The political news out of Atlantic City often is a bit rough. More than half of Atlantic City’s mayors in the last generation have been indicted, jailed, or resigned under a cloud of suspicion.
But this summer’s blast of politics in town will have a more entertaining cast. The Atlantic City Hilton has invited Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, and other political figures to take part in its first Summer Speaker Series.
“Although Atlantic City gets some of the best entertainment in the country, there was an area that was sorely lacking,” says Hilton spokeswoman Tina Belluscio. “This is a new form of adult entertainment for the more discriminating crowd—hopefully just the beginning of a fresh take on entertainment that we have come up with.”
The series opens June 24 with the Fox News duo of Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly. They will give their views on topics of the day and take questions from the audience in the theater, which has a capacity of 1,580. Tickets run $85-300.
Clinton will be next up, on July 23—oddly slotted between Cheech and Chong and Eddie Money in the Hilton’s summer schedule. The former president will give a talk and answer questions moderated by Hilton CEO Nick Ribis. The format will be much the same for Cheney, who will appear September 18. Tickets for Clinton and Cheney will start at $100.
In August, the series will feature a debate between Democratic consultant James Carville and conservative commentator Ann Coulter.
“We expect that one to be the most raucous and fun,” says Belluscio. “We are experimenting here, certainly, but we think this will be a good addition to what Atlantic City can offer.”
Tickets for the series are available from Ticketmaster either at www.ticketmaster.com or at 800-736-1420.