Friday, July 20, 2001 | 9:45 a.m.
The luxurious white Cadillac Escalade stopped at the intersection of Blue Diamond Road and an access road across from Silverton.
A middle-aged woman, her skin turned to leather by years in the blazing sun, stood beside the road, a piece of cardboard hanging from her neck declaring that she was homeless and asking if someone would please help her.
John Stuart, founder of "Legends in Concert," was talking about one of his myriad projects and didn't give his actions a second thought as he took some cash from his wallet, depressed the button that lowered his window and handed the grateful woman the money.
"God bless you," she said as Stuart raised the window and continued the trip to his 18-acre ranch in the southeast valley, where he has a swimming pool that will put on a water show with the flip of a switch, and a 5,600-square-foot home, where he regularly entertains for charitable events.
He continues:
"I was watching the TV (show) 'Ripley's (Believe it or Not)' and I thought, 'Man these are good acts.' And I contacted the Ripley's headquarters in Orlando and said, 'I want to create a show around your people (with odd talents).'"
The youthful 58-year-old father of seven speaks rapidly. He's a man with a lot to say about a lot of different subjects. There doesn't seem to be enough time in a day to do all he wants to do. But somehow, he manages.
Stuart's version of "Ripley's" debuted in Branson, Mo., in May.
"I turned it into a musical," he said.
People with such singular talents as eating light bulbs and walking on 40-foot stilts are surrounded by singers and dancers in a Broadway-like production.
Stuart has plans to clone "Ripley's" and send a version to Atlantic City, another to Las Vegas and another to the company that produces "Sesame Street." Within two years he says he will have five of the shows in production, each one geared to a different demographic group that has a different gross-out threshold.
Cloning is a big part of Stuart's success, starting with "Legends in Concert," which has been playing at the Imperial Palace since 1983.
Today there are nine permanent "Legends" productions in Las Vegas; Branson; Atlantic City; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Honolulu and aboard Premier Cruise Lines ships.
On Stage Entertainment, Stuart's production company, has produced more than 50 different shows and employs almost 700 people nationwide -- more than 400 of them entertainers.
"Our goal is to be one of the largest employers of live entertainers in the world," Stuart said.
The perfect storm
Interviewing Stuart is like being in the eye of a hurricane, watching his professional life swirl wildly around him while his personal life is relatively calm and focused.
Stuart, a devout Mormon who teaches an adult Sunday school classes, said he was reared to believe God and family are the most important things in life.
"They mean more to me than the other things," he said.
He and his wife, Alex, 58 have been married 37 years and have seven children, three of whom live at home, including Chans Lyn, 13, Arriel 16, and David, 35, who suffers from spina bifida. Cory, 21, is a college student and Missy, 36, is a hairdresser. Shane, 23, is a budding actor enrolled in the Lee Strasberg acting school in Hollywood.
Another of their sons, John Michael, 31, has cerebral palsy and is employed as a social worker for Sierra Health Services. He also is a motivational speaker, and several times each month speaks to groups around the country about how important it is to help other people.
Stuart takes more pride in his family than any of his other accomplishments.
"They are my outlet," he said. "I never do things just for me only. I always involve the family. Rather than play three or four hours of golf, I'll ride horses with the kids."
He adjusts his work schedule to be able to spend the most amount of time with the family.
"I'm on the road one-third of my time," he said. "When I am on the road I leave Monday morning and make sure I'm back by Thursday night or Friday.
"The prime time for children to be with their parents is Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday, and 90 percent of that time I'm with the family."
To prepare for his Sunday school classes he rises at three in the morning, several days a week, to study. He relates those lessons to his children.
"Religion is the most important part of life," Stuart said.
He is grateful to his parents and to his religion for helping him stay grounded.
"I've never lost touch with reality, thanks to my parents and the church," he said. "They kept me in tune with what life's all about. I have never allowed myself to deviate from my values. I keep myself on track.
"My real focus is on trying to be a reasonable, decent human being. I'm marketing all this stuff so it's there for my children and maybe their children."
Homes on the range
Stuart bought his 18 acres so his children would have a place to ride horses.
"We lived in a suite of apartments at the Imperial Palace for four years," he said. "One weekend I took the kids to a horse show and they liked it and we bought a couple of horses and paid rent to keep them here.
"I decided to quit paying rent and bought the place."
The ranch is the site of the annual Cattle Barons Ball, a fund-raising event for cancer, and several other charitable events. On Aug. 18 Sunrise Hospital will host a barbecue for the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation.
Stuart has never been satisfied with a simple project. Everything he does explodes in a dozen different directions.
He turned the 1,400-square- foot home into a 5,600-square- foot country estate and is adding 2,000 more square feet to it, in addition to a five-car garage.
He built several enclosed stables for his children's horses and 30 more to lease out to other horse owners, "mostly doctors and their wives."
There is an outdoor arena for people to exercise their show horses.
In the near future there also will be an indoor arena on 2 1/2 acres and a dozen more stables for the use of people who buy one of the 32 custom-built homes being developed by Stuart in Legends Ranch Estate, which will be on a portion of his original 18 acres.
The homes will range in size from 3,800-6,000 square feet and sell for $425,000-$800,000. The gated community will be accentuated with cobblestone streets bearing names such as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe lanes.
And, of course, once the Legends community is completed, Stuart said he will clone it, building more of them around the valley.
Performing miracles
Trying to follow everything Stuart does is similar to deciphering a DNA molecule. On Stage is an extremely complex operation, as is its chief executive officer.
Four years ago the company bought Wild Bill's, a dinner theater in Buena Park, Calif.. Meanwhile Stuart is creating a syndicated program called "Legends Challenge," similar to "Star Search," except that the aspiring stars compete in categories of legendary entertainers.
He also wants to reprise "Country Tonight," which was the last show to play at the original Aladdin before it was imploded three years ago.
Stuart also wants to create stars.
"I think I could take a young person right now and mold that person and guarantee them stardom," he said. "If I saw the quality in that person, if they have what it takes, I can guarantee them stardom if they stay off the drugs, keep their nose clean and keep their ego out of it and just do what they are told."
He also wants to produce more shows with established stars.
"I'm trying to get Charo a permanent show in Las Vegas," Stuart said. "She is one of the best entertainers I have ever seen. She is a ball of fire."
Banjo Johnny
Stuart gave up a promising career as a performer himself to be with his family.
"When I found myself on the road for four and five months at time, I decided to go into production," he said.
Stuart began performing professionally at age 7 as Banjo Johnny, part of a family troupe of 10 brothers and sisters who appeared at state fairs and other venues.
"I sang with the Beach Boys, Mike Love and Brian Wilson -- I was the lead singer," Stuart said. "That was in 1959 and 1960. They weren't big yet. We were doing fairs, the Hollywood Palladium.
"I left them and started doing off-Broadway shows, musicals like 'Pajama Game' and 'Fiddler on the Roof.' I traveled around the country doing 'Damn Yankees.' I thought I was surpassing them, but then they became the Beach Boys."
Stuart had the lead in more than 200 musical productions. He can even be a "Legends" performer.
"I do (an impersonation of country singer) Marty Robbins," he said. "If I were to hire a Marty Robbins (impersonator) I would hire me. I'm perfect."
Show business
Stuart is a hands-on executive. He is involved in almost every aspect of the company and keeps close tabs on all of the On Stage productions around the world.
He also watches the local entertainment scene closely.
"Some say the town is going back to the old philosophy of nudity, of girlie shows, but my company will not go into topless (shows)," he said. "We're more of a Disney-family company, not that I wish anything bad (to the risque shows)."
Stuart said he believes Broadway may have a future in Las Vegas.
"I think the city is going toward more quality productions, maybe 'Vegas-ize' some Broadway productions. I'm working on a Vegas version of the 'Phantom of the Opera,' " he said.
"But how can any of us compete with the $125 million projects like 'O'? The rest of us usually do something in the half-a-million to million-dollar range, $2 million to $3 million at the most.
"If my company got a big contract at New York-New York, we would spend up to $12 million on the show. We have earmarked a couple of major casinos we would spend that kind of money with."
Stuart said he thinks the town will eventually swing back to the "superstar window" meaning "a variety show with unique dancers and costumes, but with a 45-minute window in the show where they bring in a Tom Jones or somebody."
Whichever way the pendulum swings, Stuart is ready to apply the lessons he has learned during his 20 years in Las Vegas.
"My philosophy is you better dazzle them quick. There is so much for visitors here to get to. I don't try to make them think too deep," he said.
"I want something people can quickly identify with and be satisfied with, something with which they can associate memories, like a roller coaster ride that will leave them breathless."
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