A Tony Award winner singing at Westgate SuperBook? Bet on it
We swept into Westgate SuperBook a bit after 10 p.m. Thursday night. Within minutes, a Tony Award-winning entertainer was singing Queen to a mix of sports bettors and karaoke fans.
Yep, the English tenor Alfie Boe’s soaring vocals filled the fortress. He took the stage (or, rather, platform) in the regular lineup at Super Karaoke. But he’s no regular singer. His take of “We Are The Champions” shook the place.
Hardly anyone realized who was this singer, who has won a Tony as a cast member of Baz Luhrmann’s 2002 revival of “La Bohème” on Broadway.
After Boe returned to his seat at one of the SuperBook’s VIP booths (winning a Tony does afford this amenity), I asked, “What would you say was your signature live appearance? Before tonight, I mean.”
“I sang at the 25th anniversary of ‘Les Miserables.’ I have also performed for the Queen,” Boe answered, then laughed. “But that was before tonight.”
Boe referred to his appearances at the “Les Miserables” 25th anniversary show in 2010 at 02 Arena in London, and also Queen Elizabeth’s 92nd birthday party production at Royal Albert Hall in 2018.
From the Queen of England, to Queen at the SuperBook. Yet another sign the city is reopening. Boe was in town on a weekend getaway with his kids. The great tenor might be in for a more formal performance, too, at the hotel.
In case you don’t know, Super Karaoke is the Westgate SuperBook’s new evening of tracked singing, running from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Thursdays. The games are usually played out by then, and hotel officials figured, hey, let’s make some use of this massive seating area and video wall.
Oh yeah. @AlfieBoe levels the place during @SuperBookNV #SuperKaraoke @WestgateVegas ... Because #VegasVille #RJNow @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/f9NxBYALyE
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) May 28, 2021
The sound booms through the annex, with singers shown on two giant LED panels and lyrics in the middle.
Vegas singer Krystal Goddard, Super Karaoke’s new host, introduced Boe. Westgate Cabaret “Soul of Motown” power couple Brandon Godfrey and Sean Stewart, along with fellow vocalist Toscha Comeaux, were among the entertainers in the room.
The hotel brass was out late on a school night, too. Westgate President and General Manager Cami Christensen, hotel VP of Marketing and Entertainment Dawn Rawle, and VP of Public Relations and Community Affairs Gordon Prouty were hanging back with Boe.
The series opened May 20. Yours truly sang “Stray Cat Strut” to open the series, and if you missed it, bummer. Prouty also sang, and even added some high-kicking choreography, to Dean Martin’s “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head.”
We’ll be back, probably next Thursday. But I am steering clear of Mr. Boe before singing again. You never know when Mr. Valjean will show up at the SuperBook. Bet on that man, every time.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
