Frederic Apcar

Frederic Apcar was born September 16, 1914, in the French Embassy in Russia (today known as Tiflis, Georgia) of Parisian parents and later raised in Paris, France. Apcar first took interest in theater performance after watching the well-known opera, "Le Spectre de la rose" at the young age of 10. Between the ages of 12 and 16, Apcar tried his hand at several professions, working as a market laborer, coal stoker, bookkeeper, printer's devil, waiter and dock boy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.unlv.edu/finearts/2006-inductees|title=Hall of Fame 2006 Inductees|department=College of Fine Arts|website=University of Nevada, Las Vegas|date=March 25, 2013 |access-date=March 23, 2025}} Displeased with his last position, he turned his interest back to theater.

After working briefly as an usher in the Rex Theater in Paris, Apcar then went on to study classical, modern, and tap dancing. At the age of 16, Apcar became a professional dancer, performing first as a chorus boy at the Folies Bergère. Apcar quickly became principal dancer in Folies Bergère after demonstrating his talent and formed his own act, Florence and Frederic, just four years later. Together at Bal Tabarin (Paris), Florence Waren and Frederic Apcar became one of the most renowned ballroom dance teams in Europe, occasionally performing with Édith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/world/europe/florence-waren-dancer-who-resisted-nazis-dies-at-95.html|title=Florence Waren, Dancer Who Resisted Nazis, Dies at 95|last=Grady|first=Denise|date=August 4, 2012|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 23, 2025|url-access=subscription|issn=0362-4331}} In 1955, the adagio act expanded to a 14-member ensemble known as The Florence and Frederic Ballet, later making its American debut on Ed Sullivan's variety show. In 1959, producer Lou Walters brought Apcar and his troupe to the Tropicana to join the U.S. Edition of the Folies Bergère.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/show-producer-apcar-dies-in-las-vegas-at-93/|title=Show producer Apcar dies in Las Vegas at 93|date=August 6, 2008|newspaper=Las Vegas Review-Journal|publisher=Stephens Media|access-date=March 23, 2025}}

A fan of his work, Dunes owner Major Riddle tested Apcar's production abilities before offering him the Dunes' main showroom. It was in 1961 when Apcar conceived and produced in entirety, his very first musical revue, "Vive Les Girls."{{Cite news|url=https://www.library.unlv.edu/speccol/ead/PH-00281_dunes_hotel.pdf|title=Guide to the Dunes Hotel Photograph Collection|last=Gershen|first=Helen|date=July 29, 2016|work=Special Collections and Archives|department=UNLV University Libraries|publisher=University of Nevada, Las Vegas|access-date=March 23, 2025}} After proving wild success with it, Apcar launched "Casino de Paris" in December 1963,{{Cite web|url=https://www.library.unlv.edu/speccol/finding-aids/MS-00483.pdf|title=Guide to Frederic Apcar Collection on the Casino de Paris Show|last=Moore|first=Joyce|date=January 6, 2021|work=Special Collections and Archives|department=UNLV University Libraries|publisher=University of Nevada, Las Vegas|access-date=March 23, 2025}} in a brand new theater built by Dunes management expressly for the new French spectacular.{{Cite news|url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/2016/nov/16/greatest-shows-more-that-made-an-impact/|title=Gone but not forgotten: More spectacles, performers and producers that left their mark on Las Vegas|work=Las Vegas Weekly|last=McKee|first=David|publisher=Greenspun Media Group|date=November 6, 2016|access-date=March 23, 2025}} "Casino de Paris" ran for two decades at Dunes hotel, at first headlined by legendary French singer Line Renaud.{{Cite web|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=DS19690110.2.102|title=Mademoiselle From Armentieres|newspaper=The Desert Sun|publication-place=Palm Springs, California|date=January 10, 1969|access-date=March 23, 2025|via=California Digital Newspaper Collection}} In 1966 Apcar hired Violetta Villas as a second star. Villas was Polish singer with a voice with a range of four octaves and Apcar saw her during her performances at Olympia in Paris in 1965.

Beyond "Vive Les Girls!" and "Casino de Paris," Apcar went on to produce other hit shows in Las Vegas, including “Bare Touch of Las Vegas,” “Hot Streak,” “Showbiz” and many more. Apcar continued to conceive, produce and direct shows throughout the United States until his retirement in 1993. He maintained Las Vegas as his home base until his death. In 2006, Apcar received a lifetime achievement award from the Nevada Entertainer/Artist Hall of Fame at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.{{Cite news|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug/04/dancer-paris-brought-touch-class-shows-strip/|title=Dancer from Paris brought touch of class with shows on Strip|date=August 4, 2008|newspaper=Las Vegas Sun|publisher=Greenspun Media Group|access-date=March 23, 2025}} Apcar died on August 2, 2008, at the age of 93.

Frederic Apcar is survived by his wife Olga, daughter Elisabeth, and son Frederic Apcar II, who carries his father's legacy producing shows in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada.

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Category:1914 births

Category:2008 deaths

Category:Dancers from Paris

Category:People from Tiflis Governorate

Category:French male dancers

Category:French emigrants to the United States

Category:French expatriates in the Russian Empire