"I've always wanted to see her in concert," the Ogden resident said. "I never thought I would see her in Wendover."

The 1980s pop star got lots of love from the audience during her performance this summer in a new concert venue in the gambling town that straddles the Utah-Nevada border; the enthusiastic screams may have had something to do with the margaritas that are rarely served in a good-sized indoor theater back home.

The Newton-John concert sold out, despite the fact that it was during Speed Week and many of those with tickets had to drive or take the "fun bus" home that night, since there wasn't a single hotel room available in town.

It's the kind of show the owners of the Resorts at Wendover group (which includes the Peppermill, Rainbow and Montego Bay casinos) were hoping for when they decided to build a state-of-the-art venue.

"I think the idea has been around for 10 or 15 years, to put this sort of thing together," said John Spillman, marketing director for the group. "We needed to get to where the market was big enough to support it."

The casino group spent $19 million on the free-standing, 1,000-seat concert hall, situated centrally among the three properties. "Everything, the equipment, is the latest and greatest, most state-of-the-art equipment you can buy," he said.

Once organizers were convinced they could bring in enough patrons and began building the auditorium, the biggest challenge was convincing artists it was worth their time to come to Wendover.

"They're going to say, when we first ask them to play, 'Where's that?' " Spillman said. The group tried to make it easy, putting a lot of work into artist green rooms and accommodations, plus bringing performers out in limousines (a few fly into the small airport in next-door Wendover, Utah, but most come through Salt Lake City International).

Crowds were small at first, and planners are still trying to figure out the best mix of artists for the Wendover demographic. "Initially, it's been difficult, but as we've had a few concerts here, it's building up. . . . It's one of those things - feel it out, see what the folks want to see, not the ones we think they want to see," Spillman said. "Entertainers with name recognition, we have no problem selling tickets. We want easily recognizable entertainers because that's what the folks want. We want them to gamble and take a chance on the slots and the tables, not the entertainment."

Upcoming shows are heavy on comedy, country and oldies: The Smothers Brothers, Colin Raye and Creedence Clearwater Revisited are among them. Even Las Vegas icon Wayne Newton will be coming to Wendover, flying in on his private jet.

Spillman says he guesses most audience members, like most of Wendover's gamblers, come from Utah, though a growing number visit with tour groups that fly to Wendover from 60 cities. It's all part of an economic upturn that he predicts will continue.

The owners of the resorts "are very bullish on the Wendover market," said Spillman.

For a schedule of upcoming shows at the Peppermill Concert Hall, go to http://www.wendover fun.com/concerthall or call 800-537-0207.