Las Vegas Tropicana is closing the Folies Bergere

Photo courtesy of the Las Vegas News Bureau

Photo courtesy of As We Knew It

Word comes this morning from Norm! at the Las Vegas Review Journal that the Tropicana Hotel is closing its famed "Folies Bergere" show after an amazing (by Las Vegas standards) 49 year run.

The show will close on March 28

The cast was informed Wednesday night and the Tropicana released a statement today.

The Parisian revue opened on Dec. 24, 1959, under entertainment director, Lou Walters, father of broadcasting icon Barbara Walters.

"Folies Bergere enjoyed an amazing and unprecedented run on the Las Vegas Strip," said Ron Thacker, Tropicana Las Vegas President. "We are extremely proud to have been part of such an iconic Las Vegas production and offer a sincere thank you to the cast, crew and support staff for their many years of excellence."

The Tropicana management is currently in discussion with prominent producers and will reveal its definitive plans for the Tiffany Theater in the coming weeks, the release said.

This leaves Balley's "Jubilee" as the last of the iconic showgirl revues on the Strip.

 Photo courtesy of UNLV Special Collections

Photo courtesy of the Las Vegas News Bureau

The Riviera Hotel Original Entrance

When I was a kid, Life Magazine published a weekly magazine.  They employed some great photographers as well as good writers.

Life Magazine went the way of the dinosaur and the buffalo but its wonderful photo archive has been preserved thanks to a partnership with Google.

Here is what the entrance to the Riviera looked like in 1955 (Gotta love that mid-century modern facade and don't you wish it still looked like that today):

 I have recently done a major cleaning of my office and discovered a box (put away for safe keeping, no doubt) that is filled with slides, postcards, old magazines, etc.

After the first of the year, I will start scanning them and add them to the blog.  I htink you will enoy them.

In the meantime, I will be adding more photos from the Life/Google Photo Archive until the end of the year, so check back for updates.

For more history on the Riviera Hotel check out this link:

http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/a-brief-history-of-the-strip/?currentPage=21

Thunderbird Hotel mystery photo

Our pal Dennis McBride, the Curator of History and Collections at the Nevada State Museum, needs your help.  He is hoping that you can help identify one or more people in this photo.

Here is what Dennis has to say about the photo:

This photograph comes from the Martin A. "Marty" and JoAnn Zwerling Collection at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas [collection no. 0011:0217].

It was taken in 1952 at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino and purports to include the hotel's owners and guests. From left to right: unidentified; unidentified; unidentified; boxer Jack Dempsey; JoAnn Zwerling; unidentified; unidentified; unidentified; Marion Hicks; unidentified.

If you can help identify the unknown people in this photo let us know!

Entertainers of Classic Las Vegas

The Nevada State Museum , Las Vegas and Friends of Classic Las Vegas will host an evening reception and panel discussion with noted entertainer Betty Bunch and several of her Friends from the Golden Age of Las Vegas entertainment in the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s.

Betty came to Las Vegas in the 1950s to dance in the opening line for Donald O’Connor, and later performed at such venues as the El Rancho Vegas, the Dunes, and the Rivera. Betty also headlined the original production of the popular afternoon show, Bottoms Up. Betty and her fellow entertainers promise an evening filled with intimate tales of Las Vegas show business and personalities, as well as many “stories behind the stories.”

The Entertainers of Classic Las Vegas Panel will include:

Betty Bunch, long-time dancer on the Las Vegas Strip

Louis Prima, Jr will talk about his father and the Prima legacy

Papote will talk about the Latin influence on the Las Vegas Strip

Mike Weatherford, Las Vegas Review Journal columnist, Entertainer Writer and author of "Cult Vegas"

and Special Guests

Wednesday, Sept. 17th

Nevada State Museum

700 Twin Lakes Dr

Lorenzi Park

6:00 - 7:00 pm Reception

7:00 - 8:30 pm Discussion

Admission $3

We hope to see you there!