Comic legend Marty Allen to be honored Friday in Las Vegas
Karon Kate Blackwell knows what to perform at Marty Allen’s celebration of life.
“He always loved the boogie-woogie I played while he was dancing,” Allen’s widow said Wednesday . “He loved to dance, and I loved to play for him while he did it. Marty wanted a party, a very fun celebration, and that’s what we’re giving him.”
Allen, the beguiling, bug-eyed comic legend whose “Hello, dere!” was his signature catchphrase, will be honored with a celebration of life Friday at Rampart Casino at the Resort at Summerlin’s Marquis Ballroom. Seating is open, doors open at 1 p.m. and the program starts at 2 p.m. on what would have been Allen’s 96th birthday.
Allen died Feb. 12 at a Las Vegas rehabilitation clinic from complications of pneumonia and was laid to rest in in Los Angeles.
Allen had planned to perform this spring in New York and Florida, but never fully recovered after a fall that fractured his hip. His celebration is co-sponsored by the Rampart and Bonkerz Comedy Productions. Speakers honoring Allen include Louie Anderson, Jimmie “J.J.” Walker, singer George Bugatti, comics Warren Durso and Lou Magelowitz, and yours truly.
The twin dance tandem Sean and John Scott of “Absinthe” are also scheduled to perform in Allen’s honor, who was as proficient as a dancer as he was at cracking jokes.
Allen was a major showroom headliner and TV favorite for more than a half-century who made dozens of variety-show appearances, including more than 40 on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” He and his stage partner Steve Rossi were famously the comic guests on Feb. 16, 1964, which was alsoThe Beatles’ second appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” broadcast from Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach.
The duo appeared regularly on “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson” and “The Merv Griffin Show.”
In their original partnership covering 1957-68, they headlined at such iconic Strip resorts as Riviera and Sands. After splitting to pursue separate careers in the late-1960s, the duo reunited for a run at Bob Stupak’s Vegas World (where the Stratosphere now stands) in 1990. Allen was also a decorated World War II Air Force veteran, earning the Soldier’s Medal for Bravery after extinguishing a fire on a fuel truck while stationed in Italy.
Allen was known to play host to regular coffee confabs at the back room of Bagel Deli, joined by such entertainment friends Nelson Sardelli, Shecky Greeneand Bugatti, among others.
Blackwell says she is still not accustomed to not having Allen in her life.
“What has kept me going is all the outpouring of love I’ve felt,” she said. “Marty really touched a lot of people.”
Walk this way
I still expect Aerosmith to perform at The Park Theater, but guitarist Joe Perry’s earlier prognostication of a fall opening needs to be reviewed. There are a lot of moving parts in this booking — five, just in the Aerosmith band — meaning that extended engagement might well stray into the spring of 2019. Don’t be surprised if that happens.
Anderson’s back
Asking Bob Anderson, who has performed up and down the Strip since the early 1970s, to name his favorite venue sparks a trip down memory lane.
“That is a tough question,” said Anderson, whose most recently appeared in Las Vegas in a 2015 Frank Sinatra tribute at the Palazzo Theater titled “Frank: The Man, The Music.” “I’ll tell you two that I really, really loved were Desert Inn and Caesars Palace. The vibe, the sound, the atmosphere in those place, they were like the perfect rooms.” He’ll be at the South Point Showroom at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Anderson has also headlined at such wide-ranging rooms as Top of the Dunes, Sahara’s Congo Room, and Myron’s Cabaret Jazz at the Smith Center. His all-star lineup of impressions includes Tony Bennett, Tom Jones, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and — naturally — Sinatra.
Anderson once recalled how his post-show hangs at the Dunes would end at 4 a.m., and members of the Rat Pack would then play a round of golf at the Desert Inn Golf Club. They would sleep, wake up in time for a meal and 6 p.m. steam, perform their shows and repeat the process.
“They would sleep most of the day, Sinatra and those guys, and when they went into the steam room at the Sands, it had a buffet right there in the health club,” Anderson said. “So they’d be eating while taking a steam, and right after that they would walk right onto the stage.” That’s livin’, folks.
The Reign extends
Purple Reign, the Prince tribute fronted by expert rocker Jason Tenner, has extended its schedule to six days a week at Tropicana Theater. The show now runs 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. It was previously Wednesdays through Saturdays. The stage adaptation of the film and album “Purple Rain” has been a Vegas favorite — especially among locals — since debuting at the now-closed Tom & Jerry’s on Maryland Parkway in 1997.
CSN action
On the topic of top-flight tributes, veteran rock performer Bill DeLoach is bringing his CSN Express, a tribute to Crosby, Stills & Nash production to The Cannery at 8 p.m. Saturday. DeLoach has taken a break from touring with Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons to return to VegasVille. He most recently performed with Valli at The Park Theater in January.
DeLoach also conceived, and starred in, a groovy little show titled “Echoes of the 60s” at V Theater at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood for a few months in 2011. CSN Express is a spin-off of that production.
Big Elvis in 12
“Big Elvis,” a documentary centered on Harrah’s performer Pete Vallee, premieres in April at Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Screenings are April 20, 25, 27 and 30. The description of the 12-minute doc directed by Paul Stone: “A 960-pound Elvis impersonator becomes convinced he is Elvis Presley’s secret love child.”
I’ve known Vallee has made that claim, but it has never been verified. Nonetheless, Big Elvis has a resounding voice and fills the bill in his no-cover afternoon performances at Harrah’s Piano Bar.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
