Mayor Goodman unveiled in wax at Madame Tussauds

The countdown hit zero, the curtain came down, and there they were -- two Oscar Goodmans inside a new exhibit at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas.

One was the living, breathing, martini-drinking mayor of the city of Las Vegas.

The other was a scarily lifelike wax re-creation that's the newest addition to the museum, which is marking its 10-year anniversary in Southern Nevada with a tribute to Vegas celebrities past and present.

Goodman has been reproduced before -- in portraits, editorial cartoons, bobbleheaded dolls and the like. But this creation is almost a clone, right down to the grin and the scraggly beard.

"Those are all caricatures, which is great," Goodman said. "This is a scary thing because it really is my ugly face."

The new Viva Vegas exhibit features Goodman and 26 other wax figures from the city's storied entertainment firmament: Elton John, Bette Midler and the Blue Man Group, for example, with the likes of Liberace, Frank, Dean and Sammy, and, of course, Elvis.

The Goodman statue, which cost $250,000 to $300,000 to make, looked a little taller than the real thing, and maybe slightly slimmer (although that could be because the replica had its suit coat buttoned).

The real Goodman's hair was a little wilder and his smile wider than his wax counterpart -- and, of course, the martini in his hand was real.

"To have a Vegas room," Goodman said, "to have all the great performers who passed through here being a part of our history, and having tourists being able to come in here and have a look at what Vegas used to be and has developed into ... I think it's an important step for Las Vegas."

Is it strange to be named a celebrity when you have a fairly serious day job?

"I don't look at myself as a celebrity," Goodman said. "I look at myself as a rock star."

Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.