John Gibson: Cole Porter is coming to Elm Row

Published on 12/05/2011 09:41

So who gets star billing this year at Valvona & Crolla for the Elm Row deli's now significant impact on the Fringe?

Singer, shopkeeper, showbiz historian Philip Contini, the shop's boss and starstruck director, likes to keep his public guessing.

Year one, accompanied by his now inseparable five-piece Be Happy Band, he did Neapolitan love songs, ideal material for him considering his Italian heritage. Year two, a tribute to Louis Prima, an Italian connection again. And last year a respectful delve into Dean Martin. Rambo Italiano.

Contini might well have had a crack at Sinatra but he is first to acknowledge his limitations as a vocalist and that, he agrees, might be deemed an insurmountable challenge.

Maybe next year, though, he will cross that bridge too far.

For now, from August 5 to 29, it'll be Contini's salute to the genius of Cole Porter. The all-time great prolific songwriter leaves him with unlimited scope.

Says Elm Row's impresario: "A positive multitude of songs. He was a complex character and I'll be wondering what to do once I've begun the beguine.

"Here's what's ahead of us: Ten different shows (five last year, 95 performances over three weeks, against 50 last year, and our 70-seater will attract audiences virtually round the clock beginning 11am, the last show starting 8.30pm.

"We'll rely inevitably on Mike Maran for production and as a performer in his own right and Jock Brown for stage management. Yes, we'll be open to bitten-off-more-than-you-can-chew sniping but that's showbiz, like they say."

Semtex semmit

Will the rambling Rowan Williams ever learn to sit down and belt up? Apparently the Archbishop of Canterbury (how did he qualify for the job?) is losing sleep over the shooting "in cold blood'' of the unarmed bin Laden, who had two Kalashnikovs and a ton of Semtex tucked under his semmit. What's it do with you anyway, Arch?

Sandals in the Bin is set to reach No 1 in his personal Pick of the Pops. The DVD was released this week.