Ziegfeld Theatre is a major part of why I moved to Reno from Santa Rosa CA in late 1993. I happened to be coming through Reno-Sparks for my very first time in April 1992 after having taken a bizarre 4-day fair security job outside Vegas. As it were, my friend who drove wound up in Parr for two nights after an incident at Ascuaga's Nugget. I had a friend who lived about 5 blocks from there and stayed with him. In an absolute fluke of timing (and personal manifestation), George Carlin was performing at Bally's that very weekend, which happened to be my 21st birthday. I had dreamed of the moment since my parents played his Indecent Exposure album when I was about 7, thinking I wasn't listening. It's officially the first event I ever went to here of many, many more to come. I'm really loving your videos and wish I had discovered your channel years ago. Great interviews!
My father was the executive Maitre D of the original Ziegfeld Theatre ( 1978 ) that housed " Hello Hollywood Hello." 2 shows nightly.. Dinner and Cocktail. Mom was a chorus girl for Don Arden during the opening of the Desert Inn Las Vegas in 1950. She then migrated north to Reno for work as a Moro Landis dancer at the Hotel Riverside, where she performed throughout my childhood here in town. The MGM Grand Hotel Reno showroom staffed 99 waiters and waitresses, 50 bussers, and at least 10 captains and two assistant Maitre D's that helped my father run the operation ( front of the house ) Good work and accuracy on this one 🫡
Bummer you couldn't get backstage to see the plane. I worked for a local security subcontractor and saw it many times up close. The other really cool thing is the gall in the hallway by the dressing room that is signed by so many of the artists that have performed in the theater over the decades.
Great video, I worked there when they opened. Saw the show many many times.Do you know that the show played twice a night,the later show was topless. Too bad the supervisors are not as nice as they use to be and you couldn't go back stage. They had a dinner for the 40 yr employees on the stage with the plane in the background,very cool.
The MGM Grand was the first hotel to include an RV park in an adjacent parking area. Quite a novelty at the time. The management recognized that they could get enough of your money by letting you gamble, buy show tickets and patronize restaurants without selling you a hotel room.
I love this kind of stuff. It's too bad you couldn't get on the stage to see the plane. I was recently at a concert, in which I could see around the props and saw the plane. They won't let me back there either. Keep up the good work.
While going to Reno High had a buddy, his Dad was one of the contractors building the MGM...Lucky enough to tour most of that building at different times while it was being built...Awesome memories of that...Then in 1979 while going to UNR started working at the MGM stayed there until 1985, must have seen Hollywood a few dozen times...Very classy building back then. But it was a drag the Jai Alai was shut down so early in the building's existence ...Catch all of your videos, have lived in the Phoenix area now for more than 30 years and get back to Reno yearly, and your efforts bring back such great memories of Reno...Thanks for that...70's and 80's Reno can't be beat.
As a retired Stage/Audio fellow, I've had the pleasure of working with Karen Burns on many events. She is a truly wonderful, organized and talented person. Doing occasional Union calls, I worked on this show a few times. I even tipped a few cocktails at Mr. Dee's Backstage (a local crew watering hole). At some point or another I worked with the two techs you interviewed as well. Somewhere there is a blueprint of the Ziegfeld Showroom. From memory, the audience area (around 1500) was 15%, the actual viewable stage area was 15% and the backstage was 70%. This stage is HUGE. Since you're making a conical of N.Nevada history, you might conssider a video about Sheep Dip (a hilarious, annual, local roast which ran for many years). Great times, Great memories. Thanks. Keep up the great work. Cheers
I first saw this show in 1979 and many times after what he is failing to bring up is MGM history, in 1980 shortly after this place opened there was a large fire in Vegas MGM which killed 85 people I believe one of the largest in history, and after that MGM fell on hard times and people didnt want to stay at that property for fear of safety, and they tried to promote the heck out of it, and they did, I took advantage of a lot of good deals in the early 80s, and still visit GSR every month brings back good memories...
Is anyone aware of a quality video of the show? All I have been able to locate so far is a VHS quality recording that doesn't include all the additional sequences like the Gauchos and assorted other "bit" performers (who were all amazing in their own right but reduced to "add-ons" by the scope of the production!). I went to it a number of times. Many of us working in Reno in the mid-80's would cash our paychecks at the MGM and those of us lucky at the paycheck wheel would get a dinner show for two! I also worked as "support staff" at the Grand (Otis Elevator) and got to service the huge stage life elevators, a one-off construction by Otis and see all the backstage magic (Airplane, mobile waterfall, etc.). Great times and memories!
On the way up to Virginia City, there is a scenic overlook on the West side of Geiger Grade. I haven't been able to find out much about it's history but it sure appears to me to be an old location of one the many primitive "Auto Camps" built in the 1930's. Anyone else ever come across info on that location?
I know the road was but the artifacts and foundation remnants there look somewhat like a private campground. Usually it's pretty easy to find info about WPA jobs. While I've found stuff about the road, I haven't seen any mention of the overlook area.@@SteveTRYK
From a former costume designer.....THANK YOU Karen. THANK YOU for preserving history. Many costumes are now considered works of art.
Thanks for watching and cheers!
Amazing.
Ziegfeld Theatre is a major part of why I moved to Reno from Santa Rosa CA in late 1993. I happened to be coming through Reno-Sparks for my very first time in April 1992 after having taken a bizarre 4-day fair security job outside Vegas. As it were, my friend who drove wound up in Parr for two nights after an incident at Ascuaga's Nugget. I had a friend who lived about 5 blocks from there and stayed with him. In an absolute fluke of timing (and personal manifestation), George Carlin was performing at Bally's that very weekend, which happened to be my 21st birthday. I had dreamed of the moment since my parents played his Indecent Exposure album when I was about 7, thinking I wasn't listening. It's officially the first event I ever went to here of many, many more to come.
I'm really loving your videos and wish I had discovered your channel years ago. Great interviews!
I loved the show and saw it many times. I worked there 15 yrs and wish it would continue to be a draw to Reno. It was breathtaking.
It was indeed!
JustKnate uploaded an encounter with someone who says they were a part of this production for many years! Interesting
Yes, I saw that. Dave is his first name, and he is now homeless on the streets of Reno.
I was trying to find his name or face. Lol Knate should talk to him about it. It's so interesting.
My father was the executive Maitre D of the original Ziegfeld Theatre ( 1978 ) that housed " Hello Hollywood Hello." 2 shows nightly.. Dinner and Cocktail. Mom was a chorus girl for Don Arden during the opening of the Desert Inn Las Vegas in 1950. She then migrated north to Reno for work as a Moro Landis dancer at the Hotel Riverside, where she performed throughout my childhood here in town. The MGM Grand Hotel Reno showroom staffed 99 waiters and waitresses, 50 bussers, and at least 10 captains and two assistant Maitre D's that helped my father run the operation ( front of the house ) Good work and accuracy on this one 🫡
Good times! Thanks!
Bummer you couldn't get backstage to see the plane. I worked for a local security subcontractor and saw it many times up close. The other really cool thing is the gall in the hallway by the dressing room that is signed by so many of the artists that have performed in the theater over the decades.
Great video, I worked there when they opened. Saw the show many many times.Do you know that the show played twice a night,the later show was topless. Too bad the supervisors are not as nice as they use to be and you couldn't go back stage. They had a dinner for the 40 yr employees on the stage with the plane in the background,very cool.
The MGM Grand was the first hotel to include an RV park in an adjacent parking area. Quite a novelty at the time. The management recognized that they could get enough of your money by letting you gamble, buy show tickets and patronize restaurants without selling you a hotel room.
I love this kind of stuff. It's too bad you couldn't get on the stage to see the plane. I was recently at a concert, in which I could see around the props and saw the plane. They won't let me back there either. Keep up the good work.
I tried! Thanks!
While going to Reno High had a buddy, his Dad was one of the contractors building the MGM...Lucky enough to tour most of that building at different times while it was being built...Awesome memories of that...Then in 1979 while going to UNR started working at the MGM stayed there until 1985, must have seen Hollywood a few dozen times...Very classy building back then. But it was a drag the Jai Alai was shut down so early in the building's existence ...Catch all of your videos, have lived in the Phoenix area now for more than 30 years and get back to Reno yearly, and your efforts bring back such great memories of Reno...Thanks for that...70's and 80's Reno can't be beat.
Thanks Gary!
As a retired Stage/Audio fellow, I've had the pleasure of working with Karen Burns on many events. She is a truly wonderful, organized and talented person. Doing occasional Union calls, I worked on this show a few times. I even tipped a few cocktails at Mr. Dee's Backstage (a local crew watering hole). At some point or another I worked with the two techs you interviewed as well. Somewhere there is a blueprint of the Ziegfeld Showroom. From memory, the audience area (around 1500) was 15%, the actual viewable stage area was 15% and the backstage was 70%. This stage is HUGE. Since you're making a conical of N.Nevada history, you might conssider a video about Sheep Dip (a hilarious, annual, local roast which ran for many years). Great times, Great memories. Thanks. Keep up the great work. Cheers
Thanks and interesting suggestion! Cheers!
I first saw this show in 1979 and many times after what he is failing to bring up is MGM history, in 1980 shortly after this place opened there was a large fire in Vegas MGM which killed 85 people I believe one of the largest in history, and after that MGM fell on hard times and people didnt want to stay at that property for fear of safety, and they tried to promote the heck out of it, and they did, I took advantage of a lot of good deals in the early 80s, and still visit GSR every month brings back good memories...
I did a video on the history of the MGM that I released just prior to this one. Cheers!
I saw the show several times and my old school mate from Whittier California was in the show ❤❤❤
The interviews and the stories they provided were amazing!
I saw that show ❤ This is golden!
Very cool. I was too young to go to the show but I remember my parents going and talking about it.
Is anyone aware of a quality video of the show? All I have been able to locate so far is a VHS quality recording that doesn't include all the additional sequences like the Gauchos and assorted other "bit" performers (who were all amazing in their own right but reduced to "add-ons" by the scope of the production!). I went to it a number of times. Many of us working in Reno in the mid-80's would cash our paychecks at the MGM and those of us lucky at the paycheck wheel would get a dinner show for two! I also worked as "support staff" at the Grand (Otis Elevator) and got to service the huge stage life elevators, a one-off construction by Otis and see all the backstage magic (Airplane, mobile waterfall, etc.). Great times and memories!
There is a 4K restoration of the VHS tape on RUclips somewhere that looks pretty good - just do a search. Cheers!
Kirk Kerkorian. My favorite capitalist.
A man on justknates RUclips channel brought me here.
Cool!
737??? Maybe on paper, but more the size of a bigger Lear jet. And it's still backstage to this day.
Another terrific video! How wonderful!! Thank you!
The managers at MGM were a bunch of underhanded a-holes.
🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲
On the way up to Virginia City, there is a scenic overlook on the West side of Geiger Grade. I haven't been able to find out much about it's history but it sure appears to me to be an old location of one the many primitive "Auto Camps" built in the 1930's. Anyone else ever come across info on that location?
I think that area was a WPA project but not positive.
I know the road was but the artifacts and foundation remnants there look somewhat like a private campground. Usually it's pretty easy to find info about WPA jobs. While I've found stuff about the road, I haven't seen any mention of the overlook area.@@SteveTRYK