Katherine Duncan, head of the proposed Moulin Rouge Museum and Cultural Center, likens the plight of the historic hotel, which burned four months ago, to that of a shipwrecked man who finds hope at a time of great despair.
"He uses all of his resources to build a shelter that burns the first night he is on the island," Duncan said. "As he wonders why such a terrible fate befell him, he sees a ship on the horizon coming to rescue him. He asks his rescuers how they found him. A sailor says: 'We saw your smoke signal.' "
With so much attention generated by the blaze that destroyed the West Las Vegas landmark on May 29, Moulin Rouge officials hope the public will respond with equal interest to the first major fund-raiser this week for the construction of the museum portion of the project at 900 W. Bonanza Road.
More than 3,000 pieces of high-quality used furniture from suites and rooms at the Bellagio, Paris, Caesars Palace and other hotels -- as well as hundreds of pieces of artwork from Strip resorts -- will go on sale, many at a fraction of their value, from 4-8 p.m. Thursday at Hotel Furniture Sales, 3290 S. Highland Drive.
The entry fee is a $10 donation to the museum, which will receive 10 percent of proceeds from the sale of furniture and art, discounted by one-third or more, during the event at the warehouse at the corner of Desert Inn Road and Highland.
Among the items to be sold include a white baby grand piano, a pair of octopus sculptures, many vanity mirrors and an armoire with a built-in safe valued at more than $1,700, but with a price tag of $599.
"The Moulin Rouge is just a good cause," said Dan Rooney, who co-owns the warehouse with Dan Frasier, both boyhood friends of Moulin Rouge owner Bart Maybie, who was raised in Calgary, Alberta. "We'll have on display 600 sets of furniture, so there will be a lot of choice."
Champagne will be served during the sale that also will feature desks, drawers, chairs, sofas, lamps, tables, planters and other objects.
The Moulin Rouge opened in 1955 as the nation's only integrated casino but operated for a short time only. It was closed and under renovation when arsonists set it ablaze four months ago.
Although no fund-raiser will bring back the millions of dollars in original murals, photos, plates, silverware and other fixtures that were stored in the facility, the money raised will go a long way toward resurrecting from the ashes a building that has lived many lives, people involved in the sale said.
"This was more than just a casino -- it tells the history and culture of (blacks and black entertainers) who helped build this community," Duncan said of the facility that has gone through several owners who have tried but failed to return it to its glory days.
Moulin Rouge officials count their blessings that no one was killed in the fire and that three key elements of the building still stand -- the frontage with the vintage script "Moulin Rouge" neon sign, the tower to the east of the structure and the red and yellow mosaic pillars and slate wall to the west.
"I am grateful that the sign survived -- it was a miracle," Maybie said, noting that the structural damage to the building he had insured for $12 million was $5.6 million to $6 million. "I wouldn't call them blessings, but perhaps silver linings."
After an aggressive cleanup process, bare earth exists where the foundation and shell of the building once stood -- ready for something to build around the frontage. The goal is to open the facility as a casino-restaurant-museum in 2005 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Moulin Rouge and the centennial of the city of Las Vegas.
"Many of the objects lost are irreplaceable," Duncan said. "The murals told a wonderful story of integration. In the original paintings, the dance hall girls were Caucasian. Their faces were later repainted black, but the paint on some of them had peeled off, leaving a depiction of truly integrated dancers."
Duncan said money raised from the furniture sale will help with the acquisition of existing collections and other materials to replace those that were lost in the fire.
Still, many more items will have to come from donations and loans from "the closets of Las Vegans" who maintained extensive memorabilia collections, such as past owners of the building including Leo Fry and Sarann Knight Preddy, Duncan said.
While the loss of the building and its contents can be replaced with time and a lot of money, the loss of the original artwork associated with the facility can only be duplicated, not replaced, one art expert said.
"The items were priceless," said William Marion, chairman of the Las Vegas Arts Commission and a supporter of the Moulin Rouge project. "You can replicate a Rembrandt, but how significant is that? That's why it was so important to save the sign because of such historic and artistic impact."
Dale Scott, president of Moulin Rouge Development Corp., which is in the process of buying the property from Maybie, said that the fire has ignited a spirit of determination among those close to the project.
"The fire brought (Maybie and the new group) closer together," Scott said. "We could have walked away after the fire, but we took the high road of not only trying to restore the Moulin Rouge to its heyday, but also to create a modern casino that will be able to compete with larger resorts."
Scott said at least 3,000 square feet will be dedicated to the museum, but that much of the rebuilt casino also will feature memorabilia -- "a living museum," he said.
Although it was open for just six months in 1955, significant entertainers such as the Platters and Harry Belafonte performed at the Moulin Rouge. Also, legends such as Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack pals frequented the club after their Strip shows, making it a jumping night spot well into the wee hours.
In 1960, black community leaders, city officials and hotel-casino owners met at the site to agree to desegregate the Las Vegas Strip resorts that had long refused to allow blacks as guests.
In 1992, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the late 1990s, Maybie bought the property. He had brought much of the building up to code and renovated areas such as the kitchen with stainless steel and aluminum fixtures -- all destroyed in the blaze.
In June, two men were were arrested in connection with the Moulin Rouge fire. Fred Ball, 45, and John Antwan Caver, 29, each are charged with one count of first-degree arson and conspiracy to commit arson. Caver was a resident of an apartment complex behind the Moulin Rouge that Maybie also owns.
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