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LAS VEGAS, NV – The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, in partnership with the Harrison House, announces a Black History Month program, “A Night at the Moulin Rouge: Celebrating the Iconic Las Vegas Resort Through Memories and Music,” to be held Thursday, Feb. 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Museum Courtroom.
A rousing and dynamic musical tribute, this program will be reminiscent of a night in the Moulin Rouge lounge. The tribute will be emceed by actor, director and producer Allen Craig Harris and will feature performances by local singers, including Paris Red and Leon Gilliam, as well as musicians, including Ken Seifert on bass, Greg Brown on drums and Woody Woods on piano. Also performing will be tap dancer Ivery Wheeler.
The program will also feature a panel discussion moderated by The Mob Museum’s director of public programs Shakala Alvaranga. On the panel, speakers will include Anna Bailey, the first Black woman to work as a dancer on the Las Vegas Strip, and Katherine Duncan, a leading force in developing business opportunities as the founder and president of the Las Vegas Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce. Duncan also serves as the vice president of community development at the Harrison House Las Vegas. In addition, Manny Davis, adopted son of the late Sammy Davis Jr. and head of the Sammy Davis Jr. estate, will reflect on his father’s career, life and experiences in Las Vegas.
As the first racially integrated resort in Las Vegas, the Moulin Rouge was the talk of the town when it opened in 1955. It was a national sensation as well, with its dancers gracing the cover of Life magazine. Beyond the stage, the Moulin Rouge was a catalyst for civil rights reform in Las Vegas. The resort’s vibrant spirit still lingers almost 70 years later. In recognition of Black History Month, The Mob Museum and Harrison House will revisit the hotel’s shining moments and social influence in a multifaceted program featuring storytelling, music and dance.
Tickets for this special Black History Month program are $55 and can be purchased online at TheMobMuseum.org/events.
The program and pop-up display of historic Moulin Rouge ephemera, which will be on view throughout the evening, is sponsored by The Stephen Lackey Philanthropic Trust.
