Katie Marie Jones seems like a natural when she’s interacting with hockey fans as one of the in-arena hosts during Vegas Golden Knights games at the Fortress. Maybe it’s the thousand-watt smile, or the fact that she’s a native Las Vegan. But there was a learning curve to this high-profile sports gig, even for an experienced performer like Jones.
She has been onstage on the Strip for about three years in magician Nathan Burton’s show at the V Theater at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, and she has performed in several musical theater productions across the country. In October, the night after this season’s VGK home opener, Jones performed her first solo show at the Space, bouncing through some of her favorite songs and sharing stories from her varied entertainment career.
“I wanted to put together a show that showed every side of me, not just musical theater or jazz or pop,” she says. “It’s still a work in progress, and I’ve already changed things. That’s where my heart is, on the stage and in the theater, and I think this coming year, that’s going to be where my focus is.”
Last month was a bit crazy for you. I don’t know what possessed me to put my show the day after opening night for the Golden Knights, but I did, and I’m still sleeping from it. But it was also the best week of my life. We finally were able to be back in the stands with fans and doing interviews with players and all that stuff, and it’s been a long two seasons of not doing that. The day after, I got to just play and put all my favorite songs into one show, and it was an incredible night, the first time I’ve done anything like that.
You’ve never done a solo show? That’s the first time it’s just me. Being 100% me onstage is a little terrifying, even though I’ve been hosting in front of thousands of people at the arena, and been in a bunch of plays and musicals. For some reason, putting a show together myself was terrifying but so exhilarating and so worth it. I really got to dig into who I am as a performer and what made me.
You’re a born-and-raised native, so did growing up in Las Vegas turn you toward performing? It wasn’t until high school that I thought I could maybe do it for a living. Before that, I was just trying anything and everything to see what stuck. I think I always looked up to the people entertaining on the Strip, and I remember we went to see Donny & Marie and [other shows] growing up. It’s really amazing to be born in a city that has so much entertainment.
What was it like adapting to the role of host at Golden Knights games? When they called me and told me I got the job, I said, “Really? Are you sure?” Once I got past the shock and stopped worrying about messing up in front of 18,000 people every night, it is similar to [other] productions. We’re putting on a show, there are stage managers and lighting guys and cameramen and it’s a familiar environment for me.But I’m playing a totally different role. That’s how I thought of it at first, that I’m playing the role of a host, and I researched different hosts in the NHL and different women who have blazed a trail for us in this industry and watched what they did.
And now you’re balancing that demanding role with your showgirl gig in Nathan Burton Comedy Magic at V Theater. That is such a different experience, because there are so many things that can go wrong at any moment and you have to know how to figure it out and make it look like everything went according to plan. It’s been so much fun, and I’ve learned so much about myself and other types of performance. Learning all these different things in sports, magic, dance and other avenues have made me a lot more well-rounded.
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