 VIVA
VARIETY!
Las
Vegas’ longest-running afternoon show returns downtown to
the Plaza Hotel and Casino, after a two-month hiatus.
Now
on its 17th consecutive year, with more than 10,000 performances,
over three million customers have enjoyed this show. Long touted
as the “original afternoon variety show,” it began at
the Sands Copa Room on April 15, 1991 and was the last show to play
before the Sands implosion in June of 1996. The show then moved
to the Stratosphere, enjoying a fairly long run until late 2006,
after which it moved on to the Plaza, downtown. Its formula of “a
little bit of everything – singing, dancing, comedy, magic
and of course, showgirls” has been the template and benchmark
of most, if not all, of the succeeding afternoon shows on The Strip.
No stranger
to the Las Vegas entertainment scene, veteran producer Dick Feeney
is known by many in the industry as a “marketing producer.”
If there’s one thing he knows, it’s how to sell a show
in Las Vegas. Feeney has a long list of credits which include “An
Evening at La Cage” and “Crazy Girls,” which he
co-produced and are still running, to this day; the others being,
“Viva Las Vegas,” “Showgirls,” “The
Great Gleason,” “Bottoms Up,” “Forbidden
Vegas,” and “Playboy’s Girls of Rock & Roll.”
His television productions include “The Entertainment Page,”
“Las Vegas Tonite” and “Karaoke Krazy.”
If you’re a Vegas veteran, chances are you’ve seen one
of his shows.
Currently, he
also produces “The Rat Pack is Back,” a tribute show
to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean also playing at the Plaza; and just
recently ended the family-friendly, “The World’s Greatest
Magic Show,” which had a five-year run at The Greek Isles.
 An
avid traveler, Feeney has even taken his productions to the sky,
as owner of The Flying Elvi skydiving team. The Flying Elvi, who
were first featured in the movie “Honeymoon in Vegas,”
consists of ten Elvis Presley-clad jumpers who skydive into events
around the world from altitudes of 5,000 - 12,000 feet, free-falling
at speeds up to 160 miles an hour. The act combines a spine-tingling
aerial skydiving performance of smoke trails, pyrotechnic fireworks
and precision maneuvers with an over-the-top entertaining stage
show and has entertained audiences across the country for over a
decade.
With such a variety of shows under his belt that cater to every
audience imaginable, it’s no wonder that Viva Las Vegas has
been around for decades. The price is a steal, even at its pre-hiatus
offer of $12.88, which included a buffet meal. It’s even better
now, with it’s offer of a free show, for the price of a drink,
$5.97. At these rates, you have to hand it to these performers –
comprising 5 dancers (Darlene, Cymberly, Micheline, Bonnie and Debra),
singer (Laurie Caceres), host (Max Clever), comedian (Bruce “Big
John” Mickelson) and magician (Katalin) – they must
be the hardest-working talents in town. Add to this numerous costume
changes, as well props, lighting and all the production elements
of a ‘Vegas show,’ and you have what is probably the
best deal in town.
Not that it’s
low on production, or talent, for that matter. Time and time again,
each performer has found his and her fans – who keep coming
back for more. All are scene-stealers in their own right. The “over-60
crowd” can get a little afternoon excitement with the showgirls;
the adults, find humor with Mickelson and Clover; then there’s
all-around, family-type entertainment with singer Laurie Caceres,
whose voice packs a powerful punch or some magical moments with
Katalin.
You’ve
heard of the saying, “If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t
Fix It” – which could very well be this show’s
motto. Today’s performers certainly do justice to the show’s
history and legacy and you’d be foolish to miss this “one-and-only,
the original” Vegas production.
-Rachel M.
Sugay
Viva
Las Vegas
Plaza Hotel, 1 Main Street, Downtown. 702-386-2110. Show times are
2 and 4 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Special – Free show for the
price of a drink - $5.95.
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