Last week’s abrupt cessation of three shows at the Plaza sent gloom and presages of doom through the theatrical community over the weekend. Lichtenstein-based Tamares Group was rumored to be pulling the plug on Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Bite and Grand Ole Vegas Revue (the latter is a low-cost summer jamboree that the Plaza picked up from Bonnie Springs Ranch, out in the sticks — and which Mike Weatherford aptly likened to a Shakey’s Pizza parlor). It certainly wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen Tamares take the cheapskate route with its ostensible flagship casino. When a new bingo room, hair salon and a stint by Insurgo Theater Movement failed to stimulate foot traffic on the second floor of the Plaza, Tamares gradually stripped out the lounging furniture, slot machines and mezzanine-level blackjack in favor of … nothing. However, the problems assailing the Plaza’s ramshackle entertainment program appear to be several and various.
On Monday, the Las Vegas Sun‘s John Katsilometes shed a few rays of light upon the mystery, producing more tantalizing clues that solid answers. “Until further notice” has changed to a tentative Jan. 15 as the target date for resuming two, maybe three of the halted shows. Anthony Cools-owned The Phat Pack continues to run, evidently because it and it alone employs a “light and sound system installed by Cools,” who — surprise! — has resigned as showroom manager. (He had a comparably brief and inglorious tenure at the Tropicana, before Alex Yemenidjian essentially chased him into the street.)
When Cools takes his tech out at year’s end, the Phat Packers leave with it. What Katsilometes mysteriously describes as “extensive production support” necessary to keep Bite, Whorehouse and Vegas Revue (scarcely a high-tech show) up and running is currently hors de combat. Whether this refers to a lack of stage crew or problems with the electrical system, Johnny Kats sayeth not. No matter if the equipment is subpar or simply unmanned, it cannot be run.
Jonathan Gorst, Revue’s co-producer, was quick to bend over and grab his ankles: “Although we face the challenge of being dark for the next four weeks, we feel that it is an incredible opportunity to see that gem of a showroom be returned to its rightful status as a center of entertainment in Las Vegas. We considered our options carefully, and this was the one that made the most sense. It is certainly viable that we will be able to return to a full schedule once everything is ready.” It’s certainly a “challenge” for cast members who find themselves forcibly idled for a month and have “an incredible opportunity” to look for other work. One would imagine that the stay-put option “made the most sense” because Gorst isn’t going to find other casinos queuing up to book his show. I have a friend who’s shopping a production around the Strip and Downtown, and it’s a tough — and very expensive — row to hoe.
While Whorehouse and Vegas Revue are locally grown enterprises produced on a shoestring, the Plaza has a much tougher customer on its hands with 
Stratosphere castoff Bite. (Now that one might find takers elsewhere.) Producer Tim Molyneux has blown the whistle on problems with Plaza management, saying box office receipts were received in a “slow and inconsistent” manner, exacerbated by “ticket report errors I had seen.” So either Molyneux’s suggesting Plaza people can’t count money or that somebody’s skimming the till. But soft! According to Mike Weatherford, it was Cools’ money-handling skills that met with disapproval, speeding his exit from the Plaza, The Nevada Gaming Control Board has been turning a blind eye to Tamares’ smoke-and-mirrors act for seven years. It’s long past time that Tamares submitted itself for a gaming license, which would bring daylight to a murky corner of Downtown.
At least somebody potentially displaced from the Plaza might find a gig on the Strip. Evil Dead the Musical is auditioning (through Jan. 4) for a backup male lead. Shirtlessness is required, as is singing ability. Hardly anyone in Evil Dead can carry a tune. Why break with tradition now?
