Frank Marino Marks 40 Fabulous Years As The Queen Of Las Vegas

The Queen of Las Vegas is celebrating a fabulous milestone in the only way a true diva can - bigger, bolder, and with plenty of sparkle.

Frank Marino, known for his iconic Joan Rivers impersonation and dazzling drag performances on the Las Vegas Strip, is gearing up for three anniversary shows featuring surprises and special performances never seen before in "Divas, Drag, & Drinks."

Marino has been celebrating big stars with his impersonations in Sin City for 40 years, a feat even he didn't think about when he began entertaining.

"When I opened, I was only 20 years old, so I don't even think I thought the number 40 was even able to do anything, because it would have been double my life at 20. So no, I never thought in terms of how long," Marino told The Blast exclusively.

"I did believe it would be a while because I would see how much fun the audience would have, and I thought it was a form of entertainment that people just let their hair down, sit back, and be like, oh my God, I can't believe that's a man, not only impersonating a woman, but impersonating at the time, let's say, a Cher or a Madonna or Diana Ross so I knew it would be a staple, I just didn't know how tight of a staple it would have been."

The first Vegas show for Marino was "An Evening at La Cage" at the Riviera Hotel. He went in signing a three-month contract thinking it might just be a short run, but those original three months turned into 25 years in the blink of an eye.

"So I think in my heart, I knew it would be longer. I just didn't know if I thought it would be, at the time, 25 years," he said. "So that was crazy, and then when that ended, I opened my own show, 'Divas Las Vegas' which is now at Virgin, and that's been going for 15 years."

When asked how and when he realized he had a talent for impersonating celebrities, Marino told The Blast it all began while he was working at a local pharmacy when in college.

"The original plan was to be a doctor. I was going to school at college in New York, I got a job at a local pharmacy. And you know how large pharmacies have the makeup counters in the front? Well, I guess I spent a little bit too much time up front at the makeup counter on those Sundays when the reps would come in," he said. "I learned how to use the makeup through the reps and Halloween that year, I went out dressed in drag as my favorite entertainer, which is Diana Ross, and I met an agent."

The agent offered Marino a gig for $150, which was a lot for a college student back then, to do weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other shows.

He said it was a "look-a-like talent agency" and eventually he chose Joan Rivers to impersonate.

He explained that it just got bigger and bigger, and then he went to go see Joan Rivers and she let Marino go backstage.

"I told her what I was doing, and she introduced me to these producers that were doing the show 'La Cage' and that's how I initially got the first job," he said. "It all just kind of fell into place. It was very bizarre. It was just too perfect of a scenario."

Over the years, not only has Vegas entertainment changed and evolved, but so has the drag scene. But Marino has not only kept up with the changing times, but many would also agree that he leads the charge.

While fashion changes as well as what's going on in the world, Marino keeps up with it. The show's stars have evolved as well going from Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland to Beyonce and Lizzo.

Many stars have sat in the audience, and those moments become unforgettable for Marino.

"Normally when celebrities would come see the show, they would sit in the booth which is midway into the audience. Whitney Houston called and said she was coming to see the show. And literally sat in the front row to see our Whitney Houston," Marino told The Blast. "It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, to perform, do the number, and know Whitney Houston was sitting right in the front. That was one thing that I remember that stood out."

Almost every celeb impersonated in Marino's show has gone to see the show, and he said that's a "great honor."

"Dolly Parton came, took her earrings off, walked on stage while my Dolly was performing, and put them on his ears," he shared. "And Shania Twain came to see the show because we had a Shania Twain. We had a Reba as well and during the show, she called up Reba and took pictures and said, 'You're not going to believe what I'm watching. This kid looks more like you than you do.'"

Marino admits that even after 40 years of performing, he still gets nervous before hitting the stage.

"But it usually goes away," he said. "Only when there's a huge celebrity in the audience that's also portrayed in our show that the anticipation of the reaction they're going to have is like a constant buildup through the whole performance. It's so nerve-wracking, but yet amazingly complimentary."

Marino has received countless amazing recognitions over the years and has a list of accolades a mile long.

"I got to say, the thing I love about Vegas is it's such a give-and-take city, and I have gotten so much from Las Vegas," he said.

"Some of the big things that stand out to me - February 1 is Frank Marino Day in Las Vegas, I'm the only person that has two stars on the Walk of Fame on the Strip, I have a street named after me, Frank Marino Drive up at The Lakes, and now for the 40th anniversary, on Thursday the 18th, they're changing the lights of the Las Vegas sign from clear to ruby, so ruby is the 40th anniversary color."

Marino added that he feels that's a "really big honor" that the lightbulbs are being changed for his 40th anniversary and if anyone want to watch it happen, it's going to be 8 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18.

The 40th anniversary shows, "Divas, Drags, & Drinks," will take place at 24 Oxford inside Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Sept. 19, 20, and 21. When asked how these shows will differ from the regular shows, Marino jokingly said, "people will now start counting on their fingers and realize my real age."

"We're going to throw in some special things," he shared. "It will be a pretty different show, even for the people that come quite often."

And now beyond celebrating 40 years, what big and fabulous thing is next for Marino?

"Retirment," he said, slightly jokingly. "I think in the near future, I want to look to retire. So I'm going to call the next leg of my round of shows 'Last Call.' Because being here so long, a lot of people take it for granted. So this is your last shot, guys. I'm maybe going to continue throughout 2026, but I want to get into some other things, look into television and projects that I wanted to do."

For more information on Frank Marino, visit his website and Instagram page. For tickets to "Divas, Drags, & Drinks," visit Virgin Hotels Las Vegas' website.