`FIRE' MAN BENISE TURNS UP THE HEAT.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

If you watched TV last month with the remote by your side, you got at least a fleeting glimpse of Benise, the Flamenco-tinged, Cirque de Soleil-inspired performer whose high-energy special was shown frequently during the PBS pledge drive.

Like Michael Flatley, Sarah Brightman, Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli before him, Roni Benise (pronounced Buh-nes-say) has gotten more TV exposure than ever, thanks to public television's hunger for your cash. And the fiery entertainer is taking that visibility up another notch with a big-budget national tour that brings his multi-cultural "Nights of Fire!" show to venues from Anaheim to Detroit.

Wednesday, Benise brings the mesmerizing, family-oriented "Nights of Fire!" to the Grove of Anaheim, and Saturday to the Greek Theatre.

"When we started out, we couldn't get booked at a club without renting the place out ourselves," the cheerful Benise said the other day. "So, we took it to the streets. We played anywhere tourists would gather Universal CityWalk, Disneyland, State Street in Santa Barbara, farmer's markets, flea markets everywhere. To us, it was about getting out there and building a fan base.

"To people in Chicago, we're an overnight success. But we've been grinding it out for years. Nobody can say we haven't paid our dues."

The work ethic paid off. With powerful management and a top-notch creative team behind him, Benise now spearheads one of the most colorful live shows of the season. A virtuoso guitarist, composer and producer, his Spanish guitar arrangements touch on all points of the musical globe, from Spain, Africa and Brazil to France and Egypt.

Surrounding him on stage is a 40-person cast that takes in exotic drums, Gypsy violin, Flamenco dancers, Cirque performers, Brazilian Samba dancers and percussionists, African tribal drummers, Havana horns, and brilliant lighting (plus a flying girl). This all helps tell a different romantic story for each number (set pieces include such titles as "Mi Amor," "Long Kiss Goodbye," "Desperado").

"I wanted to marry theater and dance with my music, because a lot my stuff is perfect for soundtracks," Benise said. "And that's really what this is. My songs are the soundtrack for the show. Each one tells a story. I always imagined my music as a big Las Vegas show."

Interestingly, it was a whisper outside of the country that sparked interest in Benise at PBS, when a public television executive attending a convention in France heard about the spectacular one-named performer who lives in the Conejo Valley.

"They say you have to be famous away from home for people to take you seriously," muses Gustavo Sagastume, vice president of programming at PBS. "What I heard was, 'There's this guy in Southern California you should check out.' So, I tracked him down and saw the talent and potential right away. It just looked liked something that would appeal to the PBS viewer."

A large part of that upper-demo viewing audience are females who don't seem to mind that Benise has flowing hair, chiseled looks and a build that brings to mind a romance novel hero. The music also fits into new age and smooth jazz radio formats.

"It's the romantic element," said Benise, who insists he's single and doesn't have time for a committed relationship. "There's just something about the Spanish guitar."

Benise has seemingly always charted a rather distinctive path. Receiving his first guitar at age 11, he practiced relentlessly, teaching himself a variety of styles he's been able to incorporate into his music. Although unable to read a note, he began composing original works with powerfully emotional arrangements.

Moving to Los Angeles, he was turned down by almost every club in the city. ("Spanish guitar? Forget about it!" was the reaction Benise recalls hearing). So began Benise's street team, a small company of dancers comfortable with pedestrian traffic at places like the Rose Bowl Flea Market, Hollywood & Highland, and the Third Street Promenade.

"We'd play around 225 shows a year, and it wouldn't be unusual to do two in one day," the guitarist recalled. "We'd be anywhere there were tourists. You had to grab people's attention before they walked away."

With name recognition growing, Benise began promoting his own concerts at 2,000-seat theaters throughout the area. He subtitled his all-instrumental show "Love, Music, and Life!" and produced and arranged seven albums and two live DVDs on his independent label, Rosanegra. "Nights of Fire!" taped at the gorgeous Art Deco Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara, is available in both DVD and CD form.

High-powered rock manager "Doc" McGhee, whose credits include KISS, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi, said it was a "no brainer" to sign Benise after catching a packed shows last September in Thousand Oaks.

"The thing I noticed, along with Roni's undeniable charisma, was the connection with the audience," McGhee said. "This performance they put together with the music had such an effect on people it was like finding Motley Crue in 1982. There was a complete connection between performer and audience and that's what you look for when you're a handicapper like myself."

McGhee's firm helped score the creative team that made the 28-date "Nights of Fire!" road show a reality. Behind-the-scenes talent includes director Amy Tinkham (Paul McCartney, Dixie Chicks, Madonna) and Brazilian-born choreographer Alex Magno (Madonna, Ballet Hispanico).

"It's like taking a Broadway show on the road," Benise said. "Somebody said it's actually bigger than a Broadway show. But what's bigger than Broadway opera? Ultimately, I see this going to Vegas for a long stay."

Fred Shuster, [phone]

fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com

BENISE: "NIGHTS OF FIRE!"

Where: Grove of Anaheim, 2200 E. Katella, Anaheim.

When: 8 Wednesday.

Tickets: $49 and $59. [phone]; ticketmaster.com; benise.com.

Where: Greek Theatre, 3700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: $44.50 and $54.50. Same outlets as above.

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Photo:

When clubs weren't interested, Roni Benise took his show to popular tourist destinations before PBS noticed him.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer