Friday, Sept. 9, 2005 | 8:16 a.m.
Director Ben Lokey arrived in Las Vegas on Aug. 14 to work on "The Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean" at the Greek Isles.
He had left his home near the beach in Biloxi, Miss., for an assignment in the desert that might have spared him from experiencing yet another natural disaster -- Hurricane Katrina.
Lokey has survived a lot.
There were the three tornadoes he lived through growing up in Amarillo, Texas.
And then in 1994 he was living in Santa Monica, Calif., when the devastating Northridge Earthquake struck 20 miles northwest of Los Angeles, destroying 25,000 homes and causing $44 billion in damage.
"I was in an apartment when it hit at about four in the morning," recalled Lokey, who is staying at the Greek Isles. "The bed was going across the floor, banging against one wall and then another."
He ran to the door and saw that all the lights in the city were out and there were chilling screams coming out of the darkness.
Lokey missed the latest disaster by two weeks.
He came to Vegas and immediately began working on the production by Sandy Hackett and Dick Feeney -- getting a feel for the tribute to the Rat Pack, sensing what changes needed to be made.
And then disaster struck, tearing Lokey between his responsibilities with the show and fears for the safety of his family and friends.
Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, destroying countless homes and buildings and devastating Biloxi, New Orleans and other towns, cities and suburbs in its path.
Still in Biloxi was Lokey's mother, Mayeola, who had lived in the city on the Gulf for more than 35 years.
"I've lived in Los Angeles most of my life," Lokey said. "But about 10 years ago I moved to Biloxi because my mother had some medical problems and I needed to be closer to her. But I'm in and out of town a lot doing work."
His work is performing and directing, often shows at casinos around the world as well as in regional theaters.
He has done several shows for Feeney, among them "Viva Las Vegas" at the Stratosphere.
This year he directed and choreographed a show at the Monte Carlo on the French Riviera. And then he worked on a show in Branson, Mo.
He recently choreographed "Voodoo Gods" for the Grand Casino in Gulfport, Miss., 12 miles west of Biloxi.
"There's a whole string of casinos between Gulfport and Biloxi," Lokey said. "I've heard it's the third-largest gaming area in the nation."
Grand Casino, owned by Harrah's Entertainment, was among many severely damaged or destroyed by the hurricane.
"Just prior to the hurricane hitting," he said, "my sister, who lives in Slidell (30 miles northeast of New Orleans), drove over to Biloxi and picked up my mom and they went up north."
"They made it through the hurricane alright and then they drove back to Slidell. Her house is OK, but she has a business that had four feet of water."
Lokey said his mother and sister then drove north to Birmingham, Ala., for safety.
"It's normally a six-hour drive," he said. "It took them two days because of the downed trees and power lines. She said you could see tornado paths that were cut through the woods along the highway."
He said it took him three days to get through to his family. Three sleepless days.
While his family is safe, Lokey has only been able to receive sketchy reports about his property.
"Neighbors said water went up to the top of my front door," he said.
If that's the case, he says he probably lost a lot of things that were important to him, including memorabilia from more than 30 years in entertainment.
"But my concern right now is the safety of the renters." Lockey said.
He said because of sporadic telephone service, he hasn't been able to communicate with anyone in Biloxi. His information comes secondhand from friends in other states who have heard news from other friends and family members.
He believes that in some ways Biloxi may be worse off than New Orleans, at least when considering the storm damage.
"Biloxi was hit by the worst winds and the tidal surge," Lokey said. "It turned everything into matchsticks."
He said most damage to New Orleans, 90 miles west of Biloxi, was due to the breakdown of the levees.
As for his home and rental property, he fears the worst.
"The problem is the humidity is so high," Lokey said. "Things rot so quickly."
Wiring will have to be replaced. Drywall soaks up water like a sponge and it will have to be replaced.
"The house will have to be gutted," he said.
If he chooses to rebuild.
"As soon as authorities say it's OK, then I'll break away for a week or two and go home," Lokey said.
Meanwhile, he says his work with the show at the Greek Isles is a blessing, keeping his mind occupied.
"Work can be your salvation," Lokey said. "Your first instinct is to rush back, but they are cautioning everyone not to -- there's no gas, no electricity. You can't even get into the airport."
And so he focuses on his immediate task: "The Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean."
The popular show has been expanded to San Francisco, where Hackett will be performing until the end of the year. Lokey says others may be produced and Feeney and Hackett want to upgrade the production values, which is why he was brought in.
But eventually he will have to go to Biloxi to assess the damage.
When he sees what he is facing, he will decide what to do.
"It will be an opportune time to look at the options," he said.
One option is to leave Biloxi behind.
He recalled that his parents lived through the monster Hurrican Camille, which struck the Gulf Coast in August 1969. Winds reached more than 190 miles an hour.
Lockey was attending college at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City at the time.
"That was utter devastation," he said. "Now, this was even more catastrophic."
Earl Turner returns
One of entertainer Earl Turner's most passionate dreams was to get out of the lounges and into a showroom of his own.
He arrived in Las Vegas in 1999 and began making the lounge rounds.
Turner performed at Harrah's Rio in Las Vegas for three years, the last in a lounge that was converted into a showroom for the popular performer.
Then he went to a showroom at Harrah's in Laughlin for a few months -- until Harrah's built a $5 million venue for him at its casino in New Orleans, where he debuted in May 2004.
The Earl Turner Theatre was a dream come true. He quickly became a popular performer with fans from all backgrounds -- rich and poor, black and white, Asian, Hispanic.
"The showroom was a melting pot," Turner said.
The world could not have looked brighter until the clouds of Hurricane Katrina appeared on the horizon and Turner, his wife, Christine, and their two teenaged children joined the exodus of residents fleeing the rage of the storm.
"I was scheduled to perform Saturday night but the show was canceled and we were told to evacuate," Turner said.
They fled to Natchitoches, La., 275 miles northwest of New Orleans.
"It was far enough so that we were out of danger," Turner said. "But even up to the last minute, we didn't think it would be as devastating as it was. We expected some damage, but we thought we would be able to return soon."
They remained in Natchitoches for about five days, intending to return to New Orleans when the weather permitted.
"Katrina hit on my birthday, Aug. 29," Turner said. "I received a hurricane as a present."
Relatively speaking, initially there was not a lot of damage to the city by the hurricane.
"We actually went out and celebrated the fact that there was not a lot of damage that night," he said.
But it wasn't the high winds that caused the major problems for Turner's newly adopted city -- it was the levees broken by the hurricane, which allowed the water from the Gulf to drown New Orleans.
"If the levee system had not failed, New Orleans would still be there," he said.
When he learned the crisis was not going to end anytime soon, he decided to bring the family back to Las Vegas.
"We're enrolling our kids in school here," Turner said. "At this point in time, it's too early to tell what exactly is going to happen."
Although communication in the city are next to impossible, he says he has learned that his house on the west bank of New Orleans suffered only minor damage.
And his showroom is safe -- the casino only suffered minor damage and it is being used as a command post.
"I'm concerned about our property -- we haven't been home since we left," Turner said.
But it could be months before life is back to normal. They don't know when the school system will be functioning again, or the utilities.
"I have no fear of returning," Turner said. "I wouldn't think twice. "But right now we're just trying to coordinate our business. We're doing what everyone else is doing -- talking to the insurance companies, trying to coordinate things while we put our lives back together."
In the year that the Turners have lived in New Orleans, they have become deeply involved in the community.
They are on the board of Young Audiences of America, a nationwide program that brings the arts to schools.
"I was the spokesperson for that," he said.
They were involved in a blood center which provides blood for much of the Gulf Coast.
"I was about to do a benefit to help build a school for autism," Turner said. "It was going to be a state of the art facility for a disability very little is known about."
Turner was involved in the Louisiana Arts Council.
"We were about to open a brand new facility," he said.
Turner is as passionate about his city as he was about getting his own showroom.
"It's no one of most gracious, kind cities I have ever been in," he said. "People welcome you with open arms -- the generosity of the city is amazing.
"It has a Southern charm unlike anyplace I've ever been. For the past year my wife and I have been engrossed in everything that goes on there, and it's very difficult to watch what has happened to people who are friends of ours."
Turner says the tragedy is difficult to comprehend.
"We're still trying to contact people via e-mail to find out what's going on," he said.
But he is optimistic.
"The spirit of the people in New Orleans is without question -- it's one of the most spirited and alive cities in the world," Turner said. "The city will be rebuilt. It will come back, and we will be part of the rebuilding."
King for a day
Legendary entertainer Sonny King is ailing, weakened by radiation treatments for cancer. The treatments ended more than two weeks ago.
But King isn't so weak that he can't attend a luncheon being given in his honor at noon on Sept. 19 at the Greek Isles by Cast Inc., an charitable organization made up of many local performers.
"He says he will be there," said his wife Peggy.
She said he was treated for cancer found on the back of his tongue -- it wasn't in his throat (where it showed up nine years ago) and so the radiation hasn't affect his ability to sing.
"He's just hoarse from the treatment," she said.
King has lost a lot of weight (he's down to 139 pounds) but that was because he hasn't been able to eat solid food.
"Physically, he's extremely healthy," Peggy said. "His blood pressure and his heart are very strong.
"He's been drinking six Ensures a day -- but now he's getting back on solid food."
She said doctors discovered the cancer in time and he is expected to make a complete recovery.
Eventually he will be back performing at the Bootlegger, where he has starred in and hosted "Off the Cuff" Fridays and Saturdays for the past four years.
While he has been recovering Freddie Bell and a host of other friends of the 80-something King have been filling in for him.
Among those who are expected to pay tribute to King at the luncheon are Bell, Frankie Randall, Buddy Greco, Artie Schroeck, Steve Lippia, Carme Petrillo, Tony Sacca, Dennis Bono, Grant Griffin and others.
The price of the luncheon is $25.
Doors open at 11:30 a.m.
For reservations call 737-5540.
Sacca celebrates
Tony Sacca's "Entertainment Las Vegas Style" will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a special show at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Greek Isles.
Among those who will be part of the celebration are David Brenner, Rita Rudner, Bill Medley, Frank Marino, Bill Acosta and many others.
The syndicated show will be taped and air at various locations around the nation on Sept. 24 and 25.
The show will also feature video clips of entertainers who have been a part of Las Vegas but who are no longer living, including Redd Foxx, Milton Berle and Anthony Quinn.
The producers will also feature entertainers such as Jerry Tiffe, who was the first singer to appear on the show and who is still a Las Vegas favorite.
In commemoration of the 20 years, Sacca has composed a new Las Vegas song called "Las Vegas Rocks," which will be introduced during the taping.
The song will be orchestrated and conducted by Grammy Award winner and Emmy nominee arranger/composer Gary Anderson.
The show is open to the public -- complementary. Seating is limited and reservations are required.
For more information call 889-3587.
Hurricane benefit
A benefit performance by several tribute artists to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Celebrity Nightclub & Showroom.
The new venue is at the corner of Third Street and Ogden Avenue, next to Lady Luck.
The $20 donation for admission will go to the American Red Cross.
John Stuart Productions is producing the show, which will feature some of the top celebrity impersonators in the city.
David Russo, comedy star of Wayne Newton's reality TV series "The Entertainer," will host the show.
Among the tribute artists who will perform are Sharon Owens (Barbra Streisand), Sebastian Anzaldo (Frank Sinatra), Rob Garrett (Neil Diamond), Danita Asbury (Aretha Franklin), Lisa Cash (Shania Twain) and Johnny Thompson (Elvis Presley), The Blues Brothers, Janet Valentine (Marilyn Monroe) and Sandy Anderson (Dolly Parton).
In addition to tribute artists, entertainment will include the close-up magic of Star Alexander, magician Kevin Barns and jazz vocalist Ronnie Fabre.
Fundraising shows
The cast of "Tony N' Tina's Wedding" at the Rio will have two fundraising performances for Harrah's employees on the Gulf Coast who were victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The shows will be at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday and will include dinner.
The show will include dinner.
Both shows will feature guest performances by Lt. Governor Lorraine Hunt and local entertainer Dennis Bono.
Any guest who donates $100 or more to the Harrah's Employee Recovery Fund or the Red Cross will get a free ticket to one of these performances.
For all other full price tickets sold to these two performances only ($78.95, $125 plus tax for VIP seating), producers of "Tony N' Tina's Wedding" will give a 30 percent to the Harrah's Employee Recovery Fund.
Harrah's has 8,000 employees in Biloxi, Miss., Gulfport and New Orleans.
The Recovery Fund, seeded last week with an initial donation of $1 million from the Harrah's Foundation, will provide relief and recovery assistance to employees affected by the storm.
In addition, a Harrah's Employee Information Center has been created at the Harrah's Entertainment Corporate Center in Memphis, Tenn.
The center will lead the effort to assist employees who have been evacuated and displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The Harrah's Employee Relief hotline number is (877) 422-7466.
For more information or to purchase tickets by phone, call 777-7776.
Vegas views
Jimmy Hopper, who spent 3 1/2 years performing at the Bellagio's Fontana Lounge, returns this month for a limited engagement.
Shows will be at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18-19; 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Sept. 20-21; 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sept 22, 25 and 26; and 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Sept. 27-29.
Hopper went on the road in the spring of 2004, with engagements at Harrah's properties around the country.
Everybody's sex therapist Adele Zorn (a local columnist often compared to Dr. Ruth) will perform in an upcoming production of the Empress Theater Company.
The comedy "Take Off Your Clothes, I'll Make You a Star" will be at the Highland Playhouse, 2754 S. Highland Drive, at 8 p.m. Thursday through Sept. 17 and Sept. 22-24, and at 2 p.m. on Sept. 18 and Sept. 25.
The play was written and directed by Joseph Bernard and produced by Arnie Bartz in conjunction with the Empress Theater Company.
Admission is $15 for the general public; $11 for seniors and military; and $8 for individuals in groups of 10 or more.
For information call 334-3653.
Kelly Clinton (as Nancy Sinatra) will present her "Shades of Sinatra" at the Bootlegger at 8 p.m. Sunday.
Call 739-4939 for reservations.
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