Las Vegas Weekly

January 7, 2012 · 11:40 AM

Rick Faugno brings his one-man show to the Lounge at the Palms

By John Katsilometes

Rick Faugno, formerly Frankie Valli in "Jersey Boys," performs at Shimmer Cabaret in the Las Vegas Hilton on Monday, Oct. 10, 2011.

Photo: Steve Marcus

By John Katsilometes

Fleet afoot and strong in voice, Rick Faugno continues to tap into Las Vegas.

The former “Jersey Boys” cast member who gained notoriety for his spot-on portrayal of Frankie Valli is set to perform his one-man show at the Lounge at the Palms on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. The show launches Jan. 17, and tickets go on sale Tuesday at noon at the hotel box office.

The new Palms show is to be titled, simply, "Rick Faugno." Faugno opened his “Body & Soul” production at Shimmer Cabaret in August. He left “Jersey Boys” in October, ending a 3½-year run swapping the role of Valli with Travis Cloer. In all, Faugno spent five years performing in various “Jersey Boys” productions and in August took a calculated risk by shedding that steady gig for the great unknown of his own one-man show. A stage performer since age 12, Faugno performs standards from Sammy Davis Jr. and Bobby Darin, a shot-starting tribute to James Brown, a segment singing and dancing Michael Jackson hits, his own original songs, and Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” from “Jersey Boys.”

“It is a big hurdle,” Faugno said at the time he decided to leave the popular production to build his own show. “I have always had the security net of ‘Jersey Boys,’ and it’s a lot of pressure. I don’t know if five years is a magic number, but there are other things I want to do in life.”

Unlike his business arrangement at Shimmer Cabaret at the Hilton (now Las Vegas Hotel, or LVH in shorthand), which was a four-wall deal in which Faugno leased the space for his weekly show, Faugno is in partnership with the Palms in which he doesn’t pay rent for the room and receives profits from ticket sales. Faugno is currently on a self-imposed hiatus from the Shimmer with no return dates scheduled. His contract with the hotel ends this month, but he is not ruling out returning to the Shimmer and performing weekly in both venues.

The Lounge at the Palms has become a popular hangout for locals and entertainment industry types for its weeknight performances. Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns have packed the room for months, playing each Monday at 10:30 p.m. Frankie Moreno used the venue as a launching pad for his high-energy show at the Stratosphere.

The Lounge also was home to Playboy Comedy Club until it was announced officially the club was moving out after its shows over New Year’s Eve weekend, as my colleague Robin Leach reported this week. The Lounge is expected to be home to a wide array of acts throughout the week.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWithTheDish.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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