Las Vegas event for out-of-work entertainment pros takes shape

Here’s one way to promote Las Vegas’s efforts to support out-of-work entertainment professionals: Stay away.

No, really. Keep out.

“This is a closed set, is is not a gathering place, it is not a protest,” says Vickie Claiborne, a veteran Las Vegas lighting tech and co-founder of the We the Entertainment Community of Las Vegas, or WE/EC Vegas. “It is a visual installation. Period.”

Claiborne is referring to a “case push” and temporary Truss Garden installation of open equipment cases along Symphony Park at the Smith Center. The event will be live-streamed as part of the We Make Events Red Alert nationwide campaign from 9 p.m.-midnight Tuesday at Facebook.com/WeMakeEventsNorthAmerica.

The event is to push Congress to pass the Restart Act, which would deliver financial assistance for millions of Americans who have lost income due the COVID shutdown. The Las Vegas live-entertainment community has been crippled since shows were pulled from the stage in March.

Supporters are encouraged to post “ghost light” photos or shots of vacant venues to social media with the hashtags #WeMakeEvents, #RedAlertRESTART and #ExtendPUA. The movement is also supporting ExtendPUA.org in its lobbying efforts for the continuation and extension of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which provides relief to people without work due to COVID.

Information about the national campaign is found at wemakeevents.org.

The WE/EC organization hosted a car parade and show of solidarity on the Strip on Aug. 20.

Tuesday’s livestream will also showcase a fireworks and laser show at the Plaza, which will last about five minutes. A car parade from Ahern Hotel to Fremont Street is also scheduled. About 1,500 venues across North America are participating by turning their buildings red, including several in Las Vegas. The updated list of participants in the campaign include Tuscany Suites and The Mob Museum.

But no Strip resorts are involved, and the Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas sign is not being turned red, either. Organizers say that they have attempted to involve the resort community, but have been turned back because Vegas hotels do not want to open a “Pandora’s box” of similar requests from many other industries in need of similar public support.

As for the fireworks display, the event is at once fun to watch and effective way to rid suppliers of pyro effects that are about to expire.

“We either have to fire them or get rid of them,” Claiborne says.

The surplus underscores the ripple effect evident in the shutdown of live events.

“There is so much more involved than people understand,” Claiborne says. “When you think of all the people it takes to put on one of our residency shows in Las Vegas, like Bruno Mars or Lady Gaga, all the preparation and the trucking and the pyro and the wardrobe, all of it. It might take a thousand people for one single residency show. The impact of this has been scary.”

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.