MUSE/IQUE to Present FREEDOM AT THE MOULIN ROUGE Beginning This Month

Just at summer's end, MUSE/IQUE and Artistic & Music Director Rachael Worby will present MUSE/IQUE's next show of their 2024 season Freedom at the Moulin Rouge, the incredible, under-told story of the first-ever fully integrated hotel and casino in the country.
 
For one short year, 1955, the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino had its name up in neon lights.  Worby said, “Located 10 miles off The Strip in Las Vegas, which catered exclusively to white guests at that time, the Moulin Rouge was a miraculous, vibrant place where people of all backgrounds could come together to relax, gamble, and, of course, dance ‘til dawn.  I found this to be a remarkable, unknown story --- featuring some of the most famous entertainers of that era --  of America's cultural history.”

Attracting a who's-who of late-night patrons, including Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra, the Moulin Rouge sparked a new vision of people living, working, and making art together.

Join Worby, a magnificent lineup of vocalists in Crystal Starr, Ashley Faatoalia, LaVance Colley, and Kenton Chen, tap dancing by Jabu Graybeal, and a slate of incredible musicians for this show that will change the general thinking about Las Vegas and its rich and complicated history.  The Moulin Rouge ignited a movement and left an everlasting mark on Las Vegas that reverberates today.

The concerts take place at 7:30  pm on Tuesday August 27 and Wednesday August 28 outdoors at the Huntington Library in San Marino, and Wednesday September 4 and Thursday September 5 indoors at Skirball Cultural Center in West Los Angeles. Reservations for are now open. Visit muse-ique.com to learn about attending MUSE/IQUE events and to explore membership plans.

More about the Moulin Rouge and the history of Las Vegas

In the segregation era of mid-20th century in America, Las Vegas was no different. The city's practice of segregation, which began in the 1930s, had earned Las Vegas the moniker “The Mississippi of the West.” While Las Vegas hotels and casinos employed black employees in behind-the-scenes jobs, workers who dealt with the public were white.

While black performers such as Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald could dazzle crowds on stages across the city, they were not allowed to enter those same casino and hotel dining areas.  While their names appeared on hotel marquees, black performers were not permitted to enter through the front doors.

Promoters of the Moulin Rouge Hotel called it "the nation's first major interracial hotel." Until the hotel's opening on May 24, 1955, black entertainers performing in Las Vegas were also forced to seek overnight accommodations in black boarding houses.

Black tourism was non-existent. At that time, black Las Vegas residents also had been insisting that officials pass a civil rights ordinance to allow African Americans to dine, gamble and stay at the city's hotels.  Then, Nevada assembly bills designed to bar discrimination in public places had failed, the last by only one vote.

A group of white investors led by Will Max Schwartz saw the business potential of an integrated hotel and casino in Las Vegas. Former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis was recruited to serve as the Moulin Rouge's official greeter and purported co-owner.

So, this diverse group of investors took a different tactic -- developing plans for an integrated hotel in a prime location: a site between the predominately white area of the Strip and the largely black west side. The result was a hotel integrated at all levels, from employees to patrons to entertainers.

Named after the famed Parisian cabaret, it had 110 rooms, a swimming pool, and a 60-foot-high neon Eiffel Tower, in addition to its iconic cursive neon sign in front of the casino. Opening night was a gala affair hosted by Joe Louis and featuring performances by The Platters and flashy chorus-line routines.

Within the next few months, the hotel attracted such performers as Louis Armstrong, George Burns, Nat King Cole, Jack Benny, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Prominent Black singers and musicians such as Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington, Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, Lionel Hampton, and Count Basie would perform often. Initially, the night spot became so popular, a 2:30 a.m. "third show" was added.

The place attracted a mixed clientele of black and white patrons. Celebrities such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr., Edward G. Robinson, Bob Hope, Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Milton Berle, Dorothy Lamour, Judy Garland, Roy Rogers and Marlene Dietrich made their way to the Moulin Rouge.

Although the Moulin Rouge closed in October 1955 due to financial issues, its short life had a lasting impact. When civil rights activists scheduled a march on March 26, 1960, to protest racial discrimination in Las Vegas resorts, hotel owners, city and state officials, and Nevada Governor Grant Sawyer hurriedly set up a meeting with NAACP president, Dr. James McMillan and other black leaders at the Moulin Rouge. Most of the hotel owners agreed to integrate their establishments, and the planned march was canceled. Many of those who enjoyed and were employed by the hotel became activists and supporters.
 
For a while, after it closed, the hotel was owned by the first African American woman to hold a Nevada Gaming License, Sarann Knight-Preddy. The property was used for the filming of the movie "Casino," (1995).

The Moulin Rouge suffered major fires in 2003 and 2009, leaving only a portion of the two-story hotel. The large cursive neon sign designed by famed Yesco sign designer Betty Willis, who also designed the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, was moved a few days prior to the 2009 fire to the Neon Museum for safekeeping. The remaining portions of the hotel and casino, including the front facade and iconic tower, were demolished in 2010, due to safety reasons.
 
The site of the former Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino is at 900 West Bonanza Road. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, and the property is currently not open to the public.

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MUSE/IQUE 2024 Make Some Noise:
Music and Stories of American Defiance and Hope

Freedom at The Moulin Rouge: A Las Vegas Civil Rights Story

Led by Artistic and Music Director Rachael Worby
Featuring Kenton Chen, LaVance Colley, Ashley Faatoalia,
Jabu Graybeal, and Crystal Starr
 
Tuesday,  August 27 and Wednesday, August 28 at 7:30 pm
Outside at The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108
 
Wednesday, September 4 and Thursday, September 5 at 7:30 pm
Indoors at Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049

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Artist Biographies 

Kenton Chen is a singer, actor, and writer based in Los Angeles. A native of Orange County. Kenton graduated from of USC's Thornton School of Music in vocal jazz and gained national attention on NBC’s “The Sing-Off.” Notable credits: Postmodern Jukebox, Scary Pockets, Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, “The Simpsons”, and Disney's “Wish.” He'll be releasing his first original full-length album, “Sweetmouth,” in 2025.
 
LaVance Colley has fused the presence, range, creativity and fervor of a gospel vocalist with the versatility and ins and outs of jazz and the heart of rhythm and blues to develop a style all his own. He became interested in gospel music at the age of 3, and by age 18, LaVance could be found singing background for recording artists Kenny Latimore, and Chanté Moore. He began touring with them, and from that experience, learned all about the music industry.
 
Other artistic credits are as follows: singing back up for Pharrell Williams on ”The Ellen Degeneres Show,” on the “Hidden Figures” soundtrack, being the emcee/lead singer for Postmodern Jukebox, Beyonce Knowles, Diana Ross, Kat Graham, Shoshana Bean, Mary Mary, Shanice, Sy Smith, new hip hop artist Eamon, and Eric Roberson. Musical directors and producers such as Ray Chew, Ricky Minor, and Buster and Shavony, (GRAMMY® Award Winners for “The Prince of Egypt” soundtrack) are well acquainted with him.
 
Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Ashley Faatoalia has been singing for as long as he can remember. He studied voice at Chapman University with Dr. Peter Atherton and since then Ash has been performing around the world.
 
Ashley has become a sought-after vocalist for new works and experimental projects working closely with composers from across the country including Anthony Davis, Jessie Montgomery, Lewis Pesacov, Rand Steiger, Christopher Cerrone, Anne LeBaron, and many more.
 
Often noted for his soaring tenor and warm stage presence, Ashley's recent engagements include: The Role of Emperor Altoum in Turandot with Los Angeles Opera, The role of Remus in the premiere of the all new, reimagined Treemonisha with Volcano Theatre (Toronto), The role of Amadou in the west coast premiere of Omar with Los Angeles Opera, The role of Korey Wise in the Pulitzer-Prize-winning The Central Park Five with Long Beach Opera, The role of Simón in The Three Women of Jerusalem with Los Angeles Opera, The role of The Crab Man in Porgy & Bess with Seattle Opera, EUROPERAS with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and The Industry, Albert Hoffman in LSD: The Opera with The Industry, his debut as Marco Polo in the premiere of the Emmy-Award-winning, Pulitzer-Prize-nominated Invisible Cities with The Industry, Charles Edward in Candide with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and more. Ashley has also had the honor of singing “The Star Spangled Banner” to sold-out audiences at both Dodger Stadium and Crypto.com Arena.
 
Upcoming work includes: The much anticipated release of the studio cast recording of The Central Park Five with Long Beach Opera. Ashley also currently works with LA Opera Connects as a teaching artist. Faatoalia is featured on multiple professional recordings including Dicks! The Musical Original Soundtrack; Invisible Cities, Original Cast Recording (CD/DVD/Digital Release); The Edge of Forever, Original Cast Recording (Vinyl/Digital Release); Porgy & Bess, San Francisco Opera (BluRay-DVD).
 
From Pittsboro, NC, award winning artist  Jabu Graybeal first studied with JUBA award winner Gene Medler and was a member for 9 years of the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble (NCYTE), one of the most renowned youth tap companies in the world. Jabu is a Jacob’s Pillow and YoungArts Foundation alumni who has worked and performed with a diverse group of companies, such as Caleb Teicher & Company, Emmy Nominee Chloe Arnold’s Apartment 33, Michelle Dorrance, Justin Peck and Americas Got Talent, Season 19. 
 
He was the first tap dancer to be accepted into the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Workshop at the Newport Jazz Festival and was included, under a nomination from Michelle Dorrance, in the December 2017 issue of DanceSpirit magazine as one of the dancers to look for in the next generation of tap dance. Jabu Graybeal is a touring star member of Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox and 1/2 of East Coast based music duo SUMMERZOVR.
 
Two-time award-winning recording artist Crystal Starr, as The Source Magazine calls her “The Girl with the Golden Voice,” has captivated audiences all over the world. Her colorful visuals, powerful voice, and pop-feel-good aesthetic are thrillingly mesmerizing. Crystal's fun and unique style has a modern day twist to ‘80s and ‘90s pop music. Her latest single “Too Late” hit #14 on the Itunes Pop Charts, and her last single “Good Times” hit #3 on the commercial pop charts in the UK, #4 in France and #08 in Germany. As an artist, she encapsulates the iconic pop stars of the past and present: J.Lo, Tina Turner and Whitney Houston. She is a singer, songwriter, producer, CEO, philanthropist, and founder of non-profit Little Voices, Crystal Starr is an artist with music in her soul and purpose in her heart.
 
The talented and bilingual artist, born to a Puerto Rican mother and an African American father, recalls growing up surrounded by music. Whether it was Madonna, Prince, or salsa, Crystal had a full experience of different music genres, many of which have influenced her musical journey. Her distinctive voice and stage presence are often compared to the likes of Beyonce, Mariah Carey, J.Lo, and even Whitney Houston.
 
At only sixteen years of age, Crystal landed her first professional gig singing for pop sensation Jessica Simpson. Since then, she has been unstoppable as she’s shared and has opened up the stage for major artists like Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, John Legend, Paul Stanley, Drake, Lady Gaga, The Jacksons, Pitbull, Neo, and more. She currently tours with powerhouse 80s girl group Klymaxx,“Meeting in the Ladies Room”, and KISS's frontline singer, Paul Stanley, in his group Soul Station.
 
Starring on Broadway, playing the role of Doris of the 60's girl group “The Shirelles”, Crystal wowed audiences every night belting out hits like “Mamma Said” and “He’s So Fine” in the hit show Baby It's You. She recently headlined at the Electric Forest Festival attended by over 100,000 people, sharing the stage with String Cheese Incident. The powerhouse singer-songwriter has released three albums, and her second, album, “#SHE,” had two singles in the top 100 music charts. Coming off her latest hit single, “Good Times”, produced by Crystal Starr and GRAMMY®-nominated producers Bizkit and Butta, which has been taking radio by storm, Crystal is set to release the next single, ‘Too Late’, also produced also by producers Bizkit and Butta, off of her forthcoming album, “Pop Starr.”
 
In 2011, after having seen first-hand the many hardships and disappointments foster kids endure, Crystal realized she could combine her passion for music and serving others to help represent those who feel they are voiceless. Crystal is the founder of Little Voices Nonprofit, which has impacted over 1 million young lives in foster care and inner city youth with their concert programming and inner city mentoring programs. As seen on tour, Crystal Starr’s powerful voice and high energy dynamic stage presence continues to captivate her fans worldwide.

About MUSE/IQUE 

Over the past decade, MUSE/IQUE has curated and presented unexpected live music adventures that shake loose the customs, norms and barriers of the traditional concert-going experience. MUSE/IQUE has never had a formal concert hall - the city is the venue - and no set genres or styles of performance are emphasized. Instead,  cross-genre, multidisciplinary performances are placed in iconic community locales.
 
Led by Founder and Artistic and Music Director Rachael Worby, MUSE/IQUE is a member-supported, nonprofit performing arts organization making radically engaging live music experiences accessible for all. Built on a tradition of community and collaboration, we create events that feature an eclectic mix of artists and artistic disciplines in unconventional locations – spaces where art typically does not happen. MUSE/IQUE was founded by Artistic Director Rachael Worby to upend the misconception that the performing arts are elitist, unapproachable, and, frankly, dull! MUSE/IQUE’s mission is to build empathy and expand imaginations through transformative live events and strong partnerships with fellow nonprofit organizations in Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area.
 
In addition to its live public performances, MUSE/IQUE’S OFF STAGE brings intimate, interactive events to 18 community partner organizations. Each on-site event gives participants a curated experience based on programmatic themes of our upcoming performances and features guest artists direct from the MUSE/IQUE stage. Led by MUSE/IQUE staff, these events explore self-expression, encourage self-confidence and engage imaginations through music. Partners include Ability First, Academy of Music for the Blind, California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley, Five Acres, Hathaway/Sycamores, Hillsides, Jazz Hands for Autism, Learning Works, Mindful Veterans Project, Pasadena Senior Center, Performing Arts For All, Professional Child Development Center, Rose Bowl Aquatics Center, Union Station Homeless Services, Urban Compass, Villa Esperanza School, Villa Esperanza Adult Day Program, and Youth Emerging Stronger.
 
Presenting performances at landmark locations, MUSE/IQUE goes beyond the concert hall and into the community with spectacularly intimate performances that combine music, movement, and ideas from a diverse range of genres. MUSE/IQUE’s artistic collective consists of top musicians from the worlds of jazz, rock, blues, gospel, and more, along with today’s best singers, dancers, and thinkers. Together with an enthusiastic and growing audience base, these artists reimagine the possibilities for the live music experience. Founded in 2011, MUSE/IQUE is a membership driven organization presenting six major public events each year as well as a wide range of education and community engagement programs.

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