“The show must go on.” It’s impossible to know how many times this classic expression has been uttered in the Entertainment Capital of the World. But it’s worth asking: What is a good show when the artist is not at the center of it?
The Composers Room Showlounge & Restaurant, which Pompey Entertainment opened in Commercial Center in November, provides a space for artists to make the show their own—where the experience is a product of their talent, and is in no way obstructed by the demands of the venue.
“We like to think of ourselves as noncompetitive. A lot of our artists are even performing at our neighboring properties. And I think it’s all great—to celebrate the entertainer and not try to put a bunch of limits on them if they’re going to play at our place,” says Damian Costa, founder of Pompey Entertainment.
That was evident at a May 30 installment of The Sit In with Kelly Clinton at the Showlounge Stage. The singer had fun with the crowd, teasing audience members between songs and inviting special guests on stage.
Singers Tony Arias and Skye Dee Miles and composer Keith Thompson are just a few more local musicians who regularly grace the Showlounge Stage, one of two stages at the storied venue.
Commercial Center has been around since 1963, and the space that now holds the Composers Room used to be Commercial Deli, a hangout for members of the Rat Pack. Costa says the venue celebrates that history.
“If you look around the room, 30 of the 130 [guests] are entertainers. We talk about the Rat Pack in the nightclubs and in the lounges, where entertainers come and support entertainers and really build this community together,” he says, adding that that still happens today, with, for example, Clint Holmes visiting to watch his wife Kelly Clinton on stage, or Donny Osmond coming by to hang out.
“We have history. And it’s a very rich history ... that people are starting to take a liking to. People want to know the story of how we got to be the city that we are, and I think that will set us apart.”
The Composers Room also looks ahead, partnering with UNLV’s College of Fine Arts to spotlight emerging artists through their Parking Lot Plays “car theater” series and other arts and performance events.
Costa has a history of establishing entertainment at the South Point and Caesars Palace. Pompey now manages Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club and The Duomo at the Rio.
In contrast, the Composers Room set out to reach locals with Strip-caliber acts. And it has done a good job of that—better than expected.
“To get into the community with Strip-style entertainment was one of our goals. This has had such a community outreach that I have become a little addicted to it. … It’s very different from the corporate hustle of the Strip,” he says.
“It’s so refreshing and so inspiring. Not to take away anything from the business of tourists … but there’s something special about being in a neighborhood of people taking care of one another.”
Composers Room Showlounge & Restaurant 953 E. Sahara Ave. #E1A, 702-573-7710, thecomposersroom.com. Monday-Saturday, noon-midnight; Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-midnight.
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