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April 20, 2006

Regis and Kelly Niagara Falls - TV show turns to luck of the draw

Filed under: Clifton Hill Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls Casinos, Niagara Falls Entertainment, Niagara Falls Events, Niagara Falls Info — Falls_Blog @ 8:31 am

Printed from Niagara Falls Review

TV show turns to luck of the draw

By JOHN LAW Review Staff Writer

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 02:00

Local News -

NIAGARA FALLS Fans hoping to see Live with Regis & Kelly next month will need a bit of luck and a lot of patience.

On April 30, 3,000 envelopes will be pulled from a giant drum one each for the first 3,000 people who register at the Niagara Fallsview Casino’s Grand Hall.

The catch? Only 750 of the envelopes contain a voucher for tickets to the May 22 taping at Oakes Garden Theatre.

“Since this is a casino property, we’ve decided to use pure luck to determine who gets those tickets,” Niagara Fallsview Casino general manager Steve Wolstenholme said during a media conference Wednesday.

The casino has joined with the city, Niagara Parks Commission, Canadian Tourism Commission and Ontario Ministry of Tourism to bring the New York-based morning show to town, sharing the $700,000 in production costs.

It marks the show’s second visit. Regis Philbin and co-host Kathie Lee Gifford were first here in September 1996, filming one show live and taping another.

It will be the same format May 22, though Philbin has a new co-host Kelly Ripa replaced Gifford in 2001 and the show’s already stellar ratings improved.

Since Philbin announced the Niagara Falls visit in early March, tickets have been a hot commodity. Most were quickly snatched up on the show’s website, but some were set aside for the casino and its partners to divvy up.

Wolstenholme said a draw is the only way to ensure local residents get a fair crack at tickets.

“The most important thing is to ensure this is pure luck,” he said. “It’s a random draw.”

Between noon and 3 p.m. April 30, the first 3,000 people who enter the Grand Hall will receive a wristband and numbered registration card. Starting at 3:30 p.m. each person, in the order they were registered, will be called to a drum and remove one unmarked envelope.

Envelopes that don’t hold vouchers will contain a two-for-one offer for dinner at the casino’s Grand Buffet.

The winning vouchers can be redeemed for tickets immediately after the draw.

Because it’s a draw on casino property, only people 19 or older can register. Once fans have their tickets, however, they can give them to anyone.

The tickets will be good for either the live broadcast at 9 a.m. or the taping of the May 23 show at 11 a.m. not both.

Niagara Parks Commission chairman Jim Williams said work has already begun to “spruce up” Oakes Garden Theatre for the show, with more flowers and greenery.

The show’s impact on the city is “immeasurable,” he added, and could be even bigger than it was in 1996 because it will be in May instead of September.

“The big difference is this is happening at the beginning of the tourism season instead of the end,” he said. “It will allow us to showcase Niagara and what we can do.”

Mayor Ted Salci said city hall has been swamped with ticket requests for a month, with demand far exceeding supply.

He’s satisfied with the solution.

“This is the luck of the draw, so you can’t buy a ticket,” he said. “It’s only fair.”

Ten years ago, Niagara Falls competed with Toronto to host the Regis & Kathie Lee show. This time, said Salci, producers didn’t bother looking anywhere else in Canada.

The exposure could boost tourism for years to come, he added.

“Think about the millions of viewers we couldn’t afford that advertising.”

jlaw@nfreview.com

Niagara Falls Review acticles reprinted with permission by the authority of Joe Wallace, Managing Editor of the Niagara Falls Review.

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