‘We’re family,’ say performers who bid farewell to one of Las Vegas Strip’s oldest properties

Madison Kimbro
·2 min read
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Tropicana Las Vegas is days away from closing, nearly seven decades after it opened. Those who have been part of its entertainment history remembered it fondly at a special gathering Sunday.

Past performers gathered to reminisce one last time about what the Tropicana meant to them and the impact it had on their careers.

“We’re here and I don’t want to say goodbye,” longtime Barbra Streisand and Joan Rivers tribute performer Barbara Brighton said.

<em>Performers who once graced the stage with their acts at the Tropicana Las Vegas gathered for a reunion before the hotel/casino permanently closes April 2, 2024.</em> (KLAS)
Performers who once graced the stage with their acts at the Tropicana Las Vegas gathered for a reunion before the hotel/casino permanently closes April 2, 2024. (KLAS)

It was a family reunion of sorts at Trago Lounge. Strip performers made their way to the Tropicana one last time before the historic casino hotel closes permanently on April 2nd.

“That’s really a heavy thing on my mind because I remember all the good times I had and it made my career so nice,” performer Clarence Ragan said.

Tropicana featuring employees’ names on marquee as it nears closing date

Booking agent, Nelson Valdes used to book acts at the Tropicana — decades ago — and said just being inside what once was called the Celebration Lounge brought back so many memories.

“I formed together a reunion tonight for a farewell goodbye to the Tropicana,” he said. “It’s a legendary hotel built way back in the day. The good days when we had a lot of entertainment.”

<em>Veronica Valdes performed with her band at the Tropicana.</em> (Credit: Veronica Valdes)
Veronica Valdes performed with her band at the Tropicana. (Credit: Veronica Valdes)

His wife, Veronica Valdes, was one of those who spent years singing with her band at the hotel in the 1990s.

“I performed here for about five years with my house band and we just have a lot of memories,” she said. “We’re all family. It’s like a family reunion just talking about the old days. Vegas was different. It was a different vibe.”

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Some of the performers feel as if a piece of Las Vegas history is being lost.

“I’m sad that this landmark is going to be a baseball park,”Brighton said.

A new baseball stadium is slated to be built on the Tropicana’s site but it’s still unclear what the demolition process will look like in the coming months. The hotel will close to the public on Tuesday, April 2.

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