| Couples dancing in the aisles. . ."Venus," "Wild One," and "Turn Me Loose" blaring from the speakers ... Shouts of "Go Bobby" ... "Frankie, you're the greatest" ... "Fabian, you're the best!" emanating from the crowd. A high school prom in 1959? No, the Golden Boys in Atlantic City in 1999.
This is an incredibly entertaining show. The three performers - Frankie Avalon, Fabian, and Bobby Rydell, who have all taken a sip from the fountain of youth - open the festivities together with a rousing rendition of the American Bandstand theme (the Bandstand Boogie.) They then engage in some rat-pack like banter before concentrating on the music.
Bobby Rydell takes the first solo spot. Hearing him live is an amazing experience. One gets the feeling that his microphone may not be necessary, since his huge voice fills up the theatre with ease. His voice is truly one of the finest to emerge from the fifties. He does most of his hits, a "Bye Bye Birdie" medley, a killer Sinatra tribute, and a few other surprises. Most importantly, however, he seems to truly enjoy his time with the audience. After doing this for forty years, I could almost understand it if he just went through the motions. Bobby does the exact opposite, however, and this is easily apparent to the audience.
Fabian is up next. What he lacks in voice, he makes up for in hard work and charisma. He does his two big hits,"Turn Me Loose" and "Tiger", and fills out the rest of his set with nothing but up-tempo rockers. He does justice to "Johnny B. Goode" and "Old Time Rock and Roll", and when he invites dancers up onto the stage with him, the crowd goes wild. You can't help but root for Fabian. He gives his all to every performance and he really feeds off of the audience's energy.
Frankie Avalon follows Fabian on stage, and the hysteria begins before he even opens his mouth to sing. Avalon is the essence of cool, and he commands the stage like no one I have ever seen. Backed by a terrific band, including his sons Frank on drums and Tony on guitar, Avalon takes the crowd on a musical journey. His voice, while not the equal of Rydell's, is very pleasing, and he does a fantastic job of pacing his set. He does a very strong fifties medley (sometimes strolling through the audience) and then brings the house down with his version of "California Sun" from his 1987 movie "Back To The Beach". "Beauty School Dropout" from "Grease" is a highlight, and his closing rendition of "Venus" is a real crowd pleaser.
For the final act, the three performers reunite on stage and do a fantastic tribute to some of their friends and influences. Fabian pays homage to Elvis, Frankie to Rick Nelson, and Rydell to Bobby Darin. Rydell's version of "Mack The Knife" is simply superb. After another lengthy ovation, the guys return to the stage and serenade the audience with the theme from the Mickey Mouse Club. While this should come off as hokey, the sold out crowd goes wild.
This show is one of those rare instances where absolutely everything works. If you are in Atlantic City or Las Vegas, you should make it a point to see these guys perform. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
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