Mohegan Sun Casino

Mohegan Sun Casino

I have just returned home from the best concert I’ve been on in years! The Mohegan Sun Casino concert January 19th 03. It was the Bowzer’s Doo Wop Party #3. Jon Bauman better known as Bowzer certainly knows how to put on a show!

I stepped off the plane on the 18th, early evening and I was looking around for someone holding a sign saying either Bowzer’s show or Mohegan Sun and lo and behold, one of Maurice William’s Zodiac’s found me trying to use a pay phone. I heard him say is that Rosie? I turned and said I’m so glad to see a familiar face! I was helped to the limo waiting outside with Maurice and another Zodiac already seated comfortably in nice warm (thank God) surroundings and that was the beginning of my Connecticut experience.

Maurice and the guys just flew in from the Carolina’s and we all talked about our trip and the weather, which was about 16 degrees maybe lower, on the ride to the casino.

We arrived and were helped in and there to meet us was Jim Marlow who handles travel and is backstage manager for Gary Cape of Cape Entertainment. Everything went smooth and quite efficiently getting checked in and to our rooms in a timely fashion. I thought the room was very nice and I couldn’t wait to get downstairs to see the rest of it. I freshened up and did exactly that and at the lobby level I was so amazed at the beauty of the décor unfolding before me. The lobby floor overlooks the casino below and taking the escalator down you are looking directly at an indoor fifty-five foot waterfall surrounded by seating. It is quite beautiful. To the left, in the direction I was headed, is the food court, which is an understatement to say the least. On the lobby level and the casino level are many fine restaurants plus food from all over the world. The walk way was filled with great shops of all types and it was sort of like being in a city under one roof. Speaking of roofs, a very kind employee, Mike Holmes of security showed me the planetarium area where intimate seating gives you a beautiful view of the ever-changing night sky with an actual moon moving across it. This is a three-story crystal mountain called Wombi Rock.

All the employees I met were very kind and helpful.

Next day was concert day and what a day! Rehearsal started early in the day as the show was scheduled for three PM. The arena is huge, it holds 10,000 people. We had between 7 and 8,000 people. I forgot to bring the lineup home with me as I usually do, so I cannot tell you who was on first but each act was excellent! I feel that good concert planning and good time schedules all are important in allowing the artists to feel comfortable and perform their very best and a Jon Bowzer Bauman show is exactly that! The performers were, Vito Piconne and the Elegants doing Little Star just like I remember it as a kid. Their harmonies were perfect as usual! David Sommerville (The Diamonds) shined as always doing Little Darlin’ and when he did The Stroll everybody wanted to do it .I saw a few doing the stroll back stage. The Duke of Earl, Gene Chandler was most dapper in his topcoat and top hat and sounding great, got the audience to their feet. Jay Black and the Americans always wows the audience hitting the high notes on Cara Mia. Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs doing their wonderful hit Stay brought back memories of earlier shows when I first met them back in the 60’s. Wonderful people, wonderful entertainers. Cleve Duncan and The Penguins are my dear friends for so many years and I still love to hear them. When they did Earth Angel, I was instantly back at the El Monte Legion Stadium and 15 years old again! The Tymes. All I can say is that I was standing backstage watching this group on stage with Kathy Young and we were pretty much spell bound. They opened with an up tempo number that really had the crowd going and when they did Wonderful, Wonderful and So Much In Love, they really got back from the audience what they were giving out. It was truly great! Kathy Young and I shared a dressing room and I was quite happy about that. For one, it’s nice to have someone to talk with but most of all it gave me a chance to get to know the beautiful person she really is. Not only does she still have a beautiful voice but also the person off stage is equally as great and I wish I’d gotten to know her back when we had our hits in the 60’s. So, of course she was greatly applauded when she sang her hits, A 1000 Stars and Happy Birthday Blues. The audience went wild. Bowzer did the MC, plus performed with his Stingrays the audience really loved him as MC and he is a very good one and knows how to get the people going. But when he performed with The Stingrays, it was all over! They were so high energy and they really looked like they were having fun and it spilled over into the audience and they loved every minute of it! When Bowzer brought me on I was so well received and I really think the folks back east sure know how to make you feel special and happy to be there! We all signed autographs for several hours afterwards and were able to personally thank many people who attended the show. I had a great time as you probably guessed by now, and I want to thank everyone involved with the show, plus all the staff at the Mohegan Sun. I can’t wait to go back!

Love, Rosie

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