Tom Donoghue / DonoghuePhotography.com
Jeff Leibow, Travis Cloer, Graham Fenton and Deven May of “Jersey Boys” at the Paris arrive at the 2014 Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards on Friday, Feb. 7, 2014, at the Venetian.
Published Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014 | 11:33 a.m.
Updated Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014 | 2:32 p.m.
In “Jersey Boys,” the character of Nick Massi is the first to leave the core group that was The Four Seasons. As he says to the audience, “I just want to go home.”
Jeff Leibow, who has portrayed Massi on the Strip for more than six years, is going home, in a manner of speaking, to the cause that is his life passion.
He told the sold-out crowd at Composers Showcase in Cabaret Jazz at the Smith Center on Wednesday night that he will be leaving “Jersey Boys” when his contract expires in November.
Leibow made that announcement just before singing his original song “When We Were Young” while accompanied by cellist Zoe Kohen Ley. Leibow dedicated the song to his wife, Melody.
The couple was celebrating their ninth anniversary in the room filled with the city’s top artists. “This is a pretty cool date,” Leibow said, smiling from the stage.
Leibow’s next calling is as a full-time director of NF Hope Foundation, which is the organization that raises funds and awareness to fight neurofibromatosis, or NF, as it is commonly known.
Emma Leibow, the daughter of Jeff and Melody, suffers from NF, which is a genetic disorder that attacks the nervous system to the point that the tumor suppressor gene is disabled.
Without warning, tumors can surface and grow on any nerve in the body. Leibow has led the fight against NF on the national level, taking the battle all the way to Congress, and has now been recruited to serve the foundation in that role full time.
He plans to remain in Las Vegas and is building toward the next all-star “NF Hope Concert” at Sands Showroom in the Venetian at 1 p.m. Oct. 19.
Leibow’s final performance in “Jersey Boys” at Paris Las Vegas is Nov. 23. He made his debut in the show when it opened at Palazzo in May 2008. Prior to joining the cast at Palazzo, Leibow played Massi in the show at Curran Theatre in San Francisco, and will have logged 2,800 performances over seven years when he finally leaves the cast.
During his run in "Jersey Boys," Leibow has proven to be one of the great artists and people to perform in town, and he’s also full of surprises. He happens to hold a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of California, Davis.
As Deven May famously asks as Tommy DeVito, “Who knew?”
But never sell Mr. Leibow short. He’s remarkably talented, tireless and persuasive and is now hard-focused on finding a cure for this insidious disorder.
In the spirit of Venice, The Venetian is a little piece of romantic Italy right here in Las Vegas. The Venetian is an "all-suite" hotel, with rooms accented with plush linens and Italian marble. The 4,027 suites are divided into two towers: The 36-story Venetian Tower that offers guests a taste of luxurious Las Vegas and the Venezia suites, which guarantee 12 floors of high-end elegance. The top five floors are the hotel's highest level of luxury with its private access, concierge lounge, upgraded features and even a dedicated staff.
Entertainment at the Venetian includes shows such as Tim and Faith - Soul2Soul, featuring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and Rock of Ages.
The flagship of Venetian nightlife is TAO, an ultra-hip nightclub located inside of TAO Asian Bistro. V Bar is The Venetian's super smooth ultra lounge, made by the owners of New York City's club Lotus and Los Angeles' super swank Sunset Room.
The Venetian features 19 restaurants including Thomas Keller's award-winning French restaurant Bouchon, Mario Batali's B&B Ristorante, Aquaknox for fresh seafood and the 42,000 square foot TAO Asian Bistro. There's also the food court inside the Canal Shoppes for those looking for a quick bite.
Guests can float along The Grand Canal Shops in an authentic Italian gondola ride and pass stores like Burberry and Kenneth Cole along the way. And if you haven't caught a real celeb, on the street in Vegas, you can head over to Madame Tussauds to check out a wax version.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.
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