For many, Las Vegas is somewhat of a mystical place. I'd bet (pun intended!) that there's not a person over the age of fifteen who hasn't at least seen pictures of Sin City all lit up at night. Those who are a bit older begin to hear the tales of all night partying, gambling and, of course, the showgirls.
For me, however, Las Vegas has been like a second home for almost five years. As the host of The Price Is Right Live at Ballys Casino, I have developed a sense of pride in my affilation with this legendary town. I along, with many other local performers, believe in giving back to the city that has given us so much and I am always moved by the outpouring of support that I see at charity functions, fundraisers and civic events. As a matter of fact, I am writing this blog post on Earth Day and every single light on The Strip has been turned off for an hour to encourage all of us to reduce our carbon footprint. If you've ever been on Las Vegas Blvd. at night then you know that this is a pretty impressive showing of support for our planet.
Everything you have read or heard about Las Vegas is probably true. No doubt there are things that happen there that probably are not very common where you live. I know in my hometown just outside of Boston I would never see people walking down the street in the middle of the night wearing their finest clothes and drinking a frozen margarita out of giant plastic electric guitar. I'm also not likely to hop in a taxi that is driven by a guy in an Elvis costume. These experiences are exclusive to Las Vegas. But there is so much more to the city than "What Happens in Las Vegas..."
The history of Las Vegas is incredibly fascinating. If you have a moment, please visit http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/ and read about it's origin. You can also find countless books on the history of the mob, building of the casinos and more on http://www.amazon.com/.
I am grateful for every day that I get to go to work on The Strip. It is obviously legendary and I consider it a highlight of my entertainment career to be featured on the same stretch of land where The Rat Pack, Elvis, Wayne Newton and countless other household names entertained the masses for decades. People save up all year long and use their vacation days just to spend a few days where I get to earn my paycheck. It doesn't matter what time of year it is...Las Vegas is always the place to be and it offers something for everyone.
Ballys Casino is right in the middle of The Strip. Across the street is the beautiful fountain show at Bellagio. Just down the block is the new City Center. Next door at Bill's Gambling' Hall is where I like to go in the afternoon to watch my friend Big Elvis (http://bigelvis.biz/) perform. Big E was just named one of TIME Magazines Top 10 Elvis Impersonators of All Time. He deserves it! And if I ever get the itch to ride a rollercoaster at eight in the morning then New York New York has just what I'm looking for. Where else can you find that kind of variety?
I must say that there are few things more exciting than driving down the strip at night and seeing your own face appear on the giant Jumbotron. What a thrill that is. I often think back to when I was a young boy and my grandmother would say "You're gonna see your name in lights one day, T." Well, I guess Nana knew what she was talking about.
After I park my car and enter the casino I make my way up to my dressing room. This gives me an opportunity to walk past the line of people waiting to get into the Jubilee Theater for our show. There's always a feeling of energy and optimism as the audience waits patiently for the doors to open...all with the famous yellow name tags plastered to their chests.
But it's not all fun and games. Take a stroll behind the scenes at any casino and you will see just how many people it takes to make the operation run smoothly. Security, management, food service, dealers, pool lifeguards, housekeeping staff, engineering, maintenance and of course, the entertainers. We all do our part to make sure you have a great time in Las Vegas. Here's a short clip of some of the folks you may see wandering a back hallway http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M47-LSwbSE.
Fun times!
So, as summer approaches and you begin to make your vacation plans, I hope you'll consider coming to see us in Las Vegas. The tables are hot and the drinks are cold. As The King himself said "There's blackjack and poker and the roulette wheel. A fortune won and lost on every deal. All you need's a strong heart and nerves of steel. VIVA LAS VEGAS!"
0 comments:
Post a Comment