Diva Las Vegas I -- In Retrospect

This page was last updated August 28, 1999.

Diva Las Vegas happened the weekend of May 10, 1997. We had a very small crowd and a very good time.

Same Time Next Year !!

It was unanimous. This will not be a one-time affair. We've tentatively agreed to repeat the event at the same place and time next year.

A few observations that seemed to be consistent:

Some of the high points of the weekend included:

Liberace Museum. Liberace was far ahead of his time, and this is a monument to his life, his music, his lifestyle, and even his flamboyance. This has been expanded quite a bit since I last saw it, it's now in three buildings.

Frank Marino in La Cage at the Riviera. We had front-center seats. This is a must-see, and a must-see-again. This is a well-staged female (well, Michael Jackson is in there too) impersonation show. Of the two shows of this type that I have seen (Boylesque, La Cage), I would say that this is the better of the two, but this gives us a good excuse to see Boylesque again to be sure. :)

The local Tri-Ess chapter meeting. (see photo page below) This was somewhat of a surprise for me. The group was a bit more conservative than I would have expected, having been familiar with Las Vegas since I was a kid. However, I was impressed by the character and style of the members (I believe I was a bit under-dressed for the occasion). We'll try to synchronize next year's Diva Las Vegas with one of their activities again. One of our attendees, Margeth, had her big " coming out" at this meeting, and did quite well, and certainly enjoyed herself. We also enjoyed socializing with them at their after-meeting (see photo page below) at a local club.

For those of you in the Las Vegas area, I would suggest you get in touch with this very active, friendly, and supportive group. Click HERE (link fixed) for their home page.

Our event was quite different from the large t* gatherings that you have heard of such as FanFair, CalDreaming, etc. Instead of invading and overtaking a hotel or a small town for a very intense period, we were spread out, thus not having a strong concentration in any single location, and we did not have back-to-back activities. Our participants were free to come and go, and appear in one role or the other at any given time. I don't think it's anyone's intention to have this event become another large gathering, as there are now plenty of regional and national events which are well organized and held in communities that are regarded as being t-friendly.

Since there was no formal registration, participation or cancellation at the last minute was no problem. An added advantage was the lack of registration fees! :) Everyone was on one's own for lodging and food and the like.

That will be about it for now. We'll be posting further details and photos in the near future, and making plans for Diva Las Vegas II during the next several months.

Photos from Diva Las Vegas 1997

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