Delisco, the winner of the reality show "The Entertainer," has original songs to offer as well as a likable stage persona. Photo by Jane Kalinowsky.

As executive producer of "The Entertainer," Wayne Newton got a lot of things wrong -- after all, no one much cared about the show -- and a couple of things right:

1. As Newton often stated on the E! cable network reality series, the contest went to show that in today's compartmentalized entertainment world, it's not easy to introduce a multi-talented entertainer who doesn't have a hit song or a gimmick.

2. In spite of all that, the right guy won.

You can see for yourself at Shimmer, the Las Vegas Hilton's enclosed lounge, where Delisco (who goes by one name) has an open-ended gig to honor the casino's commitment to put up the TV show's grand prize.

You can question whether this gig -- supposedly worth a million bucks, before marketing costs -- is really a shortcut to fame. But you can't doubt the guy's million-dollar smile, part of a stage presence that puts you in his corner within minutes.

Jammed onto the small stage with an 11-piece band, Delisco walks the line between the "show band" fare you once saw in the lounges for free (but now pay $35.90 for) and the kind of headliner tightrope act offered by the likes of Clint Holmes.

That he can make four original songs as interesting as Stevie Wonder covers speaks well for the upcoming album he's still trying to finish. The one Delisco did on the TV series, "I'm Not Worthy," here gets a rock-'n'-soul, Tower of Power-style arrangement to take advantage of the three-piece horn section.

His own title "Let It Be (Love)" gets blended into a strong medley that begins and ends with the more familiar Beatles tune. His smooth singing isn't so much distinctive as versatile, best suited for gospel-type drama but able to fit almost any style.

Delisco also displays the theatrical skills and graceful dance moves he cultivated in Broadway musicals such as "Smokey Joe's Cafe." At one point he transforms from his fourth-grade self while singing "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..."

Sometimes he tries too hard. Restaging Sammy Davis Jr.'s "Mr. Bojangles" showcase, complete with derby hat, reeks of showboating. Delisco unintentionally demonstrates how much Davis' version depended on the context of his age and legacy. And trying to work the crowd into the Louis Jordan standard "Caledonia" comes so early in the show it seems forced -- or at least it did with this crowd. But the guy's in a unique situation here, one where he basically has to throw subtlety out the window and swing at every pitch. At least until that album gets picked up by a big record label.

The show opens with a pleasant 10 minutes from comedian Dave Russo, another contestant on "The Entertainer." At this point, Russo's personality is stronger than his material, but that personality is so likable that he switched to his "I'm flopping" jokes too early. The audience was still on his side, just waiting for a few more punch lines.