Stepping into the shoes of a celebrity

Gift allows anyone to experience a day in the life of a star

Flash bulbs explode on the casino floor of Mandalay Bay as Janine Theiss walks the distance from the end of Mandalay Place to the Foundation Room -- the super-private rooftop lounge and restaurant that sits above the south end of the Las Vegas Strip.

Paparazzi scream out questions about Theiss' boyfriend and possible wedding bells in the future. They ask where he is on her 40th birthday. Is he at one of Las Vegas' strip clubs? Does he even know she's in Sin City?

They surround Theiss, making a ruckus and resembling a scene right off "Entertainment Tonight."

All around, casino patrons and employees look up from the tables and slot machines and stare, trying to catch a glimpse of the "celebrity" racing by. Many call out to the crowd, asking who is in the middle of the flurry of cameras and questions.

One woman holds a camera out, pointing it toward the group.

"Who is she?" she asks the man next to her.

"We'll ask the kids later. Just take the picture," he replied.

Theiss and her entourage reach the velvet rope of the Foundation Room. The paparazzi are blocked out, and Theiss crams into the elevator and laughs.

Don't be alarmed if the name Janine Theiss doesn't ring a bell. She isn't a real celebrity, but thanks to a birthday gift from her brother Johnny Theiss, founding partner of King of Clubs Las Vegas, Janine had a taste of what fame is like.

A local concierge service, King of Clubs Las Vegas offers a VIP experience called Celebrity for a Day, which extends very important privileges to everyday people.

It is one of several experiences offered to patrons. Recipients of the Celebrity for a Day treatment receive their own personal assistant and a pair of real, certified bodyguards to escort them through the course of the night or throughout the weekend.

Also included in the package is a swarm of paparazzi to follow the client through a casino or airport.

Johnny said several packages are available, starting at $1,500, offering different options for a night on the town. Packages can include a limousine ride, a private jet, upscale hotel suites, masseuses or anything else the purchaser desires.

"As much or as little as the customer wants us to do, we do it," Johnny said. "Everyone would like to know what it's like to be a celebrity. We're providing that service."

Johnny said he once worked as chief of staff to a state senator in California.

"Dealing with celebrities and politicians and the like is really nothing new to me," he said.

Johnny said he thought of the idea for Celebrity for a Day along with Lara Whiting, who acts as a personal assistant for each "celebrity," while Johnny serves as the VIP host. He observed that the aura of a celebrity at times is more influential than the very person attracting all the attention. The first thing people notice is the lights from the flashing cameras and the entourage, he said.

"If they didn't have the glow of lights or the entourage with them, the average person wouldn't know who they were," Johnny said.

Johnny said the reaction of onlookers who witness Celebrity for a Day is almost always the same. They stare and question one another, sometimes approaching the paparazzi or bodyguards to find out who the person is.

"They're trying to catch a glimpse of someone famous," he said.

People who inquire are handed a card with information on Celebrity for a Day so the role-players do not have to break character to explain the situation.

"Most of the time, they start to laugh," Johnny said.

Johnny said the general public and even nightclub hosts are fooled by the act. He said people waiting in long lines in front of nightclubs part to allow the entourage through.

"It's really a ruse on everyone else that's watching it," he said.

At the end of the night, the "celebrity" can purchase a DVD of the events as a keepsake if they wish.

Johnny said the service has been provided for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and even for chief executive officers who have just been given a promotion or an award.

In the past, an entourage and paparazzi have greeted the recipient at the airport. Each experience is unique, depending on how the recipients get into the act or what the person chooses to do.

Janine said she was surprised by the gift. Although she knew her brother provided the service, she did not expect two bodyguards and a personal assistant to show up during her dessert at Giorgio Caffe & Ristorante. She also said she did not expect the reaction from the paparazzi.

"It was a pleasant surprise. If anyone gets a chance, they should do it," she said.

Janine was ready to go back to the casino floor and face the paparazzi once more.

"It was very cool, but I couldn't live a life like that," Janine said.