, Italian style. Each room features a sleeping area, with a king or two queens, and a sunken living room area with floor to ceiling windows.
A cathedral ceiling tops the Palazzo casino, while a second 80-foot dome brings natural light to the property's lobby. The 105,000 square foot casino features more than 2,000 slots and 80 table games but lacks the stale smell of cigarettes, as the property is LEED certified with smoking off limits in most of the Palazzo — including 50 percent of the casino floor.
Dining at the Palazzo is among the best of the Strip, starting with Wolfgang Puck's CUT. Chef Simon To serves up authentic Chinese cuisine at Zine, while Sushisamba combines Brazilian and Peruvian flavors with Japanese techniques. At LAVO, club-goers can dine on Mediterranean dishes before heading upstairs to the bath house-inspired nightclub.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.
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