Atlantic City embracing Roaring '20s party vibe

[January 31, 2011]  ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- From flapper costumes to swing dance contests and whiskey-soaked cocktails, Atlantic City is going retro, embracing the Roaring '20s in a big way.

It's a strategy to attract new business by invoking the round-the-clock party vibe of a bygone era and cashing in on nationwide interest in the hit HBO show "Boardwalk Empire" about Prohibition-era Atlantic City.

Casinos are dressing workers in period costumes, serving drinks from the speakeasy era, teaching jazz and swing tunes to entertainers and sponsoring dance contests like the Lindy, the Charleston and the Shimmy.

Resorts Casino Hotel, whose hotel was built in the 1920s, re-branded itself in a Roaring '20s theme. Caesars and Bally's Atlantic City held '20s-themed events.

[Associated Press; By WAYNE PARRY]

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