MGM Resorts employees take the stage to showcase talents

Under a rock, in a hole, hiding under a stack of blankets in a dark room at home.

All of those spots were preferable to the one where June Bonakdar found herself Wednesday: making her singing debut on a Strip stage.

"I just want this to be over," Bonakdar, 30, said only hours before the show.

One of 11 rank-and-file employees representing their Strip properties in MGM Resorts International's corporate talent show, "MGM Resorts Got Talent," Bonakdar was a reluctant participant. Even the potential of the first-place prize, $1,500 to spend at any company hotel, didn't calm her butterflies.

In November, her boss asked Bonakdar, an events coordinator for Bellagio, if she could sing. Karaoke with friends in a private room, yes. On the Monte Carlo stage in front of nearly 600 people, no.

Yet, here she was, scheduled to sing Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On." She was taking one for the team, being a good sport. Who knows? Maybe it would help her with a promotion.

"I'm really shy. I've tried singing with a band before, and I don't like it because I get too nervous," she said, cradling her stomach.

While Bonakdar looked as though she might drop to the floor and curl into a fetal position at any moment, her fellow contestants seemed to be handling the pressure well. After rehearsing, they lounged in the green room, chatting and watching television. They talked about their upcoming performances and what they had to do to fit their songs and poems into the three-minute time limit.

Unlike Bonakdar and Mandalay Bay's contestant, Yvonne Silva, most were experienced entertainers.

Keith Dotson, an entertainment supervisor at New York-New York, studied music in college. He performs in community theater. Joe Hynes, who works in human resources at Circus Circus, also does local theater. Krystal Goddard, a hostess at Nobhill in MGM Grand; Stephania Zaretti, hostess at Jean Georges Steakhouse in Aria; Michael Laygo, a Signature at MGM Grand valet attendant; Denise NeJame, a dealer at Luxor; Daniel Kucich, Monte Carlo reservation agent; and Mirage employee Roxanne Ramirez have all performed onstage. Outside of company talent shows, that is.

Even the lone poet among the contestants, Angela Turner, 29, has years of experience reciting her poetry to audiences.

She planned to read her poem "Thai Food," which is not about Thai food. In competitive slam poetry, a poet gets 3 minutes, 10 seconds to perform. She shaved 15 seconds off her love poem. It was nerve-racking.

"I was really worried," said Turner, an Internet room rate manager who represented the corporate offices in the contest. "Fifteen seconds in the rest of your life is nothing, but onstage, it feels like hours."

The corporate talent show started last year, said organizer Detrick Sanford, MGM Resorts' corporate philanthropy manager. Almost every company property held an individual talent show; he thought a big contest would be a great way to raise money for their corporate foundation while providing entertainment for employees.

Tickets cost $5. Between this year's 550 attendees and raffle ticket sales, the event raised $4,000, all of which will go back into the employee grants fund.

Each contestant had been hailed as a superstar at work during the past few months. Giant murals featuring their likenesses were posted in break rooms; internal memos kept the competitive fire burning and encouraged co-workers to attend the show to support their stars.

Half an hour before the show, family, friends and co-workers filed into the Monte Carlo theater and staked out rows of seats. Many held signs promoting their resort's name and their contestant.

"We are going to make some noise and let the judges know we're here and Roxy's here," said Lorrie Marroquin, who works with Ramirez at The Mirage. She made signs bearing her friend's likeness.

Meanwhile, backstage, the freaking out was under way. Gone were the calm demeanors, replaced by pensive expressions and no-nonsense attitudes.

Women fixed their hair in front of every available mirror while the guys put on makeup or donned hats.

One contestant frantically searched for toilet paper. Bonakdar warmed her voice with the first few lines of her song.

Company talent shows aren't necessarily known as showcases for exceptional talent. If they were, the participants might quit their day jobs. But the level of talent at MGM's contest shocked the audience, if their reactions were an indication.

People were on their feet, screaming, when their friends and co-workers belted out songs made famous by Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Michael Buble, even Shrek.

The judging was done "American Idol" style by the host from "Thunder from Down Under," Lorena Peril from "Fantasy," a Jabbawockeez dancer, a company executive and last year's winner.

After Bonakdar performed, one judge said if he closed his eyes, he would have thought she was Celine Dion. But a couple of other judges thought she was too "reticent" at the microphone and she didn't win.

That honor went to Dotson, who wowed the audience with "Try a Little Tenderness." He won New York-New York's talent show seven years ago and, having achieved the pinnacle of company talent show success, he retired. Winning the big title was a great way to announce his re-emergence on the talent show scene. NeJame won second place after belting out "I Have Nothing," a Whitney Houston ballad. Third place went to Turner, the poet, who won points for original material.

As for Bonakdar's plans, she hasn't made any, yet. She said she will return to the karaoke rooms. But talent shows?

"I don't think I'll do a talent show again," she said.

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@review journal.com or 702-380-4564. Follow @StripSonya on Twitter.

Trending topics:

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• Las Vegas
• MGM Resorts
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Comments

Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

1. Get.Real Feb. 17, 2012 | 10:16 p.m. Report Abuse

   or you haters out there - it sounds like you work for a horrible company. MGM Resorts knows how to engage their employees which is why many employees stay within the company. You can't say the same thing with the other casino companies in town.

2. Oscar.Jones Feb. 17, 2012 | 9:11 p.m. Report Abuse

   Can't the MGM afford real talent? Maybe they can get some of those MOB celebrities visiting their own tributes from Downtown's Museum, to Barbershop croon some Old Time Italian Favorites.

3. eye-on-vegas Feb. 17, 2012 | 2:37 p.m. Report Abuse

   This article appeared on the front page of the print edition. Most would not view this internal corporate activity as "in your face" front page worthy. The world and this city is chock full of real news that matters. I must concur in part with Joe C. I might add that in MGM's case the event is one of a battery of, "one off," programs targeted to boost morale. Great companies, and we have a couple in town, treat morale as a fiber woven into the day-to-day work experiences of each and every worker. MGM, apparently, is misguided and has a long way to go philosophically. Like all great companies it starts from the top leadership and works its way down. If one has had the pleasure of working for such a company it is truly infectious. Unfortunately, a talent show may, in fact, add vitriol to a company with a yearning for authentic morale. Nevertheless, as Joe C stated the participants are brave indeed and good luck.

4. Tdog Feb. 17, 2012 | 2:18 p.m. Report Abuse

   I have never heard Keith Dotson, but he must be awfully good. Because I have heard Denise NeJame and she is absolutely phenomenal. Congrats to all, for the courage to try and the end results.

5. MEANGENE Feb. 17, 2012 | 11:04 a.m. Report Abuse

   Great idea. Excellent story presentation. Maybe the show business equivalent of Jeremy Lin will be discovered at one of the contests. We can dream, can't we?

6. JapaneseLady Feb. 17, 2012 | 10:41 a.m. Report Abuse

   I checked bottles and cups. Looked like coffee or water. They don't drink booze! MGM will have more people. They added No booze people for its viewers!

7. Joe C Feb. 17, 2012 | 10:40 a.m. Report Abuse

   I don’t believe these types of events are bad ideas. Unfortunately I believe the corporate mentality uses these types of events to distract their employees from massive short staffing, wages stagnated, or bigger work loads for less pay. Plus many employees are already forced into volunteering, thus not really volunteering, but it is consider in promotions, employee evaluations etc, mind you volunteering only for the corporate picked programs. This isn’t me knocking the brave souls that got out there and gave it their best, probably the only ones acting in real sincerity. I hope they learned to enjoy their talents along with their fans and supporters.

8. Sam Stone Feb. 17, 2012 | 8:22 a.m. Report Abuse

   It's not easy going on stage before an audience, however large or small. Props 'n' kudos to all who participated! You're all winners!

9. Jackov.Smirnoff Feb. 17, 2012 | 3:22 a.m. Report Abuse

   Recession Gong Show: You lose, you're fired!