Friday, June 04, 2004 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Greek Isles gives shelter to survivors

Rat Pack tribute, 'The World's Greatest Magic Show' given new life in little showroom after demise at Sahara

From left, Sandy Hackett as Joey Bishop, Henry Prego as Frank Sinatra, Pete Willcox as Dean Martin and Luis Velez as Sammy Davis Jr. perform in a tribute show at the Greek Isles. Photo by Ralph Fountain.

The little showroom at the Greek Isles is a true survivor, and so appear to be the two shows currently sharing it.

Maybe it's the fightin' spirit of Debbie Reynolds, who outfitted the smart little 400-seat showroom with top-notch light, sound and video equipment when she owned the small hotel and performed there.

Reynolds' star power wasn't enough to drive a small property that only gets foot traffic from tired conventioneers slogging their way to and from the Strip.

But the little showroom survived a brief ownership by the then-World Wrestling Federation, during which time most of the technical gear found its way out the door.

Two years ago, it was saved by a show that's another survivor of sorts: Alumni of a Sahara production called "The Rat Pack is Back" retreated, regrouped and reopened as "The Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey & Dean."

And last week, it was joined by another Sahara refugee, "The World's Greatest Magic Show." Both are produced by Dick Feeney, and early signs indicate the magic show could thrive as much as the Rat Pack tribute, which celebrated its second anniversary this week.

Las Vegas rightfully deserves a standing Rat Pack tribute, but it's a tough proposition. The stars can't hide behind Elvis-style sideburns and sequins. And they not only have to sing, but be able to sell the banter. You also need a decent-sized band; eight horns in this one, plus a three-piece rhythm section.

It helps that Luis Velez looks a lot like Sammy Davis Jr. and that Pete Willcox sings a lot like Dean Martin (this despite the fact that he spent most of his career as an Elvis impersonator). But seeing the show again, and how it really has clicked over time, brought out the true key to its success.

It's not how much these guys -- plus Staci Bostik as a surprise Marilyn Monroe -- look or sound like the legends. No one really can. The trick is to create a fun atmosphere and pull an audience into it, making them gradually forget about rote imitations.

This is where the show has really found itself in the past two years. Credit goes in large part to Sandy Hackett's finding a cohesive role for his Joey Bishop. His costumes and comedy provide authentic early-'60s comedy -- dig the crazy geisha getup! -- and transitions that preserve the raucous spirit while subtly toning down the racist humor of the era.

(While this show -- like most of these tributes around the country -- dances lightly around licensing issues with the real singers' estates, Hackett has a letter of authorization from Joey Bishop to portray him. Guess "The Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey BISHOP & Dean" just didn't have the right parallelism.)

Of course, it's hard to get it all in perfect balance. Henry Prego's Frank Sinatra gets a bit lost, failing to project the right kind of swagger to be the cat in control of the asylum.

And while Rat Pack devotees will appreciate all the authentic one-liners that find their way into the show, it seems a misstep to break up the fun of the booze-cart home stretch with "My Way," a song that more than any other suggested the party was over.

But for the most part, it comes to life again each night. The showroom's old-school, nightclub atmosphere also works in the favor of "The World's Greatest Magic Show," which loses nothing by giving up a couple of large sets and props.

It gains way more by trading the chilly atmosphere of the Sahara's 830-seat theater for a room where patrons can appreciate close-up sleight-of-hand without giving up the larger stage illusions. Finally, there seems to be a viable place for magicians, such as the Kabuki-like mask act of Jeff McBride, left homeless by the closing of Caesars Magical Empire.

The variety format is well-balanced. The Majestix -- Michael Giles and Stacy Jones -- supply the cabinet illusions and requisite sleepy tiger of a Las Vegas stage show. Joseph Gabriel is the suave traditionalist who produces lots and lots of birds, faster than you can blink. And host Paul Kozak keeps the momentum between acts going by recruiting audience volunteers.

But the really fresh stuff comes from Kevin James and the truly mental Bruce Block. Both merge traditional magic with a "Saturday Night Live" sensibility. James chain sawing his assistant in half, or Block's variation on the shell game, "Pull the Rabbi Out of the Hat." And Block's bit with a live "talking" rabbit steals the whole show.

The variety format is a practical one that allows different acts to rotate in and out of the show. Still, it would be nice to see a couple of the magicians interact instead of just appearing together for the curtain call. If they need some advice in matters of fraternal ring-a-ding-ding, the guys from the early show might be happy to help.