Wayne Newton lights up the stage in "Once Before I Go"
Sammy Davis Jr. once said, “There are two things you have to see when you come to Las Vegas – Boulder Dam and Wayne Newton, and not necessarily in that order.”
With Newton saying,, “Come next March, I will be making some serious decisions, one about spending time with my seven-year-old daughter,” intimating that he may be retiring, seeing the iconic performer may now have precedence over seeing the legendary concrete landmark. While a new bridge is being built over Boulder Dam ( a.ka. Hoover Dam), Newton is building a bridge to the past, honoring the 50 years of his show business life in Las Vegas in his new show, “Ah, Vegas, Once Before I Go,” which opened at the Tropicana on October 14 for a limited engagement.
“This is the show I’ve always wanted to do,” says Newton, who earned the title of “Mr. Las Vegas long ago, his name being synonymous with the city “I started in Las Vegas on May 16, 1954 and this show will run through April 2010, culminating my 50 years in Las Vegas. The show will be entertaining with an auto-biographical touch. With technology today, we can do things that never before were possible. This is the only time I will ever do this show.”
“Imagine the changes I’ve seen in 50 years in Las Vegas,” he quips. “Look at all the hotel implosions. The one that upset me the most is when the Sands was imploded because I was on stage at the time.”
Newton, who started his Las Vegas career as a shy 15-year-old performing at the Fremont Hotel, has performed in his career to more than 40 million people. He has epitomized the talent, glamour, and energy that is Las Vegas. From the tale behind his signature tuxedo to his storied history with Elvis and the Rat Pack and many others, “Once Before I Go” is Newton’s unique life story, 50 years in the making.
“This is a show I’ve been thinking about doing for a couple of years,” Newton admits. “It gives me the freedom to go in many directions. The show you see on opening night may not be the same show you see on the second or third night or thereafter. It encompasses a variety element, a.k.a. Ed Sullivan or Jackie Gleason, but it also encompasses things that will be surprising to most people. I can’t say who will be performing in the show – I think it’s important to keep that a surprise – but there will be some live performers and some showing up via technology. There will be some well-known names and, in some instances, legends of show business.”
“Once Before I Go” features Newton with a full orchestra, photos and video, the latest in theater technology and lots of surprises.
- by Bobbie Katz, Las Vegas Reporter for HelloMetro
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