Las Vegas Weekly

August 15, 2009 · 6 AM

Fantasy’s Stephanie poses the question: What’s in a name?

By Robin Leach

Fantasy at the Luxor.

Photo: Luxor

While Mr. Vegas DeLuxe Robin Leach is on vacation and attempting to work as little as possible from afar, Vegas DeLuxe will be featuring celebrity guest columnists for the first half of this month until Robin’s return. If you’re knowledgeable about Las Vegas, the names should be familiar. This weekend, we’re featuring five of the beautiful ladies who make life a lot sexier in Fantasy at the Luxor.

By Stephanie

How important is a name? Expectant parents probably spend more time on this decision than “cloth or “disposable.” Can it truly decide your path in life more than, say, the day under which moon you were born in the Year of the Monkey? Is it a bigger player in life than heredity or environment? Well, if a name is so important in where we end up, it would certainly explain the fact that I have no clue what I’m going to be when I grow up.

I was born Estafanita Stephanie Dianna Sanchez Rubin Jordan on June 18, and now back to Sanchez (thankfully). Classy, I know. Who says we only have one life to live? I must be on my sixth by now.

I have been a personal trainer, dancer, party planner, interior designer, payroll runner, valet attendant, ice cream junkie, photographer, caterer, singer and songwriter. All of which I was truly dedicated and convinced was my life’s calling until something else called. Come to think of it, that might explain the marriages … haha, just jokes.

Currently, I am convinced that my life calling is definitely singer … oh, and songwriter … OK, and culinary arts. But that’s it, for now. I have spent my entire adult life as a performer on the Strip and have never been out of work, not even one day.

I know in other parts of the world, entertainer is not seen as the steadiest of professions. Not in Las Vegas. We have houses, insurance and families … we have it all! My favorite day of my son’s elementary years was having to pick him up in one of my “lounge singer” get-ups, only to be one-upped by a dad dressed as Elvis on his way to work. I love this town!

Having so many jobs, I spent a lot of time driving. I would write songs in my head to stay awake. There must be hundreds I don’t even remember. There are certainly nights I don’t remember, but that’s for another time!

For a while, I kept the songs to myself, but divorce after divorce, it seemed everyone knew my life anyway, so, with my brother Rico, I put them to music.

I never really thought anything would come of it. But now, after 40, I decide to be a rock star, a genuine, CD-selling rock star! Impossible? Nah, that one dude (the dad) was older than me, and he was Elvis. Dare to dream!

So that’s it, I’m gonna be a rock star! I’m practically there now. I sing in a show now, Fantasy at the beautiful Luxor seven nights a week (plug, plug, plug). I sing some of my own stuff in it. I have a guitar.

All I need now is the groupies ... groupies … grouper… halibut … food! How’s that for a segue! And there I go again. My mind is off. Maybe there is something to the star signs. I’m a Gemini. Ah, well, back to the food. Food! The smell, the taste, the artistry. Mmmm … I had to learn more! I took culinary classes at the Community College of Southern Nevada … didn’t finish … any surprise there? But I learned enough to know I was in love.

I started catering on my own. No license, no permits, and no clue what I was doing, but I was doing! So successfully, as a matter of fact, that I had to stop altogether. It seems dancers only think they are the hardest workers. No so. Kitchens are a 24/7 gig, and I didn’t have 24 or 7. I had three other jobs. Working with choreographers did give me the experience on how to deal with temperamental chefs, though. Whew!

But, as time (and husbands) passed, I had fewer jobs and fewer bills. So my sister

MaryJo and I created MAD Eats. Get it? More names. MaryJo And Dianna.

We began experimenting with new recipes, researching chili, poisoning our nearest and dearest with our inspired concoctions, spending countless hours Googling how to market and sell specialty food items. Still doesn’t mean we know what we are doing, just that we are doing!

So, what’s in a name? My name is still the same, and I want to be everything. I still pass my camera with the fantasy that I will be trekking across some untouched countryside shooting and channeling Ansel Adams. I still think I can dance with the ladies in Fantasy … until I do … and then I can’t walk. I still want the world under any name.

However, if I have to be known, understood and described under only one simple moniker … hmmm … definitely … rock star!

It’s going to be a sexy weekend of celebrity guest columnists, with five Fantasy Girls from the Luxor, and on Monday, the Luxor trend continues with zany comic Carrot Top.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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