Robbie Howard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 6, 1955 |
| Occupation | Entertainer, Singer, Impersonator |
| Website | http://www.RobbieHoward.com |
Robbie Howard (born September 6, 1955) is an American born entertainer, singer, impersonator and comedian who resides in Las Vegas, Nevada where he has directed, produced and starred in long-running shows on the Las Vegas Strip with Hurray America (1993-1999) and Stars of the Strip [1] (1999-2005) and The Rat Pack is Back [2] (2006-2014).
Howard began his stage career with Broadway Musicals appearing at performing art centers and dinner theaters in Southern California. Through the 1980s Howard appeared in Perfect Strangers, [3] Growing Pains, and filmed dozens of commercials, both national and regional. In 1983, he began developing a night club act with music, comedy and impersonations which opened the door for a Las Vegas residency.
Howard relocated to Las Vegas in 1991 after performing over 10,000 Live shows in Southern California. In 1999, Howard moved his production to the Lady Luck Hotel and renamed the show Stars of the Strip until his return to the Westward Ho in 2004. In 2005, the Westward Ho, like many Las Vegas resorts, closed to make room for bigger resorts. In an article of the Las Vegas Sun, [4] Howard talked about the rapid pace in which hotels open and close in Las Vegas and how it affects the entertainers at those venues. Howard said he would like to have a deal with a major casino, but he also said it wasn't necessary because of the lucrative career he had performing corporate gigs.
In 2006, Howard joined the cast of The Rat Pack is Back playing both the Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin roles and eventually became both writer and director.[ citation needed ] Although he's best known for performing as Frank Sinatra, Howard also impersonates Johnny Carson, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, Wayne Newton, George Jones, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Barry Manilow, Redd Foxx, Jim Morrison and others. [5]
During the years that followed, Howard performed throughout Australia [6] [7] [8] [9] and around the world for corporate clients, on cruise ships and at major public venues, but still called Las Vegas home. During the Christmas holiday of 2013, Howard was one of several entertainers that headlined at Rampart Casino's Round Bar. [10] In 2015 and 2016, Howard played at several venues in Arizona with Steve Johnson. [11] [12] [13]
In early 2019, Howard starred in the production of An Evening with Frank Sinatra and 30 Close Friends at Seven Angels Theatre [14] in Waterbury, CT and is a regular cast member of Legends in Concert [15] where he has performed as both Frank Sinatra [16] and Dean Martin [17] in theaters in Las Vegas, Foxwoods, Myrtle Beach and Branson. In late 2019, Howard will be touring with Barbra Streisand impersonator Sharon Owens [18] and Dean Martin impersonator Johnny Edwards in a production called The Way We Were. [19]
Dean Martin was an American singer, actor and comedian of Italian descent. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". Martin gained his career breakthrough together with comedian Jerry Lewis, billed as Martin and Lewis, in 1946. They performed in nightclubs and later had numerous appearances on radio, television and in films.
Ocean's 11 is a 1960 American heist film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring five of the Rat Pack: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. Centered on a series of Las Vegas casino robberies, the film also stars Angie Dickinson, Cesar Romero, Richard Conte, Akim Tamiroff, Henry Silva, Ilka Chase, Norman Fell, Patrice Wymore, and Buddy Lester. It includes cameo appearances by Shirley MacLaine, Red Skelton and George Raft.
The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers, the second iteration of which ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business friends, such as Errol Flynn, Nat King Cole, Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra and others who met casually at the Holmby Hills home of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. In the 1960s, the group featured Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford, among others. They appeared together on stage and in films in the 1950s and 1960s, including the films Ocean's 11, and Sergeants 3; after Lawford's expulsion, they filmed Robin and the 7 Hoods with Bing Crosby in what was to have been Lawford's role. Sinatra, Martin, and Davis were regarded as the group's lead members after Bogart's death.
Samuel George Davis Jr. was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director.
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The Sands Hotel and Casino was a historic American hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, United States, that operated from 1952 to 1996. Designed by architect Wayne McAllister, with a prominent 56-foot (17 m) high sign, the Sands was the seventh resort to open on the Strip. During its heyday, it hosted many famous entertainers of the day, most notably the Rat Pack and Jerry Lewis.
The Dunes Hotel was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, that operated from May 23, 1955, to January 26, 1993. Designed by architects John Replogle, Robert Dorr Jr., Milton Schwartz and Maxwell Starkman, it was the tenth resort to open on the Strip. Bellagio now stands on its former grounds since its opening in 1998.
The Desert Inn, also known as the D.I., was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, which operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. Designed by architect Hugh Taylor and interior design by Jac Lessman, it was the fifth resort to open on the Strip, the first four being El Rancho Vegas, The New Frontier, the still-operating Flamingo, and the now-defunct El Rancho. It was situated between Desert Inn Road and Sands Avenue.
Danny Davies Gans was an American singer, comedian and vocal impressionist.
Westward Ho Hotel and Casino was a casino and hotel located on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, an unincorporated area of Clark County in the U.S. state of Nevada. The Westward Ho occupied 15 acres, and was the last large motel style property on the Strip. It was a two-story building with parking surrounding the buildings. The casino had many slot machines, and a gaming pit with live dealers. The games included blackjack, roulette, craps, and Let It Ride. A separate building, The Ho, operated at the rear of the property from 2004 to 2005, offering a small casino, a restaurant, and a convenience store.
The Rat Pack - Live From Las Vegas is a stage musical produced by Flying Music Group Ltd. The stage show was conceived and created by Mitch Sebastian, who was also the show's director and choreographer.
The Rat Pack was a group of entertainers in the 1950s and 1960s comprising primarily Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop; as well as others
"My Kind of Town" or "My Kind of Town " is a popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn.
Cliff Foenander was a Sri Lankan musician who performed in South East Asia and Las Vegas. Cliff died 21 November 2000.
Antonio Morelli (1904-1974) was a producer, arranger, bandleader, movie producer, and conductor most well known for serving as orchestra leader for the famous Sands Hotel Copa Room in its Rat Pack heyday from 1954 through 1971. He was music director, band leader, and friend to some of the biggest names in show business for twenty years and is credited with bringing classical music to Las Vegas. He was also a songwriter, arranger, and music director for several Broadway Musicals, and beloved for his devotion to philanthropic endeavors in his community most notably founding The Las Vegas Pops.
A concert residency is a series of concerts, similar to a concert tour, but only performed at one location. Pollstar Awards defined residency as a run of 10 or more shows at a single venue. An artist who performs on a concert residency is called a resident performer. Concert residencies have been the staple of the Las Vegas Strip for decades, pioneered by singer-pianist Liberace in the 1940s and Frank Sinatra with the Rat Pack in the 1950s.
Deana Martin is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer Dean Martin.
Jack Entratter, nicknamed "Mr. Entertainment", was an American business executive. He is best known for management positions at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City in the 1940s and early 1950s, and at the iconic Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from the early 1950s. He is closely associated with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack in the history of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bob Anderson is a singer and impersonator of legendary celebrities.