All photos by Patrick Gray/Kabik Photo Group

A week into July, I received an e-mail from Venetian|Palazzo’s Keith Salwoski (Executive Director of Public Relations), inviting me to participate in a “special experience” called BAZ Boot Camp – an afternoon that had been thought-up, for “influencers” like me, in celebration of the one year anniversary of BAZ – Star Crossed Love.  The epistle went on to describe the event as “an afternoon experience for you to step into the shoes of a BAZ performer – including hair and makeup, wardrobe, and even a dance lesson.”

I don’t recall my exact reply, but I’m sure it contained something to the effect that he’d “had me at hair and makeup;” and I proceeded to put it on my calendar.  Fast forward a few weeks, and I was strolling into the Palazzo Theatre, with the music of BAZ – Star Crossed Love in my head, and a love for musical theater in my heart.

After a notably delicious sandwich from Grand Luxe Café, the lot of us – including Rachel Smith (KVVU, Fox 5), Melinda Sheckells (Wendoh Media), John Katsilometes (Las Vegas Review-Journal), JJ Snyder (KTNV, ABC 13), Shaun Burgess (Vegas.com), Andrew Freund (DishNation), and Barrett Foa (NCIS: Los Angeles), as well as BAZ super-fan, Sam Novak (who’d flown-in from Salem, OR; to attend) – made our way to the stage, to begin learning the choreography.

“We’re gonna start with everybody on their left knee,” announced the choreographer.  “This isn’t gonna be cute, for me, at all,” I mumbled to myself.  Sure enough, after the following instruction (which was to get up off of our left knees), I got up, but my knee didn’t.  Uh oh… Medic!!!

So, I limped back to where the V|P folks were, and sat down, next to Alyssa Anderson (VP, Public Relations); who noticed the defeated look on my face, and told me not to go anywhere, because she’d had a brainstorm.  At this she leapt-up, and ran to the stage, where she and director Blair Farrington engaged in a brief tête-à-tête.  Then, with a big smile on her face, she returned, and informed me that I was now cast in the role of emcee.  Fantastic!

After the rest of the gang had concluded their dance instruction, we were led downstairs, under the theater, to the wardrobe, hair, and make-up departments.  Having sent in our sizes the week before, our costumes were ready and waiting for us.  Unfortunately, my tuxedo was about three sizes too big for me (a situation I’ve never encountered), but – thanks to my pal in Wardrobe – it was altered in a flash, due to some expert pinning.  Director Farrington had given me some lines to learn, and I set about doing so, in the hair and make-up chairs.  My hair (or lack thereof) never looked better, and the make-up artist managed to completely cover the bags under my eyes – so I was thrilled.

Back in the theater, once more, we did a few full run-throughs of our scene, and then it was time to let in the audience.  Now, even though I rarely get stage-fright, I managed to flub my verbiage. I mispronounce the word “Baz” - if you can imagine such a thing – but from what I was told, I owned it so well, the audience assumed it was intentional (it wasn’t).

As for the rest of our motley crew, everyone was fantastic!  I don’t think any of us, except Foa (an accomplished thespian, with years of experience treading the boards) knew the amount of work that goes into learning and rehearsing and performing a single scene.  And that said, given the opportunity to do it all again, I doubt any of us would decline the opportunity.  We just had way too much fun.

BAZ Boot Camp | BAZ – Star Crossed Love
Palazzo Theatre | The Palazzo
Click HERE for info

Get into it!
#BazPalazzo