Magic show might be casualty of union battle

“We weren’t actively organizing for many years,” said Rob Rovere, organizer for Local 720 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. The union’s 1,800 members had so much work that they could afford a passive stance, he said.

But with a new wave of casino construction and the fact that organized labor has lost so many manufacturing jobs, “it’s the service sector that’s really getting organized,” Rovere said.

Depending on who you talk to, Rick Thomas’ afternoon magic show may have been a casualty of the small but intense battle that came to a crest June 28, when stagehands dividing their duties between The Orleans, Suncoast and Gold Coast voted 10 to 6 to join Local 720.

Thomas’ show closed June 23, at the end of a six-month contract period that began Dec. 18. “Both parties decided it was in our mutual interest not to renew (the contract),” said Orleans spokesman Jim Seagrave. “Rick did a great job for us here,” he added, but had saturated the locals market and wasn’t pulling enough traffic from the Strip.

“We don’t think Rick Thomas was closed in retaliation for union activity,” Rovere said, noting that some of the magician’s crew members already were union members.

Others argue there is no way Thomas voluntarily would have closed his show during the summer, when family vacations boost his attendance.

“The Orleans wanted to send a message to its crew that they will not only close Rick’s show, but the entire theater rather than let the union in,” said a stagehand who requested anonymity because of possible retaliation. “It wasn’t by Rick’s choice, despite what anybody says.”

Thomas did not return phone calls earlier this week.

The magician rented the theater from the casino, with Boyd Gaming sharing advertising costs. Thomas paid the unionized assistants who managed the tigers used in the show, while three or four crew members in more conventional jobs were paid by Boyd as part of the rental fee.

Some Boyd officials felt Thomas’ unionized crew members “were influencing our guys,” the stagehand said.

A few days before the election, Boyd yielded major ground, offering to pay overtime after eight hours each day, rather than after 40 hours accrued in any combination of days. But Rovere said the union offers other incentives, including a $160 million pension fund.

The vote doesn’t affect Boyd’s Echelon Place. The two theaters at the megaresort set to replace the Stardust will be built and operated by another entity, AEG Live.

Management for the Blue Man Group went to court over the outcome of a similar vote by stagehands of its Venetian show. That May 2006 vote is still in litigation.

Local 720 does a majority of its business with the convention and trade show industry, Rovere said. The local has contracts with several productions along the Strip, with “Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular” considered “our very best contract.” None of the five Cirque du Soleil shows has collective bargaining with the local. …

So far, Wayne Brady’s work at The Venetian has been considered an experiment. Consider that experiment “successful beyond our wildest dreams,” said producer Scott Zeiger, who has signed the entertainer to a year’s contract beginning Aug. 4.

Brady was delivering 90 percent attendance in his four shows per week. He is now slated for a minimum of 26 weeks spread through the year, “but he’s going to end up doing a lot more,” Zeiger said.

The entertainer’s schedule will be flexible to encourage more TV exposure, such as him hosting the new Fox summer series “Don’t Forget the Lyrics.”

Brady will have a salary guarantee from Zeiger’s Base Entertainment. His past work at The Mirage and Paris Las Vegas was more of a “door deal,” working at his own risk for ticket revenue. …

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road? Not anytime soon. On July 13, say hello to “RockShow!” The members of Yellow Brick Road, a classic rock cover band and locals’ favorite, are dressing up for another test of a “Legends”-style revue they hope to place in a tourist-oriented casino.

“It’s the ultimate attempt to take what we do to the next level,” says frontman Brody Dolyniuk. The new twist on the tribute format is that “the whole band is the focal point, rather than a generic backing band (behind a solo performer).”

The group performs as nine classic rock acts, going from tribute mainstays such as the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin to more unusual choices such as Queen and Pink Floyd.

“Rockshow” debuted at The Cannery last year and performed in the big theater at the Las Vegas Hilton last month. It returns Aug. 31 for another self-financed performance intended “to get the show out there and seen by people,” Dolyniuk said.

Mike Weatherford’s entertainment column appears Thursdays and Sundays. Contact him at 383-0288 or e-mail him at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com.