Columnist Joe Delaney: Taking a look at Park Place’s entertainment history

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Jan. 24, 2002 | 8:17 a.m.

Having dealt with the hotels in the Boyd Group, Mandalay Resort Group and MGM MIRAGE in the previous Thursday columns, we now focus on Park Place Entertainment in Las Vegas, which includes Bally's, Caesars Palace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Las Vegas Hilton, O'Sheas and Paris Las Vegas, and, someday, could include the Aladdin as well.

Our Park Place analysis really begins in Atlantic City ... Las Vegas hotel veterans and acts that made Las Vegas popular did the same for Atlantic City ... The late Billy Weinberger Sr., president and a major factor in the growth of Caesars Palace, was the guiding light for Bally's Park Place in its formative years before returning to Las Vegas and joining The Mirage.

Atlantic City has always been a weekend resort, except for the period between Memorial Day and the week after Labor Day when it hosted the Miss America Pageant ... Shows were usually dark on Friday and star policy was a weekend-only approach while Las Vegas was built on a seven-day, two-shows-a-night entertainment schedule.

Star policy has become the usual weekend booking in Las Vegas, and Friday a dark night in some venues in town these past two decades ... Las Vegas has become more similar to Atlantic City ... Arthur Goldberg, who was based in Atlantic City and recently died, was the hands-on operator when Park Place Entertainment was formed to operate Hilton hotels in areas where gaming was legal.

Goldberg came to Las Vegas from Atlantic City and sold the LV Hilton after reducing it to a husk ... The sale fell through and the Hilton is going through a revitalization process, especially where entertainment is concerned ... Term deals have been made with the Commodores, Righteous Brothers and Smothers Brothers, plus late-show headliners on selected weekends.

Under Goldberg, Bally's star-policy showroom was closed and is now an entrance to Paris Las Vegas ... George Carlin, who performed late shows in the Jubilee Room, was allowed to go to MGM Grand, a mistake ... Caesars Palace Circus Maximus was closed and Caesars Magical Empire put on notice, later rescinded, at least until Celine Dion opens in 2003.

Paris Las Vegas got off to a disastrous start with "Notre Dame de Paris," and floundered until it went to star policy using former Caesars Palace Circus Maximus luminaries such as Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Julio Iglesias and Patti LaBelle ... Certain headliners could also be used at the LV Hilton, giving Park Place exclusivity potential.

It should be noted that this increased entertainment activity actually began after the demise of Goldberg ... It should also be noted that he was a brilliant, successful operator who focused on the bottom line, making every part of the hotel a profit center, and closing unprofitable centers (entertainment areas, especially) as quickly as possible.

Under Goldberg, Park Place Entertainment wisely bought Aladdin bonds at a discount, putting it in a position to take over as that hotel's condition worsens ... At present, this would also mean taking over an onerous debt load ... Our gut feeling is that Kirk Kerkorian may want to add the Aladdin to his MGM MIRAGE holdings ... Don't be surprised.

In last Thursday's column, we discussed executives who have been factors in the growth of both the Steve Wynn and Kerkorian endeavors ... J. Terrence Lanni came over from Caesars Palace to MGM Grand, a huge plus for Kerkorian's holdings ... Another plus was the retention of Robert Baldwin, Wynn's right arm, to handle The Mirage properties acquisition.

Next Thursday we will continue with the Coast Hotels: Barbary Coast, Gold Coast, The Orleans and Suncoast.

Star-policy rundown

It's Tony Orlando, 8 p.m., and Amazing Johnathan, 10 p.m. (Golden Nugget); Mac King, afternoons, Clint Holmes, evenings (Harrah's); Johnny Mathis and Sheena Easton, in separate venues (LV Hilton); Blue Man Group (Luxor); Engelbert Humperdinck, plus Rick Springfield starring in "EFX Alive" (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy and Danny Gans, in separate theaters (Mirage); and Lance Burton (Monte Carlo).

Plus Rita Rudner (New York-New York); Neil Sedaka (Orleans); Ronn Lucas afternoons, Scintas, evenings, plus Louie Anderson in a separate theater (Rio); Steve Wyrick (Sahara); D.L. Hughley, Saturday only (Sam's Town); Wayne Newton is back (Stardust); Tower of Power (Suncoast); Rick Thomas (Tropicana); and Melinda, the First Lady of Magic, 7 p.m. and "Bravo," starring Charo, 9 p.m. (Venetian).

Final night for Marv Koral's All-Stars, featuring world's finest jazz trombonist, Carl Fontana, at the Jazzed Cafe ... Actors Repertory Theatre presents David Mamet's "Oleanna" this weekend and next (Summerlin Library Theatre); LV Little Theatre's "Beyond Therapy" is in its second and final weekend ... Support community theater.

"Best of the New York Stage Series" presents Ailey II, the noted dance company, 8 p.m. Saturday (University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Artemus Ham Hall) ... The Sierra Winds' "Happy Birthday, Mozart" tribute takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday (Winchester Community Center) ... The LV Woodwind Quintet performs at 3 p.m. Sunday (Reed Whipple Center); admission is free but a ticket is required.

It's good to have the Don Menza Big Band back in action, Mondays at 9 and 11 p.m., Riviera's LeBistro Lounge ... We'll be on hand as co-host for "On Stage: An Evening with Walter Mason and Friends" 8 p.m. Friday at the West Las Vegas Library Theatre ... Join us ... See you Friday.