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giving it two stars, as I'm in the minority on that—Gans is consistently voted best
entertainer in Vegas year after year.
Gans is unusual in that he's a one-man band. Other impersonator shows fea-
ture one performer per celeb, and they vary in quality based entirely on the talent
of the performers, the trick of their make-up, and sometimes simply the coinci-
dence of physical appearance. At
Barbra & Frank: The Concert That Never Was
5
(at the Riviera Hotel and Casino;
%
702/794
-
9433; www.rivierahotel.com;
$
48 at
box office,
$
20 discounted; Wed-Sun 8:30pm),
both performers are dead ringers
for their subjects and sing beautifully. Unfortunately, they've imagined that a con-
cert featuring these two legends would be a contentious one, and so much of the
act is taken up with bickering and unkind put-downs. When they're not at each
others' throats it's actually rather enjoyable. I just wish some director had trimmed
about a third off the show.
Frank makes another appearance in the clumsily titled
Tribute to Frank,
Sammy, Joey & Dean
5
(in the Greek Isles Hotel & Casino, 305 Convention
Center Dr.;
%
800/633
-
1777 or 702/952
-
8000; www.greekislesvegas.com;
$
52 at
box office,
$
23 discounted; Sat-Thurs 8:15pm),
a show that aspires to bring back
the suave camaraderie of the Rat Pack. I give it a star for its “Sammy” (a superb
performer), and for giving the audience a chance to hear this wonderful music,
played by a stellar jazz ensemble.
The Fab Four
5
(in the Miracle Mile Shops, at Planet Hollywood Resort &
Casino;
%
702/932
-
1818; www.desertpassage.com;
$
52 adult,
$
25 child,
$
30 dis-
counted; Sat-Thurs 6pm)
is an hour-long concert featuring the many incarnations
of the Beatles, from the moppy hair and suit days through Sergeant Pepper and
the later post-band period. For me, listening to the Beatles is always a great time,
and though “Paul” has some trouble with the higher notes, for the most part the
imitation is dead on.
American Superstars
(in the Stratosphere;
%
800/99-TOWER; www.
stratospherehotel.com;
$
41 adult,
$
31 kids 5-12,
$
18 discounted; Sun-Tues 7pm,
Wed and Fri-Sat 6:30 and 8:30pm)
and
Legends in Concert
5
(in the Imperial
Palace; www.imperialpalace.com;
$
50 adults,
$
35 kids 2-12,
$
25 discounted)
are
dueling variety shows that mix together celeb tributes from a number of different
eras. Christina Aguilera, Céline Dion, Tim McGraw, The Blues Brothers, and
Michael Jackson were on offer in 2006, but the shows do change every 6 months
or so, so I can only promise that you'll see Elvis (a permanent fixture in this city
of 1,000 Elvis impersonators). I'll give the edge to the
Legends
show for its top-
notch choreography, tight band, and the fact that its performers don't lip-synch
(as some do in the
American
show).
An Evening at La Cage
(in the Riviera Hotel & Casino;
%
702/794
-
9433;
www.rivierahotel.com;
$
55 box office,
$
27 discounted; Wed-Mon 7:30pm),
another round robin of fake stars, throws in the twist that the girls are actually,
gasp, guys! But with drag so commonplace nowadays this isn't the shocker it used
to be, so what you have here is a fair-to-middling impersonator show, with more
than the usual quotient of big wigs and rhinestoned gowns (especially on emcee
Frank Marino, who's been playing Joan Rivers for 20 years now).
Finally, there's the
Platters, Coasters, and Drifters Show
55
(in the Sahara;
%
702/737
-
3515; www.saharahotel.com;
$
39; daily 7:30pm),
which is a beast of
a slightly different shade of faux, because although none of the performers were
