about John Stuart Productions in Las Vegas

Sometimes “Father” does know best – especially when it comes to creating a new entertainment genre.

Take the case of mastermind/producer John Stuart, known as the “Father” of what is now the impersonation empire throughout the world. His unique creativity and vision has spawned the longest running self-produced award-winning production on two coasts, “Legends In Concert.” In Las Vegas, the history-making show is now in its 21st year at the Imperial Palace. In Atlantic City, it has been running for 19 ½ years and is currently playing at Bally’s Park Place, where it has been for the last 11 years. In addition, offsprings of the show are appearing all over the globe at any given moment.

John’s accomplishments have also given way to his founding a major production company in the state of Nevada, On Stage Entertainment, Inc. And his latest theatrical accomplishment, "Ovation" which played at the Lady Luck Casino for nine months. “Ovation” has been hailed as a unique variety show that showcases the world’s greatest specialty acts. Plans are in motion to present this new show in other cities beginning in 2007.

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With “Legends,” considered the granddaddy of the celebrity impersonation shows, John turned a six-week engagement that began in May 1983 at the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino into a show that keeps going and going and going on a nightly basis. The state-of-the-art internationally acclaimed show, in which performers look and sound like the stars they are portraying (no lip synching), has become its own entertainment empire with productions appearing in casinos, theme parks, cruise ships and legit theaters worldwide.

In February 2003, John, a 22-year veteran of Las Vegas entertainment, resigned as Chairman of On Stage Entertainment Inc. to pursue other dreams and projects, with producing and directing “Ovation” being at the top of the list. A former star of the legitimate theatre with a career as a producer and performer that has spanned almost half a century, John has throughout his illustrious career produced many variety shows, ice skating shows, magic shows, flying apparatus shows and circus shows. All told, he has produced more than 40 themed shows, none of which have run less than six months and some of which are still running after 10 years.

In April 2004, John opened the Blues Brother Revival at the Chicago Center of Performing Arts as the associate producer in association with writer/director/producer Victor Pisano and Judy Belushi Pisano, as well as the House of Blues, Chicago. The show broke all records in it's initial run in Chicago, and is set to open in Las Vegas at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay, as well as in the House of Blues in both Myrtle Beach and Orlando.

John is also producing "Dick Clark's American Bandstand", a live show that utilizes multi-media, live celebrity impersonators and well-known guest stars to create a live version of the popular television show, "American Bandstand". This all new production is set to open in other cities around the U.S.

John is also the Associate Producer of the Theater of the Americas in Anaheim, California.

Some of the previous variety shows to his credit include “Oba Oba” (associate producer/director; 4-year-run at the Aladdin); “Abracadabra” (associate producer/director; played 5 years at the Aladdin); “Glitz 2” (single producer/director; last major production show at the Sands before it was imploded). John also produced the majority of shows at the MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park, including “Going For Gold,” “The Fab Four” and “Rock Around The Clock.” For the latter, he brought in a then young unknown to be featured in the production named Wayne Brady.

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“People think I just fell into this business,” John laughs. “But I have always been a performer and a producer. I started singing and performing when I was five and performed throughout my childhood with my parents and nine brothers and sisters as The Singing Stuarts. In high school, I performed with Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the founders of the Beach Boys. I’m a dramatic tenor and have done over 300 musicals and performed in the national road tours of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and ‘Pajama Game.’ I’ve performed with stars such as Goldie Hawn, Howard Keel, Juliet Prowse and many others.”

One of those many others was Steve Martin, with whom John appeared for seven years in theatre at Knotts Berry Farm in California. John subsequently appeared in two of Martin’s movies, “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” and “The Man With Two Brains.”

When it comes to producing, John was born with the talent to come up with ingenious ideas and combine them with business savvy to turn any dream into a reality, delivering the highest level of entertainment. He is the only current show producer on the list of 300 persons nominated for having had the most influence in the historical development of Las Vegas, his main influence being in theatrical development.

John is also working with partner Don Beck, president of Tool Box Productions, and On Stage Entertainment, Inc. to produce a live reality TV show called “Idol Worship.”

John is one of the producers of World Pro Fighting, presenting championship events that are both live and PPV.

John is about to open his latest production, "Legends in Matrimony - The Ultimate Celebrity Wedding Show", in Las Vegas. The show features many celebrity impersonator "Legends", combined with an interactive wedding to produce a hilarious entertainment experience for the audience.

By the way, “Father” John and his beautiful wife, Alex, have been married since they were 20 and have six children of their own. They reside on a 20-acre Arabian horse ranch near downtown Las Vegas and are in the process of building 30 custom homes for sale on their property, which will be called the Legends Ranch Estates. It will be the first and only Arabian horse community in Las Vegas.