After the wedding, a 1980s prom

Actors pretending to be at a loud Italian wedding don't have to remember that George Bush - the first one - was president in 1989. Or that "The Cosby Show" was still on the air. Or that if you're talking about the new Batman movie, it's the one with Michael Keaton.

But a history lesson is a big part of prepping actors for "The Awesome 80s Prom," which debuts Friday in the V Theater space vacated by "Tony n' Tina's Wedding." The cast of 20 not only improvises much of the show but "they have to be unbelievably knowledgeable about the '80s," says writer-director Ken Davenport.

When Davenport calls the prom show "my baby," you know he means it. Davenport came to Las Vegas to helm this production hands-on, even though he has more impressive credentials as a Broadway-level producer than Sirc Michaels, the local producer on this project.

Davenport was lead producer on the revival of "Godspell" that closed on Broadway on June 24. The Wall Street Journal recently included him in a "Bright Lights of Broadway" feature about producers younger than 40, and he has drawn attention for his use of social media and reaching beyond the traditional investment formula to fund his shows.

"Anytime you can get someone like that involved in what you're doing, it can only be good," Michaels says. "It's very easy to have faith in Ken Davenport."

Michaels also is launching "Evil Dead: The Musical" at the V Theater, so while he mentioned "Prom" as a possibility to theater operator David Saxe, he was happy not to have to direct it himself. "Having (Davenport) involved makes everything much easier."

Beyond the structural resemblances to "Tony n' Tina," Davenport reserved the right to helm the title in larger markets in the same way original "Tony n' Tina" director Larry Pellegrini remains hands-on with the Las Vegas edition.

"Prom" was Davenport's first venture as a producer in 2004, after working for years as general manager on shows that included "Chicago" at Mandalay Bay in 1999.

Davenport says "Tony n' Tina" is still "the crown jewel of the interactive genre," but the back-in-time element and more focus on dancing (remember, it's a prom) keep the content of his show from being a clone.

Davenport borrowed freely from the John Hughes canon of teen movies; the audience votes at the end which of the archetypal characters - from football captain to Asian exchange student - get to be the prom king and queen.

"It's the prom I always wanted to go to," Davenport says of the "PG-13" affair, not the sedate small prep school version he actually attended. ...

Sha Na Na shows on Saturday and Sunday at the Rampart Casino bring the promise of increased concert and headliner bookings. Both the 700-capacity ballroom and the smaller Addison's Lounge are being booked by Roy Jernigan's company, Bu-la Productions.

Jernigan used to book the neighboring Suncoast before he followed former owner Michael Gaughan to the South Point when Boyd Gaming took over the Suncoast. "We pulled down all the calendars from there (the Suncoast), and the ones that worked we'll use again at the Rampart," Jernigan says. ...

It's safe to say that with a new producer as well as star, the Michael Jackson tribute at the Rio is not the same one that opened there a few months ago.

What started out as "2 Kings" in the comedy club-sized King's Room early this year has moved next door into the larger Crown Theater, lost Elvis (the other King of the old title) and is now "MJ Live!"

Michael Firestone follows Chris "Ice" Gardner as the new Jackson impersonator in the tribute with a cast of backing dancers. The 5 p.m. show is now produced by Dick Feeney, paired with Feeney's "The Rat Pack is Back" at 7 p.m. in the same room. ...

Finally, your Las Vegas trivia stumper: What was the Las Vegas connection of late "My Three Sons" actor Don Grady? I left him off Sunday's list of TV stars who performed in showrooms because his contributions were behind the scenes: He was one of the composers for the original songs performed in "EFX" at the MGM Grand in the 1990s.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@
reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.