The Vice President of Entertainment for Station Casinos, Judy Alberti, stepped down from her position last Friday. Alberti started with the company in 1994, and as of now, there has been no word from Alberti what her plans are after the departure. She previously left the company for two years between 2006-2008 to head programming at the then Dodge Theater in Phoenix, and entertainment division of Foxwoods Resort Casino.
One issue plaguing local casinos such as the Stations lies in the fact there is little demand for big-name acts, due to the Strip paying top dollar for such acts. Just last month, Reba McEntire, Mariah Carey, Diana Ross, and Brooks and Dunn became headliners on the Strip. Station Casinos, with their nine off-Strip casinos, simply cannot compete.
In the past two years, Station Casinos have closed its 9,000-seat Red Rock Amphitheater, and gave the same treatment to the Ovation at Green Valley Ranch. The stripping down upset both performers and concert-goers alike, as Ovation was replaced with a bingo enclave.
Even with those venues being no more, Station Casinos still is the barometer for locals-friendly entertainment, with acts such as the tribute Bee Gees Gold show at Chrome at Santa Fe Station and Dallas Events Center at Texas Station, The Lon Bronson All-Star Band at Sunset Station, and Zowie Bowie at Rocks Lounge at Red Rock Resort and Club Madrid.
Alberti has been responsible for helping launch the careers of numerous local artists, such as Brody Dolyniuk of Yellow Brick Road, a band which for years has drawn in big numbers. The company has also won five Academy of Country Music Awards for Best Casino Company during her tenure.
Alberti has been known for her knack to bring talented artists into the limelight, and even had one final move with the company as innovative as one would expect. She signed David Perrico’s Pop Strings band on Saturday nights at Rocks Lounge, making him them the first resident act to perform there with a full strings section. The show has played to capacity in their first three shows.
Bronson, who is currently celebrating 25 years of performing in Las Vegas, reflected on Alberti, and said, “Judy is truly the last of the Mohicans.” He added, “Her longevity in this town, in that capacity, speaks volumes.” Dolyniuk, in a text, said, “I pretty much owe my entire career to her.”
