✨ Step inside the Old Hollywood atmosphere of Mister Bing’s After Dark at the Leo Kent Hotel.

🎹 Discover how live music, tableside magic and vintage glamour transform an ordinary night out.

🏛️ Hear how Tucson’s historic architecture inspires the experiences Mister Bing creates.

🍽️ Preview the Skylark Club, an ambitious supper-club concept combining dining, dancing and nationally recognized entertainment.

🎭 Learn why Mister Bing designs atmospheric entertainment from the door to the table.

💡 Follow Brian Ewing’s journey from childhood garage productions to embracing his creative purpose at age 50.

🌵 Explore a vision for downtown Tucson nightlife built around memorable spaces, creative collaboration and a renewed sense of occasion.

What if an evening in downtown Tucson could transport you somewhere else before the first song is even performed?

Mister Bing imagines entertainment as an entire world—one built through music, magic, movement, hospitality and the character of the room itself. His goal is not simply to present a show. It is to create the feeling that guests have stepped out of the 21st century and into a more glamorous era.

In this episode of Life Along the Streetcar, Tom Heath sits down with the Tucson producer and creative visionary behind Mister Bing’s After Dark and the planned Skylark Club at the Treasury. Their conversation explores the return of Old Hollywood sophistication, the possibilities hidden inside downtown Tucson’s historic spaces and the personal awakening that led Brian Ewing to become Mister Bing.

Step Into Old Hollywood at Mister Bing’s After Dark

Mister Bing’s After Dark begins with a deceptively simple idea: a night out should feel like an occasion.

Presented inside the Leo Kent Hotel, the experience combines live music, tableside magic and vintage glamour within an intimate Old Hollywood-inspired setting. The chandeliers, performers and historic atmosphere work together to make the room feel removed from everyday life.

This is not a conventional concert in which every guest faces the same stage and watches the same performance. Entertainment can emerge throughout the room. A magician may arrive at the table. Music may change the energy of the evening. Guests can watch, converse, linger and experience the space at their own pace.

Mister Bing describes this approach as atmospheric entertainment. The performance is not confined to a single spotlight; it becomes part of the environment surrounding the audience. From the door to the table, every detail contributes to the story.

In a culture increasingly built around speed and convenience, Mister Bing’s After Dark offers something deliberately different: an evening with ceremony, personality and a little mystery. It invites people to slow down, dress the night up and rediscover the pleasure of being entertained.

Transforming Historic Downtown Tucson Spaces Into Experiences

For Mister Bing, the venue is never merely a container for a performance. Its architecture, history and personality help determine what the experience can become.

That philosophy is central to his vision for the Skylark Club at the Treasury. Conceived as a large-scale supper-club experience, the Skylark Club would combine elevated dining, dancing and nationally recognized performers inside one of downtown Tucson’s most distinctive historic spaces.

The ambition goes beyond placing a stage inside a restaurant. Mister Bing imagines an evening with its own rhythm: guests arrive, dine, explore, encounter entertainment and become part of a room that continues changing around them. Food, performance and hospitality are designed as parts of one continuous experience.

This approach gives historic architecture an active role in Tucson’s cultural future. Preserving an old building allows people to admire its past. Filling it with music, movement and human connection allows that building to live again.

From the intimate glamour of the Leo Kent Hotel to the expansive possibilities of the Treasury, Mister Bing is demonstrating how downtown venues can inspire completely different forms of entertainment. His work also reflects a larger opportunity for Tucson: to become known not only for individual performances, restaurants or historic buildings, but for memorable evenings that bring all three together.

Becoming Mister Bing: A Creative Life Decades in the Making

Behind the polished rooms and elaborate productions is the story of Brian Ewing—a person whose creative instincts appeared long before Mister Bing had a name.

Growing up on 80 acres outside Palm Springs, Brian created childhood productions in the family garage. His mother became his earliest audience as he transformed an isolated space into a stage using imagination and whatever materials were available.

Those early performances revealed something essential. Brian was not simply interested in appearing before an audience. He wanted to construct an entire experience around that audience.

Life, however, did not follow a straight line from childhood productions to downtown Tucson entertainment. It was not until age 50 that Brian confronted the distance between the life he was living and the creative purpose he believed he was meant to pursue.

The name Bing—formed from Brian Ewing—became more than a clever identity. Embracing Mister Bing gave him permission to fully inhabit the producer, host and creative visionary who had been present since childhood.

His story makes this episode about more than nightlife. It is also about reinvention, creative courage and the possibility of recognizing one’s purpose later in life. Becoming Mister Bing was not the invention of an entirely new person. It was the acceptance of someone who had been waiting for his opportunity to step onto the stage.

Enter the World of Mister Bing

Mister Bing is turning downtown Tucson into a stage—reviving the glamour of another era while creating experiences that belong distinctly to this city.

His story brings together historic architecture, live performance, hospitality and personal reinvention. It asks what can happen when someone finally commits to a lifelong creative instinct—and when a city’s most memorable spaces are treated as sources of inspiration rather than simple backdrops.

Listen to or watch the complete episode to enter the world of Mister Bing, discover the thinking behind his immersive entertainment experiences and hear why finding your purpose does not come with an expiration date.

Explore upcoming experiences and performances at MisterBingsPresents.com.

Then continue discovering the people, places and ideas shaping Tucson’s urban core at LifeAlongTheStreetcar.org.

Mister Bing Old Hollywood Glamour, Creative Purpose and Downtown Tucson Entertainment

Show Notes and Edited Transcript

In this episode of Life Along the Streetcar, Tom Heath sits down with Tucson producer and creative visionary Mister Bing. Their conversation explores Mister Bing’s After Dark at the Leo Kent Hotel, the planned Skylark Club at The Treasury 1929, a new partnership with The Century Room and the personal awakening that led Bryan Ewing to embrace his creative purpose at age 50.

Editor’s note: This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and readability. Repeated words, verbal pauses and incomplete false starts have been removed where they did not affect meaning. Speaker attributions and obvious transcription errors have been corrected while preserving the substance, personality and sequence of the original conversation. Event dates and schedules reflect what was discussed at the time of recording; visit MisterBingsPresents.com for current information.

Episode Chapters

Time	Chapter
00:00	Welcome and the Tucson connections behind the conversation
01:10	Mister Bing on vision, imagination and creative identity
04:39	Leaving the 21st century at the Leo Kent Hotel
09:40	Atmospheric entertainment and the Skylark Club
13:21	How Bryan Ewing became Mister Bing at age 50
15:11	Building a downtown Tucson entertainment corridor
17:38	Closing: Stay curious, Tucson

Edited Conversation Transcript

Chapter 1 — Welcome and the Tucson Connections Behind the Conversation

00:00

Tom Heath: Welcome back to another episode of Life Along the Streetcar, where we talk about the social, cultural and economic impacts in Tucson’s urban core, which we define from A Mountain to the University of Arizona. My name is Tom Heath. I have the privilege of hosting this show and sitting down with some extraordinary people here in Tucson each and every week. Today is no different.

We have the Mister Bing here in the studio. Is it okay if I call you Bing?

Mister Bing: Yes, please.

Tom Heath: Bing, welcome to Life Along the Streetcar.

Mister Bing: My pleasure.

Tom Heath: We were introduced through a mutual friend, Enrique Aldana, who has been a guest on the show. Then I found out you were working with Brittany Battle, who has also been a guest. I’ve talked to Khris Dodge, another former guest and a good friend of hers. Suddenly, I realized we had all these connections, yet we had never actually met here in Tucson until this moment.

Mister Bing: Lucky me.

Tom Heath: Lucky me—or lucky you that you hadn’t met me yet?

Mister Bing: I’m looking forward to knowing you better. Lucky me.

Tom Heath: At the moment—and I want to get into your backstory—you are in what I would consider the entertainment and promotion business. Are you a performer or entertainer yourself?

Chapter 2 — Mister Bing on Vision, Imagination and Creative Identity

01:10

Mister Bing: Good question. No, I’m a visionary, and that is an art form. I am an artist. I see and hear things that people often don’t see or hear, so it can be challenging. Walt Disney is one of my mentors because he was like that. I just like to create and build things.

Tom Heath: Then you go out and find the people who can fill out that vision.

Mister Bing: Absolutely.

Tom Heath: What comes first? Do you have a vision for an event or spectacle and then find the people, or do you see people and think, “I know where you’re going to go”?

Mister Bing: Interesting. It depends, just like any art form. I hear that people write music differently, and it can depend on the day. My imagination is very childlike. Even as an adult, it is always on. Every day I get up thinking about what I can create and what the next best thing might be.

Tom Heath: Has it been that way for as long as you can remember, or was there a moment when you learned to harness it? How did it become both a passion and a business?

Mister Bing: That’s a good question. No one has asked me that. I think a lot, and I believe part of our success is that it starts with thinking. Before you start creating—I’m sorry, what was the question again?

Tom Heath: At what point did you tap into this creativity and imagination? Was it always there, or was there a moment when you figured it out?

Mister Bing: Thank you. From the earliest moment I can remember as a child, I was producing shows in my garage on 80 acres of land outside Palm Springs.

Tom Heath: Oh, my gosh.

Mister Bing: My mother was my fan and my audience member. She kept me company.

Tom Heath: Wow. That’s what moms do sometimes. They are the biggest fans and give the loudest cheers. First of all, 80 acres outside Palm Springs—I didn’t know there was that kind of space there. What was that like?

Mister Bing: Without our knowing it at the time, our nearest neighbor was actually Frank Sinatra’s songwriter and best friend. I’ve forgotten his name, but maybe it will come to me. I love yesteryear and enjoy anything from that heyday.

Those 80 acres were where I developed my imagination because we were out in the middle of nowhere. I had a dog who was my best friend and a little Mini Trail motorcycle for kids. I’m dating myself; this was back in the ’60s.

Tom Heath: That’s all right.

Mister Bing: We also had a pool and a pool table. There we go—my imagination.

Tom Heath: That sounds like a pretty darn good place to be. Were your parents creative?

Mister Bing: Actually, no. Isn’t it funny how that happens? I was blessed to have a stay-at-home mother who let us create, let us be ourselves and told us we could be anything or anyone we wanted to be. We have heard that before, but it is important never to hold back a child’s dream.

Chapter 3 — Leaving the 21st Century at the Leo Kent Hotel

04:39

Tom Heath: That leads us down a different path that I won’t follow on this particular show. But I was very intrigued when Enrique first introduced us. It was about performances happening in July at the Leo Kent. I looked at the photographs, and when you talk about yesteryear, you have created a space that reminds us of a different time.

Mister Bing: Yes. Mister Bing is many things, but at our core, we present world-class entertainment. Second, people know when they walk in that they are leaving the 21st century behind. I glamorize every era.

Take this space: the bank was built in 1929. That was actually not a good year because of the crash, but we glamorize it. It represents another generation. The Leo Kent Hotel, where I’m working now, also has that sense of yesteryear.

Tom Heath: It’s one of downtown’s hidden gems. It is a beautiful, well-maintained space. The restaurant is fabulous, and it is tucked away in a high-rise. A lot of people don’t realize there is a hotel there.

Mister Bing: You walk in, and it is beautiful—that Southwest Art Deco style. I was fortunate to have friends connected to the building, and I was introduced that way. I did not know that a year later I would be partnering with the Marriott brand and creating what I do there. The space has that 1920s, yesteryear quality.

Tom Heath: From what I can tell, you are putting on a series of concerts. Tell me a little about what is happening at the Leo Kent.

Mister Bing: Again, Mister Bing is many things. I have created an Old Hollywood lounge experience.

Tom Heath: Okay.

Mister Bing: The Leo has all the bones for that. It has the marble floor, the chandeliers and the Art Deco marble tables where you dine.

Tom Heath: Those were already there?

Mister Bing: They were already there. It is a newer space, but it had the aesthetic. I was having lunch there, and they overheard me talking about what I do. They asked what I could create from 9 to 11 p.m.

I went home and let my imagination work. What I created is called After Dark, and it is a noir lounge experience. It is very simple: we lower the lights until it is almost pitch-black, and only the chandeliers are glowing when you walk in. I have a black-tie magician performing tableside magic at the cocktail tables and a black-tie pianist creating that old-school mood.

Then, out of nowhere, a songstress appears: Miss Brittany Battle. She comes in dressed in 1920s and ’30s glamour. I am the thread of the evening, introducing people to one another. It is really an elevated public party.

Tom Heath: This is ongoing. I first heard about it in July, but this is something people can continue to check out and find more information about?

Mister Bing: Yes. It is the second and last Saturday of every month, and beginning in October it will be every Saturday. We launched on May 3, and even during the summer we have successfully reached full-house capacity. We take reservations, which is nice.

Tom Heath: Good. It sounds like people might need one.

Mister Bing: I highly recommend it.

Tom Heath: Especially if you have Miss Brittany Battle there. She is a throwback to that era. She just naturally slides right in.

Mister Bing: That was another blessing. I saw the talent.

Tom Heath: Everything connected through Khris Dodge?

Mister Bing: Yes. Khris Dodge saw her talent and, I believe, gave her first public appearance through the Tucson Jazz Festival. I connected with her through social media and started getting to know her. Then I said, “Be patient. I want to create something for you that will benefit everyone, including the Leo Kent.”

Tom Heath: It certainly has, and I’m looking forward to seeing my first show. I have not been yet. I did have Khris and Brittany on together early in her career. She was so appreciative of Khris and his support, and you could see Khris thinking, “You’ve got the talent.” It’s great to see her.

Mister Bing: Absolutely.

Chapter 4 — Atmospheric Entertainment and the Skylark Club

09:40

Tom Heath: But Mister Bing is many things, so you have other partners and projects. We are recording here at 2 East Congress in the old Chase Bank building. Daniel Scordato recently announced a new project in the secret vaults of The Treasury 1929.

Mister Bing: Yes, the Emerald 29 speakeasy.

Tom Heath: Are you part of that?

Mister Bing: I’m not part of that particular project. Daniel is one of my new business partners, and we are going to include Emerald 29 in our new partnership.

Getting back to the lounge experience I created: it is an atmospheric performance. We are doing things no one else is doing in town, so it will take time to educate the public about the concept. It is a lounge experience, not the kind of performance where you only sit and listen.

“Atmospheric” is a good word because you can lean in to watch, but you can also engage with the person you are with. A lot of things are moving around you.

10:47

The partnership with Chef Daniel Scordato is a supper club—a high-end, luxury experience. Everything Bing does is high-end luxury.

Everyone was trying to connect us. Daniel said his friends were asking, “Do you know Bing?” My friends were telling me, “You have to talk to Daniel because he is the king of culinary art.”

With humility, I have learned to understand my strengths. I am the performance artist and producer who can pull off this ambitious supper club. We are going to take The Treasury 1929, use all three floors and make it a luxury dining experience. It will happen every six weeks, and we will bring in national acts.

We are launching it with a local artist who is also a national act and lives here. You probably know Crystal Stark.

Tom Heath: Of course.

Mister Bing: She is one of my best friends. I have many best friends—Khris Dodge included.

Tom Heath: She is another incredible talent.

Mister Bing: I’m in good company. I was glad to start strong with a local artist. We will also bring in television, film and Broadway stars to headline. It is called the Skylark Club at The Treasury.

Tom Heath: Fantastic. When does the Skylark Club begin?

Mister Bing: October 30.

Tom Heath: We will have to keep an eye out because that will probably sell out quickly. The Treasury building itself is so beautifully renovated. It has that throwback feeling. I’ve been able to tour it, and there is just something special about the space.

Mister Bing: Absolutely. I’m so excited. With Bing, we create from the door to the table and everything in between—literally an experience. We hear that word used loosely today, but we are creating the ultimate experience, and it is very ambitious.

I’m excited for Daniel to show off his culinary art because that is what I have been looking for in a partner: someone who can represent culinary art as well as we represent the performing arts.

Tom Heath: That’s a really good match for that space.

Mister Bing: You’re right. It is going to be beautiful.

Chapter 5 — How Bryan Ewing Became Mister Bing at Age 50

13:21

Tom Heath: Bing, this is not your given name. How did “Bing” come about? Who is Bing, in his essence?

Mister Bing: I highly recommend that all of us go through a life-changing experience. Mine was entirely good. Nothing bad happened to me, like a car accident—God forbid. There are different kinds of life-changing experiences.

I woke up at age 50 and realized I was not living in my purpose. I was not fulfilled, and there was a lack of happiness. For the past 14 years, I have been building Bing, but I wanted a name that fit me.

“Bing” is a mashup of my first and last names. My real name is Bryan Ewing, but my friends call me Bing.

Tom Heath: The creativity and imagination were always there, but 14 years ago is when they became your purpose.

Mister Bing: Mm-hmm.

Tom Heath: “Bing”—it almost sounds like you woke up and that was the sound in your head: “Bing! This is what I need to do.”

Mister Bing: Absolutely. I’m glad the mashup worked. As I moved forward in business, “Mister Bing” just rolled off the tongue and worked with marketing and promotion. I feel like I am living in my purpose.

Tom Heath: Absolutely. It’s like the universe opened up and said, “Hello. It took you 50 years, but you figured it out. This is your path.”

Mister Bing: I was actually behind the scenes for many years. I did not know the name would eventually benefit the business and that I would become the face of it.

Chapter 6 — Building a Downtown Tucson Entertainment Corridor

15:11

Tom Heath: I know you have events all over Tucson, and we have talked about only a couple of them. How can people find out more, follow you and connect with you?

Mister Bing: There are a few ways. Our website is MisterBingsPresents.com. People can also find us on social media under Mister Bing’s.

Tom Heath: I saw your Facebook page. It is worth visiting just for the photographs. They are beautifully done.

Mister Bing: Thank you. I appreciate that.

Tom Heath: As these events evolve, we will promote what we can through our coverage of the urban core. But I’m sure you also have things happening all over Tucson.

Mister Bing: I’m glad you mentioned that. When you know your purpose, things fall into place. I’m sharing that about my success, and I look forward to hearing more about you, by the way.

Downtown—and this street we are on—was calling my name. We now have Daniel’s venue here on Congress, the Leo Kent on Congress and The Century Room on Congress.

Tom Heath: Fantastic.

Mister Bing: I’m bringing nationally recognized artists to The Century Room every month of the year, beginning this month. July 30 is our next one. I’ve done a few events with them already, but this is the next.

Tom Heath: So there is world-class jazz at The Century Room, along with The Treasury and the Leo Kent, all along Congress Street?

Mister Bing: Yes, and they are all different. The Treasury will offer the ultimate dancing, dinner and show experience through the Skylark Club. Mister Bing’s After Dark at the Leo Kent is the Old Hollywood lounge experience. They are all distinct.

Tom Heath: Then there is Grammy Award-winning music at The Century Room.

Mister Bing: Yes.

Tom Heath: Fantastic. I’m surprised we had not met before.

Mister Bing: You know what? We were not supposed to. I truly believe it was supposed to happen now.

Tom Heath: Thank you to Enrique Aldana for connecting us. Thank you for everything you are doing in our community. I look forward to following your success.

Mister Bing: Thank you.

Tom Heath: We’re lucky.

Mister Bing: Yes, we are.

Chapter 7 — Closing: Stay Curious, Tucson

17:38

Tom Heath: Thank you again for tuning in to another episode of Life Along the Streetcar. We focus attention on the social, cultural, economic and artistic elements of our downtown, Fourth Avenue and Main Gate areas. We like to talk about Tucson’s urban core and the life you can live along the streetcar.

The show airs every Sunday on Downtown Radio 99.1 FM, and you can catch the podcast on our website at LifeAlongTheStreetcar.org.

My name is Tom Heath. I am your host and proud to do this, but it does not happen without the support of James Portis, our executive producer. Of course, we are always thankful to Ryanhood for letting us use their song “Dillinger Days” to open and close the show.

I hope you tune in every Sunday for another episode of Life Along the Streetcar. Until next time, stay curious, Tucson.

Learn More

• Discover upcoming Mister Bing’s experiences and performances at MisterBingsPresents.com.
• Explore more stories about the people, places and ideas shaping Tucson’s urban core at LifeAlongTheStreetcar.org.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mister Bing and Tom Heath

Who is Mister Bing?

Mister Bing is the creative identity of Tucson producer Brian Ewing. He creates atmospheric entertainment that blends live performance, hospitality, visual style and the character of the venue. The name “Bing” combines Brian and Ewing and represents the creative purpose he chose to fully embrace at age 50.

What is Mister Bing’s After Dark?

Mister Bing’s After Dark is an Old Hollywood-inspired lounge experience at the Leo Kent Hotel in downtown Tucson. It combines live music, tableside magic, vintage glamour and an intimate setting designed to make a night out feel like entering another era.

What does atmospheric entertainment mean?

As Mister Bing describes it, atmospheric entertainment makes the performance part of the entire environment instead of confining it to a stage. Music, magic, hospitality, architecture and unexpected encounters shape the experience from the door to the table, while guests remain free to watch, talk and explore.

What is the Skylark Club at the Treasury?

The Skylark Club is Mister Bing’s planned supper-club concept for the Treasury 1929 in downtown Tucson. The vision combines elevated dining, dancing and nationally recognized performers in a historic setting, creating a complete evening rather than a conventional dinner or standalone show.

Where can I find upcoming Mister Bing events and tickets?

Visit MisterBingsPresents.com for the latest confirmed information about Mister Bing’s upcoming experiences, dates and ticket availability.

What does Tom Heath do outside the podcast?

Tom Heath is the host of Life Along the Streetcar and a longtime Tucson community advocate. During the workday, he is a VP/Senior Loan Officer with NOVA Home Loans, founder of the Mortgage Guidance Group and a mortgage professional with close to 25 years of experience. Tom and his team help borrowers explore home-purchase and refinance options, including FHA, VA and jumbo loans. His NMLS ID is 182420. Available programs and approval depend on borrower and property qualifications.

How can I contact Tom Heath about a home loan?

Visit Tom Heath’s official NOVA Home Loans profile to ask a question or begin the prequalification process. You can also support Life Along the Streetcar by watching and sharing episodes, visiting the Tucson businesses featured on the show and referring someone who could benefit from a conversation with Tom about home financing.