Las Vegas is properly hailed as a larger-than-life playground for anyone who gets a thrill out of throwing the dice, dancing the night away in some of the country’s hottest clubs, seeing some of the world’s top entertainment acts, or savoring a meal prepared by one of the city’s many celebrity chefs.
Although, like its many glitzy casinos, artists have come and gone through the years in Sin City, one performer has remained, earning himself the title of “Mr. Las Vegas.”
When capturing the essence of Las Vegas, who better to speak to its vibrancy and excitement than a man who has come to personify the destination, the one and only Wayne Newton?
“Las Vegas is truly the only city in the world that I know of that was built to be what it is,” says Newton, who first came to the city in 1959 and has since performed time-tested favorites such as Danke Schoen at thousands of sold out shows, and who is currently playing at Harrah’s through July. “It was built for people’s dreams and their imagination, and everything in terms of their own enjoyment. It started off that way and never deviated from there. I think there is a great charm in that.”
What has changed, Newton says, is the perception of the city. He explains that after being known for its hardcore gambling and alleged mob affiliations in the ’70s and early ’80s, the city cleaned up its act and tried to exude a more family-friendly atmosphere. When that didn’t work, it adopted the saucy tagline “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas,” which suits the city to a T.
“People want to believe that there is a bit of mystique here,” he says.
The magic the city radiates comes from offerings that are unavailable anywhere else in the world, attracting droves of visitors excited to soak up one-of-a kind experiences such as watching the Bellagio’s famous fountains perform their nightly dance to opera music, enjoying a leisurely gondola ride along the Grand Canal at The Venetian, or taking in one of the mind-boggling Cirque du Soleil shows performed at various resorts around the city.
Even with all of its current offerings,Vegas continues to grow at lightening speed, with new developments popping up on every corner, something that Newton enjoys.
“The things I personally like best about Las Vegas are that when I built my home here in the late ’60s, we were in the country. Now we are in the heart of the city,” he says. “There is not a limitation in terms of people wanting to come here and invest here, and the growth possibilities.”
Yet, even with all of its development, Newton says things have stayed the same beyond the Strip, in outlying natural areas such as Red Rock Canyon, Mt. Charleston and Lake Mead.
“I go out there after work,” he says of Lake Mead. “We keep a boat there and on my days off we have a family day and enjoy barbequing and skiing. It’s wonderful.”
If enjoying a bike ride or hike by day and taking in a show or enjoying a high-end dining experience by night seems a little incongruent, Newton says such is the nature of Vegas.
“The extremes [that Las Vegas provides] are so diverse,” he explains. “There isn’t anything you could want or need that this city doesn’t offer.”
