Liberace's Piano

The Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, located in two buildings on opposite ends of a parking lot in the heart of Liberace Plaza, is forever shutting its doors in a couple weeks. So when the lady at the gift shop from whom you're buying a diamond-encrusted gold-plated piano ring asks you if you're a pianist, and you say yes, and then asks you "would you like to play Liberace's Piano?," you do it. After, of course, filling out all the requisite paperwork, including signing a statement that you're a virtuoso and that you'll wash your hands. The rhinestone-bedazzled and mirrored Baldwin (previously featured on this blog here) was the last piano Walter played, in his 1986 Radio City Music Hall shows, and sits on a pedestal in a room surrounded by all his capes, including the pink turkey feather cape seen behind the piano, and you can bet it'll be the most nerve-wracking performance you'll ever put on.

Later, you might run into Liberace's wheelchair-bound personal dog groomer of 16 years, who will confirm that the man "sure had a lot of crap."