Uncertainty continues for Strip entertainers amid pandemic

What was thought to be weeks is now months of unemployment for many entertainers and performers at Strip casinos.

There is a lot of uncertainty as some have lost jobs and others continue to wait for their shows to resume.

Jeremy Chen reports.

ON A POPULAR LAS VEGAS SHOW..AND NOW....MANY PERFORMERS WILL BEGOING.... WITHOUT A PAYCHECK..GOOD EVENING.G.G.I'M TRICIA KEAN..TODD HAS.... THE NIGHT OFF..13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER....JEREMY CHEN IS LIVE.....NEAR THE STRIP TONIGHT.....WITH WHAT....THIS CLOSURE SIGNALS.....FOR OTHER PERFORMERS....LIVING IN LIMBO....JEREMY..LIFE IS SLOWLY COMING BACK TOTHE STRIP- BUT ONE THING THATHASN'T COME BACK ARE SHOWS-AS WE SAW THE BLUE MAN GROUPLAID OFF EMPLOYEES AND THE LEREVE AT THE WYNN IS NOW SHUTDOWN.IT'S MAKING PERFORMERS ANXIOUSABOUT THEIR FUTURE.THE SPECTACLE OF A VEGAS SHOWON THE STRIP- HAS ALWAYS DRAWNCROWDS ALL OVER THE WORLD.HOWEVER-CURRENT PANDEMIC HASMILLION DOLLARS THAT WOULD HAVENEVER HAPPENED, BUT HERE WEARE." WILLIAM HULETT IS APERFORMER AT ZUMANITY BY CIRQUEDU SOLEIL.HE'S ONE OF MANY ENTERTAINERSSTILL WONDERING WHEN THEIRSHOWS MAY COME BACK.IT'S CREATED A ROUGH SITUATIONFOR PEOPLE HE KNOWS."I HAVE MANY FRIENDS THAT AREFOREIGN AND ON DIFFERENT TYPESOF VISAS AND THEY DON'T QUALIFYFOR A LOT OF THE BENEFITS ANDASSISTANCE." SOME HAVE ALREADYLOST JOBS- WITH THE WYNNSHUTTING DOWN ITS POPULARAQUATICS SHOW- LE REVE.IT'S A MOVE THAT STUNNEDHULETT."LE REVE.THAT'S A PRETTY BIG STAPLE INTOWN AND THAT'S COMPARABLE TOSOME OF OUR SHOWS.IT'S A BIG PRODUCTION ANDTHERE'S A LOT OF MONEY TO BACKTHAT SHOW." FINANCIAL ANALYSTSTEVE BUDIN SAYS IT'S ALL PARTOF A BIGGER THEME OF TOURISMTAKING A HUGE HIT IN THEVALLEY.HE BELIEVES THE ROAD TORECOVERY FOR STRIP CASINOS-WILL TAKE SOME TIME."SURVEY AFTER SURVEY SHOWS THATMANY VISITORS AREN'T GOING TOCOME BACK HERE UNTIL THERE IS AVACCINE OR TREATMENT ANDREMEMBER, THESE THEATERS AREPACKING PEOPLE INTO VERY CLOSEPROXIMITY, SO I THINK WE'LLHAVE SOME CHALLENGING TIMES."HULETT IS HAS CAUTIOUSOPTIMISM- BUT IS MAKING SHORTTERM PLANS."DEFINITELY HAVE A SMIDGEN OFHOPE BUT I AM BEING REASONABLETHOUGH, AS A PERFORMER WHERE IGET MOST OF MY EXPOSURE, I SOLDOFF SOME STUFF AND WE'RE GOINGTO RIDE THIS FOR A MINUTE."IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHEN LIVESHOWS CAN EVEN COME BACK-UNTIL NEVADA IS ABLE TO RELAXSOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES.JEREMY CHEN 13 ACTION NEWS.EFFORTS TO FIGHT....COVID-19 HAVE BEEN HITTINGCASINOS....IN THE U-S....