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Will impressionist Gordie Brown's new showcase at The Venetian siphon any tickets from the resort's version of "The Phantom of the Opera"? Apparently it doesn't matter, because they both share a producer.
It all gets a bit confusing, but both upcoming shows are backed by Base Entertainment, a new company spinning off from Live Nation, which spun off from Clear Channel Entertainment.
Base is headed by Brian Becker and Scott Zeiger, who was formerly the chief executive officer of Clear Channel's theatrical division. Live Nation and Base are both credited as "Phantom" producers, probably because of the company's significant investment in the $35 million title before Zeiger left with the shows he spearheaded.
Brown's new showcase debuts in August. The Venetian is financing the conversion of ballroom space near the Blue Man Group's theater into an 800-seat, raked auditorium. The $2.5 million production is co-produced by Base and Bernie Yuman, longtime manager of Siegfried & Roy. (The illusionists do not have a stake in this production, as they do in the missing-in-action Cuban revue, "Havana Nightclub.")
It's simpler to say Base will have a major presence on the Strip. The new company, formally announced May 5, also is behind a 1,450- seat...