Riviera Hotel's history as a Strip showroom for top entertainers

The Riviera opened on the Las Vegas Strip in 1955 and over its decades of operation hosted numerous headline entertainers and musical residencies in its showroom spaces. The property was a well-known stop for touring acts and casino variety productions until it closed and was demolished in 2016. The Riviera's programming and showroom bookings are often referenced in accounts of mid- and late-20th-century Las Vegas popular-music and nightclub history.