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Victor Drai

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Victor Drai
Born (1947-07-25) July 25, 1947 (age 77)
Casablanca, Morocco
NationalityFranco-American[1][2]
Occupation(s)Nightclub owner, Film producer
Spouse(s)Loryn Locklin (1990–current)
Kelly Le Brock (1984–1986)[3]
PartnerJacqueline Bisset (1973–1980)[4]
ChildrenDustin (b. 1993)
Websitehttp://www.drais.net

Victor Drai (born July 25, 1947) is a Franco-American[1][2] nightclub owner, entrepreneur and film producer.[5] Drai rose to prominence in the 1980s, producing the movies The Woman in Red and Weekend at Bernie's before leaving the industry to open a string of high-profile restaurants and nightclubs.[3][6][7]

Early life

Drai was born in Casablanca, Morocco to Jewish parents. He dropped out of school at 14 to move to Paris, France, with his family. In 1968, he launched a ready-to-wear line called Vicadam, which featured velvet jeans.[8]

In 1974, Drai met Jacqueline Bisset on a non-stop flight from Los Angeles to Paris and the two began a transatlantic relationship.[9] Drai sold the fashion line and relocated to the United States to be with Bisset and began a new business flipping Beverly Hills mansions.[8]

Film production

In 1982, Drai and then-girlfriend Kelly Le Brock traveled to Paris where they saw the movie Pardon Mon Affaire. With the help of David Begelman, Drai produced a remake titled The Woman in Red which was released in 1984.[10] It starred Le Brock and Gene Wilder, who adapted the script from the original.[11] Based on that movie's success, Drai then produced a series of comedies including another French remake, The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), and Weekend at Bernie's (1989).[3][12][13]

Restaurants and nightclubs

In 1993, after the birth of his first child with second wife Loryn Locklin, Drai made the decision to open a restaurant, which he felt would be a more family-friendly career.[3] He contracted French chef Claude Segal, who'd replaced Wolfgang Puck at the upscale restaurant Ma Maison in 1985.[14] With Segal, he opened the restaurant Drai's in the L'Ermitage Beverly Hills hotel and it quickly became an iconic success.[9]

In 1995, Drai decided to open a second Drai's in Las Vegas. A couple years later, he started an afterhours club, "That started everything,” Drai stated.[15] In December 2013, he opened a steakhouse on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles called Rare by Drai's.[16]

Drai owned a now-closed venue in March 2010, Drai's Hollywood; a rooftop restaurant, pool, and nightclub at the W Hotel in Hollywood.[17]

In 1997, Drai opened Drai’s restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip.[18] Two years later, Drai added a nightclub to the restaurant, re-branding it Drai’s After Hours.[19] In Vegas Seven's 2012 Nightclub Awards, Drai's After Hours won "Best Place to Disappear".[20] He currently operates Drai’s After Hours nightclub at The Cromwell Las Vegas.[21]

In 2007, Drai took over La Bete at Wynn Las Vegas and re-branded it Tryst.[22] It has a 90-foot waterfall and lake in the middle of the club. In 2012, Vegas Seven's Nightclub Awards awarded Tryst "Best Place to Impress".[23] In 2013, Tryst placed #8 in the Top 100 Nightclub & Bar Roster for Nightclub & Bar Magazine.[24]

Drai opened XS nightclub at Encore Las Vegas in 2008.[25] In 2010, XS won Nightclub & Bar Awards for "New Club of the Year" and "Mega-Club of the Year.[26] " In 2013, Nightclub & Bar Magazine awarded XS the "Mega-Club of the Year.[27] " Technomic, the Chicago-based hospitality market research firm that partners with Nightclub & Bar magazine on The Top 100, named XS number one nightclub in the nation for 2010.[28] In 2010, Drai was bought out of his managing partnership at Steve Wynn's Tryst and XS to pursue other endeavors.[29]

Drai opened his latest Las Vegas club project, Drai’s Beach Club & Nightclub, on Memorial Day Weekend 2014, at The Cromwell Las Vegas.[30] This 65,000-square-foot venue has a party pool and an indoor/outdoor club spread out over two levels on top of the new Cromwell Hotel.[31]

Drai is one of sixteen Professionals listed in the Nightclub Hall Of Fame[32]

References

  1. ^ a b Welkos, Robert (July 7, 1994). "Drai's Restaurant: Parlez-Vous le Show Biz? : Industry: Hollywood powerbrokers flock to Victor Drai's West Hollywood restaurant. But is it for the former producer's Southern France-style food?". The LA Times. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  2. ^ a b Weston, Jay (December 17, 2013). "Rare by Drai's Opens on Sunset Plaza Drive". The Huffington Post. Rare by Drai's Opens on Sunset Plaza Drive. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d Kaplan, Michael (Feb 27, 2014). "Vegas' After-Hours King Makes a Comeback". VEGAS Magazine. Niche Media LLC. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  4. ^ Freden, Marc (2010). Really!?! : a memoir and other observations from a man who's lived life "not quite famous enough". [S.l.]: Xlibris Corp. pp. 153–154. ISBN 1450073670. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  5. ^ Clarke, Norm. "NORM Q&A: Nightclub mogul Victor Drai sets sights on new Strip venture". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  6. ^ Odell, Kat. "Drai's Restaurant at W Hollywood Shutters, Will Relocate". Eater LA. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  7. ^ Leach, Robin (March 5, 2014). "Photos: Victor Drai's at Cromwell will be 'the most beautiful nightclub you have ever seen'". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  8. ^ a b Windeler, Robert (August 1, 1977). "Out of the Shadows". People Magazine. No. Vol. 8, No. 5. Retrieved 24 October 2014. {{cite news}}: |issue= has extra text (help)
  9. ^ a b Lipson, Larry. "DRAI'S TURNS HOLLYWOOD CLOUT INTO MEATY SUCCESS". The Daily News. No. 1996. The Free Library. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  10. ^ Archerd, Army (9 August 1995). "Begelman's suicide shocks, saddens friends". Variety. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  11. ^ Maysh, Jeff (August 25, 2013). "EXCLUSIVE: 'I hated myself'". The Daily Mail. MailOnline.UK. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  12. ^ "Victor Drai". IMDB. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  13. ^ Sweeney, Louise (17 September 1984). "Film star Tom Hanks: having fun making movies filled with mirth". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  14. ^ Parsons, Russ (November 4, 2011). "Longtime chef Claude Segal dies". The LA Times. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  15. ^ "Victor Drai, Nightlife Impresario Behind Vegas Clubs Tryst, XS, Bringing New Concept to BLT Space". Wehoville.com. Retrieved 24 April 2014. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  16. ^ Chiao, Christine. "Rare by Drai's, a New Steakhouse in West Hollywood, Now Open". Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Vegas Debauchery on a Hollywood Rooftop". UrbanDaddy.com. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  18. ^ "Drai's (Restaurant)". Vegas.Napkinnights.com. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  19. ^ "Drai's Afterhours". Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  20. ^ "Best Place to Disappear: Drai's After hours". Vegas Seven. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  21. ^ Wynn Las Vegas, Victor Drai end partnership Amanda Finnegan Fri, Aug 27, 2010 Las Vega Weekly
  22. ^ Elyzabeth, Michele. "Victor Drai: He Did It His Way". LATF The Magazine. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  23. ^ "2012 Nighclub Awards". Vegas Seven. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  24. ^ "Presenting the 2013 Top 100 NCB Top 10 Profiles". Nightclub & Bar Magazine. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  25. ^ Leach, Robin. "Photos: Victor Drai's at Cromwell will be 'the most beautiful nightclub you have ever seen'". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  26. ^ Woodman, Xania. "XS TAKES HOME TWO NIGHTCLUB & BAR AWARDS". Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  27. ^ "2013 Nightclub & Bar Award Winners Announced". Nightclub & Bar Magazine. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  28. ^ Clarke, Norm. "Wynn Las Vegas club named No. 1". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  29. ^ Odell, Kat. "Victor Drai and Steve Wynn Part Ways: Waits Brothers at Helm of Wynn's Nightlife Empire". Eater LA. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  30. ^ Medved, Matt. "Drai's Beach Club & Night Club Las Vegas Announces Eric Prydz and More as First Residents: Exclusive". Billboard.com. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  31. ^ Feldberg, Sarah. "DRAI'S BEACH CLUB AND NIGHTCLUB WILL BE MORE THAN A 'MUSIC VENUE FOR MILLION-DOLLAR DJS'". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  32. ^ Nightclubhalloffame.com
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