Remembering what Rappaport gave Vegas
IN January 2006, I sat across from Felix Rappaport at the Nevada Ballet Theatre Black & White Gala at Wynn Las Vegas. The night was to honor comedian Rita Rudner as the ballet company’s Woman of the Year.
Rappaport and Rudner were dear friends. Rappaport had signed the longtime stand-up comedian to a residency when he was president of New York-new York.
Rappaport had just left NYNY and taken over operations at the Luxor, assigned when MGM Mirage (now MGM Resorts International) purchased the hotel in 2005. He thus inherited the Las Vegas production of “Hairspray,” taking over the theater where Blue Man Group previously performed its hit show.
We talked of “Hairspray” after we’d both checked out early rehearsals for the show. Always curious about any Vegas customer’s opinion, Rappaport asked what I thought of its chances of success. I told him I thought the show was great and could be a hit at the Luxor, simply because the hotel had so many guest rooms (upwards of 4,400), and a lot of visitors would enjoy a Broadway-style musical.
“From your mouth to God’s ears,” Rappaport said. Then, he added the telling comment, “When Dick Latessa walks across our casino, nobody recognizes him.”
I got that. Latessa was a co-star of “Hairspray” at the Luxor. He and Harvey Fierstein were brought in to boost ticket sales. But Latessa was anonymous to customers at the show’s host hotel — which Rappaport witnessed by walking the property himself.
It was Rappaport’s way of saying the show would be in trouble even before previews.
J. Keith Moyer • Chase Rankin •
Despite its Broadway-caliber cast, “Hairspray” closed that June after a four-month run. Poor ticket sales was the reason.
Rappaport’s instincts were right, more often than not, and he could feel his way through a property. That’s what I remember about the executive who died Monday of a heart attack in his Foxwoods Casino Resort suite. He was 65. He took over as chief executive officer at Foxwoods in February 2014 — Super Bowl weekend — after a two-decade career in Vegas. He opened Boulder Station for Station Casinos and was a top exec at Treasure Island, New York-new York, the Luxor, Excalibur and The Mirage.
Rappaport was especially instrumental in launching Criss Angel’s Luxor run. Angel’s show, originally a co-production with Cirque du Soleil, took over the Luxor theater after “Hairspray” loaded out. Angel was indebted to Rappaport for that 10-year contract, which actually outlasted the man who brokered it.
Angel is scheduled to perform at Foxwoods this month, another booking forged by Rappaport. In an emotionally tinged Instagram post, Angel credited Rappaport for his Luxor run and revealed that Rappaport helped the magician sign his upcoming Planet Hollywood Resort residency.
“He is still responsible for making the connection for my new show, which hasn’t even opened yet … He helped me anyway he could, no matter what or when.” Angel posted a photo of himself with Rappaport along with Angel’s young son, Johnny Crisstopher, and the boy’s mother, Shaunyl Benson.
Rappaport also signed Carrot Top to his Luxor Atrium Showroom residency. The top prop comic
By mail:
remains a popular draw after Rappaport lured him to the hotel 13 years ago. “At a loss for words to express my sadness,” Carrot Top, whose legal name is Scott Thompson, posted Monday. “He’s the reason I’m in Vegas.”
Rappaport also helped
SPI Entertainment founder and CEO Adam Steck gain traction in Vegas. “Felix was hands-down the best president and CEO I have ever worked with,” Steck said Tuesday. When Steck was a new and largely unknown producer in Las Vegas, Rappaport signed SPI’S “Thunder From Down Under” at Excalibur for a 10-year contract. That show is now the cornerstone of a company that produces seven shows on the Strip.
A favorite story that touches on Rappaport’s attention to detail and impact on those who worked with him: He directed an overhaul at New York-new York, pulling apart the sports book for a new comedy club.
But when the venue opened, the comic’s act was interrupted by vibrations caused by the hotel’s Manhattan Express roller coaster. This rumbling occurred every three minutes. Rappaport ordered the thrill ride parked while his team sorted out a solution.
The hotel president found the reverberations were the result of the theater’s hollow pillars. Rappaport had all those beams filled with sand, which muffled the noise so the headliner could perform.
That comic went on to headline New York-new York for six years. Her name was Rita Rudner, a friend of Felix Rappaport’s for life.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@ reviewjournal.com. Follow @ johnnykats on Twitter.
Life, entertainment
As of 9 p.m. Tuesday:
1. Longtime Las Vegas resort executive Felix Rappaport dies
Longtime Las Vegas resort executive Felix Rappaport, the president and CEO of the Foxwoods tribal casino in Connecticut, was found dead in his home Monday.
2. Flooding hits Mandalay Bay on Las Vegas Strip
A water main break at Mandalay Bay on Tuesday afternoon caused flooding in the resort’s south convention center, Clark County fire officials said.
3. 43 double votes may prompt redo of Clark County election
Clark County Registrar of Voters Joe Gloria is calling for a redo of a primary election decided by a razor-thin margin because 43 voters may have cast ballots twice due to an “unacceptable” failure in procedure by poll workers.
4. Las Vegas police fired 58 rounds in killing of robbery suspect
The suspect in a string of robberies was shot on Thursday after he ignored commands and drove his vehicle toward officers who were trying to arrest him, body cam footage shown at a briefing Monday shows.
5. 29-year-old drowns in central Las Vegas swimming pool
Police believe alcohol might be to blame in a drowning late Monday night in central Las Vegas.