Night Clubs Reviews

Apr 14, 2004 - "Sunny Hollywood Blondes" at Harrah's Reno is a winner

By Jack Neal

The late Bill Harrah, Reno's guru of superb nightclub entertainment, must be sitting in the big casino in the sky loving every minute of the fabulous new show in Sammy's Showroom at Harrah's Reno. "Sunny Hollywood Blondes" hits one home run after another in a sensational 80 minutes of non-stop entertainment.

The show's star, the glamorous and multi-talented Sunny, just has to be the most gifted and entertaining performer to currently grace any nightclub stage in Nevada. Her appearance in Reno last year starring in "Sunny: Blondes and Boy-Toys" was an enormous success. This year's show, with six female dancers and three male back-up singers, is even more impressive.

"Sunny Hollywood Blondes" is a tribute to the movies and doesn't miss a beat on its way to making the dream factories of song, dance and fun come vividly to life. When Sunny and her boys - singers Raymond Jones, Christopher Martin, Tim Tenhumberg - sing all seventy of filmdom's Academy Award winning songs in front of film clips from each song's film, it's a marvelously nostalgic walk down memory lane for anyone who loves movies.

The inventive Mistinguett has designed the attractive costumes and choreographed the show providing exciting clothes and dance every step and song of the way. Not only do Sunny and her boy singers sing wonderfully, they dance wonderfully and with high-octane energy as do the show's six slim, trim, lovely to look at, splendidly skilled female dancers Cyndi Behnke, Christine Jean Blanc, Jamie Karrh, Christina McDonald, Chelsea Thompson and Cheryl Vick.

The show's show stopping "Chicago" number, "All That Jazz," is danced with loads of suggestive razzmatazz. It's also sung by Sunny wearing a costume reminiscent of Judy Garland's classic "Get Happy" outfit; just another magical touch with the movies Sunny and her producer-husband, Greg Thompson, love to emulate.

Mr. Thompson has not only produced this terrific show, he's written much of its very funny lines. The producer has presented highly successful nightclub shows for years and knows what audiences like. As the great nightclub show-business creator Donn Arden used to say, "I know what audiences like and I never throw out a gimmick audiences like." Neither does Greg Thompson. The live band and classy lighting add even more reasons to make believers out of crusty old fans who gave up hope years ago that such showbiz smart shows as this Greg Thompson Sunny starrer even exist anymore.

As class act as everything else is, it's Sunny's five movie star impressions that make this thoroughly show-business show like no other current show I know.

Glued together by Sunny's irreverent take on Joan River's gossipy Oscar night red-carpet interviews, the stars greeted by Miss Rivers include a breathy and naively hilarious Marilyn Monroe ("Happiness is when you fall in love and then discover the man you love has money - lots of it."), a shrewd and sexy Mae West ("I used to be Snow White, then I drifted."), a voluptuous and funny Dolly Parton, and an energized Bette Midler that's as divine a Miss M as I've seen other than the real thing.

Sunny's impressions are luminous and entertaining, but then everything she does is luminous and entertaining. "Sunny Hollywood Blondes" is nothing less than knockout entertainment.

"Sunny Hollywood Blondes" can be seen in Sammy's Showroom at Harrah's Reno, 219 North Center Street, Reno, Nevada, nightly at 7 p.m. (no shows Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.95 for general admission ($34.95 Saturdays) and $34.95 for VIP seating ($39.95 Saturdays). Greg Thompson's adult show, "Showgirls," can be seen in Sammy's Showroom nightly at 9:30 p.m. except Tuesdays, when it's dark, and Saturdays when it can be seen at 11:30 p.m. For information and reservations call 1-800 HARRAHS (800-427-7247) or 775-788-2900.