Sinatra, Frank. Samantha Davis Jr. Martin, Dean. Rickles, Don. All of these names are remnants of Las Vegas’ glory; they are now little more than blurry YouTube recollections.
Wayne Newton is one Las Vegas legend whose live performances can still be seen on the famed Strip.
The 81-year-old Newton recently declared that he would extend his current residency at the Flamingo Hotel through the summer of 2019. From January 13 through June 12, 2024, there are 62 dates. Tickets are available at caesars.com/shows and start at $82 (fees not included).
Newton admitted that she had spent her entire life in Las Vegas performing in her residency. “I live there, so why leave? I’d have to find employment somewhere else,”
Newton’s career in Las Vegas began in 1959 when a talent scout invited the then-15-year-old high school student from the Phoenix region to an audition. At first, Jerry, Newton’s older brother, was a part of his act. On the strength of his 1963 song “Danke Schoen,” his first significant hit, he eventually went solo.
Since that illustrious beginning, Newton, also known as Mr. Las Vegas, has entertained over 40 million spectators at 50,000 performances.
Newton remembered a performance he gave to support the 2016 opening of the city’s T-Mobile Arena about his best Vegas memory.
“I was one of the performers in that show and wondered, ‘What kind of show do I do?'” So I made the decision to pay honor to Frank, Dean, Sam, and Bobby Darin, he stated. “I sang songs by each of those individuals; we were all close friends. I ended it with “My Way,” a Sinatra standard. Everyone in the audience switched on their phone lights while I was singing, and the lighting technician turned out the lights. I was sobbing.
The fiddle is one of the 13 instruments that Newton plays, and he usually includes it in his current performance. But entering a karaoke bar is one thing Newton will never be caught doing.
According to him, having a perfect pitch was both a blessing and a curse. “Therefore, if anybody is singing in tune around me, it hurts. I don’t participate in karaoke since I couldn’t keep up.
Newton frequently makes pauses in his program to share tales from his more than six-decade career and the mostly deceased acquaintances he met. Videos of Newton alongside celebrities like Elvis, Sinatra and his Rat Pack, Jack Benny and Jackie Gleason, and show host Ed Sullivan are shown. A medley featuring the late Glen Campbell is also included.
John Katsilometes, an entertainment columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was told by Newton that his presentation is a “bucket list” activity for anyone who wants to travel back in time.
In recent weeks, Newton noted, “We’ve had a lot more younger people come to the show, and especially a lot more younger guys.” They wish to relive the glory days of Las Vegas.