The entertainment industry is tricky. Local stage productions are the core of the Las Vegas
economy and not everyone is suited for the fast-paced, competitive tactics necessary to get
butts in seats. Hiring the wrong people can be devastating to your bottom line, not necessarily
in the beginning, but over time in terms of profit loss and high turn-over which is why I’m
always on the look-out for people who have respect for their craft.

When I say “respect,” I mean workers who have extensively studied their trade and continually
pursue opportunities to expand their skill set and knowledge whether it’s additional course
work or on-the-job training. I can’t tell you how many resumes I’ve received from former
musicians who think, because they performed with a punk band in the 90’s, they’re qualified to
operate light and sound boards for large-scale shows on the Las Vegas Strip.

It all comes down to passion and dedication. In my 25 years as a show producer, I’ve found that
people who do what they love are exponentially more productive than employees who sign-on
simply because “they need a job.” The sad part is, passionate people are becoming harder and
harder to find.

It’s impressive when a lighting tech tells me he’s signing up for seminars to learn the latest
tricks of trade or when I audition performers technically-trained in several areas of dance or
music. These are the individuals I want working for my company. Simply stated… they’re
driven and are more likely to succeed because it’s their chosen career, their passion, not just
another way to earn a paycheck.

Beginning a new venture in Vegas isn’t easy.  There is so much competition and, for the most part, everything has been tried here before.   Recently, though, I noticed something missing from Las Vegas entertainment:  a morning breakfast show.  So starting this Saturday, April 16^th, I am launching Breakfast with Bugsy, Las Vegas’ ONLY morning breakfast show at V Theater inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.

Breakfast with Bugsy will begin at 9am with a buffet that includes eggs, pancakes, bacon… the works!  From there, Las Vegas’ infamous mobster, “Bugsy,” will take the audience on a tour through the golden years of Sin City from its very beginnings.  He, and the Strip’s best specialty acts, will demonstrate how Las Vegas went from desolate desert road to the “entertainment capital of the world.”

As Las Vegans, we assume tourists are only interested in late afternoon or nighttime entertainment.  This show will give them another option while planning their trips which is, after all, why people come here.

As show producers, business owners, gaming executives, etc, we have to continue to create new concepts and attractions to give tourists more reasons to choose Las Vegas as their travel destination.  Even though the economy seems to be slowing to a stop, it’s our job to keep this town afloat.

Breakfast with Bugsy, for example, is simply an added value to the shows we already offer at V Theater and Saxe Theater.  Buy a ticket to any of the theaters’ shows and receive a free ticket to the morning breakfast show.  It’s all about giving people a reason to pick your product, your shows.  What sets your business apart from the competition?  What could you add or transform to improve your bottom line?  You have the solutions.  You just need to take action.

A big thank you for all of the positive feedback, emails and phone calls regarding the season premier of Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures” which featured our new VEGAS! The Show.

Zak, Nick and Aaron were absolutely awesome and captured the essence of Las Vegas entertainment… the way it used to be… the way it was meant to be…   The episode underscored the “glory days” of Las Vegas, which is what VEGAS! The Show is all about, telling the story of the most exciting and influential entertainers who made Vegas… Vegas.

I created and launched VEGAS! The Show at Saxe Theater because I was born and raised here.  Showbiz is in my blood.  My mother was a dancer in Les Folies Bergere and my father was a band leader for many acts around town, including The Rat Pack.  I literally grew up backstage and launched my sister’s show, Melinda- First Lady of Magic, when I was still in high school.

Back then, shows weren’t spectacles featuring clowns in leotards dangling from high-wires.  People would come from all over the country, packing Vegas showrooms to see the best singers, dancers, magicians and specialty acts in the world.  When The Rat Pack played inside The Copa Room at the old Sands, some tourists would sleep in their cars outside of the hotel just to catch a glimpse of the entertainers.  It was an era when entertainers established a connection with the audience.  It was a time of mutual respect.

During the “golden days,” couples would dress up to go to dinner and a show.  A night on the town in Las Vegas was a big deal.  You would never see show-goers walk into a theater wearing flip-flops and t-shirts.  Somewhere along the way, the desire to don a suit and tie diminished and it’s my mission to reinvigorate this tradition, to create an entertainment culture that takes us “back to the future” in a way.  Going to a show?  Why not dress for the occasion?

I have a few plans up my sleeve, some cool ideas, but am also open to your suggestions.  Any thoughts as to how we can bring back the “true” Las Vegas?  To me, it’s not about the state of the economy, but rather… a state of mind.