King
The
of London
British casinos took a giant leap forward when Simon Thomas and his father Jimmy took over the fabled Hippodrome theater in London and created a casino for the new world By Roger Gros
For Simon Thomas , becoming owner of the Hippodrome in London was far more than simply operating a casino . It was also preserving a historical legacy .
The Hippodrome opened 124 years ago on Leicester Square , the entertainment capital of London at that time and still today . On opening night , January 15 , 1900 , it featured a musical variety show called Giddy Ostend , featuring a 4-foot , 6-inch comedian , Little Tich .
But the facility was built to thrill , with a 100,000-gallon water tank that would host aquatic performances , complete with synchronized swimming , diving and boats . The ceiling was cantilevered and eliminated posts , giving all visitors a clear view of the proceedings .
It was an immediate smash hit . Owned by Edward Moss and designed by architect Frank Matcham , the Hippodrome thrived for many years . In 1910 , it was redesigned as a musical hall , with more than 1,300 seats . Over the years it hosted the U . K .’ s first jazz concert by the original Dixieland Jazz Band , Tchaikovsky ’ s Swan Lake performed there for the first time outside of Russia , and Julie Andrews ’ stage debut at the age of 12 .
But when musical theater had run its course , the owner Bernard Defont gutted the interior in 1958 and opened London ’ s hottest dinner theater at the time , Talk of the Town . Dozens of acclaimed acts performed there , including Judy Garland , Frank Sinatra , Ella Fitzgerald , Sammy Davis Jr ., Tony Bennett , Shirley Bassey and many more . Talk of the Town closed in 1982 , but “ the greatest disco in the world ” opened a year later under the ownership of nightclub tycoon Peter Stringfellow . Stringfellow sold it , and in 2005 it lost its license . The venue then returned to its circus roots with Cirque .
The lease to the property was then obtained by the Thomas family in 2005 . And that ’ s where it got interesting …
22 Global Gaming Business MARCH 2024