The curtain also falls on DI’s Crystal Showroom

Kirk Baird

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000 | 8:49 a.m.

Fifty years can produce a lot of memories.

Opening on April 24, 1950, the 530-seat Crystal Showroom at the Desert Inn did just that.

But earlier this week the Desert Inn -- and the showroom -- closed, just days before the scheduled closing Sunday of Caesars Palace's famed Circus Maximus showroom.

The Desert Inn was purchased by Steve Wynn in April. The casino mogul plans to raze the existing hotel and adjoining golf course to make room for a new megaresort.

The Crystal Showroom was a luxurious venue for entertainers over the years -- including Frank Sinatra, Don Rickles, Olivia Newton-John and Dana Carvey, among countless others. Several performers recently shared their thoughts on the demise of the showroom, which closed its doors Sunday following a performance by the Golden Boys -- Fabian, Bobby Rydell and Frankie Avalon.

Count Gladys Knight, rhythm-and-blues legend and Las Vegas resident, among those who say the city is losing something special. For more than 10 years Knight performed at the Crystal Showroom both solo and with the Pips, her longtime group comprised of her family members.

"During my 51-year career, (the room) inspired me to be like the greats in the business," Knight said. "One of the things me and the Pips did was look up to the greats who performed there, Sammy Davis Jr., Sinatra, Nat King Cole.

"When we finally had the chance to perform there, we felt we'd arrived; we did the same thing so-and-so did."

The room, she said, afforded an opportunity for her and other entertainers to work on their show before headlining bigger venues. Now with its closing, there are no real lounge-type places to act as a "playground" for performers before playing in arenas. Subsequently, she said, they have very short career spans.

"When they get there it's only because they do something hot, and they have not really had the chance to perfect their career and to hone their magic," Knight said.

One performer who did craft his act at the showroom was legendary comedian Buddy Hackett. In fact, Hackett said he had special plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of when he opened there, Nov. 22, 1952, which was also his first show.

Now that's off.

"If you see a guy standing in an empty field with rubble in a tuxedo, that poor bastard ... " Hackett, who turns 77 today, said in a recent phone interview from his home in California.

Despite his sad feelings over its demise, Hackett (who also performed his final show at the room in '93 before retiring) said he had a wonderful time when he performed there. He also performed locally at the Sahara.

Perhaps his favorite stint was when he returned to the Crystal Showroom in April '91. The room had a rotating showcase of Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Willie Nelson, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme and one other act which Hackett doesn't recall. The shows began on Wednesdays and ran through Sundays, which meant the showroom was dark on Mondays and Tuesdays.

So the comedian had the idea to fill those voids with a show, in which he would go on stage solo, with no orchestra or accompanying act. The powers that be told him it would never work, but opted to give him the chance anyway. Hackett proved those naysayers wrong, selling out every performance.

"They said stay as long as it worked, and I stayed almost a year, then went away and came back," he said. "Then they started making it four and five days" worth of shows.

And then there were those who had ideas for the Crystal Showroom's future. Singer/actor and Las Vegas resident Robert Goulet said he planned to bring a production of "Man of La Mancha" into town, and the showroom was the perfect venue because of its side stages.

"It's a shame to watch these wonderful showrooms go by the wayside," he said.