Danny Gans, Entertainer of
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At Danny Gans Theater at Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada audiences have an opportunity to be dazzled and amazed by Danny Gans, "Entertainer of Year", as he becomes approximately 60 of 300 celebrated individuals in his internationally acclaimed repertoire. The impersonator is so adept at speaking, singing and moving like his subjects that with your eyes closed, you will think you are listening to Johnny Mathis, Anita Baker, Neil Diamond, or Dean Martin. "The Man of Many Faces", as he is called, has taken art of impersonation to a stellar level.
The intriguing question is how did Danny Gans go from Stratosphere to Rio to a ten-year contract with his own fifteen million dollar theater at Mirage? Pretty heady stuff for a man whose dream was to play third base for Los Angeles Dodgers. As a boy growing up in California he and his father lived and breathed baseball. In fact, Danny was so athletically gifted, he received a draft order from Kansas City Royals while he was still in high school. An injury prevented him from signing on, so he entered college. This time he turned down an offer from Chicago White Sox.
Gans kept his focus and his dream came true; he was drafted by Dodgers. It looked like his future was set until a freak accident derailed a lifetime of hard work. During his first season, Danny collided with another player whose shoe dug into his Achilles tendon, sending him to hospital and ending his professional baseball career.
The story goes that exceedingly depressed young baseball player was sharing a hospital room with a man who told him to trust God. God must have something better in store or he wouldn't have thrown this life-altering monkey wrench into his life. Cliché as it sounds, this became a turning point in Danny's life. Gans attributes his success as an entertainer to his faith.
During his lengthy two-year recovery, to cheer him up, Danny's father took him to see Sammy Davis, Jr. perform in Las Vegas. The dye was cast. Sammy Davis, Jr. motivated Danny to develop talent he had always taken for granted. He loved to entertain people and he had a natural aptitude for making them laugh. In his show he pays a touching tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr.
To reach his goal as an entertainer Danny spent 15 years on road honing his craft, performing in clubs and becoming one of most highly paid and sought after performers in corporate entertainment. In 1995 he took his one-man show to Broadway, and it was so well received, Neiderlanders offered him a one-year extension. Once again, he weighed his options. His family took precedence over life on road. Las Vegas became home for Gans, wife Julie and their three young children, Amy, Andrew and Emily.
