November 18th, 2005

This will be the last newsletter until November 29th.
Eileen and I want to wish your family a very happy Thanksgiving holiday.

LUCKY is leading!

My Stepson Mathew has entered our cat Lucky, whom I rescued over a year ago in a “Pet Of The Month” contest.
Would you be kind enough to go to this link:
http://www.petendipity.com/petofthemonth.htm
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the CAT ICON them look for LUCKY and click on his SLEEPING picture?
You can do this once every 24 hours. Contest ends on November 26th.

Thanks so much.
Steve
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Steve’s Las Vegas Quickies

Sidebar is the latest business to open on the corner of Third Street and Ogden Avenue downtown. The locale is a smallish pub & grub, on the same stretch occupied by Celebrity and Hogs & Heifers and connected to Triple George. Tuesday, General Manager Virginia Perkins said the challenge downtown is that “people want old, but new. They want nostalgia, but in a new way.” Sidebar, sitting across the street from the relentlessly retro Lady Luck, is at the center of that testing ground.
Las Vegas SUN: Columnist John Katsilometes

Lawry’s the Prime Rib, 4043 Howard Hughes Parkway, will present a dinner-theater production
of “A Christmas Carol” at 7 p.m. Nov. 26 and Dec. 5, 3:30 p.m. Nov. 27 and noon and 5 p.m. Dec. 4 and 11. The Nov. 27 performance is a benefit for The Center for Creative Therapeutic Arts. Tickets to all performances cost $79 per person, inclusive. For reservations or more information, call 893-2223.
reviewjournal.com — Neon - RESTAURANT NEWS

Metro Pizza ranks No. 10 among pizzerias in a new book titled “Everybody Loves Pizza” (Emmis Books), and four other Las Vegas pie joints are listed among the 546 mentioned. The authors loved the Modesto, a marriage of roasted mushrooms, Roma tomatoes and garlic. Also listed: Giovanni’s, Montesano’s, New York Pizza & Pasta and Rocco’s, along with Blue Moon Gourmet Pizza in Reno.
reviewjournal.com — News - NORM

TV producer Stephen J. Cannell, whose shows include “The A-Team” with Mr. T, “21 Jump Street,” “Hunter” and “Baretta,” flew in on his private jet on Friday with his writing team and met with “Crazy Girl” and “La Cage” producer Norbert Aleman. Cannell is exploring “Crazy Girls Undercover,” Aleman’s longtime pet project.
reviewjournal.com — News - NORM

John Lennon’s 1956 Austin Princess, featured in the “Imagine” documentary, sold for $150,000 at Saturday’s rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia auction at the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood.

Funky popsters Black Eyed Peas will play the Mandalay Events Center on Dec. 30. Tickets cost $45, $85 and $125. They go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the venue box office, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and through Ticketmaster. To charge by phone, call 632-7580.

Jet, the Light Group’s next club on the local scene, has booked Kid Rock to host the New Year’s Eve opening at The Mirage. He will count down to the new year and perform a live deejay set.
reviewjournal.com — News - NORM

That was a nasty show-ending crash the other night at “Splash,” the long-running variety show at the Riviera. A member of Bela Tabak’s “Riders of the Thunderdome” was hospitalized after setting off a five-motorcycle chain reaction inside the metal mesh sphere known as the Globe of Death. The good news: He’s OK, and the act is back in the show.
reviewjournal.com — News - NORM

Elton John brings his Las Vegas show to television with his first NBC special, “Elton John: The Red Piano,” on Dec. 14.

Back on Aug. 1, we told you that there was scuttlebutt that the Wynn Las Vegas nightclub La Bete was going to be renamed Tryst. It’s official, after a lot of waffling. I’m told it will reopen Dec. 28 after a full-out renovation that will add 30 more tables and a color scheme featuring copper, reds and browns.
reviewjournal.com — News - NORM

After 84 years of crowning beauties on the Boardwalk, the Miss America pageant is moving to the Las Vegas Strip, organizers announced Wednesday.

Rainbow Bar & Grill has announced a two-for-one early bird special on all entrees from 5 to 7 p.m. daily (ask your server).

Florida-based bar and grill, Max’s Café, has opened inside Desert Passage. The eatery offers a full lunch, dinner and cocktail menu of classic café options, favoring a wide variety of American-Italian and Asian specialties, including starters, sandwiches, salads, pastas and grilled selections.

At a recent private party, Hugh Hefner and his daughter Christy unveiled the new retro Bunny costumes that the ladies will wear when the Playboy Club opens next May in the Palms’ new Fantasy Tower. It has been 22 years since a Playboy Club opened in the United States in Omaha, Neb., and the last one closed in Lansing, Mich., 17 years ago.

Superstar Barry Manilow, who headlines at the Las Vegas Hilton with “Manilow: Music and Passion” through 2007, will perform a special benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in the Hilton Theater on Dec. 16. For benefit tickets and special room rates call 800-732-7117.

The BOA Steakhouse located on the third floor at the Forum Shops at Caesars has started offering Happy Hour with signature favorites at tempting prices, Monday through Friday from 5-7 p.m.

The “great poker cover up” in the Las Vegas Hilton’s poker room is a seasonal promotion. Any poker player who plays 40 hours during 30 days from Nov. 15 to Dec.15 will receive a softball navy blue jacket with a Las Vegas Hilton logo.

I’ve never played dominos, but if you’re a fan, the World Domino Tournament ‘05, will take place Nov. 18-20 at the Las Vegas Hilton, and will feature domino teams from the United States, Mexico, Spain, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The teams will compete for the $150,000 grand prize. Who would have ever thunk there’d be big bucks in dominos?
reviewjournal.com — Lenny’s Las Vegas
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Last hurrah for Westward Ho.
Patrons turn out, turn wistful on closing day for budget hotel-casino.

In the hours before it closed, the hotel bustled with tourists. The seats at every table game were occupied, the deli had standing-room only and available slot machines were as hard to find as a $6 steak at Wynn Las Vegas.

But one look outside told a different story: All the doors of the 700-room motel behind the casino were open. Most of the rooms were bare. Workers walked from room to room filling cleaning carts with linens. The marquees were blank. Customers streamed out of the casino clutching promotional signs as memorabilia.

Executives of Westward Ho Properties, which owns the hotel, announced in September that the resort’s 12-acre parcel was under contract to a Fortune 500 company. Officials declined to name the company, but speculation abounds that the Westward Ho — once the world’s largest motel — will fall to a high-rise condominium project.

The sale is scheduled to close by the end of the year.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Nov-18-Fri-2005/news/4369468.html
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‘Most Wanted’ shines spotlight on Las Vegas

“America’s Most Wanted” stopped in Las Vegas this week to put the spotlight on several local crime cases.

The show, set to air Nov. 26, will feature prison escapee Kenneth “Jody” Thompson, missing woman Lindsay M. Harris and Heather Tallchief, who is accused in the theft of an armored car.

Thompson, 26, escaped from the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in August by hiding in a delivery truck. Two prison employees accused of aiding his escape were fired.

Thompson was serving a 10- to 50-year sentence for robberies in Las Vegas and Pahrump.

More here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Nov-18-Fri-2005/news/4370883.html
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SHOW REVIEW: Second City.
Caught Up in the Moment: New, all-improv Second City show full of laughs that can’t be explained.
By Mike Weatherford

Veterinary proctologists. Mexican softcore porn. Bacchus and Dionysius. Space Dolphin. Abe Lincoln. The Steve Miller Band.

All these things have something in common. They all surfaced within a single performance of The Second City’s new all-improvised comedy format. And all of them were funnier in the moment than any attempt to explain them after the fact could be.

The improv show is 70 minutes of “You had to be there.” The laughs are as absurdist and transitory as a dream. Memories of the material vanish almost as quickly as the audience can file out of the small Flamingo showroom.

The comic ensemble is trying something new here as it closes in on five years in Las Vegas, blending two forms of improvisation. The first is the “game” format that’s been part of previous Second City editions. The slapstick, quick-hit charades and guessing games hit prime-time in “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and live on in Las Vegas visits by the TV show’s cast, including Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood next weekend at the Las Vegas Hilton.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Nov-18-Fri-2005/weekly/4329757.html
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Upcoming Las Vegas Entertainment

Billy Joel will return to the MGM Grand Garden arena on April 8. Tickets cost $75, $125 and $175. They go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the venue box office, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and through Ticketmaster.

The Aladdin Theatre will host the Radio Music Awards on Dec. 19, with scheduled performers including Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Fat Joe, Sugarland, Michael Bubl , Ricky Martin and Ashlee Simpson. Additional performers will be announced. Prices are $65, $150, $175, $250 and $350. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Aladdin box office, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and through Ticketmaster.

Matchbox Twenty will play The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Tickets to the Dec. 31 show cost $103 for general admission and $203 for reserved seating. Prices for the Jan. 1 concert are $78, with only general admission tickets available. They go on sale Saturday at noon through the venue box office, 4555 Paradise Road, and through Ticketmaster.

Styx will rock House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on March 4. Tickets cost $45 for general admission, $60 for seats and $65 for special reserved seating. They go on sale today at 10 a.m. through Tickemaster and at the venue box office, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South. To charge by phone, call 632-7600.

Three Dog Night will play the Silverton on Nov. 25 and 26. Tickets, $40, are available at the hotel, 3333 Blue Diamond Road, or call 914-8557.
reviewjournal.com — Neon - TICKETS
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PLAYER’S EDGE: Silverton shakes up its newly renamed players club.

The Silverton has done a major overhaul of its players club including giving it a new name (Discovery Ultimate Club) and introducing several club tiers (copper, silver, gold, platinum and diamond). The basic formula is unchanged; members earn one point for every $1 coin-in and every 500 points equals one comp dollar (except at the Bass Pro Shop where 1,000 points equals one comp dollar). All new members get a copper level card. Those earning 5,000 points within six months (Jan. 1 June 30 and July 1Dec. 31) advance to the silver level and receive special family and friends room rates, an invitation to a quarterly appreciation party, plus free concert tickets and dining discounts. Gold members (25,000-plus points in six months) can take advantage of host privileges and VIP check-in, while platinum members (100,000-plus points) are treated to a twice-a-year gift program and restaurant line passes. Diamond (400,000-plus points) members get private jet access among other top-level privileges. Once a member attains a level, they can enjoy the benefits through that period as well as the following half-year.

More PLAYERS EDGE here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Nov-18-Fri-2005/weekly/4336165.html
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“Le Rêve” At Wynn

“Le Rêve” is the latest masterpiece from legendary director Franco Dragone who also created “A New Day…, featuring Celine Dion,” “O” and “Mystère.” “Le Rêve” is the only show in Las Vegas that is performed in an amazing theatre-in-the round where the farthest seat is only 42 feet from the stage.

“Le Rêve” delivers a powerful performance that blends highly physical performing with an innovative approach to multimedia, choreography, comedy and visual effects. The aerialist show is performed in the air above water and a shifting stage.

Show performances are Saturday through Wednesday at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. Doors open one hour in advance of show The show length is 90 minutes

“Le Rêve” will be dark beginning Tuesday, December 6 through Tuesday, December 20 and will resume regular show schedule on Wednesday, December 21

Ticket prices begin at $90 plus tax. Guests must be five years of age or older

For tickets or more information call Toll free (888) 320-7110 or (702) 770-WYNN.
www.casinotravelnews.com
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BEST OF THE VALLEY 2005

You like shouting along to punk rock at the Double Down Saloon. You like watching Kendall Tenney on Channel 3. You take dates to the Peppermill, hoping to score.

You like Oscar Goodman.

You like road trips to San Diego. You like having sex — at Red Rock. You like damn near everything about at Freakin’ Frog. You count the days until the next Pimp N’ Ho Ball.

You think The Olive Garden has the best Italian food in town.

You like the Stratosphere’s thrill rides and enjoy slumming at the Sahara. You like seeing movies at the Palms and go to Tower Records for CDs. You buy porn at the Adult Superstore, get your gay on at Gypsy and dance until dawn at Drai’s. At 5 a.m., when you can’t drink any more, you sober up at Denny’s.

You can’t stand Oscar Goodman. You hate the heat. Despise the traffic. Someday you’d like to see a casino built around a lumberjack theme. Or sadomasochism.

You think Starbucks is the best coffeehouse in the valley. You think P.F. Chang’s serves the best Chinese. Your taste in local authors? Don’t even get us started.

You sure are interesting.

That’s what we think of you, esteemed readers, after slogging through the ballots for Best of the Valley 2005. It was grueling work, but work we thought would bear the worthwhile fruits of truly discriminating minds. Not only would we cubicle-bound wretches gain new and startling insights into Las Vegas, but we’d have a sort of merit badge to boot: See? See how smart and sophisticated CityLife readers are?!

In some cases, that proved true. Your taste in nightclubs and dive bars? Laudable. Sushi and strip joints? Praiseworthy. But we can’t help but feel the need to say something to you. Don’t take this the wrong way. But, well, maybe you need to get out more.

Think of it as homework — due next year.

ANDREW KIRALY

More Here:
http://www.lvcitylife.com/articles/2005/11/17/cover_story/cover.txt
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Brett’s Vegas Views

Grammy-nominated Italian pop and classical singer Andrea Bocelli, and 14-time Grammy Award-winning producer / songwriter David Foster, will reunite with Emmy-winning producer / director David Horn for a nationally televised concert special starring Bocelli. The television special, which will be a live outdoor performance and Bocelli’s first full contemporary music concert, will air on Thirteen/WNET New York’s GREAT PERFORMANCES on PBS in March 2006.

The concert will be performed on Lake Las Vegas Resort’s floating stage, a venue that sits on the resort’s signature 320-acre lake, and taped on Dec. 9 and 10. The Tuscan-born Bocelli will perform popular music from his forthcoming album, such as “Autumn Leaves” and “It’s Impossible.” His new album, due out in February 2006, will feature collaborations with a number of contemporary pop artists. Several guest artists are expected to perform with Bocelli on stage for the television special.

A Special Holiday Edition of “Forever Plaid” at the Gold Coast will open on Nov. 17, and run through Dec. 31. The boys will be coming back to earth to spread “Plaid Tidings” in the Gold Coast Showroom. “Forever Plaid - The Heavenly Musical Hit!” will return on Jan. 3, 2006.

Jinx, Frankie, Smudge and Sparky were to have their first gig on Feb. 9, 1964, but a bus full of anxious teenage girls hit their car on the way to see the Beatles make their debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. The girls survived without a scratch, but the boys in plaid were killed.

In the original play (”Forever Plaid-A Heavenly Musical Hit!”), the four-man harmonizing group was brought back to life for one night to perform the show they never got to perform in life. In “Plaid Tidings” they announce that they have been resurrected once more and soon discover a strong urge to break into holiday songs. With a little help from above and a heavenly phone call from Rosemary Clooney, the group discovers that they must perform the ultimate holiday show or be doomed for all eternity.

The Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas is the first authentic German-Bavarian restaurant in Las Vegas and the first reproduction of the world’s most famous beer hall from its hand-painted ceilings to its food and drink. The Hofbräuhaus’ tradition of offering Bavarian music continues nightly in November with Mostlandstürmer and in December with Auner Alpenspektakel (Alps Spectacle).

Mostlandstürmer is the house band for Munich’s Oktoberfest, the largest beer festival in the world. With an accordion, horns and guitars, the quartet entertains with traditional Bavarian music and a lively stage show.

Auner Alpenspektakel is back by popular demand after their visit in March 2004. With wit and charm, the band celebrates its Bavarian roots with the traditional alp horn - the long, wooden horn made famous in the cough medicine commercials. The band’s performances include classic “schuhplatteln,” or shoe-slapping songs. For information, call 702-853-BEER (2337).

The “Great Santa Run” fundraiser benefiting Opportunity Village will make an attempt to break the current world record for the largest Santa gathering and to provide a light spirited warm-up run for participants in the New Las Vegas Marathon the following day. The first 4,500 participants will receive a five-piece Santa costume complete with hat, belt and beard during registration. Participants may choose from the 5K race or the “Kris Kringle Jingle” one-mile fun run for the casual walker or jogger.

The event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 a.m. at the Freemont Street. Experience Registration fees are $25 before Nov. 30 and $75 on race day. The current world record was set in December 2004 with 4,260 participants in the Newton and District Dial-A-Ride in the UK. Opportunity Village expects at least 4,500 participants for the Great Santa Run. The Guinness Book of World Records will be present to witness and document the historic event.

The third season of the reality show “American Casino” will debut on Nov. 16 on the Travel Channel. The show chronicles the high pressure, high stakes world of brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta and their staff tasked with running the day-to-day operations of their ultra-exclusive Green Valley Ranch Hotel and Casino.

The weekly series offers an inside glimpse into the Fertitta Brother’s empire and follows the eclectic cast of characters that live, work and play at Green Valley Ranch. From high rollers and big name celebrities to chauffeurs and chefs, cameras capture the everyday stresses and struggles that go into operating this billion dollar resort.

Upcoming Episodes include: Big Raise Hold ‘em about a new trial poker table game; The Tower and the opening of rooms in a new tower; Craps Tournament; High Limit Expansion; The New Spa: and The Final Touches featuring completed renovations.
http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/brett/index.htm
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Miss America Is Moving to Vegas!

“The 2006 Miss America Pageant” will take place in Las Vegas, it was announced today by Paul Villadolid, vice president, programming and development, CMT; Art McMaster, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization; and Michael Mecca, president and CEO for the Aladdin Resort and Casino. The two-hour telecast will originate from the Aladdin in Las Vegas, and will air live on CMT, Saturday, January 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

“Las Vegas is the perfect host city to bring new energy to The Miss America Pageant as we continue to grow our brand,” said McMaster. “It will truly be exciting to take our contestants there. It should make for a fantastic pageant and great television.”

“By bringing Miss America to Las Vegas, we are coming to a top-rate production town with excellent promotional opportunities,” said Villadolid. “The Aladdin Resort & Casino helps us create a glamorous new vision of the pageant and gives us an inspiring venue for the crowning of the next Miss America.

“We are thrilled to host the Miss America Pageant at the Aladdin, future home of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino,” said Mecca. “This event belongs in Las Vegas, and where better in Las Vegas to hold it than on this property. We have the most central location on The Strip and we are home to the most beautiful theatre in the city.”

SOURCE CMT
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Thanksgiving Special Part I: Vegas Things To Be Thankful For
By Rick Garman

With Thanksgiving coming up I started thinking about the things I’m thankful for. Of course there’s the obvious – family, friends, health. But what about the smaller things? Those tiny pleasures that on their own may not be worth writing epic novels about but place enough of them side by side and they become a force to be reckoned with.

This December I’ll be unveiling the annual Vegas4Visitors.com Top 10 Awards, where I tell you my favorite hotels, restaurants, shows, and more. Those lists are for the big stuff and have no room for the tiny pleasures that often make a Vegas vacation shine.

Marry those two seemingly disparate thoughts and you have this: Things in Vegas to be Thankful For (in no particular order):

1. The chocolate covered strawberries at the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas.
2. The beds at Green Valley Ranch Resort.
3. Watching a dolphin play at the Mirage Dolphin Habitat.
4. Triple-Double Diamond slot machines (I’ve won a lot of money on those).
5. The milk chocolate caramels at the Chocolate Swan.
6. Strolling down the cobblestone streets of MonteLago Village on a warm summer night.
7. The smell inside the Bellagio Botanical Gardens.
8. Getting a straight flush in Three-Card Poker.
9. The Albert Einstein action figures at the Atomic Testing Museum.
10. When they play Frank Sinatra’s “Luck Be a Lady” during the Bellagio Fountain shows.
11. The sense of history you get when standing amongst the formerly glorious signs inside the neon graveyard.
12. The segment in Mystère when the aerialists seem to fly above the audience.
13. The fact that, no matter how fancy they get, they still have people dressed up like gladiators and Roman princesses at Caesars Palace.
14. The rib eye steak, rubbed in peppercorns and pan seared in a garlic, butter, and cilantro sauce at Austins Steakhouse.
15. The statue of Elvis (temporarily out of sight during remodeling) at the Las Vegas Hilton.
16. Showgirls wearing big headdresses.
17. The giant statues of Ramses guarding the entrance to the casino at Luxor.
18. Walking in to New York-New York and remembering a time before things started to get all serious when Vegas was so outrageous that it practically made you giggle no matter which direction you looked.
19. The giant plasma screen TVs in the rooms at THEhotel.
20. Making fun of things like the name THEhotel and having people realize I’m not trying to be mean.
21. Looking up at the museum quality art on the ceiling as you ascend the escalators toward the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian.
22. The made-to-order omelets at the Wynn Las Vegas buffet brunch.
23. Hand pays.
24. Anything bejeweled in the gift shop at the Liberace Museum.
25. The cherry wood they use in the grill at Fix that makes their steaks taste so much better than your average slab of beef.
26. The climactic battle scene in KÀ.
27. The rare nights when you can drive down The Strip, preferably in a convertible, and not be stuck in mind-numbing traffic.
28. The little old ladies in the casinos who sit next to you at the slot machines and congratulate you every time you hit even a moderate jackpot.
29. Blazing 7’s.
30. Paying too much for room service and an in-room move you could get from the video store for a third of the price just because you’re feeling lazy and decadent and don’t want to get out of bed.
Come back next week for more things in Las Vegas I’m thankful for. Would you like to add something of your own to the list? Send an e-mail to me at rick@vegas4visitors.com and I’ll choose a few to include in next week’s column. Be sure to put “Thanks for Vegas” in the subject line.
http://www.vegas4visitors.com/column/05_11_14.htm
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NORM: Usher expresses his interest in LV

Is Usher on the verge of ushering in a new Las Vegas headliner act?

It sounded that way during his Monday appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

The Grammy-winning singer told Leno that “Las Vegas is slowly but surely becoming my home away from home.”

He added that he’s “working on something there” that will remind fans of famed hoofer Fred Astaire and iconic crooner Frank Sinatra.

A headliner show would not come as a surprise to any of the lucky folks who saw his electrifying performance at the 10th Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children in October.

In my post-event wrap-up, I gave him the “hot, hot, hot” award for his table-hopping command performance while singing “Yeah” and “Burn.”
reviewjournal.com — News - NORM: Usher expresses his interest in LV
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THE MIRAGE ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF FIN

The Mirage, the hotel that introduced the concept of the destination resort to Las Vegas in 1989, begins its exciting dining transformation with the opening of Fin, November 23. A high-end Chinese restaurant, Fin will feature authentic Chinese dishes in a contemporary setting by award-winning design firm Yabu Pushelberg.

“With the opening of Fin, we will take dining at The Mirage to a new level,” said Scott Sibella, president of The Mirage. “We’ve assembled the best team of designers, architects and chefs to create what will be a very special dining experience.”

Chef Chi Choi, a master with a Hong Kong-style wok, has created a menu that will attract the most discerning diner. He began his career in Hong Kong at age 14 and moved to the United States in 1993. In 1994, he came to Las Vegas, working in some of the city’s top kitchens, including Pearl at MGM Grand, Shanghai Lilly at Mandalay Bay and most recently, Moongate at The Mirage. Fin will feature authentic Chinese dishes, live seafood and a product-driven menu, according to availability. Live seafood will be prepared steamed, baked or wok-fried. Signature dishes will include Imperial Peking Duck, Wok-Fried Beef Tenderloin, Lobster Tail with XO Sauce and Pork Belly Taiwanese-Style.

Creating an edgy yet elegant design, Yabu Pushelberg weaved traditional Chinese themes into contemporary and innovative decor. The restaurant will be dominated by color schemes of gold and jade, accented with dark finishes creating a regal and sophisticated aesthetic. Décor will be largely centered around elegant glass designs and a water feature gracing the back end of the dining room. The main dining room will be divided by floating translucent spheres hanging strategically in sheets from the ceiling. The spheres will provide privacy amongst and between the tables in the open dining room. Two unique private dining rooms will occupy opposite sides of the main dining area. On the left side, silk screens painted with traditional Chinese imagery will veil a chrysanthemum-shaped dining room. On the right side, the private dining area will be enclosed using three layers of material: laser-cut acrylic, copper wire mesh and a painted mural, all layered for a mysterious effect, creating a translucent curtain.

Fin’s intimate dining room will seat 76 and each of the two private dining rooms will hold up to eight guests. Fin will be open for dinner seven days a week from 5:30 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
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Strip trollies: The best deal in town for getting around.
By Len Butcher

Las Vegas may not have the hills of San Francisco, but we do have trolley cars that are just as colorful and fun as those in the city by the sea.

I had never taken advantage of riding one of the trolley cars that make their way up and down the Strip until last week, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. What a great and inexpensive way to travel, especially for those people who can’t, or don’t want to walk from hotels at the north end of Las Vegas Boulevard to those two miles to the south.

I loved the large windows that give all the passengers great views along the Strip, and the funky old fashioned wooden benches to sit on. It also, for some reason, creates an atmosphere of camaraderie, as passengers begin chatting with each other, and swapping Las Vegas stories.

I eavesdropped on a couple from Buffalo, N.Y., who were chatting with another couple from Bend, Ore. The Buffalonians, as I think they’re called, were telling the Benders about the great time they had the night before at Barry Manilow’s show at the Las Vegas Hilton. And how, following the show, the man’s wife, whose name was Annie, hit a royal on video poker.

Not to be outdone, Mark and Jen regaled them with their rounds of several of our more naughty nightclubs. Very funny stuff. It almost became a family affair as we traveled from the Sahara to New York-New York.

The trolleys, which run up and down the Strip some 16 hours a day, including holidays, make stops at the Stratosphere, Sahara, Circus Circus, Stardust, Fashion Show Mall, Riviera, Imperial Palace, Harrah’s, Bally’s, The Mirage, New-York-New York, MGM Grand, Tropicana, Excalibur and Mandalay Bay. It even takes you to the Las Vegas Hilton.

And all this for $2 for a one-way ticket or you can get an all day pass for only $5. Best deal, and best kept secret in town. The thing I liked is that there was no long wait for the next one to come along as they go by every 15 minutes. A tip: Make sure you carry the exact change as the drivers don’t make change. By the way, you can also charter a trolley if you want to impress your friends. Call 702-382-1404 for more information. It really is a fun way to travel the Strip.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/eNewsletters/eNeon/only/trolley.html
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The bald truth is ‘Blue Man Group’ still shines by Jerry Fink

I first reviewed “Blue Man Group” two years ago, when it was at the Luxor.

I saw it again Monday after it moved up the street to the Venetian.

You might call this a new Blue review.

But there isn’t that much new about the production, other than a slightly larger theater — 1,760 seats compared with 1,200 at the Luxor

The new Blue Man Group Theatre has been touted as being larger but more intimate, with a balcony that allows for more fans to be closer to the stage.

I didn’t experience a feeling of intimacy, but that was never an issue for me anyway.

This is a fun show, bizarre to the extreme, created by geniuses who think so far outside the entertainment box that you marvel at their childlike ingenuity.

More Here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2005/oct/14/519508579.html
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After changes at Wynn, lounges out of Styles by Jerry Fink

She was shocked.

Kimberly Styles, lead vocalist with the Fabulous Baker Boys, had a year’s contract to perform in lounges at Wynn Las Vegas.

At least she thought she had a contract.

Apparently she missed some fine print.

Tuesday she and Howard and Phil Baker (brothers who have performed together for more than 30 years) were given a 30-day notice that their services would no longer be needed — six months after they began their yearlong engagement.

A year isn’t what it used to be.

The act, which includes many standards from the Great American Song Book, is classier than the treatment they received. They are performing at the B Bar. Styles sings; Phil plays piano and sings; Howard is on drums.

“Someone got fired, a new guy came in — they’re changing the room we’re in now, turning it into a high rollers lounge,” Styles said.

More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2005/oct/14/519508576.html
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Adams a high-caliber 22 in new Plaza show by Jerry Fink
Curtis Adams became interested in magic at age 7. Today at the ripe old age of 22 he is a veteran performer.

“Magic has not appealed to a younger market for a long time,” Adams said recently. “What I’m trying to do is to appeal to the younger fans, as well as the older ones.”

And thus was born “Adrenaline: Magic That Rocks,” which recently began a six-month engagement at the Plaza.

Adams combines traditional magic with elements of a rock concert such as a soundtrack that includes classic rock numbers, movie scores, hip-hop and standards.

More Here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2005/oct/14/519508573.html
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Fantasies Realized.
Luxor’s Seductive Show Sizzles With Big-time Talent.

Anita Mann’s “Midnight Fantasy” has always been bursting at the corset with provocative dance numbers, exotic costumes and some of the Strip’s hottest women. The Emmy Award-winning producer and choreographer delves into the female psyche for a fantasy each of her dancers can play out onstage.

A veteran of films, TV specials and variety shows, Mann began her career as a dancer in “Bye Bye Birdie” and went on to appear opposite Elvis, Lucille Ball and Jerry Lewis.

It was in 1976 that Mann would find her niche — choreographing live shows. She quickly achieved a number of firsts in this field: In addition to winning an Emmy for choreographing “The Miss America Pageant” in 1995, the first time in history an Emmy was given to a pageant, she was nominated in 1997 for her choreography work on “The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon,” the first nod given a telethon.

But Mann’s work in Las Vegas is what you won’t soon forget — the stripteases of the tantalizing “Fantasy” dancers. Yes, with the updated show comes an updated name, as well as state-of-the-art sets and the contribution of two top-name choreographers: Cris Judd and Eddie Garcia.

Yes, that Cris Judd, winner of “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” and former main squeeze of Jennifer Lopez. But Judd’s main talents lie in his fancy footwork — in addition to working with Lopez and Michael Jackson, he’s worked on the Billboard Awards, the MTV Video Awards and the Academy Awards.

Eddie Garcia has made his mark on the entertainment world in television, music videos, commercials and films, most recently choreographing Queen Latifah’s “Bringin’ Down the House.”

The two have added a hot, contemporary look to “Fantasy”’s style.

Continuing as “Fantasy”’s lead dancer is Jennifer Ross, who originated that role when the show opened in 1999. Proficient in modern dance, jazz and ballet, Ross was inspired and trained by her grandmother, a professional dancer and teacher.

Also returning to Fantasy is sultry songbird Stephanie Jordan. A singer, dancer and composer with more than 20 years in the business, Jordan has performed alongside David Cassidy, the Oak Ridge Boys and Pink, and served as an understudy for Sheena Easton.

“Fantasy” Fri.-Wed. at 10:30 p.m.; call (702) 262-4400 for additional 8 p.m. show times. Tickets $44.99 (must be 18-plus).
http://www.bestreadguide.com/
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Blackjack for Beginners
Get your feet wet at the most popular table game in the casino with this winning strategy.
by Stephen W. Custer, Ph.D.

You can play blackjack at three different skill levels. First, just play your hunches. On a roll? Go ahead, split those tens. Got a feeling the next card is a seven? Double down your 14. (But we don’t recommend it.)

Hey, if you get lucky, you can win a lot of money in a short time. And it’s lots of fun. But you’re much more likely to lose a bundle in a hurry, and in the long run you’re bound to leave a trail of money in your wake. Even if you do get lucky, you’ll get no respect. If that seven does hit your doubled down 14, no one will slap you on the back and say, “Brilliant play.” No, they’ll lower their heads and mumble, “Lucky idiot,” or worse. Most blackjack players think that stupid plays by one player causes them to lose. Never mind that’s there no truth to this (See “Third Base Controls the Table” in the March, 2005 issue), some people simply become hostile when you make wild plays.

If you want to play your hunches, better to do it at the craps tables. There no one cares how dumb your bets are. And craps players are more fun than blackjack players, anyway.

More Here:
http://www.casinoplayer.com/archive/0509cp/basic_21.html

Source of Article: Casino Player magazine
http://www.casinoplayer.com/
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How Slots Work
An insider’s guide to the inner workings of our favorite—and most frustrating—games
by Bill Coleman

You’ve probably heard and read different explanations of what goes on inside slot machines. Some of the issues are quite complicated, and writers may oversimplify them; at the same time, there are a multitude of myths out there that have confused and misled players.

It never hurts to know the facts. So without getting too heavy into the mathematics or technical details, here’s a basic primer on how slot machines actually work.

Before we start, one note: The information in this article does not apply to every machine in the country that looks like a slot or video poker machine. While most slot and video poker machines in the US work the way this article describes, machines in some Indian casinos and some states controlled by the state Lottery work differently.

More Here from Strictly Slots magazine
http://www.strictlyslots.com/archive/0509ss/how_slots_work.html
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I hope you enjoyed this issue. Please feel free to post a comment.

Steve

Posted on November 18th, 2005 by MrVegas98
Filed under: Newsletter