VEGAS IS WAITING FOR YOU
Cindy Doumani
Cindy Doumani, began her career as a Cowgirl, throughout the rodeo parade circuit. She was not only a trained horseman by her father, but a skilled and trained dancer of ballet, jazz, tap to showgirl.
Cindy's love for her horses soon gave way to her love of dance. Her heart and desire to follow her showbiz dreams took her around the world, with a stop in Hawaii with Elvis, Gypsy Rose Lee Show and on to Las Vegas where she became one of the most famous performing showgirls.
Cindy will always love horses, animals and the world of entertainment. Today she host many entertainment shows.
The show must go on for Cindy! And her life story is now a song "Cowgirl to Showgirl, Just Like That"
Cowgirl to Showgirl, Just Like That
(title contribution: Cindy Doumani
lyrics: Dondino
Donna Melchiorre
music: Dondino
Artist: Dondino
based on the life of Cindy Doumani, cowgirl/showgirl
Comments
Roy Kent Robb
Texas Horsemen/San Angelo, Texas
"Great beat to the music. This would be a great Texas Two Step song. I like the words, and wow, Dondino did a great job as an Italian country singer.
Great song. I really like it. I think if it gets air play it will go somewhere"
Cal Stout
Des Moines, Iowa
retired San Diego Disc Jokey
"What a great song. Lyrics are wonderful and Dondino is superb. Damn, somebody in Vegas ought to play the hell out of that song"
"WOW, I love this song"
Georgia Breish
Friendswood, Texas
Cindy Doumani
Las Vegas, Nevada
"I love the song, singer and musicians. It is a great line dancing song. I can't stop listening to it"
Randy Wall
Lubbock, Texas
English Professor
South Plaines College
"I certainly like the song, but I can only judge it, as a consumer. What I can judge are the lyrics. I adore the prases "Cowboy rodeo to Showgirl fame," and the off rhyme of "Paris, Vegas, and Folies Bergere." I'm not sure why I liked this one, but I also loved "cowbgirl never left home." So, what to do with it? I have no idea, but I wouldn't change anything."
Special Thank You to Cindy Doumani whose cowgirl to showgirl story inspired the making of "Cowgirl to Showgirl" documentary
A Very Special Thank You to David and Jackie Siegel for their support and contribution of the beautiful and exciting Westgate Resort Hotel and Casino.
The facility and personnel are what Vegas was established on and will be honored again through the ownership and operation of David and Jackie Siegel.
Thank You for the beautiful suite on top of the world at the Westgate Resort.....it was beyond perfect for our documentary interviews!
L to R: Jackie Siegl, Nikki Artale, Cindy Doumani
Interview guest (L to R): Maynard Sloate, David Siegel, Dondino/Producer
L to R: Dondino, Cindy Doumani and famous Jubliee Choreographer dancer/Michael McKenzie Pratt
L to R: Terry Ritter, Jubilee Showgirl and famous showgirl artist, and Dondino/Producer
L to R: Dondino, Sandy Anderson aka Dolly Parton, Jay White aka Neil Diamond, Mickey Silver aka Magician
L to R: Mickey Silver/Magician, Nikki Artale/documentary talent assistant, Mycki Manning aka Marilyn Monroe, Dondino/Producer, Maureen Wray/documentary assistant
L to R: Brett Hansen/Audio Arts Cinematographer and Mickey Silver on documentary set
Lou Ann Harris Chessik/Showgirl/Producer touched up by Cindy Doumani
Dondino/Producer at Westgate Resorts Suite
Rich Rizzo/Choregrapher touched up by LV Follies dancer Suzanne
Dondino, cast, crew on shoot
Rich Rizzo/Choreographer
Robert Nash aka Robert DeNiro, Carmen Romano aka Joe Pesci, Daryl Wagner aka Liberace
Marilyn getting wardrobe assistance from Donna
Michael Pratt/Choregrapher interviewed by Steve Schorr
Robert Fredrich/Nevada Nuclear Museum/Showgirl research "Miss Atomic Bomb"
Roy Hammock aka Willie Nelson
Mistinquette/Choreographer on set
Laurie Buckley/Documentary Script Writer/Talent Coordinator, Maynard Sloate, Cindy Doumani
Brett Hansen/Audio Art/Cindy Doumani/Myki Manning aka Lucille Ball/Dondino
Dondino, Nikki Artale, interviewing Sharon Cahlan, Maureen Wray (Ovation Dancers)
Brad aka Elvis, Cindy, Lucy, Dondino
Daryl Wagner aka Liberace
Las Vegas Follies dancers (L to R: Jackie, Joanie, Rich Rizzo, Suzanne, Teresa) Dondino
Donna
TEST TIME
Magicians Cindy Doumani and Mickey
Dondino, Cindy Doumani and Brett Hansen
recording session for narration segments
"Cowgirl to Showgirl, Just Like That"
documentary
DONDINO and the fabulous
Cornell Gunter's Original COASTERS
(special documentary guest performers)
Mistinguette (Mistinguette Productions) with the Coasters taking selfies (Mistinguette choreographer for "Dondino's Showgirl Band"
Nancy Williams Baker interviewed by Dondino "Cowgirl to Showgirl, Just Like That" documentary
Williams Costume Shop and the original "Dice Girls" 1949 El Rancho Hotel Casino
Beautiful showgirl Laverne Ligon and producer Dondino on filming set
Showgirl (Top) Cindy Doumani, producer Dondino
Bottom (L to R) Showgirls, Laverne Ligon and Gloria White
Top: Showgirl Cindy Doumani, producer Dondino
Center: Most Beautiful Showgirl 1987 (still holds title honor) Athena Marcus- Las Vegas Showgirl
"No other icon epitomizes Las Vegas like the showgirl. While Las Vegas has become known primarily as a gambling resort, in fact its entertainment is as important to its tourist industry as gambling. Las Vegas has, in a sense, lived up to its self-promotion as the entertainment capital of the world. From a venue for New York nightclub shows in the first strip hotels- in which the entertainment director took precedence over the casino boss-Las Vegas has developed a unique and distinctive genre of adult entertainment perhaps most associated with the "Frenchified" showgirl of the Las Vegas show Lido de Paris and Folies-Bergere, and their spin-offs of headliners, standup comics, and gaicians.
The Las Vegas Showgirl, and the shows which exempliefied them, have a history all their own. From the distinct theatrical traditions of burlesque, vauderville, dance and music halls, the French cancan, comic opera and operetta, Broadway, speakeasies and nightclubs, and movies, came a cosmopolitan adult entertainment popular in New York, Hollywood, Paris, Miami Beach, Rio, and ultimately Las Vegas, where it seemed to become a permanent fixture of this town's almost timeless firmament of entertainment. The Showgirl and The Las Vegas Show survive only in Las Vegas, that time-warp museum of popular culture." UNLV Digital Showgirl Collections"
quote from UNLV Digital Collection website
DONDINO filmed the UNLV Special Collections Department Heads Su Kim Chung, Joyce Moore and Claytee White.....discussing the famous Las Vegas Icon "The Showgirl" and "The Moulin Rouge"
L to R: Su Kim Chung, Joyce Moore, Claytee White
UNLV Digital Collection/Oral History
on interview set in the Reading Room/Lied Library
If you haven't seen the UNLV Digital Collections you need to see it soon. It is unbelievable what has been preserved and documented by the staff of UNLV Digital Collections. Dondino is very proud to have had the opportunity to include the UNLV Digital Collections interviews as part of "Cowgirl to Showgirl, Just Like That" documentary. Thank You Su Kim, Joyce and Claytee and Diana Saunders for such a wonderful interview.
Mistinguette choreography and showgirls for "Cowgirl to Showgirl, Just Like That" documentary
L to R: Kelly Mable, Art Director Las Vegas Art Academy, Lou Anne Chessnik Founder Las Vegas Showgirl Art Program
Dondino looking at Las Vegas Art Academy student competition art prior to award shoot
Brett Hansen/Audio Art, setting up with Lou Anne Chessnik and Kelly Mable
Cowgirl to Showgirl, Just Like That
Lou Anne and Las Vegas Academy Student Artist, Dondino and Kelly Mable present Cindy Doumani a set of Conga drums featuring her portraits for "Cowgirl to Showgirl, Just Like That" documentary
Cindy Doumani with students and their parents from Las Vegas Art Academy
Cindy thanks parents, brother and Las Vegas Art Academy student for her conga portraits
Patricia Ward Kelly
Wife and biographer of Gene Kelly
Dondino/Producer, Lauri Thompson/Celebrity Guest, Denny Weddle/Talent Coordinator, filming interview segment for Cowgirl to Showgirl, Just Like That documentary
Sunrise Children's Foundation provides guidance, materials and curriculum to educate from craddle to kindergarten.
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Read to Me Foundation has pledged to join Cindy Doumani in her support of children, by donating bilingual children books (English/Spanish) to SCF.
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Please join us in our new children book pledge to SCF by donating to Read To Me Foundation (www.readtomefoundation.org) to enable Read To Me Foundation to donate an opening inventory of 1,000 hardcover, full color, biliginual children books.
