Developing documentary to show Vegas entertainers’ COVID struggles
Rich Little is nothing short of the dean of comic headliners in Las Vegas. The master impressionist is one of the few celebrities still living who shared the dais at the legendary “Dean Martin Celebrity Roast” series at the old MGM Grand.
Little still headlines at Tropicana’s Laugh Factory. At age 82, Little rolls with his vast collection of celeb impersonations, including long-time favorites Johnny Carson, Ronald Reagan and George Burns.
But Little hasn’t mastered doing very little.
“What am I doing? Nothing,” Little said in an interview last fall. “And it’s very hard to do nothing, because you never know when you’re through.”
Little is featured prominently in a new project focused on entertainers in the city who are mentally, emotionally, artistically and financially struggling through COVID-19. Among them is Penny Wiggins, longtime sidekick of The Amazing Johnathan and cast member for Criss Angel at Luxor, who has conceived the documentary “The Night the Lights Went Out in Vegas.”
Wiggins is partnering with Vegas entertainment photographer Richard Faverty on the project, in their PenRich Productions platform (the video is linked at PenRichProductions.com). The two began with only the vision of speaking with out-of-work entertainers, and those in the entertainment community with a powerful story to tell.
The result, so far, is a 6-minute sizzle reel produced and edited by Lilly Lewin teasing a greatest-hits package of 75 performers crossing the Vegas universe.
Wiggins, who played the embattled Psychic Tanya in The Amazing Johnathan’s show, and Flaherty now face the noble challenge of ratcheting this material into a cohesive documentary.
“We have so many great voices and great faces, and it just kept growing as we worked on it,” said Wiggins, currently cast in “The Big Little Variety Show” at Alexis Park. “Now we need to make it into a real story.”
All those interviews likely require a host, certainly a written blueprint, and an interested suitor.
The producers love a Netflix idea, even a two-part series. The appeal is largely dependent on editing, and also follow-up interviews with many of those featured. As it is now, it’s a vast collection of in-the-moment stories of how the pandemic, for a time, wiped out “the entertainment capital of the world.”
Such national headliners as George Wallace, Louie Anderson, Lance Burton and Piff The Magic Dragon are featured with such Vegas favorites as “V — The Ultimate Variety Show” host Wally Eastwood, fire artist Antonio Restivo, vocalist Cassie Stone, director Curtis Goodwin and burlesque artist Kalani Kokonuts. (Yours truly was also among those interviewed for the project). Carrot Top is due to be interviewed this week.
Vegas entertainment couples share their struggles. We hear from Dai Richards of “Tenors of Rock” and “Original Chaos” with his wife, “X Country” dance captain Olivia Nicole Richards, who said, “Now I see how strong I am, how adaptable I am and how strong we are.” Clint Holmes and Kelly Clinton-Holmes have fought off COVID. So have hypnotist Kevin Lepine and his wife and onstage partner, Emily Lauren Lepine.
Kevin Lepine, a veteran Vegas headliner slugging it out at Binion’s, relayed, “We have done our best to be safe, but we still caught the virus.” He was hospitalized for three days, and like so many others, off the stage for a year.
Holmes said, “Where is the bottom? When do we work? How do we work? It gets very dark, and very scary.” The veteran Vegas headliner has since answered his own question over the weekend with his debut with jazz keyboard great Tom Schuman at Notoriety at Neonopolis.
Rock vocalist Paul Shortino of “Raiding The Rock Vault” encapsulated the message from the collection of performers. “I miss the adrenaline from going onstage. I miss people, you know? Period.”
You come away feeling we will hear from him, and this cast of Vegas performers, soon enough.
It’s a rodeo
The state of Texas is allowing 100-percent capacity for public gatherings, and Gov. Greg Abbott has dropped the statewide mask mandate. The state plucked the National Finals Rodeo from Las Vegas last December, interrupting the rodeo’s string of sellouts at The Thomas & Mack Center and the citywide rodeo celebration.
But Texas’ decision to announce that it’s wide open for business won’t interfere with the NFR’s scheduled return to Vegas, despite its performance at Globe Life Field in Arlington last December. Arlington’s ability to stage a socially distanced rodeo factored mightily in the NFR’s move to Texas.
But as Las Vegas Events President Pat Christenson said last week, the show will resume at the Thomas & Mack. Cowboy Christmas will take up Las Vegas Convention Center’s new West Hall.
“It will be back,” Christenson said. “What is happening in Texas has no bearing on our plans.” Find those updated plans, along with testimonials from Wayne Newton, Carrot Top, Jabbawockeez, “Legends in Concert,” and NASCAR star Kurt Busch, at NFRExperience.com.
Reaching back
Sunday’s Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex sit-down with Oprah Winfrey brought to mind (at least, mine) a princely moment from nearly a decade ago. I’ve revisited this episode before, but it bears another telling.
It was the weekend Prince Harry was photographed during a game of “strip billiards” in a Wynn Las Vegas suite. The incident made worldwide news, with TMZ first to post pics of the prince’s nekkid backside.
The night before that infamous incident, I was at the “O” show at Bellagio, for a magazine story about Cirque du Soleil. I was in the very back row of the lower section, the theater’s wide walkway just behind.
Near the start of the show, as the lights dimmed, four guys filed into the open seats next to me. During the performance, the guest at my immediate left rose, climbed over the seats, and snapped up four beers from the bar. I remember them as Coronas.
Just as the show closed, the guys were casually led out of the theater. I left minutes later, too, to see Matt Goss at Caesars Palace.
Just as I was leaving Bellagio, a hotel publicist texted me, asking if I enjoyed my seat. Before answering, an email arrived informing me and the rest of international media that Prince Harry and his friends had just enjoyed a performance of “O.” I had sat next to the prince for the entire show, blithe to the man next to me. If I ever have a chance chat with the Duke of Sussex, we’ll cue this up.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
