Don Rickles Returns to The Orleans Showroom, 10/6 & 7

Celebrated entertainer and Las Vegas legend Don Rickles brings his one-of-a-kind comedy back to The Orleans Showroom tonight, October 6 and tomorrow night, October 7.
 
Having earned the nicknames “The Merchant of Venom” and “Mr. Warmth,” (the latter coined affectionately by Johnny Carson), Rickles’ style of comedy is never mean-spirited and all part of his act. It has been said that being “zinged” by Rickles is like “wearing a badge of honor.”
 
Rickles took his first step toward national fame in 1957, when Rickles spotted Frank Sinatra in the audience at a nightclub in Miami Beach. The still-unknown Rickles eyed Sinatra and said, “I just saw your movie, ‘The Pride and the Passion,’ and I want to tell you, the cannon was great. Make yourself at home, Frank. Hit somebody.” Sinatra, whose pet name for Rickles was “bullet-head,” enjoyed Rickles so much that he returned to see him when he was performing in Los Angeles, and encouraged other celebrities to see his act.    Rickles soon became the “in” comic among Hollywood stars, who flocked to see him to become a target of his insults.  Sinatra’s continuing support helped Rickles become a popular performer in Las Vegas, where he first started in 1959, and has been a headliner ever since.
 
Over the decades, Rickles’ unparalleled career has never missed a beat. While making his mark in movies, television, theater and recordings, Rickles has remained a master of nightclub comedy with a continuing love affair with live audiences.
 
In addition to keeping live audiences laughing, Rickles’ still-growing television and film resume includes roles in “Casino,” “Kelly’s Heroes,” “The Rat Race,” all three “Toy Story” films, HBO’s “Tales From the Crypt,” TNT’s “The Wool Cap” and Bravo’s “My Life on the D-List” with Kathy Griffin. In 2011, he made a surprise appearance in a “cliff-hanger” episode as the “thought to be dead” husband of Betty White’s character on the TV Land comedy “Hot In Cleveland.”  Later in the year, he returned to the show for the “payoff.” He recently appeared on Showtime’s new series “Inside Comedy,” where fellow comedian David Steinberg interviewed him.
 
Rickles has received two Primetime Emmy® Awards, including Best Individual Performance in a Variety or Musical for the 2008 HBO special “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.” In 2009, cable network TV Land honored Rickles with the “Legend Award.”  Rickles’ best-selling memoir “Rickles’ Book” was released in 2007, and was followed up with the 2008 title “Rickles’ Letters.”
 
In addition to recurring dates in Las Vegas at The Orleans, Rickles continues to be a popular performer in venues throughout the country.
 
Opening for Rickles at The Orleans is the “People’s Tenor” Michael Amante, whose four-octave vocal range and multilingual abilities (English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Latin and Polish) have set him apart from other vocalists. Amante has starred in numerous musicals including “Grease,” “West Side Story,” “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Madama Butterfly.”
 
Showtime each evening is 8 p.m. Tickets start at $79.95, plus tax and convenience fees, and can be purchased at any Coast Casinos Box Office, by calling 702.365.7075, or visiting www.orleanscasino.com.

More Articles by This Author...