"History of Sex," new at the Golden Nugget, is an original production with a fine off-Broadway feel. The print and video ad campaign is extremely well done, promising more than the show actually delivers. Ted Pappas does make an auspicious Las Vegas debut as producer-choreographer-director. He has assembled an impressive, very attractive, mostly local company backed by a small but mighty seven-piece orchestra under the direction of Hap Smith.

Michael Gruber, not local, is the star, narrator and an excellent singer-dancer, with fine comedy timing. He takes the audience nicely through the 75-minute series of well-performed vignettes, starting with Adam and Eve and ending in an overlong dance sequence as WSEX radio captures the music of the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

Candace Davis, also a non-local, has a stately presence even when singing "Ten Cents A Dance." Earlier, in her first number, she starts out as a nicely under-stated Lena Horne but soon becomes Barbra "Strident" and remained so for the balance of the show.

Comedian John Padon, a local, an Emmy-Award winner, enters at the 25-minute mark and had a never-miss, today-fresh routine, scoring consistently, and with the entire audience of approximately 300 in the 400-seat Theatre Ballroom. This is quite a feat considering the variety of ages and types present. His turn would work even better at the 40 or 45-minute point in the show.

The song selection is outstanding, as are Ned Ginsburg's orchestrations as performed by Smith and his men, occasionally replaced by taped music also well selected and reproduced. Compliments go to the 14 men and women who sing, dance and go through an athletic dance mini-decathlon, plus an extra nod to Michael DiFonzo as assistant choreographer.

James Noone's set design, David F. Segal's lighting design and David C. Woolard's costume design deserve mention, along with comedy writer Bruce Vilanch's dialogue for Gruber and special topical lyrics for several of the standard songs -- very funny.

It is well worth the trip to Casino Center if you're staying on the Strip, or if you live some distance from there. Would I see it a second time? I think not, but I would go see John Padon again wherever he might be playing.

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