Atlantic City Weekly

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"And there was the Rat Pack. In fact, for casino entertainers, it began and ended with Frank, Dean and Sammy."

There was a time when a look through the entertainment listings for Atlantic City casinos — or for that matter, Las Vegas casinos — was as predictable and steady as a Tony Bennett ballad or Alan King reading the obituaries on stage.

The question was never if Humperdink, Goulet, Dangerfield or Rickles was in town. The question was which one was in town. They were the heavyweights of the casino showroom. There were the crooners such as Bennett, Humperdink and Bobby Vinton. There were the energetic dancers such as Ann-Margret, Joey Heatherton or Lola Falana. And there was the Rat Pack. In fact, for casino entertainers, it began and ended with Frank, Dean and Sammy.

These entertainers carried with them a certain image and style that said casino — glitzy production numbers, tuxedoed singers with drinks in hands, comics with a Vaudeville vibe.

But looking through the list of casino acts lined up for this summer, it’s pretty clear that The Rat Pack era is dead and gone, replaced by the very acts that the “kids” were listening to when Frank, Dean and Sammy ruled.

Over the next few months, Atlantic City will see acts such as the Doobie Bros., Chicago and Earth Wind & Fire; all dominant acts of the 1960s and ’70s, but now staples at Atlantic City casinos. As for comics, the casino lineup once dominated by Dangerfield, Rickles and Henny Youngman is now owned by Dennis Leary, Tracy Morgan and Brad Garrett.

Casino acts now are an eclectic mix of baby-boomer acts that topped the charts or gained their fames in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. The type of act that dominated casinos while these current acts came of age have slowly, but steadily been fading away.

“I’m not sure that any act today really qualifies as a ‘casino’ act,” says AC Weekly’s own David Spatz, longtime writer covering Atlantic City’s casino scene. “In the old days it was Sinatra, Deano and Sammy. But part of that dominance was that they would sign long-term contracts where they would appear for three, maybe five times over two weeks. You still have Frankie Valli, who [just] appeared three nights in a row at the Borgata, but really that’s almost unheard of now.”

In fact, most casino acts these days are kind of hit and run, with a single show, though they may come back several times a year.

Still, the wave of entertainers hitting the resort this summer represent two developments in the casino’s philosophy when booking entertainers. First, the acts coming to town are now clearly targeting baby boomers, and even then, younger boomers.

“The more traditional acts can still certainly draw a crowd,” says Tina Belluscio, director of entertainment for Resorts and the A.C. Hilton. “But a lot of things have changed for Atlantic City. It’s driven by the increased competition and the smoking ban and a lot of factors. It really is a different ball game now. The baby boomers still come to city and they’re the demographic we’re pursuing. We’re looking to attract that 35 to 55 year old market. The city has come full circle and we’re past what was traditional in the ’50s and ’60s. But we do want an entertainment selection that appeals to everyone.”

Which is why a few traditional acts still find success in the casino showrooms, such as Joan Rivers, who will appear at the Hilton on April 24.

“Joan Rivers, in particular, still thrives because she brings in a very young crowd,” Belluscio says. “And that’s true of an act like Don Rickles, who also has an appeal to younger audiences. A singer like Englebert Humperdink though, he’s a little more traditional in his audience.”

Still Humperdink appeared in A.C. this winter at Trump Plaza.

The second great change, however, seems to have come directly from the threat of Pennsylvania casinos and in other markets. Without a clear advantage in gaming, almost universally, the city’s casinos are turning to ancillary offerings such as spas, restaurants and most importantly entertainment to attract crowds. Gone are the days when casinos held back show tickets and rooms just for gambler’s comps.

And that has changed the type of act that wants to play casinos.

“A lot of entertainers hated playing Atlantic City, because if they were playing 1,000-seat room, it could be half empty,” says Spatz. “The casinos held on to those tickets for gamblers who may or may not have appeared. But that changed when the Borgata opened. They emphasized entertainment and now more tickets are available to the public. The rooms are full, the entertainers are happier. It’s been a real change.”

And it’s a change the city needed.

“This isn’t just a change in philosophy, it’s a necessity,” Belluscio says. “There was a time in the city when a room was just papered over with comps. We’d comp everything and we didn’t care if the players spent money anywhere else. That’s gone. The gambling market has changed. We need people to go to the shows and the restaurants and fill out the hotel rooms. That’s what spurs on the city now.”

Of course there is one other factor that has forced out the old-time casino acts — time. The Rat Packers have left us, as have many great casino comedians such as King, Dangerfield and Buddy Hackett.