HONKY TONK ANGELS GEARING UP FOR NEW YEAR AT GOLD COAST

Joe Delaney

Friday, Dec. 28, 2001 | 9:34 a.m.

"Honky Tonk Angels," a true entertainment bargain and a consistent winner for the Gold Coast with its greatly improved showroom with a new configuration, was in a Country-Christmas mode when we caught it.

The show starred Sharon Haynes as Patsy Cline, Wynonna and Brenda Lee. Lori Legacy worked with Simon and the Sunshine Puppets, then replicated Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton. Corrie Sachs was equally accurate as Faith Hill, Naomi Judd and Reba McEntire.

For the Christmas show, which ran through the holiday, Russ Hendrick was a humorous Little Elmo singing "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." His big moment was next-to-closing with a dead-on Charlie Daniels doing "Orange Blossom Special" and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." The Judds segment was a highlight, as was Haynes' "Blue Christmas" as Patsy Cline.

Production note: The post-Christmas production opens with Legacy and her puppets with "Auctioneer," followed by Sachs as Hill with "Baby, Lets Go to Vegas" and Legacy's Wynette.

In the nonholiday production Sachs and Haynes have fun as the Judds, in segments featuring established hits.

Sachs adds Dottie West, a strong entry. Haynes' Cline is performed between Sachs' West and McEntire. Cline is a never-miss for Haynes, especially singing, "I Fall to Pieces," "Walkin' after Midnight," "Crazy," and "South of the Border." Hendrick again takes the next-to-closing slot with the Daniels take-off.

Haynes, Legacy and Sachs close the show with "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" and "Angels Among Us."

Michael Dubay is the show's musical director, backed by Russ Letizia, Harvey Shapiro, Chris Riggs and Mkchael Parrott, a small but mighty ensemble. In the works for the Angels is a McGuire Sisters tribute due late in January.