Friday, April 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
CONGRATULATIONS, all concerned at the Tropicana, on the new policy of stars on Friday and Saturday and "Les Folies Bergere" on Sunday through Thursday. ... Las Vegas is a seven-days-a-week operation, and valuable showroom space should be in action seven days a week, even if, in most cases today, it is one show a night. ... Use that space every day.
Manhattan Transfer, a super singing group, and comedian-impressionist Pam Matteson are there tonight and Sunday. ... Next weekend, it will be David Brenner and Robert Klein. ... Billy Ray Cyrus is the Friday-Saturday attraction this weekend in the Riviera Grand Ballroom. ... Happy 41st anniversary to the Riviera and those who contributed.
Creedence Clearwater Revisited is revisiting the Las Vegas Hilton this evening. ... Saturday, it's Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band in the MGM Garden and Kenny Chesney at Whiskey Pete's.
More star-policy
It's George Carlin-Dennis Blair (Bally's); David Copperfield (Caesars); Debbie Reynolds (her hotel); Gordon Lightfoot through Sunday (Sheraton D.I.); Lance Burton also closing Sunday (Hacienda); Wayne Newton (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Billy Ray Cyrus (Riviera); Marshall Sylver (Sahara); Jeff Dunham (Sands); and Manhattan Transfer (Tropicana).
Comedy headliners: Judy Gold (Harrah's Improv); Nick Lewin's Comedy Magic, afternoons, and Mike Lazinski, evenings (Maxim); Carole Montgomery (MGM Grand's "Catch"); Etta May, a hoot, evenings, and "Bottoms Up," a howl, afternoons (Riviera); and Mike Saccone (Tropicana Comedy Stop) -- each has a fine lineup this week.
The Sorta Dixie Jazz Band (Gold Coast) starts at noon on weekdays. ... Some regulars check in at that time and never leave, except when nature insists, until the band wraps up at 6 p.m.
More good jazz
Saturdays, it's Marv Koral's All-Stars, 9 p.m.-midnight (Paddy's Pub); they're at The Melrose, Sundays, starting at 4 p.m. ... Friday nights, try Pogo's Lounge. ... More on Sunday: The Jazz Organ-ization starts at noon (Santa Fe) and Dan Skea, et al (Spago) at 2 p.m. ... Mondays are heavy with Si Zentner's Big Band (Boulder Station), Alan Grant (Four Queens), Don Menza (Riviera) and Joe Darro-Carl Fontana (Showboat).
Multiple choices: Debbie Reynolds has Jimmy Caesar starring in "That's Entertainment! Live" at 1:45 and 3:45 p.m., her show at 7:30 and Kenny Kerr's long-running "Boy-lesque" at 10:30, plus "Jazz & Jokes" after 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Celebrity Cafe.
The Riviera offers "Splash II," "Crazy Girls," "An Evening at La Cage," the Comedy Club and "Bottoms Up." ... This is the way Las Vegas should be everywhere in town, offering continuous entertainment action.
Anent Variety
Variety Clubs International, in convention at The Mirage this week, has an added starter with the Inaugural North American Bash. ... Eighty members left the Fashion Show back parking lot at 10 a.m. in vintage cars for an 1,800-mile drive, Las Vegas to Vancouver, British Columbia. ... The entrance fee is $5,000 per car and it all goes to Variety.
This is an ever-growing event in Australia, being introduced here to become an annual fund-raiser for the children's charity. ... Pauline McFetridge, an Australian-based Variety Club organizer, has been the Bash catalyst and a godsend to the local Variety Club's convention co-chairs, Dave Smith and Dr. Mary Carroll. ... Pauline gets it done right.
Wednesday night, the 500-plus delegates enjoyed "Enter the Night" at the Stardust. ... Las Vegas should be proud that Variety Clubs International enjoyed its most successful convention anywhere in many years.
Friday addenda
Buddy Greco, a hit for Variety Thursday night, opens at Boulder Station with wife Lezlie Anders on Tuesday, shows at 8 and 10 p.m. at Boulder Station. ... UNLV's Ham Hall will be nicely busy next week with the Bolshoi Ballet, Tuesday, Victor Borge on Thursday, and Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic on the 27th. ... Please give what you can afford to the summer SUN Camp Fund. ... See you next Thursday.
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