Category Archives: Off The Beaten Path
SHARE Ultra Lounge to Open March 3 with VIP celebs
Las Vegas officially celebrates the grand opening of SHARE Nightclub
AND two great charities – NOH8 and “Golden Rainbow – “share” the spotlight at the newest, hottest gay nightclub on Saturday, March 3, 2012.
This special occasion will be hosted by E! Entertainment’s Ross Mathews and musical performances by the UK’s Luciana will heat up the night.
Her viral YouTube video “I’m Still Hot” co staring Betty White is approaching one million hits and has taken the dance charts by storm.
And on this special night, Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley’s NOH8 campaign will “Share the Equality” and celebrate as both guests and Vegas entertainers alike are photographed for their iconic marriage equality images. Beginning at 9pm the first 100 guests will receive complimentary photos, courtesy of SHARE.
SHARE promoter/marketing guru, Eduardo Cordova, says, “SHARE has raised the bar for gay nightlife in Las Vegas. “ Adding, “No one has ever done anything like this before for a gay club opening, this is really going to set a standard in what Share can offer, bringing the community together and a night full of stars! “
Adding to the revelry, local HIV/AIDS nonprofit Golden Rainbow will present an exclusive sneak peek of its “Ribbon of Life” show. Drawing inspiration from past performances, the 30 minute sensual preview is sure to thrill!
E! Entertainment’s Mathews hosting the night, commented, “It will be a night of celebration for great LGBT community causes.”
Additional, confirmed guests include, Carson Kressley, Jai Rodriguez, Ronnie Kroell, Angel Porrino, Josh Strickland and Laura Croft from E!’Entertinament’s TV hit “Holly’s World,” Penn and Teller, Josh Flagg and Madison Hildebrand with Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing,” Mike Ruiz and a cadre of national and international journalists are flying in to cover the event.
Other community allies from across the spectrum of Vegas entertainment will be making surprise appearances throughout the night.
SHARE nightclub, bar and ultra lounge spans 2 floors with the ultra modern and hip nightclub downs stairs and upstairs every SHARE guest can enjoy the luxury and privacy of the SHARE Ultra Lounge and bar. And if you want to make your experience a little more Sharable, ask a shot boy what he can do for you.
SHARE Nightclub is located 4636 Wynn Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
(Formerly DISCREET Gentlemans Club and MINXX)
Liberace Museum To Close Its Doors – End of an Era
Sadly, due to falling revenue, the eccentric and wonderfully kitschy Liberace Museum , which has long delighted fans in its home within a strip mall on the west side of Las Vegas, is closing next month. The Museum is closing its doors Oct. 17th, after 31 years.
This landmark was dedicated to one of the 20th century’s most flamboyant entertainers, known as much for his glitzy costumes and extravagant performance style as for his piano playing, and who epitomized bling long before it was a household word!
“In some ways, the museum was the last vestige of an entertainment icon,” said Jeff Koep, chairman of The Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts, which runs the museum that exhibits the entertainer’s extensive costumes, cars, pianos, candelabra, and jewelry.
Often referred to as “Mr. Showmanship,” Liberace is known for giving his audience what they wanted, with performances that included everything from classical to pop music. He is credited with influencing entertainers from Elvis and Michael Jackson to Elton John and Lady Gaga.
Koep said, there has been a steady decline in numbers to the Liberace Museum, from a high of 450,000 annual visitors 15 years ago to about 50,000 annually today. Over the years, people just lose interest I guess.
Along with the museum’s real estate problems, mortgage debt and lack of a steady income stream — also factored into the decision to close. The Liberace Foundation owns the strip mall that houses the museum, but 50 percent of the rental units currently are vacant. And while royalty revenue from intellectual property was robust 30 years ago, today selling to a younger generation unfamiliar with Liberace’s music is tough, Koep said.
“We are not closing the book on Liberace or what he stands for,” he added. “We’re trying to regenerate the brand.”
The foundation recently finalized a deal for a national traveling tour of its Liberace collection and one day hopes to reopen the museum in a more accessible location in Las Vegas. Currently, it is five miles from the Strip.
Being more fiscally prudent also will ensure Liberaces legacy to continue to fund scholarships . Since 1976, roughly $6 million in music scholarships have been awarded to some 2,700 students.
The Cabaret at The Liberace Museum – has been hosting “Liberace and Me,” staring Philip Fortenberry
three times a week. The FINAL performance is October 13th at 1pm.
Philip Fortenberry, the extraordinary artist and renowned pianist, improvisational composer and cast member of “Jersey Boys,” performs his intimate acoustic cabaret-style piano performance, “Liberace and Me,” at the glittering Liberace Museum. Philip will thrill you with his versatile styles that encompass a wide range of musical genres. $17.50 Learn more about Philip Fortenberry at Philipfortenberry.com
One piece of good news for the many GLBT visitors who’ve made their way to this campy landmark: the long-time gay bar in the same shopping center, Good Times , is alive and well – it continues to be an especially popular venue with the gay Latino community in Las Vegas, and it is NOT closing.
The Cabaret Showroom at the Liberace Museum with Philip Fortenberry
The Liberace Museum was founded April 15, 1979, by the legendary entertainer Liberace. The Museum features “Mr. Showmanship’s” dazzling jewelry, rare antiques, unsurpassed wardrobe, unique and historical pianos and his custom car collection. It is a MUST SEE!
The non-profit Museum supports the mission of The Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts which has funded scholarships since 1976. The scholarship program has touched the lives of more than 2,700 students.
The Cabaret Showroom inside the Museum property not only serves as a showcase for Liberace’s famous mirrored Baldwin nine-foot grand piano, but also serves as home to several afternoon and evening shows by local entertainers. The venue is also available to aspiring students of the performing arts.
Recently, Broadway veteran and concert pianist Philip Fortenberry whose critically acclaimed one-man offering, Liberace and Me, has been moving and delighting crowds at the Cabaret for the past year, and plays three times each week.
As the theatre community of Las Vegas has begun to grow in the last few years, many performers who find themselves homesick for the nurturing artistic environment of the Cabaret rooms of New York and other cities. Artists have begun to discover that the Cabaret at the Liberace Museum is a jewel of a performance venue just moments from the Strip, but well away from the allure of casinos and tourist traffic that dictate the kind of performances that are possible, even allowed to occur on such commercial properties.
Starting with a monthly Composers Showcase which began three years ago as the brain child of Jersey Boys conductor Keith Thompson and his collaborator, Le Reve conductor Michael Brennan, a late-night after-theater subculture began to emerge. Composers would gather with performers in tow and share their latest or most entertaining new works.
As performers from the various Las Vegas production shows and Broadway imports discovered the charm and intimacy of the venue through the Composers Showcase, they became interested in the Cabaret as a place to mount their own shows and charity benefits. Erich Bergen, one of the stars of Jersey Boys, took the lead and presented himself in three sold-out performances to benefit the Museum this past winter. This sparked even more interest from others who wished to offer performer showcases and similar Cabaret shows.
The Cabaret Showroom at the Liberace Museum provides an intimate, alternative venue for performers who find themselves in Las Vegas, wanting to spread their artistic wings and share their gifts and talents.
Philip Fortenberry
Visit Liberace Cabaret for a listing of day and evening shows.
