Since his arrival he has taken on a second hit – as himself in “Songs My Idols Sang (And Danced!).”

Faugno showcased his revue in August at the South Point’s 400-seat showroom.

“I wasn’t sure if people would have enough interest for me to do the show more than once,” said the 30 year-old actor/singer/dancer who made his Broadway debut at the age of 12 in Tommy Tune’s tony-winning “Will Rogers Follies.”

He needn’t have worried.

Sunday, March 21, Faugno will perform his fourth show.

“It’s becoming a habit,” Faugno said.

A good habit, one he doesn’t want to break.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “I was just hoping to do it that one time.”

Many of those who attend the performances are repeat customers, about 25 percent.

It’s not on a regular schedule at the South Point.

“We’re kind of doing it once every four to six weeks,” Faugno says. “We’re not releasing a bunch of dates – South Point and I kind of agree that we don’t want to flood the market with a bunch of dates. We don’t want fans to lose interest. I want it to stay fresh for the people.”

The next show will be on April 25.

The 80-minute musical showcase features musical standards from the Great American Songbook, including such hits as “Embraceable You,” “Fly Me To The Moon,” Steppin’ Out With My Baby’,” “Puttin’ On The Ritz,” “Cheek To Cheek,” “Our Love Is Here To Stay” and “Mr. Bojangles.”

Faugno says selecting the songs to do wasn’t that difficult.

“The selection process wasn’t so much me going to the song book and wanting to do this or that song,” he said. “It was thematically driven. I started writing my script and I was thinking what song would go good here, what song would drive the story, connect with what I was talking about? If it didn’t fit, I didn’t want to do it. Eeach song has a connection with a person in the story or with what I’m talking about.”

Faugno is backed by a seven-piece band. Throughout the show he shares the significance of his idols of song and dance – Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and many others.

A CD featuring all of the songs will be available at the show and may be purchased in the “Jersey Boys” gift shop at the Palazzo.

“We started recording this past October,” Faugno said. “It’s been an ongoing process. In January we had the initial run of the CD and sold over 100 at the show. We weren’t prepared for how many wanted to buy it.”

The music strikes a chord with a lot of fans.

Faugno created the show with his fiance Joyce Chittick, a fellow Broadway performer-choreographer, and his musical director Keith Thompson, the “Jersey Boys” conductor.

The show is based on Faugno’s life story in show business.

The production hasn’t changed much since its debut, but Faugno says he’s working on some ideas with Chittick.

Chittick (who was in the “Jersey Boys” cast in Vegas when it debuted) has a long list of Broadway credits, including “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “The Pajama Game,” “Sweet Charity,” “Cabaret,” “Cats” and “Grease.”

“Joyce and I are going to start putting something together, a duet kind of show,” he said.
When he came to Vegas Faugno did not plan to moonlight.

“My mind was totally focused on ‘Jersey Boys,’” he said. “That’s why I came out here – but then when I got here I started realizing so much is going on around you. Why not try to do more than one thing?”

It takes some juggling – sometimes he finishes a rehearsal for his solo show at 5 p.m. and has to do “Jersey Boys” at 7 p.m

“I feel like I’m in New York, that way – though I’m not walking everywhere, I’m driving across town.”

The goal of many performers is to do Broadway.

Faugno has done Broadway.

And he is starring on the Strip.

Now, he’s also a hit south of the Strip in a local’s casino, and he’s loving it.

“I’ve done quite a few Broadway shows,” he said. “I’ve done the New York scene. If someone were to call me with an offer to go back to Broadway I would consider it but at this stage of my life I’m not actively seeking something to take me back to New York – I’m really enjoying being in Las Vegas right now. I enjoy living here. Opportunities have presented themselves here I haven’t had a chance to explore. I haven’t had a chance to do anything like this anywhere I’ve been before. It really is the best of both worlds – I get to star in a huge success plus star in my little thing on the side.”

And he gets offers to perform at a wide variety of events.

Earlier this year he showed his talent in a fund raiser for animal shelters.

On March 7 he was among the entertainers who performed at the Sun Coast in a fund raiser for local musical legend Bill Fayne, Clint Holmes’ musical director who recently underwent surgery on his throat.

On March 27 he will perform at a Democratic fund raiser.

In May he will perform at a fund raiser for St. Jude’s, to be held at the Four Seasons.
“Las Vegas is kind of wide open, which is why I love this town,” Faugno said.

Who: Rick Faugno in “Songs My Idols Sang (And Danced!).”
When: 3 p.m. Sunday, March 21
Where: South Point
Tickets: $20 to $30
Information: call 797-8055 or go to www.southpointcasino.com

by Jerry Fink

thejerryfink.com