The Movable Buffet

Dispatches from Las Vegas
by Richard Abowitz

Category: Tropicana

Wayne Newton: A presence more than a performance

October 29, 2009 | 9:21 am

Last night there was a red-carpet opening for the new Wayne Newton show at Tropicana. I spoke to his former dance partner Cheryl Burke (pictured with Vanna White), who has kept in touch with Newton and stays at his house when she is in Vegas. "I've met the penguins and the dog and the monkey and the horses," she says. Asked if she would ever appear in a Vegas show, Burke replied in the affirmative, but then added: "As long as it is not topless."

As for Newton, if you are a fan, his voice does not matter to you. If you are not, be warned. I find it painful to hear someone so incapable of singing perform for 90 minutes. He mentioned frequently the six shows a night he did for years as if in explanation of the never-acknowledged problem: His voice is shot. And his vocals are ruined in such an unpleasant way that -- and I tend to like damaged voices, from Bob Dylan to Tom Waits -- his attempts to sing are dispiriting. At best he can rally for an occasional forced note following verse after verse of creak and croak.

Yet, his onstage charisma remains intact when telling old stories or playing a variety of instruments. He is Wayne Newton, the last of his kind. Newton, 67, has implied this may be his last run of shows, so if you want to see him take this opportunity. But don't expect anything beyond being able to say you saw Wayne Newton in Vegas. But, hey, that's still something, right?

Photos: Sarah Gerke

More in: Tropicana

Permalink

Comments (2)

Is Wayne Newton planning to retire?

September 24, 2009 | 10:06 am

I attended a press conference on Wednesday and interviewed Wayne Newton about his latest effort, "Once Before I Go," a show set to open at the Tropicana for six months beginning Oct. 14. Every time I have seen the Wayner in Vegas, he suffered from vocal issues so serious that he was hard to decipher even while speaking to the audience, and his singing was worse than embarrassing. He simply had no voice left. I am not the only one to notice the horrifying deterioration.

For years I have heard local entertainment media and casino executives suggesting gently, or harshly, that the Wayner use his still-bountiful charisma and strong brand name to host a show for younger talents who work in the entertainment tradition of the 67-year-old Las Vegas legend. That sort of show is a no-brainer, except Newton has shown no inclination to do such a show. There were hints that this latest show might contain something of that with regular guests. But Newton shot that idea down to me, essentially saying he was expecting the occasional celebrity to drop by but that the show will mostly be him performing.

There were some oddities to the press conference, such as Newton hyping new technology that now made his dream show possible like never before (Auto Tune through a live mike?). But when pressed by one reporter about the new technology, all he mentioned were sound, lighting and video. Perhaps all have improved since his years in the spotlight, but nothing new was on that list and I would not be expecting CGI at a Wayne Newton show or a massive Phantom stage. Newton also mentioned that he planned an orchestra to accompany him. But as Mike Weatherford points out today, that will be hard for Newton to assemble given an ongoing dispute with the Las Vegas musicians union.

Regardless, Wayne Newton is one of those rare links to the Vegas of legend. Usually buildings remain recalling the greats who once walked their halls and stages. But from the Sands to the Stardust, almost all of Wanyne Newton's Las Vegas is gone.

So regardless of his voice, the number of musicians or anything else, the Wayner will always be a draw in Vegas for older audiences who want memories rekindled and younger audiences who want to experience the show as camp or just in appreciation of the sort of entertainment that helped build Las Vegas.

Richard Abowitz: "Once Before I Go" is the title of the show. The word "go" stands out. Are you seriously thinking of retiring in six months?

Wayne Newton: I am considering it. I am leaving myself the option. But I can tell you that this show has been so encompassing and time-consuming both mentally and physically, I would never want to do it again. So, this is the only time I can guarantee they will ever see this show, if anyone still wants to see Wayne Newton.

Abowitz: A lot of people want to see Wayne Newton. But the question has always been, How's your voice? Your voice that has had some hard years, and I have seen some of those hard years.

Newton: You know, it's interesting. No matter what you do in life, there are going to be days and times you are not feeling well. The question then becomes if I cancel, I take the heat from all those people who stand in line, do all those things you have to do to get tickets, spend their money and then me not show up. Frankly I was going through real vocal problems. I was hoarse all the time. I went to UCLA and did tests. And, on a scale of 1-10 my vocal chords were burned to 9. So, it took me about two years to get back to where I could sing and didn't sound [hoarse]. It has been an uphill battle. But it has been won now.

Abowitz: So, you will be doing most of the singing and performing in this show yourself?

Newton: Yes, oh yes.

Abowitz: You mentioned new technology.

Newton: Theatrical technology.

Abowitz: Do you mean stuff like Cirque does?

Newton: No. It is a different kind of theatrical. I am weaving in an autobiographical approach to the show, almost a Broadway approach. But I am leaning more on the enjoyment and entertainment end than if it were truly a one-man-show.

Abowitz: So, you won't be going near the heavy stuff like the tax issues you have had?

Newton: It is going to touch on them, because that is part of who I am too.

Abowitz: Has that kept you working, needing the money, during problems with your voice?

Newton: No! It didn't help. It wasn't a positive thing. But on the other hand, working is all I know how to do.

Photo: Wayne Newton Credit: Joe Coomber

More in: Tropicana

Permalink

Comments (2)

Breaking news: 'Les Folies Bergere' at Tropicana closing

January 15, 2009 | 11:19 am

It looks like the Tropicana's topless showgirl classic "Les Folies Bergere" will not reach its 50th anniversary. Norm Clarke is reporting that the cast was told last night that the show's final performance will be March 28, ending its run at 49 years. The original show opened in 1959 with director Lou Walters (father of Barbara). Future plans for the showroom have not yet been announced by the Tropicana, which last year lost attractions Bodies and Titanic.

UPDATE: Here is the official press release from Tropicana:

"Folies Bergere Takes Final Bow

Les Folies Bergere, the classic Parisian revue, will end its nearly half-century run at the Tropicana
Las Vegas on March 28, 2009. The show will continue its regular performance schedule for the remainder of the engagement. Folies Bergere opened on December 24, 1959 under Entertainment Director Lou Walters -- father of news correspondent Barbara Walters -- and came direct from Paris to the Tropicana. The show has continued to entertain audiences from around the world through the present day.

'Folies Bergere enjoyed an amazing and unprecedented run on the Las Vegas Strip,' said Ron Thacker, Tropicana Las Vegas president. 'We are extremely proud to have been part of such an iconic Las Vegas production and offer a sincere thank you to the cast, crew and support staff for their many years of excellence.'

Tickets for the Folies Bergere begin as low as $35 plus tax and surcharge and are available at the Tropicana Box Office or by calling (702) 739-2411.

Tropicana Las Vegas is currently in discussion with prominent producers and will reveal its definitive plans for the Tiffany Theater in the coming weeks. "

(Folies 1972 photo courtesy of Tropicana)

More in: Tropicana

Permalink

Comments (2)

Tropicana: A good price costs lots of patience

May 28, 2008 | 5:49 pm

I am spending tonight at the Tropicana for a story for Las Vegas Weekly and to see Folies Bergere for the Buffet. The bankrupt casino is sure letting customers feel the pinch of its reduced workforce. Wednesday is one of the slowest nights of the week in Vegas and it still took an hour of waiting in line to check in. To make matters more frustrating, there were plenty more check-in windows available -- more space closed than open, in fact. There were just not enough employees to check guests into their rooms. This was similar to the wait I had at Luxor on New Year's Eve. But again, this is a typical Wednesday afternoon. The wait should have been five minutes. Most resorts want their customers gambling and not waiting to check in for their first hour on property. But Tropicana does not have enough staff working up front to make that practical today.

As soon as I checked into my room, I went to examine the escalator that leads to Bodies: The Exhibition. When I visited Tropicana back in December for the Buffet to check on conditions here (after I had heard some horror stories), I wrote about how that key escalator to Bodies was broken.

I was curious, with all these months to work on fixing this escalator since December, if I would find the repair finally completed. After all, an escalator allowed to sit around broken endlessly says something about the care and money being put into a property. Sure enough, the escalator is still out of order and has even grown some advertising. There is a sign offering a line pass where people should be entering to take the escalator down to the exhibit. Any surprise Bodies is moving to the Luxor?

And, I wonder, after a vacation spent dealing with out-of-order escalators and waiting in lines, how long it will be before customers decide that a discount room at the Tropicana has too many discomforts to still be a bargain? (Photo by Richard Abowitz)

More in: Tropicana

Permalink

Comments (4)

Tropicana: omen or sore thumb?

May 8, 2008 | 9:41 am

The economic slowdown is the No. 1 topic in Las Vegas now in conversation and in media. The Tropicana filed for bankruptcy. While the drop in tourists may be blamed, I have reported on the Buffet about the problem-plagued property for some time.

The last time a major casino declared bankruptcy on the Strip was the Aladdin in 2001. In that case, the post-9/11 environment was cited as well as it being a resort with a Middle Eastern theme. I always hated the insinuation that somehow racism was at fault for Aladdin's failure.

The Aladdin had so many design problems when it reopened that Planet Hollywood is still spending millions to fix the place. And I am being generous by not dwelling on management decisions before Aladdin filed for bankruptcy protection. In short, the Aladdin's bankruptcy may have been accelerated by the economic downturn in Vegas after Sept. 11, 2001, but one felt that the process of the resort's fall was well underway before terrorists attacked New York. And it is meaningful that no other casino went bankrupt during that period.

Similarly, the Tropicana's problems date back to a bidding war that the new owner won, but at what most experts felt was a grossly inflated price. Problems continued through workforce reductions and continue at the Tropicana to this day as the resort is the only one on the Strip that has yet to renew its contract with the Culinary Union.

These are certainly hard times for Vegas. Among the casino companies to announce layoffs are MGM-Mirage and local giant Station Casinos. Only Steve Wynn has announced that his property will have no workforce reductions. Meanwhile, huge new resort projects like Cosmopolitan are haunted by uncertainty; Donald Trump has put off building his second condo/hotel tower; and the Plaza resort that was to replace the New Frontier also may not break ground anytime soon. There is also the problem of the residential mortgage crisis that is taking place in the suburbs outside the scope of this blog.

Much has changed since a few years ago, when even Trump's former wife had the towering Ivana planned for luxury Vegas living. That said, Palazzo at the Venetian has just opened. Encore at the Wynn is about to open. CityCenter by MGM is coming along with incredible alacrity, as is the little-discussed Fontainebleau resort. In entertainment, big projects like "Jersey Boys" at Palazzo and Cher at Caesars Palace are opening at a regular clip, including Cirque's plan to invest $100 million into a Criss Angel show later this year.

The Tropicana can certainly blame the economic slowdown in Vegas in part for its bankruptcy. But plenty is still happening at other companies on the Strip. And, while there may be sales, I doubt any other Strip properties will need to resort to bankruptcy.

By the way, the Trop continues to have one of the best locations on the Strip: next to MGM Grand and New York New York, with easy access to Luxor-Excalibur-Mandalay Bay.

(Photo by Sarah Gerke)

More in: Tropicana

Permalink

Comments (1)

The Tropicana has issues

February 6, 2008 | 1:07 pm

Life has not been good at the Tropicana for some time.

The casino is the only one on the Strip that has yet to reach a contract with the Culinary Union. The union has been asked by the property to change pension rules and medical plans from the deal agreed to by all of the other union properties on the Strip. According to the Review-Journal a marathon bargaining session Monday produced little progress.

But the Tropicana's negotiations with the union may be a sign of deeper problems at the Strip resort. Plans for a major redevelopment were put on indefinite hold long ago. There is an out-of-order escalator and other signs of the property's run-down condition obvious to any visitor.

And, over the past days, the Culinary Union has gone public to the Las Vegas Sun producing employees who in addition to other complaints say they were asked to wait a couple of days to cash their paychecks. The company denies the allegations. If true, this would be a shocking request from a Strip resort. And right now the Culinary Union employees have a better record for honesty.

Consider that gaming columnist Jeff Simpson has chastised Nevada regulators for not being more active in examining whether the parent company, Columbia Sussex, should even be able to keep a gaming license. In the widely discussed column, Simpson argued:

"Despite Columbia Sussex’s recently being stripped of the Tropicana Atlantic City’s gaming license, and the company’s earlier decision to abandon Tropicana’s former sister property in Missouri because Show Me State regulators made it clear Columbia Sussex wouldn’t get licensed, Nevada regulators have not taken action against the company. New Jersey regulators said Columbia Sussex executives defied the regulatory process and lacked good character, honesty and integrity. "

The Tropicana apparently bought a full-page advertisement in the Review-Journal to deny the allegations of the Culinary Union and in Simpson's column. Simpson responded to that with another column:

"It’s my opinion that Columbia Sussex flouted New Jersey gaming regulations and that Nevada regulators should file a formal complaint against the company, hold a public hearing and consider pulling its six Nevada casino licenses. I believe regulators would be justified in yanking the licenses."

So, bottom line: how does this impact you if you are taking a vacation and considering staying at the Tropicana?

In December, before this latest round of problems, I had heard so many stories about problems at the Tropicana that I spent a night there to see how it is for guests. I wrote an item about the experience for the Buffet. I found the Trop to be a typical run-down older property, but no worse than, say, the Sahara. Of course, the Sahara is getting renovated.

So, I would suggest you consider a stay at Tropicana only if you get a very good bargain, and/or you are someone who just wants a bed to crash in while enjoying Vegas. I found that while the Tropicana was not a great or even a good place to spend the night, the place is still adequate. And there is the Bodies exhibit.

(Photo by Sarah Gerke)

More in: Tropicana

Permalink

Comments (0)

Problems mount for Tropicana owner

December 13, 2007 | 10:30 am

Columbia Sussex, the owners of the Tropicana, have been removed from operating their casino in Atlantic City by regulators. According to the Review-Journal, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission issued a statement saying Columbia Sussex displayed "a lack of business ability, a lack of financial responsibility and lack of good character, honesty and integrity." It is unclear, if or how, this will impact the Tropicana in Las Vegas.

Last week, I spent a night at the Strip Tropicana to check out rumors I had heard about gross conditions at the property. I found a broken escalator and a dingy bathroom, but nothing more extreme than I expected at an older property. Still, I was only there one night.

As the events in New Jersey continue to unfold, the more immediate problem for the Las Vegas Tropicana is that it remains the only casino on the Strip (except the non-union Venetian) to not settle on a new contract with the most powerful union in town: Culinary Local 226.
(Photo by Sarah Gerke)

More in: Tropicana

Permalink

Comments (0)

Dispatches from Las Vegas by Richard Abowitz

Dispatches from Las Vegas
by Richard Abowitz