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Leila Navidi
Local performer Larry Edwards brought his own cutout Liberace to a protest against the closing of the Liberace Museum in front of the museum in Las Vegas Wednesday, September 22, 2010.
Published Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010 | 6:18 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010 | 10:38 p.m.
Barbara Winters, from left, Esther Lynn and Joseph Gabriel (with the LIberace puppet) protest the closing of the Liberace Museum in front of the museum in Las Vegas Wednesday, September 22, 2010.
Katalin Gabriel waves to passing vehicles on Tropicana during a protest against the closing of the Liberace Museum in front of the museum in Las Vegas Wednesday, September 22, 2010.
On the day of the big protest, Joseph Gabriel clutched a puppet.
This was no ordinary puppet. It was a little Liberace marionette, wearing a wide grin and a sky-blue sequined suit.
That's what it's come to: Dolls and demonstrators. So very Liberace.
"We want a full accounting of what has happened with the Liberace Museum's finances," said Gabriel, a master magician and puppeteer featured in David Saxe's "Vegas! The Show" at Miracle Mile Shops. "It has been sad to see how the decisions that have been made over the years have hurt more than they have helped the museum."
Gabriel, who performed for six years in Wes Winters' "A Musical Tribute to Liberace" at the museum, used his mini-Lee to draw attention to the day's cause, which is to shine a light on the museum's books. Gabriel shared today's sidewalk sideshow with between 60 and 70 protesters lined up at the Liberace Museum's sidewalk on the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Spencer Street.
Most held signs critical of Liberace Foundation Chair Dean Koep and Foundation President Jack Rappaport.
"No Hope With Koep," and "Hit The Road Jack" were typical of that scrawled signage. Horns of bemused motorists blared at the colorful crew, which included Tina Turner and Elvis impressionist Larry Edwards dressed in something resembling Liberace's famous star-spangled stage costume (an image that graces countless refrigerators across the great urban landscape), and Gabriel's showgirl-costumed wife, Katalin.
"I love Liberace, love him," Joseph Gabriel said. "I know more about him and the museum than most people care to know."
To a person, the crowd clearly cared deeply about the famous Vegas landmark, to be closed Oct. 17 for a lack of operating funds. The protest was assembled by former Liberace Museum staffer Jeffrey White, the attraction's sales and events manager from 2000-2005. White is one of the more vocal critics of Koep and Rappaport, who many museum supporters contend have mismanaged the museum so badly that an outside entity needs to be called in to review the foundation's financial records to account for millions in losses.
"We want a third party to look at the books to shed a light on what has happened," White said. "It can be three years, or four, five or six years. It doesn't matter to me."
What might that third party turn up?
"We'll see, won't we?" White said.
And who should that third party be?
"I have no idea," White said, chuckling. "I just got this (protest) together." Some protesters called on the IRS to step in and look over the financial records of the non-profit Liberace Foundation.
Opened by Liberace himself on April 15, 1979, the museum once drew about 450,000 visitors a year; over the past nine months that number has collapsed to 36,000. For several years the foundation's endowment, which funds scholarships to gifted music students across the country, has been tapped to cover payroll and operating costs at the museum. The resulting scholarship allotment has plunged from a high of $500,000 per year to around $65,000.
During an interview on KNPR's State of Nevada, in which he appeared with independent museum curator and local historian Brian Paco Alvarez (himself a former Liberace Museum staffer) and myself, Koep re-stated that, "costs rising, income not coming in, and our balance sheets not balancing," were the reasons the museum was forced to close.
However, Koep did say that during his tenure the foundation had not investigated paring back its operating costs — including its payroll of what Koep reports are 30 employees, 15 of whom are full-timers — to help staunch the financial bleeding.
Koep said he believed the full staff was needed to keep the attraction running properly, but also added, "I am not an expert in museums. That is the number (of employees) that has been used for years. ... It's possible you could do it with less."
Such a move might have bought the museum valuable time to at least move toward financial health. As it was, Koep said, the museum paid out $700,000 annually in wages alone while bringing in about half that sum in revenue.
The ways the museum has leaked money are sometimes as staggering as any of Liberace's costumes. As landlord of the plaza on which the Liberace museum sits, the foundation has seen more than half the parcels on the land go vacant. It is also paying about $265,000 a year on a $2 million loan taken out in 2000, locked in at what Koep said is the "ridiculous" rate of 9.3 percent. That loan was for renovations to the plaza, and Koep said it has helped cripple the museum.
The quick math to the Liberace Museum's financial demise is about $1 million in payroll and mortgage payments alone, and about $365,000 in income. The foundation would like nothing more than to sell the plaza, too, and shed its role as landlord for a dying-on-the-vine strip mall.
Also, important to the protestors who crave for the removal of Rappaport, Koep clarified that every paid staffer — including Rappaport, whose holds the position of president of the foundation — would be let go Oct. 17. Three new positions will subsequently be opened, including a museum curator. Koep said Rappaport would be welcome to apply for any of the new jobs at the museum.
Rappaport, who declined formal comment on this afternoon outside his office at the museum, seemed unaware of this development and said he would likely discuss his future with the foundation and museum with the Liberace Foundation Board of Directors. Regardless of the outcome, such a session would make for great reality TV.
Also earlier in the day, Koep said he understood the protesters' concerns and was open to hearing from those who had specific complaints and could suggest ideas of how to contribute to the museum's future. The museum is closing, he reiterated, to solidify its finances so it can re-open elsewhere.
"We are not selling the collection," said Koep, who added that since the museum's closing was announced nearly two weeks ago he has received offers from around the country from collectors who want to purchase costumes or mirror-plated pianos.
Instead, the collection will be pieced out and sent on tour. The touring company Entertainment Development Group will represent the Liberace Foundation for such an effort — Koep said the foundation signed a contract this week with the St. Paul, Minn.-based company.
The tour would provide a revenue stream, as the foundation would receive a payment to loan its artifacts for a two- to three-month exhibit and also receive a percentage of ticket sales. Ideally, profits would be from the touring show would be used to fund a move to a location on or near the Strip.
Also, plans for a Broadway-style musical, endorsed by the foundation and based on Liberace's life, are moving forward, and of course there is still hope that the film starring Michael Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as Liberace's longtime lover Scott Thorson might inject some interest into an entertainment brand and cultural legacy in dire need of a lift.
And if a stunt double is needed for that film, contact Joseph Gabriel. He has a great candidate.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.
Liberace is an institution which is sadly fading from our history. Most of those under 25 don't even know who he is! With the dissolution of the Museum -- and its gross mismanagement for so many years -- another brilliant star will disappear from future generations, and even from history. This should be prevented if at all possible!
Koep said he believed the full staff was needed to keep the attraction running properly, but also added, "I am not an expert in museums. That is the number (of employees) that has been used for years. " It's possible you could do it with less."
WRONG JEFF KOEP WRONG! RAPPAPORT INCREASED STAFFING LEVELS
Rappaport, who declined formal comment on this afternoon outside his office at the museum, seemed unaware of this development and said he would likely discuss his future with the foundation and museum with the Liberace Foundation Board of Directors.
EXCUSE ME JACK RAPPAPORT - READ WHAT YOUR "BOSS" SAYS IN THE PREVIOUS PARA - IT'S SIMPLE, YOU ARE OUT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE AND ARE WELCOME TO APPLY FOR ONE OF THE NEW OPENINGS - THERE IS NO DISCUSSION TO BE HAD!
I was there, and really appreciate this article and especially the PHOTOS. Kats and LEILA NAVIDI did a great job!
I hate this new Sun verification policy, btw.
If you listen very carefully to the KNPR interview online, you can catch all sorts of Koep discrepancies, ignorances, excuses, and double talk.
I was in the museum today (paid $15) and met visitors from Connecticut and Scotland (who took a cab over from Bally's). People from across the country and across the world are still finding their way to the museum on Tropicana and Spencer. I was transported to the time when I, as an out of town tourist, made the same trip, and I wasn't disappointed. Long live the Liberace museum.
I encourage locals to visit as well, of course. Something there will surely fascinate you. Cars, Jewelry, Pianos, Antiques, Music, History, Incredible Costumes, and a wonderful (mostly, some are understandably bitter at their prospects) staff.
I listened to the radio interview and was surprised that Koep was not familiar with the financial when asked about 1M towards costume repairs etc. The caller was in fact a volunteer who works on the costumes. One would assume that a longtime Board Member would be familiar with the expenses. I still contend that an outside audit of expenses should be executed, that the Board has failed to ask for help in the last year or two from previous donors or guests, and that they should employ a professional non profit executive director to properly manage the museum, foundation, and fundraising. As to the mortgage, has the board used outside counsel to work with the lender? Perhaps if they used one section of the buildings instead of two for the museum they would require fewer staff. What if they were only open 5 days a week or contacted people like me and asked for money they might get through the rest of the year until a new Board can put into place. Of course these suggestions are too logical to be considered by this Board it seems.
None of this makes any sense. Bingsboy is right.
Hilda who called into the KNPR interview with Koep didn't get to tell all. The IRS statements show that 1 mil. was spent in 2008 on piano and costume restoration. Hilda and the other volenteers are exactly that, UNPAID volenteers. The ONLY piano work at the museum is the tuning of two pianos by technician David Chadwick who probably tuned the two pianos utilized by the museum perfomer maybe a total of three times each at an institutional rate below that of $100.00 At most a grand total of $1,000.00 for piano tuning. Okay that leaves $999,000.00 unacounted for. I may be wrong here but this looks to be enough to trigger an IRS audit. I'll do further research to vairify. How about some accountants out their go to guidestar.org and look up the 990 tax filings. Oh, maybe the volenteers had to buy thread too.
To understand this entire story one must know his history. Could it be that Joel Strote, the Foundations past Board President and Museum Pres.,(both titles at the same time-which was against the by-laws by the way), still controls this duo of wanna be players in Las Vegas who are in place now. Strote was Libs. Atty. who we all know, had Libs will changed shortly before Libs death. Although most speculate that he helped himself to much of Libs personal effects and Malibu property, which he still owns, Stote was responsible for bringing Koep onto the board. Why? Did Koep need legal assistance from Strote and was that in exchange for being a yes man on Strotes board. Follow me here? Strote had to eventually go because he was to be brought up on sexual harrasement charges by Christina Hayden who settled for 50K. Strote was let go with a small parachute for 75K. Does Strote still pull the strings on Koep who pulls the strings on Rappaport? What does Rappaport have on Koep that Rappaport can be excused for so much? Wait for some of those things to come to light, they will soon. All of this is alot to take in and follow. Hollingsworth, who has time to write that diatribe? Wake up someone this is a tale, although small in scale to some, it's in our own backyard.
Liberace's movies were fun. As a child, I loved Liberace movies. This guy could really bring a piano to life, too.
As the lights go out, one at a time in ex-Fabulous Las Vegas, the loss of this tribute to Liberace is yet another sign of what's on our horizon...nothing.
Good-bye Liberace.