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Liberace Museum
Liberace poses with his brother, George, at the Liberace Museum on April 15, 1979.
Published Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 | 5:25 p.m.
Updated Friday, Sept. 10, 2010 | 1:30 p.m.
Liberace Museum Tour (April 15, 2009)
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diggJohn Katsilometes visits the Liberace Musuem for a museum tour on its 30th anniversary.
Liberace
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As the highest paid entertainer in 1955 making $50,000 a week at the Riviera, Liberace paved the way for a generation of marquee entertainers who would draw thousands of people to the Strip with just a mere flashing of their names in lights.
The Liberace Museum's days on the corner of East Tropicana Avenue at Spencer are numbered.
We'll put that number at over/under 400 1/2. As always, for entertainment purposes only.
New Liberace Foundation & Museum President Jack Rappaport, a member of the Liberace Foundation Board of Directors since 2006, said today the Foundation is in discussions with an entity on the Strip to relocate the Liberace Museum (and my man Ubiquitous Robin Leach tweeted this earlier today, so right on).
The Liberace Museum has stored and displayed Liberace's costumes, footwear, jewelry, photos, vehicles, pianos, photos, and even bedroom sets in two buildings at 1775 East Tropicana since April 15, 1979. Rappaport says it could be as soon as Thanksgiving or as long as the latter half of 2011 that the museum is fully relocated to a high-density area on the Strip.
"This is not the best spot for us. This is not where we should be," Rappaport, who has taken over the position vacated by Darin Hollingsworth soon after the museum celebrated its 30th anniversary in April, said during a phone conversation this afternoon. The reason the museum is in a bad location — even if that location was decided on by Liberace himself — is because tourists are not interested in moving so far off the Strip to visit the museum. At its peak, the Liberace museum attracted a quarter of a million visitors annually; that number dropped to about 50,000 by the time the 30th anniversary rolled around.
"Liberace wanted to appeal to locals because he was so heavily involved in the community, and here was a time when we had 10, 12 tour busses stop here, but that's no longer the case," Rappaport said. "We're not getting the tourist traffic we used to from the Strip. It used to be tourists would gamble and lie in the sun on the Strip and not do much else, so they would see the museum. But then the Strip, over years, became an attraction unto itself, and we stopped getting so many visitors."
Interns from the UNLV School of Architecture are in the process of drafting plans for the 20,000-square-foot project, which is about what the two museum buildings occupy now. Rappaport says there will be a more intelligent use of space in the new ... space. There will be a plan for an expanded showroom, larger than the cabaret theater at the current museum.
"It is a work in progress, keep that in mind," Rappaport said. "But it will be located in an area where a lot of tourists will already be visiting, and locals will still have a chance to visit the museum … this is long overdue, actually."
What would further inflate visitor numbers is a feature film about Liberace starring Michael Douglas in the lead role, and Matt Damon portraying the pianist's longtime lover Scott Thorson. I say this because People magazine's Web site reported back in September that Douglas and Damon would star in a film about Liberace, with director Stephen Soderbergh confirming their involvement in the film. Since, Rappaport has sent letters to Soderbergh and United Artists CEO Jerry Weintraub offering to assist with wardrobe, memorabilia, those types of contributions, when the film reportedly starts shooting this spring. He hasn't heard back. No worries, though.
"We've been looking at museums across the country for design ideas, but we're so different," Rappaport said. "We're labeled a museum, but we're more than that. We're an experience." And one that more past and future fans of Liberace should, in fact, experience.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.
Comment removed by moderator. Comment contained offensive language.
Hmm, not sure it will draw the old crowds regardless of where it's located. It will be a shame to lose it from the neighborhood, though. Kind of an interesting bit of history. He was talanted but I don't think he has the popular following of Elvis or the Beatles.
This is a good move, it should be on the strip, more people will see it. As for the haters, they're just jealous of his wardrobe.
Adam has it right. The younger demographic and foreign visitors have no clue his this guy is. I'd even go so far as to say 60-70% of the people visiting the strip nowadays have no clue about Liberace.
Tear the friggin place down, it's stinks, like in a real way.
Seems like that museum would do ok in Commercial Center, After all, he is kinda an icon to that community; not to include being one of the best ever in human history to "tickle the ivory"...lol
... When I covered Liberace's shows, as a correspondent for "Billboard Magazine" & Entertainment Editor of thee now defunct The Valley Times, I always enjoyed reviewing-his-concerts at the LV Hilton ('75-'79). Lee was a consumate entertainer-&-kind/generous person to all. His museum NEVER should have been located in-a-strip mall, but ALWAYS near-the-Strip! & I HOPE-by-NOW, the museum isn't STILL denying Lee-was-gay, as his sister did! Get-REAL-people!!!
He died 23 years ago. Today's crowd is not gonna visit his museum-no matter where it's located.
Unfortunately for Liberace, his audience is dying off too. And unfortunately for Las Vegas, the area this museum is located has become just another dead zone.
When I was at the museum I went on a guided tour. Most of you fail to realize that the museum does not only serve as a place to promote the life of Liberace BUT they have a great mission which helps students in the performing and creative arts through scholarship assistance. His audience may be dying out but the people at the museum are still preserving a great legacy of giving. Go visit the museum and go on a guided tour, learn something, and then tell me about what a freak he was or how they should tear that place down.
It's about time the museum did this move they would definitely benefit from the foot traffic. Although this will leave the strip mall on Spencer & Tropicana quite empty. The only mainstay or shall I say draw at that location now is Carluccio's Italian Restaurant. Carluccios has always been an anchor for that property I know they will do just fine with or without the museum. Getting hungary just thinking about it. Good luck to the Liberace Museum!!
It amazes me how many haters are out there. There are many celebrities and entertainers I knew nothing about before I went to their museum or saw part of a collection that was traveling around various museums around the world.
At first I many not have known about them but after learning about them I found myself wanting to know more. It's called education. Although many of Liberace's fans may be dying off there will always be new generations who will want to learn more about him.
Having the museum located on or close to the strip WILL drive people to come and see what he was all about. It will help keep his legacy alive. Just because you may be the type of person who thinks Liberace was a man of the past or an old entertainer no one wants to learn about doesn't mean there aren't thousands of others that feel the same way.
I think this is a smart move for the museum and I wish them the best of luck. I can't wait to see it in person.