He received his first taste of show business at age 3, when he was heard singing on the radio from his tiny hometown of Worland, Wyoming. The entertainment seed was firmly planted in the soul of Michael La Fleur, actor, director, writer and choreographer for some of the world’s leading pro-ductions, including "Celine Dion — A New Day at Caesars Palace."
"I’d never seen a live play until one day, in the 4th grade, two of the cast members from the local ‘Cinderella’ production came to our school," recalls La Fleur. "They were in costumes and makeup. I thought this was the most exciting thing I had ever seen. We saved up 50 cents and went to the play.
"In high school, our musical director became my mentor. He said you can do this for a living, yet everybody is going to tell you not to do it, you will starve to death, you won’t make it. Don’t listen to them. He saw the spark in me early on. Anyway, I got the lead to ‘Fiorello,’ at age 14.
"I received my first real professional acting job at the famous Old Globe Theatre in San Diego at age 17. From that day forward, I was a professional actor and never did anything else."
Showbiz really can be one of the most exciting careers in the world, with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. For La Fleur, he has experienced the incredible journey from Florida to New York, Los Angeles, Brussels, Tokyo, and now Las Vegas.
"You don’t know what poor is like until you get into show business. I remember being in my car, a big green ugly tank Plymouth. I bought it for $500 from a church. Even the nuns didn’t want it anymore. I used to live in that car and put everything in the back, my frying pan, a clock, my boom box, and a few clothes. I had, maybe, $20 left to my name."
La Fleur persevered. For over 25 years he worked on perfecting his craft and love of directing. Many find it hard to believe his accomplishments, enough to fill a seven-page resume: director, choreographer and writer, The Walt Disney Company; show director and writer, Universal Studios; professor of Theatre, Florida State University; director, choreographer, New York Theatre; director, Asolo State Theatre; and guest director and choreographer, Burt Reynolds Jupiter Theatre, to name only a few of the hundreds of productions he has worked on.
Favorite memories? "One was work-ing with the legendary director Joshua Logan. There was nobody bigger at the time. Here I was, working with royalty while he was in his 70s. I was extremely fortunate enough to become his assistant and protege."
Any other magical memories? "Yes, the Burt Reynolds Jupiter Theatre, where I guest-directed for Burt. I directed ‘Godspell,’ and it broke all the records. Many of the stars came to Burt’s theatre to perform. I got to sing up on stage with Ethel Merman."
With showbiz in the blood, La Fleur was drawn to Vegas, where he landed the artistic coordinator position for the smash hit, "Celine Dion — A New Day at Caesars Palace." Prior to the show’s Las Vegas grand opening in 2003, La Fleur worked with the team for five months in Belgium, rehearsing and perfecting the show.
On the horizon? "I truly believe there is an opportunity for a fresh, new, live small theatre away from the Strip with room for 350 - 450 seats. With the right quality, know-how and people, anything is possible. After all, this is Las Vegas. Anything is possible for those who reach for their dreams."
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