Columnist Joe Delaney: Time to paint Las Vegas in a better light

Joe Delaney

Thursday, April 8, 1999 | 10:44 a.m.

Most publicity is good publicity if they get the name right. ... As a proud Las Vegan, one who first visited here in 1946 and moved here permanently in 1962, I resent the snide, superior attitude manifested in most stories written about our city. ... The latest example is Frank DeCaro's article in the most recent issue of Travel & Leisure magazine.

DeCaro is a style columnist for the New York Times. ... After a comparison to his lifestyle in Manhattan, he comments about Las Vegas that "a concentrated dose of bad taste is refreshing. Which is why I have always loved Las Vegas: It's a town of loose slots, female impersonators, 99-cent shrimp cocktails, '(breasts) and feathers' extravaganzas, Siegfried & Roy."

He mitigates a bit: "It knows no propriety. Or at least it didn't used to. The surprise is that the new cleaned-up Las Vegas is still a hell of a lot of fun. In Las Vegas, more is still more."

There's more

This is DeCaro's tone throughout. ... Put-downs of our town followed by snide descriptions of Las Vegas' attempts to better itself. ... Another instance: "The theory behind the new Las Vegas is simple: If you don't have status, buy it in the jumbo economy size." ... His facts are off as well. ... He refers to the Desert Inn as "long associated with Rat Pack glamour."

Just once, I would like to read a fair, objective description of Las Vegas in a major magazine, written by someone who actually comes here with an open mind and depicts the city as it really is, warts and all.

DeCaro's article concludes anent Las Vegas: "The whole wide world is within walking distance. And it's a million miles from the tasteful life you know back home." I'll match the "tasteful life" in Las Vegas with that in any other major city, and especially in New York.

Re the millennium

Caesars Palace's plans for the coming millennium observance will be hard to top, with Elton John and Tina Turner in concert at the Thomas & Mack Center on Dec. 30, followed by a private performance at Caesars for invited guests only on New Year's Eve, and a similar concert by Celine Dion on New Year's Day. ... This will be Dion's last appearance before a two-year hiatus for a personal life.

Europe's No. 1 radio talk-show host, Maurice Boland, is back for a second week at Caesars Palace, broadcasting live from the La Terrazza restaurant through Friday to his home base in Marbella, Spain. ... Paul Anka was the first on Boland's star-studded guest list Monday. ... The Temptations and Martha Reeves join him at 11 a.m. Friday.

Boland, born in Ireland, has had a guest list that includes Jay Leno, author Frederick Forsyth, Sir Tim Rice, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Barry Manilow during his tenure on Spain's Costa del Sol.

Star-policy rundown

It's George Carlin at 10 p.m. nightly (Bally's); The Motown Legends (Caesars); Clint Holmes (Golden Nugget); Bill Acosta (Luxor); Wayne Newton (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Neil Sedaka (Orleans); Michele LaFong (O'Shea's); Danny Gans (Rio); and David Brenner, Friday and Saturday only (Riviera).

Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance" (New York-New York) just passed the 300th performance mark and should continue well into the new millennium. ... The same can be said for "Viva Las Vegas" and "American Superstars," afternoons and evenings respectively, at the Stratosphere.

Luciano Pavarotti, who has done so much to bring opera to the general public, will open the state-of-the-art Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday. ... Although most of the world has known that Pavarotti would perform here this weekend, there was no mention in the Travel & Leisure article.

Thursday addenda

Rip Taylor never fails to make us laugh. ... A recent note told us he is still starring in the touring company of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." ... They play the Opera House in Lexington, Ky., next week. ... Bernie Allen, at 83, is another who makes us laugh. ... He headlines the Riviera Comedy Club through Sunday.

Community College of Southern Nevada's 10th annual Joe Williams Scholarship Fund event will be May 7 in the Nicholas Horn Theatre. ... Please attend or send a tribute in Joe's memory, a fitting way to perpetuate his good name. ... See you Friday.