The Venetian Room—“Top o’ the World, Ma!”

There was one venue in San Francisco that Charles hadn’t played—the Fairmont Hotel’s Venetian Room on Nob Hill. Russ Alley, who had been Talent Coordinator at the Plush Room, later became employed in the same capacity at the Fairmont Hotel. He had been trying for some time to convince the Swigs, who owned the hotel, that Charles Pierce would be a sellout in the world-famous show room. The cavernous, opulent space with its Venetian murals and rococo decor had been the scene of many performances by the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Joel Grey, Lena Horne, and many others.