Tony Pace:
Better Than Advertised
Casino Confidential by Tony August
Resorts has been ballyhooing a new fresh face they've had performing since March. He's been held over a couple of times and I finally decided I would go see for myself what all the fuss is about. I finally caught his act last week in Resorts intimate (it seats about 250) "Listening Room" on the 13th floor. Well, I listened and Mr. Tony Pace is much better than advertised.
Having said that I have a question for the entertainment guru at Resorts. What's this kid doing on the 13th floor of your hotel when he should be headlining in your big celebrity theater? This kid is going to be a big star some day and Resorts should be taking full advantage of their find with a bid star promotion campaign.
The only thing that can stand in the way of Tony Pace fulfilling his star quality promise is Tony Pace himself and/or incompetent management. I met him after the show so I could get a better read on him and after about an hour of observation and conversation I can assure you he won't do anything to deter what appears to be his destiny, a new star on the showbiz scene.
In short, I got the distinct impression that Pace has two feet firmly planted on the ground with no apparent vices to side track him and a total dedication to reach the top of his profession. The question one's left with after seeing him do his thing is not what does he do but rather what can't he do? He's the total performer right now so its just a question of finding the proper venue for him.
You might ask well, just what does he do that separates him from the crowd that prompts me and many of my colleagues to sing his praises? He sings. I know so do a lot of others, but this kid has a powerful pair of pipes that can handle anything from "Phantom of Opera" to the dulcet caressing tones of a Sinatra ballad and the syncopated earthiness of an Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock.
His range is amazing, his breath control and phrasal interpretation are creative and indicative of many years of vocal training. Can he sing? You bet he can and with the best of them. He has such a sensitive ear and vocal control that he's right on the professional money with impersonations of anyone from Elvis to Louis Armstrong. Oh, and before I forget, Cher which is quite remarkable, but don't label his as an impressionist because he's not.
There's much more to Tony Pace, the entertainer. The man is very, very funny, but again he's more than just a comedian, though you'd be hard pressed to find a comedian who'll make you laugh any longer and any harder than he, as Elvis, working himself into a cape swirling frenzy during his version of Dixie.
Tony Pace is going to become a big star (so say I) because he intuitively can spot what and how that particular audience on that particular night would like to be entertained. He's flexible and can improvise in a matter of seconds and consequently no two shows are ever quite alike and this allows him to be perceived as spontaneously and real.
Audiences may differ in taste but they all have one thing in common, they can spot a canned show and a phony from the "get-go". And that allows them to know the "real" thing when they see it and hear it and to distinguish between the very very good performer and the butting superstar.
