Las Vegas Weekly

March 25, 2009 · 6:57 AM

Photo Gallery: Erich Bergen kicks off Liberace celebration; video with legend

By Robin Leach

Erich Bergen.

Photo: Kirvin Doak Communications

A unique concert tonight at the Liberace Museum featuring singer-actor Erich Bergen, who stars as songwriter Bob Gaudio in the hit and award-winning musical Jersey Boys, marks the beginning of its upcoming 30th anniversary.

Erich, whose show at the Palazzo is the musical history of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, will be backed by a full band and accompanied by special guests. Members of the Jersey Boys band and Travis Cloer, who plays Frankie Valli, will be taking part, too. Erich will perform another concert April 8.

All proceeds will benefit the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts, which offers scholarships to students pursuing careers in the arts. In its nearly 30 years, the foundation has awarded $5.2 million in scholarships to 2,500 students!

Photo: ABC TV

Liberace and Robin Leach.

The 30th anniversary of the museum is April 15 -- Easter Sunday back in 1979. “Mr. Showmanship” wanted to share his memorabilia with his fans, and since then more than 4 million people have admired the sequined, bejeweled and feathered million-dollar wardrobe, custom stage cars, candelabras, awards and, of course, that remarkable collection of extraordinary pianos.

Over the years, a staggering celebrity lineup has visited the Liberace Museum, including Bette Midler, Charo, Donny and Marie Osmond, Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, Penn Jillette, David Arquette, Regis Philbin, Paris Hilton and Dita von Teese.

Liberace interview and photos

As we get closer to the anniversary, we’ll take a closer look at the legacy of Liberace. In the meantime, here’s a photo gallery of some wonderful memories, plus the interview I did with him on my old show Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. No comments, please, about how young I was back then in the mid-1980s! Enjoy because his story of success against all the odds is still an inspiration to this day.

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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