Night Clubs Reviews

Apr 1, 2005 - "The Ten Tenors" at Reno's Eldorado Casino is the musical wonder from down under!

By Jack Neal

There's a new thunder from down under.

This time, rather than mere muscular beefcake, it's "The Ten Tenors" - ten young chaps who sing as well as they look and they look very well indeed. The thunder they bring to the stage isn't the ear-shattering report following lightning, but the rafter-rattling and clarion sounds of wondrous tenor voices.

Undoubtedly spurred on by the tremendous popular and financial success of the three tenors - Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti - "The Ten Tenors" from Australia have borrowed a page from the Irving Berlin songbook: "Anything they can sing, we can sing better."

That may not be entirely true, but it's true enough to make these engaging, funloving young men - ages 20 to 30 something - a theatrical and concert hall phenomenon and a terrific nightclub act to boot. Now appearing at Reno's Eldorado Hotel Casino in one of the loveliest intimate showrooms in Nevada, "The Ten Tenors" is a quality act in a quality venue.

The only drawback for those who love great music elegantly performed is the use of two synthesized keyboards as accompaniment. The two keyboardists, Steven Baker and Michael Manikus, are first-rate accompanists, but - however one cuts it - two keyboards do not an orchestra make. The costs, of course, of an orchestra with ten solo artists would make the show exorbitantly expensive to tour (or just stay in one location). All of that having been said, Baker and Manikus are great assists in giving "The Ten Tenors" its marvelous pace. There are no dull moments.

The stars of the show are the ten tenors themselves, and Craig Atkinson, Shannon Brown, Drew Graham, Craig Hendry, David Kidd, Liam McLachlan, Stewart Morris, Dom Smith, Tod Strike and Jason Turnbill are those stars. Each is a classically trained singer who is at home with opera. Each are also products of their generation which makes this troupe of ten just at home in the popular genre.

The men are super talented, but they bring more than sheer skill to their work. They enjoy themselves as only young men can, which allows an audience to cash in on the enthusiasm and wallow in the joys of their finely tuned voices and marvelous moves. "The Ten Tenors" show is nothing less than captivating.

With touches of the Bee Gees (an extended medley), a terrific "Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody," a glorious "Questa notte nessun dorma in Pekino" from Puccini's "Turandot," a fabulous "Waltzing Matilda," and a rip roaring "Rawhide" plus much, much more, "The Ten Tenors" show is a terrific eighty minutes of entertainment and a stellar booking for one of Reno's most glamorous showrooms.

"The Ten Tenors" can be seen and heard at the Eldorado Hotel Casino, 345 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada, nightly at 7:30 p.m. with one addiditonal show Saturdays at 9:30 p.m. through April 17, 2005. There are no Monday performances. For information call 775-786-5700 or 800 648-5966.