Stan Laurel 1961	The Rick Michel Variety Show	Dean Martin 2011

 

Rick Michel Makes an Impression

50^th Anniversary Edition

Rick Michel came to San Diego to live in 1977 where he started working out at the Comedy Store in La Jolla for open mic night and also driving to the West Hollywood Comedy Store on occasion. It wasn’t until 1980 that things started to break in San Diego when Michel landed the role as one of the gang members of the musical “Grease” at the Lyric Dinner Theater in La Mesa, while modeling on the side for local magazines.

Michel then designed and worked at a Night Club at the old Mississippi Room called the “Cabaret Supper Club”, where he was involved staging mini musicals from Broadway such as “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Cabaret” and salutes to the Big Band Era. There was dancing with a live band, dinner and cocktails, basically a one stop shop for a night out on the town. Rick was Entertainment Director, Principal Actor in the shows and MC of the Night Club. In 1981, Rick performed 17 consecutive days/5 shows a day of his act as singer/impressionist at the Del Mar Fair. In the winter of 1981 Michel got his first Production Show in Las Vegas at the Tropicana Hotel called “Hollywood Goes Broadway” after an agent saw him perform at the Improv Room in Hollywood.

Starting in 1982 Rick performed his “One Man Show” for 2 years at the Winner’s Circle Lounge (across from Del Mar Racetrack) until 1984. He landed a role in a Production Show at Lake Tahoe in 1985 called “Ridin’ High” at Del Webb’s High Sierra Hotel and Casino for 3 months. Michel then hopped across the street to Caesar’s Tahoe for 9 months in a show called “Star Street”. Star Street had look-a-likes lip-syncing, while Rick was the only one doing live impressions with 9 costume changes from Ronald Reagan, Johnny Carson, Rodney Dangerfield to Frank Sinatra. In 1986, Michel went to Atlantic City and performed in “Superstars and Stripes” at the Atlantis Casino for 9 months and then back to California at the La Costa Resort to do 3 months of the same show, then only to return to the Atlantis for another 9 months until November of 87’.

Rick took almost a half a year off from work and decided to see the 1988 Super Bowl in San Diego, the Mardi Gras and then the Jazz Festival in New Orleans but Show Business pulled him back for another Production Show for 4 months in Jean Ann Ryan’s “Masquerade” at the Sheraton Bal Harbour, Florida. In the fall of 1989 Rick came back to Las Vegas to perform at the Sands Hotel for the Krofft Brothers doing a 9 month run and performing the voices to their puppets with a show called “Comedy Kings” starring John Byner/Mickey Rooney and Sherman Hemsley.

Michel was performing 2 shows at the same time in 1990 for over a year. One in the day at the Sands Hotel called “Via Las Vegas” and night time show “Comedy Cabaret” at the Maxim Casino, also opening up for such great comics as Rita Rudner, Bobby Collins and George Wallace at the Sands Hotel and Casino. Rick befriended his long time idol and legendary impressionist Rich Little around this time. Rich decided to share the stage with Rick and put him in his shows doing Julio Iglesias to Rich’s Willie Nelson and Jerry Lewis to Rich’s Dean Martin. The tour lasted for 2 years at such venues as the Desert Inn, the Sands Hotel and John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Reno.

1995 was a great year for Rick Michel, as he performed on the nation’s No.1 television show “Baywatch”. This episode (Baywatch Angels) was specifically written for Rick where he did over a dozen impressions throughout the show. Performing at the Friars Club in Los Angeles turn out to be more than what Rick bargained for. Michel was doing his act in front of Milton Berle, Jerry Vale, Slappy White, Norm Crosby and Steve Allen, just to name a few celebrities in the audience. After the show Rick was invited by Steve Allen to come see his reunion of the original “Tonight Show” at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. While in the audience Rick was called up to the stage by Steve to perform and then sit on the couch with the likes of Louis Nye, Bill Dana and Buddy Greco. All Rick wanted was for Steve Allen to sign the 8x10 photo they had taken in L.A. Steve gladly wrote “To Rick from a Fan, Steve Allen”. Rich Little invited Rick to once again share the stage, but this time it was at the Bob Hope Classic Golf Dinner in Palm Desert. Rich did his Bing Crosby to Rick’s Bob Hope, backed up by Les Brown and his orchestra. Rick and Rich performed in front of Delores and Bob Hope, Betty and President Ford and none other than Barbara and Frank Sinatra among 1600 other audience members.

Working for many other Producers like Greg Thompson, Donny Moore and Jeff Kutash, Rick had been traveling around the United States from Las Vegas, Nevada to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to Biloxi, Mississippi for over 4 years performing in different Production Shows. Rick was playing all of the hotels on the Strip in Las Vegas from the Stratosphere to the Luxor Casino. In 1999 David Cassidy (the Partridge Family), saw Rick performing as Frank Sinatra with an 18 – piece big band at the Governors Ball in Las Vegas. Cassidy was putting together a Rat Pack show at the Desert Inn Casino (then owned by Steve Wynn) and wanted Rick to understudy for Bobby Caldwell as Frank Sinatra. He then was asked Rick to fill in for the Dean Martin part and finally Joey Bishop. Performing for 6 months in 3 of the 4 roles was a challenge and an art to perform. Moving the show to the Sahara Hotel and Casino in 2000, Michel played the part of Dean Martin for over 2 years. Another Producer by the name of Dick Feeney started a Rat Pack show after David Cassidy’s show closed and Michel worked for the first 8 weeks as Dean Martin and then decided that there was a “better way to do this kind of show like no other”. The hat of Producer was finally being worn by Rick Michel.

Rick Michel has been producing his own show of this kind for over 8 years called “Drinkin’ – Singin’-Swingin’ Salute to Frank Sinatra-Sammy Davis Jr.-Dean Martin” where he plays the role of Dean Martin. Rick answers the question “How would Frank, Sammy and Dean re-invent cool today. Frank never did a Country song, Sammy never did rap and Dean never did a Rock N Roll song.” They do impressions and songs Sinatra-Davis-Martin have never performed together and that brings this show into the 21^st Century.” From entertaining the troops overseas in South Korea, performing his other show “Sinatra Forever Tribute to Frank Sinatra” with the San Jose Philharmonic Orchestra in Costa Rica, touring in Chile with his 12 – piece big band orchestra with the same show and even finding time to write a book called “LIVE ON STAGE Don’t Die…Kill” with longtime friend Sammy King, writing an original song called “Witness to my Journey”. It doesn’t look like Rick Michel will be stopping anytime soon. That is the bulk of Rick Michel’s journey…there is a lot more but for now you have an idea of what he has been doing for over 30 years in this business we call show.

LAFF PRODUCTIONS INC.

3209 Burton Ave Las Vegas NV  89102

Phone: (702) 363-LAFF (5233) Fax: (702) 243-2822

E-mail: Laff@RickMichel.COM Website: RickMichel.COM