Studio54 @ MGM Grand

Intro
Designed to be reminiscent of the famous New York club in its heyday (late 70s), Studio 54 is truly designed with an eye for style and entertainment from the masters of entertainment, MGM. If is obvious from the crowds, especially early in the evening, that the tourists are interested in this venue, whether it be to grab a slice of history, or remind them of a simpler time when they were younger. Even the tagline, “Making History Again", reflects on the nostalgia of this born-again venue.

Background
I arrived early in evening to meet with the Operations Manager, Candace, who gave me the low-down on the club, her history, and some of the ongoing challenges of the Las Vegas entertainment industry. Before we begin, let me commend MGM on hiring such a high caliber person to do such a difficult job. Candace is the epitome of professionalism and courtesy to us media type (and you know how uncontrollable some of us can be, present company excluded, of course). She exemplifies the image of Studio 54 through her youthfulness, fun-spirit, and pride in the heritage of the club she is managing. MGM's “hire from within” policy evidently paid off, as exemplified by Candace, who had previously worked in the hotel. (See story of NEW MGM venue, Tabu, now operated by Candace, by clicking image below - Feb 17, 2003)

Candace gave me a brief "behind the scenes" tour and taught me about the history of the club along the way. The club was originally designed whereas the upper floor was strictly to be a VIP level. After its opening, though, they decided to open this level up to all, with the exception of its special events, such as a Birthday party for Hugh Hefner. The VIP section was instead, restricted to about a fourth of the floor (more on that in a minute).

Studio 54 opened its doors in February of ’98 and has been “Making History Again”, ever since. One of the recent challenges that the entire Las Vegas community has felt is the post-9/11 shakeout and fear of traveling. Las Vegas is one of the towns that were affected hardest by the events of Sept. 11, since it is so tourist driven (this is well documented). To get people back into town, the hotels and airlines offered enormous discounts and fought back to build hotel occupancy back to respectability. MGM felt the sting along with the rest, but Studio 54 withheld its ground, according to Candace. People who did make it to Vegas during that time wanted to go out and get away and have fun and Studio 54 provided an escape for people. Business was obviously affected but not dramatically and has since bounced back well, as I got to witness.

Performances
Being Las Vegas, most clubs in town offer some kind of “entertainment” that you usually don’t find in clubs in other cities and 54 certainly follows form. It is, of course, owed by one of the entertainment mega-companies in the world, MGM. Throughout the night, 54 offers three (3) performances using aerial acrobatics in a “Cirque du Soleil” style. The first show occurs around 11:00-11:30pm, as two performers, one male, one female, drop out of the ceiling on bungee cords and proceed to bounce and twirl their way to the delight of the crowd below. This aerial treat last about ten (10) minutes or so.

The second performance, which appears to be the feature presentation, occurs between midnight and 1am, and recreates the “Original Sin” story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Again, dropping from the ceiling, this time on more of a trapeze-style apparatus, the performers begin twirling and dancing in the sky together. The dramatic recreation of the Garden of Eden is awe-inspiring and done in such a creative and "original" way that it is a must-see! Once the characters are thrust into exile from the garden, they proceed to demonstrate their “wildness” in aerial dance. The crowd applauds in amazement as, at one dramatic point, only a neck strap supports the female, twirling and spinning her around like a human rag doll. This show literally sends chills up my spine every time I think of it. This show marks a climax in the evening and it is soon after this performance that many of the “tourists” leave and the crowd changes to locals and the all-nighters. The third show resorts back to a less dramatic, yet still very impressive aerial feast for the eyes.

TIP: The best view for these shows is on the second level, overlooking the dance floor, so grab your spot against the railing a few minutes before the show. Ask club personnel what time the "Original Sin" performance starts (as times may change) and remember this particular schedule is for their Tuesday nights only.

TimeLine of the Night: Studio 54 offers a delectable variety of music throughout the night. The music slowly progresses throughout the evening to accommodate the changing crowd that experiences the club. Early in the night (open – 11pm) the amps pump traditional 70s disco in a throw back to its heyday. Around 10:45pm, it is the song “Funky Town” that finally gets the dance floor populated. Then the music moves to more of a pop feel from about 11pm-1am and slowly transitions into industrial electronica, with the "Original Sin" performance acting as the catalyst. Tonight, spring break is in the air and so is one of the local radio stations to promote themselves with banners and promo material throughout the club.

To help gauge the complete experience of attending 54, I decided to begin scouting the lines to report the typical waiting time you will experience at different points throughout the night. There are two entrances to the club, one on the upper level, and one on the lower. The shorter line of the two varied throughout the evening, so to help you get in the fastest, here's another TIP: When you arrive, get into the nearest line and then send someone (or two) from your party to check out the other level. Two may be better because then one can stay in the shorter line, while the other gets the rest of the group (having cell phones can accomplish the same thing).
NOTE: As of Jan 2003, the only line open now is on the lower level

Minute By Minute:
•10:45pm – lower line-200ft (20-30 min), upper line-300ft (30-40)
•11:30pm- the place was already packed inside. (TIP) up until about now, girls out numbered the guys about 2-1, so guys get there early!
•11:45pm – girls on swings inside indicate that the show was warming up…lower & uppr line around 40-45min., locals begin arriving at VIP door (5 min wait)
•12 midnight – strange, lower line increased in length by about 50 ft (added 5-10 min making it a 45-55 min wait), while upper decreased about 40 feet (minus 4-10 min or 35 min wait)
•12:10am VIP 5-10 min wait…I asked people entering what time they arrived and heard the lower line was about a 30-40 min wait (arrived 11:30ish) and the upper line waited about 50 min (arrived 11:20)
•12:45am both back to full length….40-45 min wait
•1:00am lines lightened up…many locals coming in through the VIP line now though…a limit of 1191 is posted and is close to being maxed out!..in fact there are sporatic times when they have to hold off letting more in until others come out…around midnight-1 prepare to wait

Local Insider Scoop: Here’s the dish on some of the insider stuff. I spoke with a few people that worked there as well as a VIP, Sam, a local bartender. He basically said, “take care of the doorman and you are good, that’s the key". The VIP doorman, Joe, refused to comment on that statement but "seemed" to nod in agreement when I presented that idea to him. I think that's one of those under the radar things at ANY club.
NOTE: He was still there upon my return in Feb 2003

Customer Service and Tipping: All the employees seemed to hustle there, which is a good indication of quality management and a good human resources department. Of course, in Vegas (and anywhere for that matter) the best way to get the best customer service is to be a good tipper. I tried my hand at tipping bigger up front with one of the bartenders at 54, Stephanie (first of all, how come the best looking woman at a club is always one of the bartenders? that's a different story though). I tipped Stephanie $5 on the first drink which caught her attention and let her know of my preferences through the night. From that point on, every time I approached her, even when there was a wall of people in front of me, she quickly noticed me and produced my drink ahead of others. Of course a $1 tip per drink after that was plenty, and turned out to be a win-win situation (nice cliché, huh?). Regardless, remember these people work for a living and rely on tips, plus it may save you MUCH time waiting for drinks if you let them know you tip up front.

VIP area: The VIP area at 54 is quite large and takes up a good portion of the upper floor. The section runs the length of the club, with a well-guarded entrance to it at either end. Within the confines are a VIP bar and the “beautiful” people (makes me wonder how I got in there). One of the coolest things about the area is the back wall, which is filled with memorabilia from the original studio 54 in New York. If you get there early enough and there aren’t too many people back there (anytime before 10:30pm-11pm will probably work), you may be able to talk a “VIP Guard“ into letting you check the wall out.

There is an elevator just outside the VIP area that is very convenient for anyone to use, especially since the stairs are all located on the other side of the club. The best/worst part of that you are usually in an elevator with strangers. I like to take that time to ask where people are from and be the prying reporter type. Throughout the night, it seems that everyone I rode with were all locals, so the elevator may actually be an insider thing. The sociologist inside you will enjoy the conversations you hear and the "prepping" that goes on inside the elevator.

As previously mentioned, the later you stay, the more the local crowd becomes the majority. Most Vegas locals know this as a Vegas way of going out - let the tourists clear the clubs before the real party starts! Regardless of the time, you will witness people dressing up in outfits that you will only see in Vegas (maybe in LA too). Boas, red spiked hair, pimp-garb (fuzzy hats and coats) and even Elvis attire was seen throughout the night. ”Hey, it’s Vegas, go crazy” seems to an accepted concept.

Summary
When you make plans to come to Vegas, put Studio 54 on your list for Tuesday night and you will witness a plethora of fun and entertainment. Bring your New York attitude and your memories of yesterday, and be prepared to party “Vegas Style”.

One last TIP: Many local taxis have line passes for Studio 54, so ask about it and make sure you tip them accordingly, as they will expect it.

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