Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
CEO of Cirque expounds on milestone
HIS company almost totally latent as it hopes for a return to the stage by this fall, Daniel Lamarre marked his 20th anniversary Friday at Cirque du Soleil.
In a favorable climate, Lamarre would have celebrated at a Cirque show. Instead, his theater was Facebook. Allowing for challenges in “unprecedented times,” Lamarre posted a message Friday offering optimism to sidelined employees and the company’s worldwide following.
“Now, you might wonder what makes me get up in the morning, after 20 years in the same company, especially during these most uncertain times,” Lamarre wrote. “My secret is that I am just as passionate today as I was on my first day in 2001.”
He cited Cirque’s expansion over the years and its success in Las Vegas, where the company has transformed the scope of live entertainment on the Strip.
“As a risk-taking creative company, we did make mistakes over the years, and we learned from them,” Lamarre said. “But we owe it to our audiences, and to ourselves, to always push the boundaries of live entertainment and to always produce highly creative, daring and surprising content.”
In November, Lamarre answered, “yeah, oh, yes,” when asked whether Cirque would be back onstage by this November. “Mystere” at Treasure Island and “O” at Bellagio would lead Cirque’s still-unscheduled restart. “Zumanity” has been closed permanently, but Lamarre said Cirque plans to reopen all its remaining Strip shows beginning this fall.
“As an eternal optimist, I sleep at night knowing that I work with an incredible team of strong-minded creative people who, together, will relaunch Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group into the brand we all know and love, and even bring it to new heights,” Lamarre said.
But he was realistic in facing the company’s challenges this year and beyond.
“I can say, without a doubt, that last year has been the most difficult of my life. It’s like the world stopped turning,” Lamarre wrote. “The months ahead will certainly not be smooth sailing. However, these challenges build us into who we are and bring us closer.”
But when it happens, and exactly where, is a challenge topping Lamarre’s list as he enters year 21 in ’21.
Back Holmes
“When the curtain goes up” is the lyric of a killer Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns song, finishing off with “the nonsense stops.” Or something similar. The song is apropos for the band’s next Monday night virtual hang.
Vocal greats Clint Holmes and Noybel Gorgoy are special guests of Jerry Lopez and the gents in the band’s eighth livestream show at 6 p.m. Pacific time. Catch “The Healing” virtually at www. santafeband.com/live.
The show originates from Santa Fe’s home venue, the
Copa Room at Bootlegger Bistro.
The singers will perform live onstage — socially distanced, natch — at Copa Room. The show marks Holmes’ first appearance onstage since his Ray Charles tribute tour with Take 6 was cut short March 14.
We call it TVR
The Vegas Room is presenting new entertainment along with chef David James Robinson’s innovative menu. Column fave Jamie Hosmer,a Santa Fe vet, premieres at the supper club Jan. 22-23. Serena Henry, from Holmes’ show and also a backing singer for Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight, is in Jan. 29-30.
Alexis, put on a show
Add vocalist Gabriella Versace to the lineup of the new “BurlesQ” at Alexis Park. Versace is making occasional appearances. The show already features a popular Strip performer, comic emcee Sean E. Cooper, who spent 17 years at “Fantasy” at Luxor.
Versace, who has been with Jen Romas’ “Sexxy” at Westgate Las Vegas since the show launched about six years ago, has been unable to join the show’s current run at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club.
She has been focused on a new Barbra Streisand tribute act, which debuted this month at Chianti Restaurant at 4275 S. Durango Drive in Las Vegas.
Versace appeared along with Rob Garrett as Neil Diamond, Chris Jason as Frank Sinatra and Justin Shandor as Elvis Presley.
In the hopper
Vocal and music master Jimmy Hopper performs at the Italian American Club’s dining room, formerly the restaurant’s showroom, Sunday night. Dinner is 6 p.m., show is 7:15. Lou Gazzara
(Wednesday), Lannie Counts
(Saturday) and Bronx Wanderers (Jan. 24) are coming up in the not-too-distant future.
Our Farkas moment
The final night of Sand Dollar’s Miracle on Spring Mountain display was a pop-up pizza party to help MGM Resorts International PR rep Ashley Farkas pay her medical bills. Farkas has been battling leukemia throughout COVID-19.
Sand Dollar co-owners Anthony Jamison and
Nathan Grates and Bardot Brasserie at Aria chef Nick Dugan advanced the idea of fundraising during the club’s expanded holiday display.
Over three nights, several of the city’s leading chefs auctioned off specialty pizzas for as much as $500 apiece. Boosting the value were such toppings as caviar, lobster and black truffles.
Restaurateur Michael Mina himself put in a phone bid for $500 for Dugan’s caviar-topped masterpiece. Mina had it delivered to one of the tables in the club.
Among the culinary stars lending their efforts were
Brian Lhee of Momofuku at MGM Grand, Vincent Rotolo of Good Pie and Adam Sobel of Mina Group. The effort raised $8,800 for Farkas and an additional $6,800 for the Las Vegas Rescue Mission in an earlier campaign.