Successful entertainment in Las Vegas is dependent upon eager performers taking on a wide variety jobs. In the scintillating city, the definitions of art, entertainment and performance are as eclectic as the architecture on the Strip.
How do you find those jobs? With so much work available, it's surprising how hard it can be to find out about them. Often the conventions and hotels are so busy with their own elements of organization that they rely on outside talent agencies and production companies to handle the entertainment. Much like in Los Angeles, the key is getting signed on with the right agency.
Established in 1997, Best Models and Talent is a product of the booming Las Vegas entertainment scene. According to Erica Harris, director of sales and marketing, the agency has branched out from placing models and talent to opening a full fledged production company called Best Productions, which opened its doors in 1999. Carrie Henderson, a former model, and Ken Henderson, who spent many years in the hotel industry, founded and run the agency and production company together.
Carrie Henderson said, "Las Vegas is an ever-expanding city with regard to entertainment. We have had the opportunity to not only conform to the ideas that our clients have, but we have been given creative freedom to come up with unique ideas for our clients that are 'out of the box.' Las Vegas is one of the only cities in the world where entertainment can be as small or as large as your imagination will allow and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to stretch our creative imagination."
The list of casting opportunities that Best Models and Talent facilitate is enormous and varied. It includes models, actors, dancers, singers, musicians, specialty acts, look-a-likes and much more. They book models and talent for print, fashion, TV/film, conventions, promotions, special events and for on-going entertainment programs.
They also create and manage themed entertainment programs for various hotels and events in town. At the Venetian, they supply the gondoliers, strolling musicians and performers, living statues and specialty acts. At Caesars Palace, they cast the Roman characters program (Caesar, Cleopatra and their royal court). Best also created the entertainment concept for the Shadow Bar at Caesars and hires and manages all of the performers.
Additionally, they produced the grand opening for the Aladdin Hotel and created their original character program. Best has also created entertainment programs and promotions for Harrah's Hotel and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (which is part of the Venetian Hotel). They're also involved with special event production for golf tournaments and fashion shows.
Nitty Gritty
So how do you get a job with them?
Carrie Henderson said, "With regard to models and actors we look for a particular look that works well within the Las Vegas market as well as other markets for print and fashion models. We look for professionalism."
According to the owners, professionalism includes punctuality, dressing professionally and appropriately for the job or audition, and having quality self-promotion materials such as a good portfolio, zed cards, and composites, current and professional resumes. Actors, spokespeople and voice-over artists and specialty acts should have demo tapes.
"We, of course, look for talent and ability with regard to singers, musicians, dancers and specialty acts. Reliability and desire are also important traits that our models and talent must have," Carrie Henderson said.
Ken Henderson reinforces the concern for professionalism, mentioning the one downside of talent placement in the Nevada desert. "Las Vegas is very transient. Sometimes they're here today and we get excited... then all of the sudden...they're a goner tomorrow."
Harris is relatively new to the agency, but she said that she's delightfully surprised by the caliber of talent in Vegas. "The variety of talent is amazing," she said. "People are open to new ideas here and the more creative input, the better the quality of the entertainment."
Ken Henderson expressed satisfaction with the quality of talent that comes through their door. He said, "Las Vegas is the Entertainment Capitol of the World. It draws entertainers and talent from all over, which gives us a great selection."
Both Henderson's share the same goal for the coming year-- "growth, growth and more growth"--expected changes include re-branding their name, moving offices and getting into various new markets of the entertainment business. Growing, indeed.