Talking With John Bentham – October 30, 2023

Ira Sternberg: Las Vegas remains the entertainment capital of the world and it's not due just to luck. It's due to hard work behind the scenes by producers up and down the strip as well as off the strip and downtown Las Vegas. One of these producers is my guest John Bentham, he's founder of Ivory Star Productions. He's been specializing in Las Vegas entertainment since 1999 and he currently produces, among other shows, Adam London Laughternoon, Tape Face, Feral Dylan Comedy Magician, Marriage Can't Be Murder, and soon the return of Jersey Boys. For everything about Ivory Star Productions go to Ivorystar.com and you can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And John, welcome to the show.

John Bentham: Hey Ira, it's good to be here.

Ira Sternberg: I'm glad that you're here because I have some interesting questions for you, including the fact that you know you could have been a lawyer but no, you go into the entertainment business instead. So clearly, you're still doing a lot of work but you're probably having a little bit more fun. Would that be a fair assessment?

John Bentham: Fair assessment, yeah. You know, I've been doing theater and stage. At one point it just became obvious to me that there probably was a little bit more steady work behind the scenes and while I was on stage and on camera, I still was very active in the business end of things. So I would just simply continue to do both and then at one point I was like, you know what, I just need to focus on the behind the scenes, and that's what I've done.

Ira Sternberg: I could see you as a standup comedian, but that's just me. I just could see you, a theatrical personality about yourself.

John Bentham: Yeah, my wife would disagree with you and my kids. I can tell a mean Dad joke from time to time but as soon as I tell it, I forget it.

Ira Sternberg: You started out in life as an actor in a local children's theater, so that was the first part of your career, and then you evolved obviously from there. The part that fascinates me about you is, how do you, and I know you have a staff, but even so, how do you juggle X number of production shows, not just in Las Vegas, but I know you do consulting and work in other areas as well, venues, and locations? How do you do that?

John Bentham: I think it's twofold. You have to be able to multitask, and you have to have a good team that also can multitask. I've been very fortunate to have a great core team that I've had for more than a decade working with me, and then we've got some newer people that have joined within the last five or six years. Yeah, and you know, there's not a lot of downtime. You constantly have to be working on the next thing or keeping on top of it. And certainly, with us bringing back Jersey Boys, that's the biggest project that we've done to date, and so you know, that's a lot right there. So we are going to be staffing up for that and bringing in people just to deal with Jersey Boys.

Ira Sternberg: When you decide to do something like that, for example with Jersey Boys which was big, do you research the market, meaning Las Vegas in this case, to see that it warrants a return because it did such great business while they were here originally?

John Bentham: Yeah, it did great business while it was here, and you know, it was one of those things when I read that it was closing, I thought to myself, the show isn't dead, you know, it was still selling really well. It just has kind of a timeless music catalog that generations really can get behind. So, even before it closed, I met with the Dodgers, the original producers of the show.

Ira Sternberg: Not the baseball team, right?

John Bentham: No, Dodgers Theatricals. It's a great organization that started up in New York, and they've produced some amazing shows. We built up a team for the return of Jersey Boys. All of the associates that worked on the original Broadway show and the shows here in Vegas have returned to help us create an incredible cast and show that will be reflective of what was on Broadway and the Off-Broadway one, and the two shows here in Vegas. So, it's really going to be a culmination of that. We're super excited about the cast. We just had auditions, and in addition to that, we're actually going to have a 10-piece live band. Many of the other shows like the Off-Broadway show had only six musicians, so we're bringing back the bigger band just to really create that great sound that is Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Ira Sternberg: Do you have an opening date yet, sir?

John Bentham: Yeah, we're going to open December 21st for previews, and then our VIP media grand opening is January 17th.

Ira Sternberg: Of course, the important question, the venue?

John Bentham: Listen, it's such a great venue. We're going to be hosted at The Orleans Hotel Casino, in their 850-seat showroom. What's so great about this show in this showroom is that it's an intimate space with amazing sound quality. This showroom has hosted comedians as well as shows, and coincidentally, it hosted the first time Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons came in October of, I believe, 2001, something along that timeline. So, we're actually opening up in the same showroom on the same stage that Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons performed many years ago. It's a great connection, and of course, hosting for the first time a long-term residency in that showroom.

Ira Sternberg: Are you going to invite Frankie to the opening?

John Bentham: Of course, yes. Frankie Valli will be invited, Bob Gaudio will be invited, the family of the others will be invited. So, we look forward to making it a really big bash and a celebration not only of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and the show but just of that genre of music that's just so popular.

Ira Sternberg: How do you manage again? We have to go back to this because it fascinates me. You're managing so many different shows, and I know again you have a wonderful staff, but how do you avoid getting those calls in the middle of the night on your phone about there's a problem? I could see it happening with one show, but if you have five, ten, fifteen shows all going on simultaneously, how do you manage that?

John Bentham: You just have to roll with the punches. I mean, we do get calls at all hours of the day and night. You just have to roll with that. Everybody's really good at handling the things that they can handle, and then if it has to get elevated, or we have to talk about it, everybody's really good about figuring out what needs to happen or who needs to be contacted. I'm not always the first call because, like I said, people have been on our team for a long time, so they know how to deal with issues or crises or problems, guest complaints, and they're able to deal with it themselves. And certainly, everybody on our team is empowered to make those decisions and to do that themselves. So, fortunately, I haven't had a lot of those lately. Of course, it's different now than it was years ago, or even 15 years ago. There was a lot more running from hotel to hotel, casino showroom to casino showroom. Don't have to do that quite as much.

Ira Sternberg: Doesn't look like it aged you at all. Are your family happy with your decision to have nine million shows going on at the same time?

John Bentham: Hey, listen, it's tough, you know. And really, now we're in heavy planning mode for Glittering Lights out at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. So we took that on about 12-13 years ago, and really, that's a huge show in and of itself because it's a 60-night production. And it's grown to such a caliber where it's a huge project that we've undertaken, and we've grown it such that there's a lot expected of us, and there's a lot that we expect of it so that we can give back to the community. So yeah, doing Glittering Lights simultaneously with our other shows while launching Jersey Boys, that's a huge undertaking.

Ira Sternberg: It is. How do you maintain your enthusiasm and your love for what you do and not become cynical just because show business can be a hard business?

John Bentham: Yes, listen, show biz is a hard business, as is the casino business, and what all of our team does out here. I mean, it's tough to be in Vegas right now. But you know, you just have to keep that positive attitude. I've got a great family who I get to go home to every night, and that makes me smile. When I get text messages throughout the day from my kids, I've got five boys, an incredible wife who helped me start this company back in 2001. We all work together and play together, and so that's what helps keep me going and keeps me positive because what's the point if you're not?

Ira Sternberg: Exactly. And your five kids are five other productions that you have, but that's on the family side. So yeah, right. No, and I appreciate you taking the time to talk because I know how crazy the business can be. Your background includes you were the associate producer for David Copperfield, so were you able to watch him and learn elements of not necessarily magic and not necessarily showmanship but more the business side of things?

John Bentham: Yeah, I mean, above all else, he is the world's best magician, and I wasn't a big magic fan when I joined his team. But more than that, he is an incredible businessman who has created an empire that just transcends magic and the performing arts. He really has exceeded, I think, anybody's wildest imagination of what an illusionist could be. He was what brought me out here to Las Vegas. I come from Texas, and in 1999, he moved me out here to be actually one of his first full-time employees, if you can believe that, because he'd been touring forever and been around for a long time but didn't have any full-time employees. So, he brought me out here in '99, and I worked with him for about four years. I had an incredible experience, learned a lot not only about show business but also…

Ira Sternberg: About the business side of things?

John Bentham: Yes, exactly. The business side of things was really fascinating. Working with David, I got to see how a major production is managed, not just the artistic side but everything from marketing to managing the crew and the financial aspects. It was a comprehensive education in entertainment business management.

Ira Sternberg: That's incredible. So, after working with David Copperfield, what made you decide to start Ivory Star Productions?

John Bentham: Well, after about four years with David, I met my wife, and we started thinking about settling down and not being on the road as much. Vegas had become home by then, and starting Ivory Star Productions seemed like the natural next step. We wanted to create something of our own, bring our vision to the entertainment industry here in Vegas. It was a big step, but we were ready for it.

Ira Sternberg: And it seems like you've managed to create a diverse range of shows under the Ivory Star banner. How do you choose which productions to get involved with?

John Bentham: It's a mix of intuition and market research. We look for shows that have a unique edge, something that sets them apart in the crowded Vegas entertainment scene. But it's also about the people we work with – we look for passionate, creative individuals who share our vision for high-quality, engaging entertainment.

Ira Sternberg: Speaking of engaging entertainment, let's talk about Glittering Lights. How did you get involved with that?

John Bentham: Glittering Lights was an interesting project. We started as sponsors, and then the opportunity came up to take a more active role in producing it. It's been a fantastic experience, especially as it's something that our whole family can be involved in. It's become a major part of our holiday season in Vegas, and we're proud of how it's grown over the years.

Ira Sternberg: That's wonderful. And looking ahead, what's next for Ivory Star Productions? Any new projects on the horizon?

John Bentham: We're always exploring new ideas and opportunities. The entertainment landscape in Vegas is constantly evolving, and we want to be at the forefront of that. Whether it's bringing back classic shows like Jersey Boys or developing entirely new concepts, our goal is to keep offering audiences something fresh and exciting. So, stay tuned – there's always something new in the works at Ivory Star.

Ira Sternberg: Well, John, it's been great having you on the show. Thank you for sharing your insights and stories from the world of Las Vegas entertainment.

John Bentham: Thank you, Ira. It's been a pleasure being here and talking about this incredible journey in the entertainment industry.

Ira Sternberg: And to our listeners, make sure to check out the latest from Ivory Star Productions. Visit Ivorystar.com and follow them on social media for updates on their shows and events. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you next time on the show.