Wednesday, Sept. 1, 1999 | 11:13 a.m.
Paris Las Vegas, the fourth new megaresort to open in Las Vegas in the past 11 months, debuts tonight with a celebration spanning two continents.
Tens of thousands of eager visitors and locals are expected to crowd the Strip across from Bellagio and next to Bally's Las Vegas, waiting for the doors to open at the $800 million French-themed resort around 10 p.m.
Inside, a few thousand formally clad invited guests, included more than 150 journalists from around the world, will have a few hours head start sampling French cuisine from the 2,916-room hotel-casino's eight restaurants.
The opening ceremonies begin about 8 p.m. with a medley of French songs penned by Michel Legrand, the multitalented musician with 150 musical scores and two Oscars to his credit, and performed at the based of the resort's 540-foot tall Eiffel Tower replica.
The medley will be sung by Legrand and French actress Line Renaud, accompanied by the Nevada Symphony Orchestra, and projected to the public via large-screen video and sound equipment in front of the Strip resort.
That performance will segue into one by French composer Charles Aznavour, who will be followed by a preview by cast members of "Notre Dame de Paris," the hit French musical opening at Paris-Las Vegas in January. Acrobatic performers from Project Bandaloop will cavort across the face of the Eiffel Tower.
Shortly after 9 p.m., dignitaries from Paris -- the real one -- will trip a symbolic switch dimming the lights at the Eiffel Tower -- the real one -- as a European dawn breaks over the City of Lights.
Simultaneously, dignitaries from Paris -- the new one -- will trip a switch illuminating the lights at the Eiffel Tower -- the Las Vegas one -- for the crowds expected to line up outside the lavish Strip resort, eager for a glimpse of the interior.
Wind permitting, a fireworks show will lead up to the official opening of the property around 10 p.m.
Live broadcasts of the opening ceremonies will be carried on local and national television and simulcast to various spots overseas. Executives from Paris-Las Vegas and its parent company, Park Place Entertainment, have already appeared on several national network broadcasts this week.
Earlier today, actress Catherine Deneuve received a $350,000 donation on behalf of Women in Film from Sarah Kugelman of Gloss.com, a sponsor of the resort's opening celebration.
Also on hand for that presentation were Park Place Entertainment President Arthur Goldberg and Paul Pusateri, president of the new property and its adjoining hotel-casino, Bally's Las Vegas.
The opening ceremonies will continue through the weekend, when legendary singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder will present a concert,
The exterior of the Parisian-themed property features intricately detailed recreations of famous French landmarks, including the Paris Opera House, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, while the theme continues through on the interior with variously quaint and elegant dining and shopping areas.
The 85,000-square-foot casino includes 2,800 slot machines and video games whose signage complements the French decor. Five lounges, including two that offer live entertainment, dot the casino floor, while Tres Jazz, the fourth restaurant built by Black Entertainment Television owner Robert Johnson as a venue for live jazz music, occupies the walkway linking Paris-Las Vegas with Bally's.
The resort also feature 130,000 square feet of elegantly appointed convention and meeting space, a European health spa and 31,500 square feet of retail space.
Park Place is the largest casino gambling company in the nation. In Las Vegas it owns Bally's, the Flamingo Hilton and the Las Vegas Hilton. It's buying Caesars Palace and its sister casinos around the world, except the Desert Inn.
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