Columnist Joe Delaney: Showrooms should go seven days

Joe Delaney

Thursday, April 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

LAS VEGAS HAS PASSED the 100,000 mark in total rooms available. ... Our town can absorb more than 200,000 visitors on a special weekend or for a major convention. ... According to a recent Convention Center and Visitors Authority release, visitors are staying longer and spending more. ... With these numbers, there is absolutely no reason why LV showrooms cannot be open every night.

Especially since most showrooms only have one show per night. ... What is lacking is creativity. ... Entertainment directors must submit to entertainment by committee, committees dominated by accountants and attorneys, professionals trained to act after the fact, not before.

"Creative" accountants and attorneys stand a good chance of landing in jail. ... There are several qualified entertainment directors, but even those have limited powers.

How it was

Entertainment flourished when there were entertainment directors like Bill Miller, now retired, the late Dave Victorson, Sammy Lewis and Maxine Lewis, people who had knowledge, experience, power and the courage of their convictions. ... Each had occasional losers but at year's end, the overall return was there. ... They found stars elsewhere and, in many cases, developed stars right here in Las Vegas.

Each hotel built stars as an identification factor. ... Shecky Greene at the Tropicana and later, the Riviera; Louis Prima, Keely Smith and Sam Butera at the Sahara, also 1955-60; and Don Rickles at the Sahara in 1960. ... There were others, too many to name here.

Wayne Newton and Robert Goulet, in tandem, achieved this for the Hughes Hotels in the 1970s. ... Today, it's Siegfried & Roy (Mirage) and "Mystere" (Treasure Island), plus several other long-run production shows.

Some suggestions

One possible method for returning to a seven-day week is the bargain bill, four or five stars, each doing 15 or 20 minutes, possibly in theme shows. ... Four-wall or two-wall lease deals could be sweetened by adding a bonus if certain total attendance figures are reached. ... Exclusivity is worth considering, especially in lounges, with one steady act and rotating the others.

Broadway shows in tab versions, twice a night, six nights a week, worked for years at the Union Plaza and later at the Hacienda and Sahara, as produced by Maynard Sloate. ... Sloate could do this again, economically, but we doubt he would do it on a four-wall or two-wall basis.

Check his numbers. ... Sloate's shows broke even or better at the Plaza, and they served dinners at the early shows in a 500-seat room! ... Trust we gave someone something to think about.

Jazz report

Last Sunday at 4 p.m., Roberta's uncle, Dr. Ernest Schwaiger, his wife, Mary, Roberta and this columnist were at The Hop for the first three hours of Marv Koral's All-Stars, which included Marv on reeds, the world's best jazz trombonist Carl Fontana; plus top players, Carl Saunders, trumpet; Joe Romano, saxes; Gus Mancuso, piano; Rudy Aikels, bass; and Santo Savino, drums. ... We left reluctantly.

Marv & Co. are at The Hop, 4-8 p.m. Sunday and 7-11 p.m. Monday. ... It reminded us of NYC's 52nd Street in its prime; we know, we were there. ... Good jazz can also be heard starting at noon Sundays with Vinnie Falcone, Joe Lano and Tommy Check, the Jazz-Organization (Santa Fe).

Irv Kluger & Friends, Friday's at Pogo's, are the town's longest-running jazz night. ... Don Menza & Guests are at the Riviera on Mondays. ... Each group is well worth the tab and your time.

Star-policy rundown

It's Barbara Mandrell (Bally's); Drew Carey, starting Friday (Caesars); Debbie Reynolds, Kenny Kerr and Michael LaRocca in separate shows (Debbie's hotel); Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby Rydell (Desert Inn); Rodney Dangerfield (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Danny Gans (Rio); and Marty Allen & Karon Kate Blackwell (Westward Ho). ... Support the SUN Summer Camp Fund. ... See you Friday.

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