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Rich Natole
Vanessa Legrand
As I’ve mentioned in quite a few of my past
columns, Las Vegas is home to many musical
talents - including great singers as well
as variety acts. Some singers seem to blend
into the background, while others, stand out
like a diamond in a barrel of coal.
Once again, I would like to highlight
someone who I think is a star quality performer.
Someone who I believe with the right
exposure, could have an extremely bright future
in show business.
To put it simply, Vanessa Legrand is a
beautiful singer/songwriter with that “wow
factor.” She has a stunning presence that
certainly gets her noticed.
She also has the perfect name for show
business. Growing up in North Carolina, she
always wanted to be a singer, even though
nobody in her family was in show biz. She
was the rare lone singing talent in her family.
Most singers that I’ve interviewed on our
Listening to The Vegas Voice radio show
Dianne Davis
seemed to grow up around music. Either one
of the parents was musical or a relative was
somehow connected to the performing arts.
More commonly, they sang in
church. That’s not the case here. I believe
this is what makes Vanessa stand out even
more.
Going it alone takes guts and confidence.
You have to really be determined to press on
Shows Come and Go
Las Vegas is a good news-bad news town.
The bad news was that many entertaining
shows closed in 2016. Jersey Boys and Gordie
Brown both enjoyed well deserved multi-year
runs that came to an end this past fall.
Million Dollar Quartet did more than 1,500
performances before Harrah’s bid it farewell in
December. Multi-talented performer Frankie
Moreno closed, opened, and closed again.
Rock of Ages and Raiding The Rock Vault
have come and gone and come and …. who
knows. The iconic Jubilee, the last of the traditional
Vegas extravaganzas, ended a record
breaking run at Bally’s.
Other productions we won’t even name
opened and closed in the blink of an eye. So
where does that leave us? There is lots of good
news.
Clint Holmes – Between The Lines at the
Palazzo is continuing to build the following
that he deserves. For the record, I believe Clint
is one of the very finest performers in this
town.
The Bronx Wanderers at Bally’s has folks
dancing in the aisles as they take us back to
the music we heard on the car radio when we
were dating. Terry Fator at The Mirage continues
to update his act and share the talent
that made him the 2012 winner of America’s
Got Talent.
Human Nature at the Venetian evolved
from the jumpin’ jivin’ Motown show into
JukeBox, a musical voyage covering several
decades of music. And Vegas the Show in the
without the family safety net or
guidance.
What many have told me is
that Vanessa’s show is special. She
manages to keep her crowd engaged
and totally entertained.
Back in the old days of Las Vegas,
we all remember singers, such
as Ann Margaret and Susan Anton.
These were women who not
only could sing, but had an eyecatching
stage presence as well.
With her beautiful statuesque
appearance, Vanessa is definitely
in that category. These days her
performances are grabbing attention in several
Las Vegas venues.
She performs regularly in the Grandview
Lounge at the South Point Hotel. This particular
showroom is newly renovated and has
a cozy old-style Las Vegas lounge feel.
We need more of these kind of rooms in
town. They’re perfect for showcasing new talent.
Vanessa is a classically trained performer.
She went to college on a music scholarship
and studied with the great composer,
Marvin Hamlisch. Very impressive!
She’s able to sing in a variety of styles -
from Pop/Rock to jazz standards. Audiences
love to hear variety and Vanessa loves to give
her audiences what they want.
Vanessa has been a guest on many of the
local TV and radio shows. Without any doubt,
look for Vanessa Legrand’s star to shine
brightly in the months and years to come.
You can also check out her songs on You-
Tube and Facebook.
Rich Natole is a comic/impressionist headlining entertainer & host of The Vegas Voice
Television/Podcast Show. For more information visit: www.richnatole.com. You can
also contact Rich at: rich@richnatole.com.
Saxe Theater continues to attract
audiences as it shares the musical
version of Las Vegas’ history.
Menopause The Musical at
Harrah’s includes tunes we know
with lyrics that tickle our funny
bones. One of my new favorites
is The Righteous Brothers at
Harrah’s.
Like Clint Holmes, it is a show I
can easily return to see again and
totally enjoy each time. It features
the original Righteous Brother
Bill Medley and the wonderfully
talented Bucky Heard sharing
music you know - and I suspect love as I do.
Magicians and comedians flow through the
Las Vegas entertainment turnstile, but one of
That’s Entertainment
my favorites is the very clever Mike Hammer
at the Four Queens. He is superb at combining
magic with comedy. Penn and Teller have
earned the respect of audiences at the Rio and
continue to modify their act.
Then there is The Smith Center. A wonderful
gift to our community that brings us
Broadway caliber entertainment. Check out
their schedule for 2017. And don’t bypass the
Cabaret Jazz Room at the Smith Center - top
notch entertainment at reasonable prices.
This is by no means a complete list, but
touches on many favorites. One reason we
moved here was the promise of wonderful entertainment.
It is here. Go see a show, support
the amazing entertainers who live and work
here.
And ENJOY!
In addition to The Vegas Voice, Dianne Davis is a reporter for Sun City Anthem TV (SCA-
TV) specializing in entertainment and is a columnist for www.lasvegasroundtheclock.
com. She is the Las Vegas Editor of lasvegassplash.com , She also bowls, hikes, scuba
dives, travels with her husband Burt, and works on her standup comedy routines.
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