Victor Drai
Victor Drai | |
---|---|
Born |
Casablanca, Morocco | July 25, 1947
Nationality | Franco-American |
Occupation | Nightclub owner, film producer |
Spouse(s) |
Yolanda Krupiarz (m. 2016) |
Partner(s) | Jacqueline Bisset (1973–1980) |
Children | 3 |
Website |
draisgroup |
Victor Drai (born July 25, 1947) is a Franco-American[1][2] nightclub owner, entrepreneur and film producer.[3] 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.[4][5][6]
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.[7]
In 1974, Drai met Jacqueline Bisset on a flight from Los Angeles to Paris and the two began a transatlantic relationship.[8] Drai sold the fashion line and relocated to the United States to be with Bisset and began a new business flipping Beverly Hills mansions.[7]
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.[9] It starred Le Brock and Gene Wilder, who adapted the script from the original.[10] 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).[4][11][12]
Restaurants and nightclubs
In 1993 Drai made the decision to open a restaurant, which he felt would be a more family-friendly career.[4] He contracted French chef Claude Segal, who'd replaced Wolfgang Puck at the upscale restaurant Ma Maison in 1985.[13] With Segal, he opened the restaurant Drai's in the L'Ermitage Beverly Hills hotel.
In 1995, Drai opened a second Drai's in Las Vegas. A couple years later, he started an afterhours club, "That started everything,” Drai stated.[14] In December 2013, he opened a steakhouse on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles called Rare by Drai's.[15]
In March 2010 he opened Drai's Hollywood, a rooftop restaurant, pool and nightclub at the W Hotel in Hollywood.[16]
In 1997, Drai opened Drai’s restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip.[17] Two years later, Drai added a nightclub to the restaurant, re-branding it Drai’s After Hours.[18] In Vegas Seven's 2012 Nightclub Awards, Drai's After Hours won "Best Place to Disappear".[19] He currently operates Drai’s After Hours nightclub at The Cromwell Las Vegas.[20]
In 2007, Drai took over La Bete at Wynn Las Vegas and re-branded it Tryst.[21] In 2012, Vegas Seven's Nightclub Awards awarded Tryst "Best Place to Impress".[22] In 2013, Tryst placed #8 in the Top 100 Nightclub & Bar Roster for Nightclub & Bar Magazine.[23]
Drai opened XS nightclub at Encore Las Vegas in 2008.[24] In 2010, XS won Nightclub & Bar Awards for "New Club of the Year" and "Mega-Club of the Year.[25] " In 2013, Nightclub & Bar Magazine awarded XS the "Mega-Club of the Year.[26] " Technomic named XS number one nightclub in the US for 2010.[27] In 2010, Drai was bought out of his managing partnership at Steve Wynn's Tryst and XS to pursue other endeavors.[28]
He opened Drai’s Beachclub & Nightclub,[29] 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]
Personal life
Drai was romantic and business partner with Jacqueline Bisset from 1973 to 1980.[33] Drai has been married three times. In 1984, he married Kelly Le Brock; their marriage ended two years later in 1986. His second marriage was in 1990 to Loryn Locklin. On April 24, 2016, he married his third wife, Yolanda Krupiarz.[34] Drai has one son and three daughters.
References
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Clarke, Norm. "NORM Q&A: Nightclub mogul Victor Drai sets sights on new Strip venture". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- 1 2 3 Kaplan, Michael (Feb 27, 2014). "Vegas' After-Hours King Makes a Comeback". VEGAS Magazine. Niche Media LLC. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ↑ Odell, Kat. "Drai's Restaurant at W Hollywood Shutters, Will Relocate". Eater LA. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ↑ 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.
- 1 2 Windeler, Robert (August 1, 1977). "Out of the Shadows". People Magazine (Vol. 8, No. 5). Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ↑ Lipson, Larry. "DRAI'S TURNS HOLLYWOOD CLOUT INTO MEATY SUCCESS". The Daily News (1996). The Free Library. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ↑ Archerd, Army (9 August 1995). "Begelman's suicide shocks, saddens friends". Variety. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ↑ Maysh, Jeff (August 25, 2013). "EXCLUSIVE: 'I hated myself'". The Daily Mail. MailOnline.UK. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ↑ "Victor Drai". IMDB. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ↑ Sweeney, Louise (17 September 1984). "Film star Tom Hanks: having fun making movies filled with mirth". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ↑ Parsons, Russ (November 4, 2011). "Longtime chef Claude Segal dies". The LA Times. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ↑ "Victor Drai, Nightlife Impresario Behind Vegas Clubs Tryst, XS, Bringing New Concept to BLT Space". Wehoville.com. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
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in Authors list (help) - ↑ Chiao, Christine. "Rare by Drai's, a New Steakhouse in West Hollywood, Now Open". Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ "Vegas Debauchery on a Hollywood Rooftop". UrbanDaddy.com. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ↑ "Drai's (Restaurant)". Vegas.Napkinnights.com. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ↑ "Drai's Afterhours Official Website".
- ↑ "Best Place to Disappear: Drai's After hours". Vegas Seven. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
- ↑ Wynn Las Vegas, Victor Drai end partnership Amanda Finnegan Fri, Aug 27, 2010 Las Vega Weekly
- ↑ Elyzabeth, Michele. "Victor Drai: He Did It His Way". LATF The Magazine. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ↑ "2012 Nighclub Awards". Vegas Seven. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ "Presenting the 2013 Top 100 NCB Top 10 Profiles". Nightclub & Bar Magazine. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Woodman, Xania. "XS TAKES HOME TWO NIGHTCLUB & BAR AWARDS". Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ "2013 Nightclub & Bar Award Winners Announced". Nightclub & Bar Magazine. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ Clarke, Norm. "Wynn Las Vegas club named No. 1". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ↑ Odell, Kat. "Victor Drai and Steve Wynn Part Ways: Waits Brothers at Helm of Wynn's Nightlife Empire". Eater LA. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
- ↑ "Drai's Beachclub & Nightclub Official Website".
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Nightclubhalloffame.com
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ https://lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2016/apr/25/victor-drai-weds-yolanda-krupiarz--atop-cromwell-/,