Entertainers send a masked message
IT was a hot, sunny morning in Vegasville on Thursday. We know this because a tuxedoed, masked Phantom of the Opera sought shade under a palm tree near the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.
He was Brent Barrett, who played that role for a time in “Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular” at The Venetian. The distinctively outfitted Barrett wore a modified Phantom mask with a full face cover as part of the launch of the promask campaign #Maskup4nv. He was among many entertainers who turned out for the face-cover effort.
The initiative has been organized by former MGM Resorts International executive Greg Chase and his Experience Strategy Associates consulting company. Chase wrangled a host of performers and Vegas luminaries for the appearance.
“The entertainment community has been one of the hardest-hit in the pandemic,” Chase said. “We are here to remind everyone that if we wear masks, we can come back quicker.”
The launch was classically Las Vegas. Ex-“chippendales” vocalist and Vegas philanthropist Bryan Chan and Edie of “Zumanity” hosted something of a fashion walk along a red carpet at the “Welcome” sign. Co-organizers Megan Belk of Music by Belk and E+ Productions President Douglas Johnson kept the event moving so the assembled volunteers didn’t overheat.
Those who took part included former “Jersey Boys” costar Travis Cloer; the Australian Bee Gees; Thunder From Down Under; Jeffrey Debarathy of “Zombie Burlesque”; Carnell “Golden Pipes” Johnson with Chance and the Golden Aces from the Vegas Golden Knights; Prince tribute artist Tony Torres; Elvis tribute artist Brendan Paul; and the casts of “Chippendales,”
“Wow” and “Extravaganza.”
The campaign is as open-ended as the pandemic itself. Participants will be posting the #Maskup4nv and #Imaskup4 _ specifying the reason for wearing face covers.
“We are joining for the right message, to get through this together and show that the show must go on,” Chase said. “The governor has made it clear: This is the right thing at the right time.”
Virtually ‘Married’
“Marriage Can Be Murder,” late of the D Las Vegas, has taken its dinner-show concept online.
I caught a friends-and-family run of the show several weeks ago at the Las Vegas headquarters of Ivory Star, the show’s production company. Led by the husband-and-wife team Eric Post and Jayne Ann Savoie Post, the cast is set up in offices and meeting spaces revamped as little studios.
The actors then navigate their way though a classic dinner-theater farce, but virtually.
Guests participate on a Zoom link at the Ivorystar. com website. The next performances are 6:30 p.m. Saturday and again July 11. The “virtual lobby” opens at 6 p.m. Ticket packages range from $25 for a single participant, up to $105 for a group of six. The Ivory Star site specifies the offers in theses price points.
The show encourages guests to cook at home or support a local restaurant to cover the “dinner” component. Guests work with the cast through a live video chat to unravel clues and solve the murder. The production is still working on a long-term plan to return to the Strip, but it’s online for now. As Eric Post, forever the show’s lead cop, accurately states, “‘Marriage Can Be Murder’ can never die.”
‘Healing’ hits high seas
An indication of Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns’ prominence: In November, execs at Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines flew the entire 16-piece band to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to play 20 minutes for the relaunch party for Oasis of the Seas.
As Royal exec Nick Weir said just after that event, during a cruise aboard Oasis, “Why did we fly in a 16-piece band for a 20-minute set? Because we can!”
“He wanted a shock-andawe kind of thing,” band leader Jerry Lopez recalled Thursday afternoon. “We loved it.”
The ocean liner is bringing Santa Fe back, online, to premiere its “Music Hall” virtual concert series at 8:30 p.m. PDT Friday. Go to the Royal Caribbean Facebook page for “The Healing,” as Santa Fe refers to its live shows.
Will we still feel the power of “The Healing” online? Of course. Weir seems to think so, too.
“I’m giving you a warning!” Weir says in a promo clip posted on the RCI Facebook page. “At 5:30 Eastern time, the Axis of the Earth is going to bend slightly, under the sheer strain of listening to the best music the world has to offer!”
Wow. Such hyperbole. I usually just say, “Cool Hang Alert,” but we’re fine to be swept up in Weir’s undertow. Check out Friday’s show, and expect more “Healing” announcements from Santa Fe, soon.
The Review-journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands operates The Venetian.
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.
As of 9 p.m. Thursday:
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1. Vegas tourists react to mask mandate
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