Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003 | 8:19 a.m.
Until recently, most gamblers probably didn't realize there is a domed ceiling inside Tropicana's casino near the valet parking entrance.
They were too busy playing slot machines, cards and craps to look up.
"It's beautiful, stained Tiffany glass," "Air Play" producer Franco Deliz said.
Today the dome is a backdrop for "Air Play," a free show that features acrobats, contortionists, jugglers, singers and dancers.
There are four performances daily, seven days a week, each lasting 20 minutes, starting at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
"In any 70-minute production show, audiences don't absorb more than 20 or 30 minutes of what they see," Deliz said. "We've bypassed the downtime."
Deliz not only produces the brief, but intense, show. He also is the director, lead male singer and host.
"It's not like anything in Vegas," Deliz said. "You literally are in the middle of the show. It's right there, in your face, with people standing next to the stage."
There is a 20-by-22-foot stage surrounded by slot machines in the middle of the casino where Deliz and Charidy Sullivan LaFontaine stand above the gaming crowd and sing a variety of medleys ranging from standards to country to big band.
The show also includes a troupe of dancers, but the heart of the show takes place above the stage and under the stained-glass dome.
"It's a showcase of some great acts," said Deliz, who sang backup for Clint Holmes several years ago. Deliz says he has been in and out of Las Vegas since 1978 and has been involved with several productions at the Golden Nugget.
Deliz said he grew tired of working for shows produced for entertainment departments a couple of years ago and began looking for other venues. He said working for the marketing department at the Tropicana is the first time Deliz has worked for a non-entertainment entity in a casino.
One of the highlights of his production is "Aerial Expression," performed by Chris Santistevan and Jon Harms, who also do their high-flying act in "V, The Ultimate Variety Show" at Aladdin.
The duo have appeared in "Storm" at Mandalay Bay, "Notre Dame de Paris" at Paris Las Vegas and "Imagine" at Luxor.
In "Air Play," the acrobats hang from straps connected to a computer-controlled rail system inches below the stained glass, which allows them to glide up and down the length of the casino floor.
The rigging was designed and built by Flying by Foy of Las Vegas, a company that designs equipment that gives entertainers the illusion of flying.
"It appears that the acrobats are traveling on the glass, but they are actually on a track just beneath the glass," Deliz said.
While hanging from the straps, the two-man team poses, performs acrobatics and executes other routines that have been attracting large crowds since the show debuted in October.
"Chris and Jon are phenomenal," Deliz said. "They are an act within themselves."
Another highlight of "Air Play" is the balancing act of Stoyan Metchkarov, who uses miniature trampolines, oversized rubber balls and other props.
The native of Bulgaria has appeared in a number of Las Vegas shows, including "Jubilee!" at Bally's.
Husband and wife Nelson Pivaral and Goulia Rozyeva perform a balancing act, and Tom Smiela and Magda Cyran, also a husband-and-wife team, are contortionists.
Another member of the cast is Ronnie Foster, musical director, keyboardist and vocalist for the production. Foster has sang with such legends as Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie. He was with George Benson for 13 years.
Deliz said the show has been so successful that he may add two more shows.
"We know at any given show there will be anywhere from 150 to 200 people lining the casino waiting for the show to start," Deliz said. "It's a big draw for the casino. There were people here a month ago who decided to come back for New Year's and stay here, because of the show."
Deliz said every show is different, which keeps fans coming back.
"People catch the 3 o'clock show, go gamble and then come back at 5 to see the next one," he said. "People want to see all the different shows -- they are high impact and move very quickly."
With more than 25 years of experience as a producer, director and performer in resorts and casinos, Deliz says he was approached by representatives of the Tropicana around last April.
"The marketing department asked me to come up with a plan for a show under the dome," Deliz said. "It's been there for 25 or 30 years, but people don't really notice it. They are focused on gaming and don't look up."
Deliz said the Tropicana wanted a show that would draw visitors into the casino and hold them there.
"And they wanted something with production value," Deliz said. "So what we have are mini-productions with some of the best acts around."
LaFontaine is Deliz's business partner, as well as the lead female singer. She has performed with Guns N' Roses, the Pointer Sisters, Pink and other recording artists. She also danced for two seasons for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and for the Las Vegas Outlaws of the defunct XFL professional football league.
"She is one of top three production female singers in Vegas," Deliz said.
Deliz was performing in "Tease" at the Blue Note Las Vegas when he was approached by the Tropicana to create a show. "Tease" has since closed, but Deliz was working on both productions for awhile.
"I eventually had to drop out of 'Tease,' " he said. "It became too much. This (show at the Tropicana) is not a small project."
There are performances seven days a week, with a rotating cast.
"There's a lot going on," Deliz said.
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