It’s lucky you’re only asking for the number for "a" service, since that’s all we’ve been able to find!
We figured the world’s party capital would be literally awash with singing telegrams, but it looks like American Singing Telegrams (390 W. Sahara) has successfully cornered the market here. If it’s a showgirl you’re after, they have a classic Vegas specimen (blond) available Wednesday through Sunday, or you can have Marilyn Monroe (in her famous pink Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend getup) on Mondays and Tuesdays. If you’re looking for something a little unusual, they also have a member of the "Golden Folies" on their books: This lady is a septuagenarian former member of the original Folies Bergère cast, and apparently she’s still performing acrobatics today. Of course, the company also has the classic line-up of cupids, gorillas, and singing bananas, if that’s more up your alley.
A standard singing telegram, which lasts about 15 minutes, costs $150. If the performer has to travel off the beaten track, a surcharge is applied, and there’s also a $25 fee if you want her/him to learn a special song/routine that’s not in the usual repertoire. We were told to give at least a week’s notice, but this seemed to us to be cutting it a bit fine and we’d hate for you to be disappointed and find the particular character you wanted was already booked, so we’d recommend giving as much notice as you can. You can pay either by VISA, Mastercard, or Amex in advance or with cash on the day/night if there’s a group of you clubbing together. Call 702/671-0711 or email [email protected] to book or for a quote.
There are a couple of other singing telegram outfits we've come across that service the Las Vegas area, but neither is based here in town. One, a company called Entertainment International apparently based in Pennsylvania, covers the whole country (including Alaska and Hawaii, plus Canada). They said they could supply a showgirl for a birthday in Vegas at an approximate price of $185 (their basic charge is $150, but they thought the showgirl costume would be extra) and recommended booking a month in advance. Their standard routine runs a little shorter than American Singing Telegrams', at around 10 minutes. Other classic costumes to choose from include cheerleaders, French maids, Elvis, the Grim Reaper, and — of course — a chicken. Call 866/679-1900 or email at [email protected]
The other company we turned up is called Artistic Singing Telegrams. They're based in California, but have a couple of performers on their books who now reside in Las Vegas. Their regularly available personae include Marilyn Monroe, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Cupid, heart, bag lady, and slot attendant. The company has many additional costumes (around 180 characters) in L.A., however, and many of the other artists on their books travel here regularly for conventions or pleasure, so if you give enough notice, they can often accommodate your request.
The basic fee is $200 for a 10-15-minute routine that includes jokes as well as the appropriate "Happy Birthday" rendition. There's a $50 surcharge if you need the performer to come to a Strip hotel, which basically constitutes "danger money," because apparently the performers find that if they turn up in a Marilyn Monroe outfit, for example, tourists assume they're some act with the casino and insist on photo opportunities, etc., so it makes the whole process more of a hassle and more time-consuming for the singing telegram. It's recommended to book as far in advance as possible, and a minimum of 50% of the booking fee is required as a deposit up front, with any balance payable on the night of the performance. The company accepts all major credit cards, plus money orders and checks for the deposit; you can opt to pay any outstanding balance in cash to the performer. For further information call 888/449-SING.
