ATLANTIC CITY HILTON-- (609) 340-7200; . "Legends in Concert": 7 p.m.
Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday; 2 p.m. Monday.
$25. BALLY'S ATLANTIC CITY-- (609) 340-2709; . "Il Circo": 7 and 10 p.
m. Saturday; 3:30 and 7 p.m.
Sunday through Thursday. $25. BORGATA -- (866) 900-4849; .
Jim Gaffigan: 8 and 11 p.m. Saturday.
Sold out. HARRAH'S ATLANTIC CITY-- (800) 242-7724; . "Beatlemania Now": 9 p.
m. today and Saturday; 8 p.m.
Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday. $25. HOUSE OF BLUES (SHOWBOAT)-- (609) 236-2583; .
Pat Benatar Neil Gerardo: 9 tonight. $77, $62, $49 and $47. Shaw/Blades featuring Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades: 8 p.
m. $30, $28, $25 and $20. RESORTS ATLANTIC CITY-- (800) 736-1420; .
Don Rickles: 9 tonight; 8 p.m. Saturday; 7 p.
m. Sunday. $45.
SHOWBOAT -- (609) 343-4003; . "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding": 7 p.m.
today, Saturday and Thursday; 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
$59.95 (includes dinner). TRUMP MARINA-- (800) 777-8477; .
"Jukebox Heroes Live": 9 p.m. today and Saturday; 4 p.
m. Sunday. $22.
50. TRUMP PLAZA-- (800) 759-8786; . Tony Danza: 9 p.
m. Saturday. $45.
50. Don Rickles retire? No way, you hockey puck!
"I'm in good health. I'm working better than I ever have. The audiences are great.
Why should I retire?" says the legendary, 80-year-old "Merchant of Venom," who returns to Atlantic City for a weekend run (March 16-18) at Resorts Atlantic City. "I'm like a fighter.
The bell rings and you come out and fight. My energy comes alive. And I still enjoy it.
" To stay in fighting trim, Rickles follows a daily workout regiment that includes two 30-minute sessions on the recumbent bike, once in the morning, and again in the evening. But all the exercise in the world wouldn't mean a thing if audiences were no longer interested in Rickles' pioneering brand of stand-up comedy, with which he shoots verbal darts at audience members as well as every imaginable minority group. When the one-time aspiring dramatic actor found his niche in the comedy world of the late-1950s, his act was downright revolutionary.
In those far more genteel and civil times, no one had the audacity to actually insult strangers (save for hecklers) from a stage. But what may have seemed harsh then comes across as almost lovable in these coarse times. "Today," laments Rickles, "I'm a monk compared to what's out there.
" But he has always resisted taking the easy route of getting meaner and dirtier. Instead, the comic who proudly notes he's never said anything rougher than "son of a b--h" in his act insists on still doing that which has brought him fame and fortune for more than four decades. "I've always had an attitude, hitting people in a fun way, without being mean-spirited," he insists.
That strategy has helped Rickles become a true show business icon. And, as befits an icon, he is about to be feted in various media for his body of work. Slated for a mid-summer release is a documentary by director John Landis ("Animal House,""Trading Places") that currently bears the working title, "The Rickles Project.
" A 50-minute excerpt was recently screened at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colo.
, where Rickles received a special award. And before that hits the market, a "Rickles' Book" will be published this spring by Simon Schuster. "It's a memoir," he explains.
"It's in my voice. There's a lot of stuff about my life, about my mother and father, about the odd jobs I had when I was young." It's obvious Rickles has recently spent a lot of time taking stock of his life, mulling the hits and misses, the triumphs and failures.
So, what stands as the all-time highlight? "The inauguration of Ronald Reagan with Frank Sinatra," he responds with no hesitation. "(Sinatra) said, 'I insist on having Rickles, or you don't have me.
' It was wonderful, just wonderful." As for regrets, he's just as quick with the identification. "My one regret is that I never got a chance to star on Broadway, which I wish I had done," he says.
"I knew I would have done very well. I really tried hard to get to Broadway, but when the offers came, I didn't want to go. The work was starting to come in nightclubs, in Las Vegas and on television.
" So what about now? Why can't he take a stab at the Great White Way? "It's eight shows a week," he responds.
"Now if I did it, I'd have to have a paramedic there." Show times are 9 tonight, 8 p.m.
Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.
Admission is $45. For tickets and information, call (800) 736-1420, or go to . "Beatlemania Now" isn't the most elaborate Beatles tribute out there, but it's as good as it gets when it comes to impersonations of the Liverpudlian lads who, in the 1960s, changed society as well as pop music.
That's because the four cast members come closer in their physical approximations of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr than any other similar unit. That's especially true of Alex Smith, who performs as McCartney. Smith looks uncannily like Beatle Paul, and sings remarkably like him as well.
But what really sells the turn is that Smith is one of the few McCartney impersonators who is left-handed, which makes the impression that much more convincing and compelling. Also impressive is the group's attention to detail: For instance, Smith not only plays the same kind of Rickenbacker 4001 bass McCartney used in the late-'60s, but the frets on it have dots, rather than the triangles used on 4001s of more recent vintage. That painstaking effort really pays off for those of us to whom historical accuracy is important in programs like this.
Of course, "Beatlemania Now" is also for anyone who simply loves The Beatles' music, as it features a wide variety of impressively rendered Fab Four signatures from such early hits "She Loves You" and "Twist and Shout," to far more complex numbers like "A Day in the Life" and "Penny Lane." To put it another way, a splendid time is guaranteed for all. Show times are 9 p.
m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 p.m.
Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday. Admission is $25. For tickets and info, call (800) 242-7724, or go to .
Chuck Darrow is a columnist for Gannett New Jersey Newspapers. He can be reached at (856) 486-2442, or .
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