Saxe-gate, Day 2

Yesterday, I spotted a pretty egregious claim in a May 28 press release announcing that the first seven showings - from June 11-17 - of "Vegas! The Show," a new production at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, were sold out. It was baffling because (a) the show has been planned to open on June 18 for more than a week and (b) the notion that a show that hasn't even had a full dress rehearsal could be sold out for its first week is beyond laughable.

Well, evidently there's no love lost between David Saxe, the producer, and those who work for him. They've poured out of the woodwork to confirm for me privately that everyone knew before May 28 that this show wasn't opening until June 18. If I can get their permission, I'll quote from a few of those notes.

Also confirming what I'd been told was a ticketing agent; when I called and asked about tickets for June 12, she told me they weren't opening until June 18. I asked how long that had been the case and she said, "Oh, it's been that way for a long time now." How long? "Weeks, I think." Weeks.

Yesterday, I tried my best to get a response or explanation out of the Saxe people. Publicist Shelley Bruner called me back promptly and started giving me a line about how the change was made because there's renovations occurring at the V Theater so the shows that are normally there will be in the David Saxe Theater (formerly Steve Wyrick Theater) and that's pushed the opening date for "Vegas! The Show" back.

That is, in fact, partly true. That shuffle is going on. But it still doesn't explain why they didn't just say that instead of putting out this silly notice saying that the show was sold out when they knew it wasn't even going to be on at all.

I confronted Bruner and told her that I knew the shows had never been sold out. Rather than deny that, she told me she couldn't talk to me about that because "you're not an employee of the company." This is the PUBLICIST; her job is to deal with reporters!

Bruner asked if I wanted to talk to Saxe and I said yes. She said he'd be calling me shortly. That was 21 hours ago. I do have a hunch he or one of his folks had the time to leave an anonymous comment on the prior post attacking the blogging medium and my journalistic approach. That's what they do when they can't explain away their misdeeds.