Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

A weekend of great four-star entertainment for the old scribe.

On Friday I went to the Aladdin Hotel and Casino for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. This property has been able to present a nice line of shows in recent months and this one was at the top of the line.

The ultimate credit here goes to the script and the staging, truly a first class Broadway-type show.

Ann-Margret was the headliner and the draw for this, and I imagine she is the reason I went. Yet she certainly was no standout and I can't remember anything she ever did that put her in the star class. She was not bad and she looked good (maybe that's her top role, looking good at 62), but a first class company of 36 were all better actors, better singers, and better dancers than her. Maybe I can say she didn't hurt the show, but she sure ain't no Dolly Parton who had the lead in the movie. This show was so good I am going to do the movie again for reference and education.

Gary Sandy, who played the wonderful foul-mouthed sheriff Ed Earl Dodd, was the star of this show with his dialogue, effort, and acting ability. Sandy has the world-class credits to prove it too from his character Andy Travis on "WKRP in Cincinnati," the Pirate king in "Pirates of Penzance," Mortimer in "Arsenic and Old Lace, and Chance in "Sweet Bird of Youth."

I have never seen WKRP but I will now. I'm glad this guy came to town.

A nice 7-piece country orchestra sat on a floating riser in the middle of the stage and they did everything possible to help the play. They were perfect and the entire audio system was outstanding for dialogue and song. I liked the costumes, the set and the blocking. They started on-time and I am very anxious to return to this venue for their next shows: the Moscow Ballet with full orchestra for Cinderella, and Rent. Get out your calendar.

A very nice A+ 98. Thank you for entertaining me.

Then there was Paul McCartney! Everything I ever see in life from this point on will not top my hero.

Here is the greatest composer in the history of the world with the greatest songbook ever put together.

McCartney did two nights at the MGM in Las Vegas to fill the dates originally planned for the Lewis-Tyson fight. That did not go, but Paul did. Just 3 guitars, a drummer, keyboard and some fancy backdrop videos. Paul was in a band awhile back, so that was pretty good!

Not quite a sellout each night, but nearly full. There were lines though the casino into the street, with scalpers, on both nights. McCartney is is enjoying his first tour in 9 years and he is almost 60. He is one of the true entertainment geniuses of my or any lifetime. It was loud and more old than new music; great sound system and wonderful air conditioning in the Grand Garden Arena. This was my second, and I am sure last, time to see Paul (he did the Silver Bowl in Las Vegas a decade ago). It was very comforting for me to see a span of ages in the crowd. A couple from Kentucky I met took their 8 year old daughter who I am sure doesn't know yah yah from Michael Jackson, but this kid can say she saw Paul McCartney in the same sense I can say I saw Nat Cole in 1961.

A++ 110, that's just for being Paul and bringing himself to me. There was one negative, which is a big one, and this is 9:17 not the 8:00 start time printed on my ticket. Some of this is security, some the MGM, and some Paul; even for him this is not acceptable. He could have had a better grade with an on-time start!

I would have done a repeat for Paul on Saturday night but I already had tickets for the Australian Chamber Orchestra. They were four-star, playing Hyden, Mozart, Sculthrope and Bartok.

This performance was the next to last program in the University of Nevada Las Vegas Vanda series. 17 strings, four horns and a piano player, all very good as far as I could tell. There were some interesting and different sounds in this one, especially those from native Australian composer Schulthrope in a piece that tried, and succeeded, in capturing the Australian Outback. They started on-time and the air conditioning was great, only they will never be able to eliminate those morons who sit next to me and unwrap candy and talk during the show. They also applaud during movements. All this is done just to piss me off and I am getting very short tempered in my old age.

98 A+, God bless the string players. Sammy Davis Jr. is still the standard all performers are judged by.