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Broadway legend gives fans encore

For a lucky handful of Barbara Cook fans, an enchanting evening with the Broadway legend turned into much more.

As she was departing The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, Cook stopped outside Cabaret Jazz to sign some autographs.

Soon, a dozen late-exiting fans surrounded Cook, who graciously held court for 20 minutes from a wheelchair.

When a middle-aged lady said she had flown in from Australia for the show, Cook gave her full attention to the fan while signing a postcard.

The gathering included Las Vegas entertainer Clint Holmes, who headlines in The Smith Center venue once a month.

In all of his years around the New York entertainment scene, Holmes had not met Cook. He couldn't have been more in awe, especially after asking if she had met Bobby Short, a New York cabaret icon who spent more than three decades at the legendary Café Carlyle. He died in 2005.

Holmes was hired by the Carlyle last fall to honor Short with a show titled "Remembering Bobby Short."

Cook, who turns 85 in October, broke into song, serenading Holmes with Short's version of George Gershwin's "Nashville Nightingale": "Neath the Swanee moon, sing a little tune for me. Croon for me."

"Pretty enormous," Holmes told me later. "How about that? A Kennedy awards winner singing to eight people."

I asked Cook, here for her first engagement, to recall the first time she saw a Las Vegas show. Sammy Davis Jr., she said. Early 1980s. She was with her 20-something son Adam.

"It wasn't a particularly friendly crowd," she said. "But by the third song he had everybody eating out of his hand. He was sensational."

Out of the blue, she asked the group, "Is Celine still here? I would love to see her show."

When someone in the crowd raved about Cook's F-bomb moment during the show, she brightened.

"The older I get, the more courageous I get," she said, to laughter.

She had another F-bomb story, this one involving bawdy Broadway legend Elaine Stritch, but then she spotted my reporter's notebook.

"You cannot write this!" Cook said, emphatically.

It was a story worthy of sending some sailors into full blush.

Cook talked about being unlucky at love and said she was proud that she had conquered a drinking problem. She's been sober for 30 years, proof, she said, "that you can stop it and get your life back."

About her cabaret act Cook said. "The entire show was my idea. I'm really proud of it."

Holmes, still awestruck, said, "She did that at 85! I was just blown away by that."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Crazy Horse Paris, originally launched here as "La Femme," is closing its 11-year run at the MGM Grand on Oct. 1. But that doesn't mean the classic topless revue is heading back to Paris. A new Las Vegas spinoff is planned, as well as a soon-to-be-announced U.S. tour. ...

Flamingo headliner Donny Osmond, in London to do some recording, posted a photo on Twitter on Saturday of himself at the studio with U.K. singing sensation Susan Boyle.

SIGHTINGS

London Olympics gold medal swimmer Ryan Lochte, celebrating with teammates Conor Dwyer and Cullen Jones at Lavo (Palazzo). He belatedly celebrated his 28th birthday on Saturday at Azure, the pool venue at the Palazzo. At one point he changed out of patriotic swim trunks into a pink Speedo. Also at Lavo: Jason Kennedy of E! News, Ryan Basford from "Chelsea Lately," Matt Lanter from "90210" and fiancée Angela Stacy. ... Prince Harry, back in town? That was the raging rumor Saturday at Wet Republic, the MGM Grand pool venue. ... At Surrender nightclub (Encore) on Friday: Drew Carey, partying in a bungalow with 10 ladies; Playboy model and UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste, checking out DJ duo Manufactured Superstars and posing with male model Rocky Meyers.

THE PUNCH LINE

"If I Shot You When I Wanted To I'd Be Out By Now." - Barbara Cook, sharing the title of what she said was one of her favorite country music songs.

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow
Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.

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