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Glitz and glamor preserved
By Len Butcher
Las Vegas has built its reputation on glitz and glamor, and it is well-deserved. Everything is over the top, done in a flamboyant -- some say outrageous -- manner. So it's little wonder that one of the world's most flamboyant performers, who graced Las Vegas stages for many years, would leave behind a legacy for all to see. Founded in 1979, the Liberace Museum is home to a collection of dazzling jewelry, rare antiques, unsurpassed wardrobe, unique and historical pianos and custom cars.
Plus, it also serves a much greater purpose than fans coming to "ooohh" and "aaahh" over "Mr. Showmanship's" favorite items. The non-profit museum supports the work of The Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts which has funded scholarships for the arts since 1976. The scholarship program has distributed more than $5 million and touched the lives of more than 2,200 students at 100 universities.
Located at 1775 E. Tropicana Ave., the museum is divided into two areas: Building One houses the Piano and Car Galleries; Building Two showcases the Costume and Jewelry Collections, a re-creation of Liberace's Palm Springs bedroom, and the Awards Gallery. The Grand Gallery showcases changing exhibitions.
Liberace's collections can be found in Building Two, including pieces of rare Moser crystal from Czechoslovakia. Liberace owned service for 12, with 14 individual glasses for each setting. It is one of two collections ever hand made, the other is owned by Queen Elizabeth.
I can personally vouch for this. Lee (this is what his friends called him) and I became friends over the years, and I had dinner with him several times at his home. He was a great guy and had a wonderful sense of humor. He also wasn't anything like his professional persona.
He usually wore jeans or shorts and a T-shirt around the house or even when he went grocery shopping, something he did on his own. "It's funny," he told me one day, "when I'm at the supermarket, people will pass me, pause, then say to whomever they're with, 'That's Liberace.' And invariably, the person with them will respond, 'Don't be silly, Liberace would never be doing his own shopping.' I sometimes stop and say, 'Yes, it is me,' but most of time I just smile."
But I digress. Back to what you can look forward to seeing at the museum. Among the many rare pianos on display is a rhinestone-encrusted Baldwin grand. And not to be missed is Liberace's favorite piano, a remarkable concert grand covered entirely in glittering mirror squares. The collection also includes a hand-painted Pleyel, as well a Chickering grand once owned by George Gershwin. Eighteen rare and antique pianos are on display in the Piano Gallery.
Then, of course, there's Liberace's lavish costume collection and jewelry display, including a rhinestone-lined, full-length Black Diamond Mink cape and a 200-pound "King Neptune" costume, along with the world-famous red, white and blue hot pants suit.
You'll also see the trademark candelabra ring, complete with platinum "candlesticks" and diamond "flames," a dazzling white and yellow gold piano-shaped ring, complete with 260 individually set diamonds, as well his piano-shaped wristwatch, paved in a glittering collection of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds.
The museum also houses many of Liberace's one-of-a-kind automobiles, including the "Stars and Stripes," a hand-painted red, white and blue Rolls-Royce convertible. Another Rolls-Royce is clad entirely in mirrored tiles and etched with a custom design of galloping horses. Its sparkle is matched by the nearby Roadster covered in Austrian rhinestones.
If you want to take home a souvenir, you can buy Liberace-related items, audio tapes, compact discs and video cassettes; along with a selection of music related books, giftware, stationery and jewelry at the Museum Store and Cafe.
And that's just some of it, so it's a trip well worth making, whether you were a Liberace fan or not. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Admission: $12.50 for adults and $8.50 for seniors age 65+ as well as students with valid ID. Children ages 5 and under get in free.
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