I was child of that generation that first listened to Rock and Roll. One of the first people I ever listened to and was most impressed with was Chuck Berry. I think he is by far the most talented and most important Rock and Roller there was. Most people agree. You ask Bob Dylan who was the first Rock and Roll Poet and he would say Bob Dylan. If you ask John Lennon and I open the movie with John Lennon saying if you had to give Rock and Roll another name it would be Chuck Berry. To John Lennon, Chuck Berry was his man. In this particular film I was blessed with having a collaborator and also one of the most famous Rock and Rollers in the world, Keith Richards who was the musical director of the film.

What happen in this film I will explain. We went down to St Louis because there was a concert scheduled for his 60th birthday. We were going to put on a memento concert at the Fox Theater. Which is this huge movie palace. Chuck was all for it. He made a deal with Universal for home video who was financiering the film and he was being handsomely paid for the rights. He was one of the producers of the film. We were invited, it is going to be a cool experience and we are there for a celebration. Little did we know that when you get involved with Chuck Berry, nothing is smooth. In that is one of the reasons I choose him to do the film.

Joe Leone from the Golden Nugget Casino Resort opened the CD Launch by praising the talents of Lon Bronson and his 15-piece All Star Band. He also told how excited he was for them releasing their first CD in 15 years.

The CD was recorder back stage at the Golden Nugget by Bob Lentini in Collaboration with Arty Congero; Lentini explained that the music was recorded directly into computer software. It was then reconstructed in the studio to complete the CD.
Drew Carry who was at the CD Launch told me” I am their biggest fan Congratulation to Lon for this outstanding band and their new CD”

The Las Vegas strip has reshaped its’ landscape. It has put on a new face and has embraced corporate America.

But none of this new motif could have been possible without generations past. A great deal of gratitude is owed to the Legends of Las Vegas People like Peter Anthony, Freddie Bell, Mary Kay, Sonny King, Babe Pier and many others who have paved the way during those Golden Lounge days of Las Vegas.

On April 7, 2005 my husband and I attended a real treat – A live concert from Tom Jones at the Potawatomi Indiana Casino Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We were about 10 feet from the gusty vocals and sexy image of Tom Jones

He still excites his mostly (no kidding!); women audience that still has some throwing their underwear at him. For more than four decades this pop idol has thrilled us with top 40 hits such as Delilah, Help Yourself, Green Green Grass of Home and of course What’s New Pussycat.

The woman who organized it is local contortion instructor Ska von Scoening who has dual residence in Las Vegas and Germany.In Europe contortion usually runs in circus families, and training starts at an early age.

Dreamgirls is a dazzling looking film. Its A-List cast includes Jamie Foxx (Curtis Taylor JR), Beyonce Knowles (Denna Jones) and Eddie Murphy (James”Thunder” Early). The film also boasts direction by Bill Condon who wrote, and directed “Chicago” one of the best movies in recent years. There is also beautiful cinematography, costumes, makeup lighting, and great musical performances.

Newcomer Jennifer Hudson, who plays Effie Melody White, delivers a tremendous performance that steals the film. Her energy and emotional acting and musical performances are the highlight of the film. She delivers one of the best ever-musical performances in a film with her rendition “I’m Telling You I’m Not Going”.

Eddie Murphy also surprises everyone with a good singing performance as James “ Thunder” Early a sex happy, cheating, singing star jerk. His acting gives what it can to the role and should open up his career to more diverse roles.

Turbulent rise to fame often goes with the territory of a musical career. That is the basic story line of “Dreamgirls”. We tag along with the ” Dreamettes”. (A female singing group loosely based on The Supremes) as they journey to the top. Along the way we also see the journey of Curtis Taylor a music business want-a-be mogul (loosely based on Barry Gordy Jr. and Motown). There is also the story of James “Thunder” Early a male soul superstar. The film takes place in the 60’s an emotionally charge time of civil rights and Martin Luther King, Jr.

This film is supposed be about how all the elements relate with each other. “Dreamgirls” hit high notes with glitz and dazzle but falls flat in emotion, relationships, writing, and directing. It especially falls flat with one-dimensional characters. For instance the "Early" character is shown as talented but a jerk as a person. He succumbs to drugs. We are never given a reason other that he is a “star” to care other than good-bye and good riddance. The talent of Jamie Foxx is wasted with the lack luster writing of his character. As a result Fox comes off with a very week performance. Beyonce brings her name, a great voce, but little else to her role. But then she may not be experienced enough to overcome a poorly written and directed script.

The biggest element lacking in this film is emotion. I remember how emotionally charged the 1960’s were especially to African American people. Even King’s "I Have A Dream” speech is given a ho-hum reaction when Effie complains that King is an amateur who gets a whole album with his speech and she can’t even get a single.

From one of the most emotionally exhilarating and luminous bestsellers ever written comes the true story of a man who took an adversity beyond all imagining and transformed it into a testament to the irrepressible human urge to love, create and dream. With his third film, director and artist Julian Schnabel forges a visually stunning, heart-stirring ode to what drives a man to go on when all truly seems lost. Through a mesmerizing blast of color, beauty and humor and a rousing spirit of creativity, Schnabel tells the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric, "Munick," "Kings and Queens"), AKA "Jean Do, the high flying editor of French Elle and father of two, who was renowned for his sense of humor and style, his joie de vivre and amorous energy, when, in an instant, his world was plunged into the depths of catastrophe.Faced with a harrowing predicament, Jean-Do will use enormous courage and determination but, most of all, his soaring imagination to escape from his trap. Tapping into the limitlessness of his memories,fantasies, wit and wishes, he finds a way to race through experiences of wonder and grief, sex and love, fatherhood and childhood, faith and questioning, ecstasy and absurdity - and touches the very essence of what is is to be human. Along the way he is buoyed by a quintet of remarkable women: Celine (Emmanuelle Seiger), the mother of his children who remains devoted to him despite his betrayal; Ines (Agathe de la Fontaine), the girlfriend who still haunts him; Henriette (Marie-Josee Croze) and Marie Olatz Lopez Garamendia), who give Jean-Do the power to reconnect with the world and his loved ones; and Claude (Anne Consigny), who becomes his ravishing literary assistant. Legendary screen star and Oscar nominee Max von Sydow takes the moving role of Jean-Do’s father. The cast of leading French stars also includes Patrick Chesnais, Niels AArestrlup,the late Jean-Pierre Cassel and Marina Hands.

MATSURI is a world class Acrobatic Musical based on themes from Japanese Culture. All of the acts are world class and excellent. Special mention goes to the bicycle act, the Cuckoo clock act, and in my view especially the Musical keyboard act. This show is well worth seeing and I would recommend it to anyone!

The comedian George Wallace is doing his act from a chair these days because he tore his Achilles tendon during a private show last month at the Bellagio. “It’s going to be called Georges next year”. He also told about coming across to do his own show at the Flamingo right after he injured his leg. “They wanted me to do the show from a wheel chair but I was afraid people would confuse me with the other George Wallace.”

Mosaic, the wonderful young male acappella group that uses their voices as instruments to accompany their vocals performed within Wallace’s act. He introduced them as his kids. They performed one song and then Wallace introduced each of them and while they sang a short solo did a very funny bit about how he met each of their mothers. Then the group started a Gospel song. During the song a woman that was probably planted in the audience acted like she was in a church, sang along, stood up, waved her arms and proceeded towards the stage. She performed very well as a convincing “straight-woman” to Wallace’s funny shtick. The woman using a wonderful singing voice sang with Mosaic to finish the song and the segment.

“War” the 70’s Funk band opened the show as special guests during the first couple of weeks in January. They performed some of their hits that include “The Cisco Kid”, “Why can’t we be Friends” and “The World Is A Ghetto”. Leroy “Lonnie” Jordan is the only current member who is an original member of War. I was not impressed with the bands performance. We have so many better and talented performers in Vegas who could use the work and exposure that would come from a special guest appearance with the George Wallace Show. Or it would have been very enjoyable if Mosaic did their usual role and opened the show.

BOB ANDERSON’S “GOLDEN AGE OF VEGAS” SHOW, FEBRUARY 14, 2009 BY MARY KROVITZ

It was great to see Bob perform again in Las Vegas as a good friend of his for over twenty years, he surely h as been missed on the Las Vegas strip the past five years.

His performance at the Cannery was to a sold out crowd and he delivered many of his songs in his own voice, which is very good in itself. He also did not disappoint when he sang the favorites we had all come to know with his impressions of Tom Jones, Sammy Davis, Mel Torme, Andy William, bobby Darin and of course Tony Bennett, plus many others.

A touching moment was when he sang to Mrs. Robert ((Vera) Goulet with his version of “If I Ever Leave You,”,,, I had an opportunity to talk Mrs. Goulet after the show, and she related a story to me that her husband had taught Bob Anderson how to reach back in his throat for the tone only Robert Goulet had. Bob Anderson did him proud and she was very happy.

Bob Anderson opened his show singing Sammy Kahn’s songs I using his own voice.. Then he proceeded to do impressions of Dean Marin, Sammy Davis Jr, and Frank Sinatra. Tom Jones, Fred Asiare, Tony Benet, Louie Armstrong, Jack Jones and Andy Williams were among many other impressions he did. He also told many tidbits including a story about his friendship with Glen Campbell. The show was very entertaining. His impressions were very good. The band was also very good. In the audience were Denise and Lorraine Bono, Vera Goulet, Steve Rossi, Joe Temil and Babe Pier.