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The boys of Jersey Boys in Las Vegas: from left: Erich Bergen, Rick Faugno, Jeremy Kushnier and Jeff Leibow in the production at the Palazzo. Photo by Joan Marcus.
Since leaving my illustrious career as a newspaper theater critic/editor in March, I’ve been doing some freelancing. Now you, gentle reader, get to enjoy the fruits of [...]

AccessVegas.com

Archived in the category: AccessVegas.com, Las Vegas
Posted by Chad Jones on 06 May 08 - 0 Comments

One more Las Vegas note before moving on:
I wish I had known about AccessVegas.com before my trip last week.
CEO/Managing Editor Ted Newkirk has built up quite a little online Vegas empire with a newsletter (definitely worth checking out).
The site has reviews, hotel deals, ticket deals and, most helpfully, a monthly schedule of what’s playing [...]

What a party! You expect big things in Las Vegas, and that’s what you get.
The Palazzo put on quite a show before and after the show as Jersey Boys officially opened on May 3, becoming the first show at the Palazzo hotel, which officially opened last January.
The requisite red carpet arrivals saw the surviving Four [...]

Opened May 3 at the Palazzo Las Vegas

OK, so technically we’re not “live” in Las Vegas anymore (6:05 a.m. flight from LV to SFO – ouch). But given that it feels like I’m still at the opening-night party of Jersey Boys at the Venetian (next door to the Palazzo, where the show actually resides), I [...]

Live from Las Vegas: `Blue Man Group’

Archived in the category: Blue Man Group, Jubilee!, Las Vegas, theater review
Posted by Chad Jones on 03 May 08 - 1 Comment

Second night of the Theater Dogs Vegas adventure took us to Blue Man Group at the Venetian next door, and I have to say, I wasn’t overly impressed. Can a Vegas show full of so many bells and whistles really be boring?
Maybe boring is too strong a word, but there are dull stretches in this [...]

Live from Las Vegas! “Stomp Out Loud”

Archived in the category: Cam Newlin, Las Vegas, Stomp, theater review
Posted by Chad Jones on 02 May 08 - 3 Comments

Yes, Theater Dogs is on the road. We’re in Las Vegas for the opening of Jersey Boys, one of our favorite shows.
So we decided to come a few days early, drink in the wonders of the Palazzo (the hotel where JB is housed and a sister hotel to the Venetian). Gorgeous suite rooms. Ours has [...]

New York fantasy

Posted by Chad Jones on 29 Apr 08 - 1 Comment

I’m not going anywhere at the moment (except Las Vegas for the opening of Jersey Boys later this week — hope to be blogging live if technology cooperates, but if not, check in on Sunday afternoon).
Where I’d most like to go, of course, is New York to visit friends and SEE BROADWAY SHOWS! It’s been [...]

More with Manilow

Archived in the category: Barry Manilow, Concerts, Las Vegas
Posted by Chad Jones on 14 Feb 08 - 0 Comments

For my full interview with Barry Manilow see below or click here.
In our conversation, he talked about being a guest coach on “American Idol”: “Most young people sing to their eyelids,” he said. “The yclose their eyes and show their voice off. I’ve never been able to do that. I’ve always needed a theatrical situation [...]

Barry Manilow: He came and he gave without taking

Archived in the category: Barry Manilow, Broadway, Concerts, Las Vegas, musicals
Posted by Chad Jones on 14 Feb 08 - 2 Comments

It’s a miracle that even now, Barry Manilow is writing the songs that make, if not the whole world, at least a fair portion of it sing. Could it be magic?
Magic had nothing to do with it. Try hard work, dogged persistence and thousands of “Fanilows’ who can’t smile without him.
Yes, Barry Manilow is still [...]

With all the wild and wonderful denizens of Avenue Q heading into San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre this week, you’ll want to check into the Theater Dogs frequently. The characters _ both human and puppet _ will be doing some guest blogging.
For now, though, let’s chat with Jeff Marx (above left), the co-creator — with Bobby [...]