Artists shine light on cabaret

By Kristen Peterson (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 | 2 a.m.

The Liberace Museum’s collection of rhinestone and mirrors is enough to make any fan of theatrical kitsch swoon.

But who knew the museum’s little cabaret room would house such a coveted spotlight?

Theater performers from the Strip have fallen so in love with the intimate space that they’re holding a benefit to raise money for a sound and lighting system to accommodate their cabaret shows, many of which are late-evening events.

Keith Thompson, conductor of “Jersey Boys,” heads a monthly composers showcase at the museum that brings in some of the best Strip talent looking to fine-tune their own musical works.

On Sundays singer and actress Ali Spuck presents her show, “Ali Spuck: Here I Am.”

“Vs. A Rock Cabaret” just held three sold-out performances.

The room, which seats about 94 at tables, serves as a catalyst for a sense of community among theatrical performers who are homesick for the nurturing and artistic environment of traditional New York cabarets, Thompson says.

“Our artistic souls need it,” he says. “It’s intimate. It reminds me of cabarets in other cities. It’s not in a casino. It provides a bridge between Don’t Tell Mamma piano bar and a 300-seat theater at Clark County Library.”

But the room offers only a piano and a microphone, leaving Thompson and others to lug in a sound system each time.

Not anymore.

He and cast members from “Jersey Boys,” “Le Reve” and “Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular” are collaborating with the museum to present Wednesday’s benefit, aptly titled “Sound, Lights and Cabaret Nights: The Show Must Go On!”

Erich Bergen and Kristen Hertzenberg are part of the lineup, as well as Clint Holmes, Susan Anton, Domenick Allen and Martin Nievera of Vocal Soup.

Philip Fortenberry, who presents his one-man show, “Liberace and Me,” three days a week at the museum on Tropicana Avenue, will also be onstage.

The evening includes a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception and drawings for tickets to Strip shows. Organizers hope to raise $20,000 at the event through ticket sales, live raffles and general donations. Thompson will help maintain the space, which can be leased out or used free by students.

Museum officials are tickled, saying that this is the most action the room has seen in years.

“It certainly introduces Liberace and the Liberace legacy to people who might not know about it,” says Jack Rappaport, chairman of the foundation board.

Liberace, who died in 1987, started the foundation in 1976 as a way to provide scholarships to young music students. More than $5 million has been given to students locally and nationally, but the museum has seen an aging clientele and seeks ways to introduce Liberace to young people.