Lionardo Piano Follies Brings Music, Showgirls To Suncoast Showroom In July

The live orchestra, stunning showgirls and five concert grand pianos that make up Lionardo Piano Follies will thrill audiences of all musical tastes when the act performs at the Suncoast Showroom, July 24, 25 and 26.

The 90-minute show, known for making audiences laugh, cry and rise in applause, includes tributes to Jerry Lee Lewis, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Frank Sinatra and George Burns, as portrayed by Danny Ward. Boasting the world's only 1959 pink Cadillac piano, Lionardo Piano Follies also pays a hilarious tribute to Louis Armstrong and includes a Dueling Banjos number, with Lionardo playing the piano and trumpet simultaneously. Audiences will delight in the grand finale, which features a mirrored-tuxedo-wearing Lionardo performing George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" on a piano bedazzled with mirrors.

A versatile pianist, singer and entertainer, Lionardo (born Ned Leon Mills) first tickled the ivories at age 4. He went on to entertain audiences on three continents, in more than 20 countries, and has opened for such greats as Bobby McFerrin, Don Rickles, Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow. Having served as musical conductor for Stars of the Lawrence Welk Show, Shades of Sinatra, the Las Vegas Tenors, The Ink Spots and The Shirelles, Lionardo is as well-known in the industry as he is to his fans. In 2003, Lionardo had the honor of performing "Rhapsody in Blue" on Liberace's famous mirrored piano at the Liberace Museum, a memory he recreates in Lionardo Piano Follies.

Lionardo's talent stretches beyond the live stage, and his film and television credits include appearances on ABC's Matlock, Lifetime's Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story and the George Lucas film Radioland Murders. Lionardo was the piano coach for Halle Berry and Eric Thal in Oprah Winfrey's production of The Wedding, which aired on ABC.

A North Carolina native, Lionardo now resides in Las Vegas and serves as musical director for many corporate events. He regularly performs in the Suncoast Hit Parade at the Suncoast Showroom and was voted "Most Likely to Exemplify the Spirit of Las Vegas" by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

Tickets are now available at $19.95, plus tax. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 702.636.7075 or visiting www.suncoastcasino.com.

 

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