Rep. Dina Titus bemoans stalled Save Our Stages Act
SOMEHOW in the pandemic crisis, I remembered the last time I saw U.S. Rep Dina Titus before the entertainment shutdown. It was at the Composers Showcase of Las Vegas at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz, a very Vegas hang teeming with the city’s best artists.
Yes, Titus is a live entertainment fan and supporter. I caught up with her this week as federal assistance to help the entertainment industry is still stalled like a sidelined Cirque show.
“The Senate hasn’t passed anything, and the president’s been all over the map: ‘Send me a package; no, don’t send me anything; send me piecemeal; no, wait till after the election,’ ” Titus said. “So, they’re negotiating, but right now it’s not making much progress.”
Titus, whose 1st Congressional District covers the Entertainment Capital of the World, says support from the federal level is overdue. It’s a multibillion-dollar aid package with nowhere to go at the moment. Titus rolled back the history of what became of the Save Our Stages Act — beginning with the CARES Act — targeted at unemployed entertainment workers.
“In the CARES Act, the first bill that we passed, there was a provision for unemployment for people who are independent contractors, and you know they don’t traditionally qualify for unemployment,” Titus said. “It was a loan program that was set up for small businesses, but it didn’t really accommodate entertainment venues.
“So we went back with the Save Our Stages Act, rolled in to the Heroes Act, out of the House and trying to get it included in some kind of compromise package.”
Save Our Stages is the $10 billion grant program to help offset the economic impact that
COVID-19 has had on independent live venue operators, producers, promoters or talent representatives. The legislation passed in the House on Oct. 1 but is stalled in the Senate.
A fundraiser for the campaign is set for Friday through Sunday at Saveourstages.com/ sos. The event is raising awareness, advocacy and donations for the National Independent Venue Association. G-eazy, Marshmello with Demi Lovato, Jason Mraz, Kelsea Ballerini, Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, The Roots, Little Big Town, Dave Matthews, The Lumineers and Reba Mcentire are in the lineup.
Titus reiterated Las Vegas’ position, chiseled over decades, as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations. Those who are out of work in the entertainment industry,
and across the hospitality culture, need to be sustained until the city returns to full tourism and convention business.
“Our reputation, the reputation of Las Vegas, has gone so far beyond just being a gambling town,” Titus said. “It is an entertainment town, it’s a sports town, it’s a fine dining town. We’ve got all the chefs here, and we just want to be sure that we don’t lose that image.”
Titus reps the megaresorts on the Strip, and many small businesses in downtown Las Vegas.
“All of the Arts District, The Smith Center, the small restaurant venues where you’ve got a little jazz combo playing,” Titus said. “So it really has hit District 1 harder than anyplace else.”
NF Hope hits 10
The Las Vegas NF Hope Concert marks its 10th event with an online presentation from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday. The event is free on the NF Hope Concert’s Youtube channel and Facebook page. Or, upgrade to a show-dinner “NF Hope Watch Party,” where supporters watch from home with food delivered from a Las Vegas restaurant. Those packages start at $125. The list of options and more information are at Nfhope. org.
Founded in 2011 by ex-“jersey Boys” cast member Jeff Leibow and his wife, Melody, the event benefits Neurofibromatosis Network, an organization dedicated to families and individuals suffering from neurofibromatosis (NF).
Ace emcee and KLUC radio personality Chet Buchanan hosts. Joining in the performance are Clint Holmes, Ashley Fuller, John Bayless, Daniel Emmet and Elly Brown. Jeff and Melody will appear, too, along with their daughter, Emma, an NF Hope favorite who has battled the condition since infancy.
In a statement, Melody Leibow said, “We know times in 2020 are challenging, but we owe it to our Neurofibromatosis warriors to keep raising awareness and much needed funds for research and advocacy.”
Behind the red doors
Column fave Amanda King returns to The Vegas Room at Commercial Center on Friday and Saturday nights. Her show, “The Stars That Started It All,” covers the city’s entertainment scene in the ’60s and ’70s. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m., and King’s entertainment field trip is 8 p.m.
This Sunday, Patrick Hogan hosts the return of brunch at the club, from 1 to 4 p.m. King and Hogan return for brunch Oct. 25. Our friend Lisa Marie Smith of Mayfair Supper Club at Bellagio makes her debut in the room Oct. 22-24.