Folks in and around Gillett won’t need to buy plane tickets and make hotel accommodations to enjoy a Vegas-style show in March as Let Me Be Frank Productions brings “Frank’s Tribute to Las Vegas” to town.
The show is a fundraiser for the Gillett FFA Alumni to send some of its FFA members to Ireland in 2026. Only 300 tickets are available for the event.
“Frank’s Tribute to Las Vegas” is two hours of non-stop music and laughs where Let Me Be Frank founder Frank Hermans and members of his troupe transform into Reba McEntire, Neil Diamond, Cher, Adele, George Jones and others.
“One of the offshoots of what Let Me Be Frank does is the tribute show,” Hermans said. “My wife (Amy Riemer) is probably the best Reba impersonator you will see in the nation. I traveled with this for a while with Let Me Be Frank.”
Hermans said the show originated because many of the performers in his troupe look similar to some of the people who have done residencies at Las Vegas casinos. He noted it’s a side gig, with the tribute show doing 20-30 performances per year.
In addition to those performances, Let Me Be Frank has performed in Las Vegas itself, specifically the Plaza Casino, for the last three years.
“The first time we went to the Plaza Casino, Adele had just canceled at the MGM Grand. So we got to advertise that, ‘No, Adele is really here. She’s at the Plaza Casino,’” Hermans said. “It’s kind of a cool thing we can hang our hat on that our Adele impersonator was in Vegas when Adele canceled.”
Hermans noted the performers act and sing like the people they’re impersonating, but they also bring out the funny side of those people. Let Me Be Frank also has an award-winning house band that backs up the performers, something that’s new compared with shows they’ve done to benefit FFA organizations around northeast Wisconsin.
So what is it about “Frank’s Tribute to Las Vegas” that makes it a moneymaker for organizations?
“I think it’s the iconic personalities,” Hermans said. “Elvis will never die. People love Elvis.”
Hermans can say that from experience, as he performs as Elvis in the tribute show. He noted that many of the iconic performers portrayed in the show are no longer alive, so the show helps to revive the touching musical moments of yesteryear.
“The demographic we’re going after, 40-plus, that’s who loves that sort of thing,” Hermans said. “They still like the old Elvis, the ’50s Elvis. We stick to the oldies but goodies.”
There will be a lot of the “goodies,” according to Hermans. It won’t be a show where each performer only does one song and passes on the microphone. He said each performer does at least four or five songs in each show.
The uniqueness of Let Me Be Frank shows is that all the writing and producing is done locally in Green Bay.
“We’re producing and creating our own show,” Hermans said. “It’s unlike anything else in the nation. I support 13 singers and musicians. This is their full-time job, which is unheard of in a community as small as ours.”
Let Me Be Frank is community oriented, Hermans said, which is why it tries to do as much as it can for organizations like the Gillett FFA Alumni. The organization has been in existence for 26 years, and it has been community support from Green Bay and beyond that has kept the shows coming.
“We have raised and donated over a half a million dollars to different organizations throughout the community,” Hermans said. “That’s one of the things we strive on is giving back to the community.”
The FFA also holds a special place in Hermans’ heart, as he was part of the Denmark FFA in high school.
“It’s pretty cool they’re raising money for this (trip to Ireland), and we’re glad to help out,” Hermans said. “It’s great for our players to perform for new people, too. For a lot of those folks, it’s going to be the first time they ever saw us, which is weird, because we’ve been around for 26 years.”
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
AT A GLANCE
WHAT: “Frank’s Tribute to Las Vegas”
WHEN: 7 p.m. March 15. Doors open at 4:15 p.m. with a baked chicken dinner being served at 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Auditorium, Gillett Secondary School, 208 W. Main St., Gillett
TICKETS: $50 each or two for $90. Only 300 tickets available. Advanced sales only. To purchase, call 920-373-3799.
FYI: There will also be 50/50 and bucket raffles during the event. All proceeds go toward the Gillett FFA for a trip to Ireland in 2026.
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