January 21st, 2006

Steve’s Las Vegas Quickies

Boardwalk regular performers Purple Reign (Prince Tribute Show) have moved to the Monte Carlo, where they recreate the sights and sounds of Prince at the Monte Carlo Pub and Brewery every Wednesday at 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. There is no cover charge and patrons must be at least 21 years of age.

Boyd Gaming Corp.’s $4 billion Echelon Place development has a great advantage over other developments, both for the company and the community. It’s unlikely to disrupt the traffic already packed into the area of the Strip. With easy access from Industrial Road and Interstate 15 as well as the Strip, and from the north as well as the south, traffic on any major road will be minimized, planners say. And the 63-acre site is large enough for staging construction, so it will not interfere with local business or tourists.
reviewjournal.com — Business - INSIDE GAMING

The Feb. 24 House of Blues performance by Sinead O’Connor has been canceled. The official reason is illness.

Boardwalk auction will be held on Saturday, January 21 at 10:00 a.m. on site. Preview 8:00 a.m. until auction starts. Sale includes: casino memorabilia, decor, restaurant equipment, hotel room furniture, patio furniture, lighting, casino chairs, 21, craps and roulette tables, barstools, all outside landscaping, ice machines, the Ferris Wheel and Shooting Gallery.

The Wynn Las Vegas deal that awards two free buffets for earning 50 slot club points has returned and appears to come and go intermittently. It’s currently offered Mon.-Fri. and you must be a new member. See the January LVA or the current Top Ten for more information.

The Monte Carlo has a daily Slot Tournament starting at 9: a.m. Entry fee is $40.00. Call 702-730-7780. (Thanks Deb)

Beginning Friday, Jan. 20, the Imperial Palace Teahouse Coffee Shop will no longer serve the Imperial Buffet. This eliminates the daily champagne brunch and the all-you-can-eat prime rib dinner buffet.

Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Las Vegas, 3655 Las Vegas Blvd. South, is serving soup flights during January, National Soup Month. The flights, which cost $6.95, include three miniature versions of the restaurant’s specialty soups.

Every day, up to 50 Tropicana players will be selected to spin a prize wheel and win $50 to $1,000 in cash or prizes including free dinners for two at Calypsos, $100 toward dinner at the Savanna Steakhouse or tickets to “Folies Bergere.” Entry can be earned playing the slots or at the tables.
reviewjournal.com — Neon - PLAYER’S EDGE

The High Roller on top of the Stratosphere has closed after 9 1/2 years and nearly 4 million riders. Hey, it was fun while it lasted, even if it wasn’t that scary. Stratosphere spokesman Mike Gilmartin, said, “We just felt it had kind of run its course. There are a lot of opportunities for bigger and better things. There’s so much you can do up there, and we’re considering anything and everything. Rest assured it’s going to be dramatic and appealing.”
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lenny/2006/0118.html

“Lunchtime with Ira, Live from the Las Vegas Hilton,” in addition to broadcasting every Monday at noon on KDWN AM 720 TALK RADIO in Las Vegas, launches a national presence through Cable Radio Network, based in Sunland, California. The CRN Radio Networks reach more than 11 million households nationally and many more internationally via cable, satellite and the internet. “Lunchtime with Ira” will be carried live on CRN 2 and replayed on CRN 1. On most cable television systems, CRN is featured on the public information channel. On digital cable systems, CRN’s digital talk channels are listed right after the music service. Check your local cable listings for availability or visit http://www.crni.net.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman joins Ira on Monday (January 23) at noon, on “Lunchtime with Ira, Live from the Las Vegas Hilton.” The lively radio show broadcasts from the Las Vegas Hilton’s Shimmer Cabaret on KDWN AM 720 TALK RADIO (and live and archived on www.lvhilton.com.) Other guests on Monday’s show include Pat Shalmy, president of Nevada Power Company, Kurt Mische, development director of KLVX-TV, Gerald Sawyer, COO of the World Market Center, and Gloria Pink, co-owner of Pink’s Famous Hot Dogs. The popular show features interesting people who make Las Vegas the most exciting city in the world. The public can watch the show as it is broadcast.

Sign up for a Total Rewards card at the Flamingo Las Vegas and get a free Flamingo Pen.

Current 2 for 1 tickets that appear in SHOWBIZ magazine include:
Folies Begere
Xtreme Magic
Clint Holmes
American Storm
Erocktica
Skintight
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Caesars now primed for poker
Casino to open $12 million card room.

Hoping to ride the current wave of poker popularity, Caesars Palace will open a $12 million poker room today, the casino’s first poker room in 16 years.

Caesars Palace, now operated by World Series of Poker owner Harrah’s Entertainment, will offer a permanent 30-table poker room next to the resort’s race and sports book.

Eleven original LeRoy Neiman paintings showcasing nearly 40 years of Caesars Palace history decorate the entrance to the poker room.

Caesars Palace follows other Strip and downtown casinos, such as the Las Vegas Hilton, The Mirage and the Golden Nugget, that have reopened poker rooms recently to capitalize on the game’s growing.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Dec-21-Wed-2005/business/4900745.htm
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“Date” fate:

It may look like reality TV and it may sound like reality TV, but “Vegas Date” — which begins a four-day shoot Tuesday — isn’t really reality TV.

Instead, it’s an independent feature designed to resemble a reality TV show “that never got off the ground,” explains writer-director Kevin Birnbaum.

The movie focuses on a doomed date between a gangsta rapper (played by real-life rapper Lyracist) and a Britney Spears-style diva (played by Charlotte Bell).

As they walk and talk along the glittery Strip — “they never walk into a casino,” Birnbaum says — racial and class conflicts surface.

The Arizona-based filmmaker hopes to have “Vegas Date” in shape for a March debut.
reviewjournal.com — Living - SHOOTING STARS
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2005 Vegas4Visitors Awards:By Rick Garman

Best Hotels

Best Strip Hotel: THEhotel
Often in Vegas you have to make sacrifices when you try to find a truly remarkable hotel experience. THE room may be fantastic but getting there requires a hike through a crowded casino. THE service may be pampering but other than lying around (not that there’s anything wrong with that) there isn’t a whole lot to do. With THIS particular hotel you get THE best of both worlds – you can choose to engage in THE Vegas silliness by walking down a short hallway to Mandalay Bay or you can choose to block THE whole thing out and just enjoy THE stunning suites, oversized flat screen TVs, beautiful furnishings, and world-class service (for starters). THEbest hotel on THEstrip.

Honorable Mention: Wynn Las Vegas
Yes, it’s too expensive. No, it’s not perfect. No, it doesn’t break any particularly new ground. But Mr. Wynn’s latest project is no less of a success than any of his previous ones and despite the unreasonably high expectations (which he set himself) this truly is a terrific hotel.

Best Downtown Hotel: Main Street Station
I have a tendency to throw words like “gem” around too much but in this particular case it applies. I’ve always enjoyed the intimacy of this hotel, its friendly atmosphere, its gorgeous décor, and its fantastic restaurants and casino. A recent renovation of all of the rooms has only made it more appealing, turning a gem of a hotel into a precious one.

Honorable Mention: The Golden Nugget
The former Grand Dame of Fremont Street is showing her age, mostly due to a little bit of neglect from former owners. But the new folks who are running the joint are promising big things and here’s hoping they deliver. Grand Dames deserve nothing less.

Best Neighborhood Hotel: Green Valley Ranch Resort
It’s an upscale neighborhood to be sure, but this beautiful destination straddles an invisible line between friendly locals’ joint and luxury getaway. A terrific casino, sumptuous rooms (with the most comfortable beds in all of Las Vegas), some great restaurants, and a beautiful pool area are all big pluses but it’s the atmosphere – decidedly less stressed and hectic than The Strip – that really makes it all work.

Honorable Mention: Santa Fe Station
To get the true appreciate for what has been done here you’d have to go back in time and see what it looked like before Station Casinos came in and rescued the join. The transformation is remarkable on just about every level and the amenities, service, and price are almost impossible to beat.

Best Resort Hotel: Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas
The word “resort” is applied to a lot of places in this town that don’t actually qualify as resort, at least in my opinion. As far as I’m concerned, a resort should be a world unto its own, where you can walk through the front doors and immediately put everything behind you. Seriously… everything. It should have impeccable service, be visually and atmospherically comforting, and should swaddle you like a really soft, plushy robe. The Ritz-Carlton is the definition of the word “resort.”

Honorable Mention: Green Valley Ranch Resort
For everything that is mentioned above under Best Neighborhood Hotel and a few extra points for those really comfy beds.

Best Bargain Hotel: Bally’s
What is a bargain? Is it merely the total of the bill upon check-out? No, a bargain is more closely aligned with a “bang for the buck” mentality, where you can look at the bill and say, “Wow, I really got a lot for what I paid here.” Bally’s is not the fanciest hotel in town nor is it the cheapest. But for the level of comfort, convenience, and service offered here, mixed together with a terrific location and a bunch of other intangibles, it is hard to find a better example of a true bargain.

Honorable Mention: Santa Fe Station
See Best Neighborhood Hotel above and then throw in rates that are so low as to be almost shocking.

Best Luxury Hotel: Wynn Las Vegas
I can hear the howling now. But scream all you want, Wynn Las Vegas has outdone the other luxury hotels on The Strip with bigger, better, more comfortable and well-equipped rooms, and an overall feeling of value (as in “this is valuable”). Of course you have to pay for it, and handsomely, but if I had the money and wanted to spend it, this would be the place I’d choose.

Honorable Mention: Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas
See Best Resort Hotel above and factor in rooms on a bridge over a lake. Cool, huh?

Best Restaurants

Best New Restaurant: Fix
I normally despise places like Fix, which on the surface appear to be way too trendy and trying too hard. But get past the surface and what you have here is a remarkable American diner concept kicked up about 1,000 notches and then turned on its ear. The food is fantastic (especially the steaks, cooked over cherry wood) and the service is perfect and while the prices are on the high side and you have to look past the “trendy” factor, this is a place I want to go back to again and again.

Honorable Mention: Triple George Grill
The only reason that this restaurant didn’t beat out Fix for the top honor is because of its location – you have to go Downtown to eat here, which really isn’t that big of a deal but is to many visitors. It’s a shame really, because great food at terrific prices like these should not be dismissed just because you have to throw in a couple of extra bucks for a cab ride.

Best Buffet: Wynn Las Vegas
Buffets have never been more grand, more epic, and more satisfying than the new one at Wynn Las Vegas. The facility itself is a stunner, with a series of intimate dining spaces and a garden décor that is both visually arresting and yet comforting at the same time. With a spread that’s as big if not bigger than any in town and all done with a level of preparation that would shame most regular restaurants, this buffet is a remarkable achievement.

Honorable Mention: Main Street Station Garden Court
For about one-third the cost of the Wynn buffet you can get another beautiful room and some amazingly satisfying food. While it gets edged out by the expensive places in terms of quality and selection, 99.9% of the people who eat at buffets will enjoy this one just as much as the ones that will cost them three times as much.

Best Steakhouse: Austins Steakhouse
I don’t know what I have to do to convince you people to get in your cars or cabs or whatever you have to do to make it to Austins Steakhouse. I can report that everyone who has visited this place on my recommendation has come back raving and I routinely refer to it as not only the best steakhouse in Las Vegas but one of the best anywhere. Go. Now.

Honorable Mention: Hank’s
Brand new and patterned in many ways after Austins, this sister establishment is a bit more expensive and the décor is a bit more upscale, but it is no less enjoyable and not at all intimidating. A truly terrific addition to the city. A full review of Hank’s will be appearing in this column after the new year, but don’t wait for that to try it out. It’s located at Green Valley Ranch Resort.

Best Bargain Restaurant: Capriotti’s
Forget Subway and Quizno’s and head to this local Las Vegas institution, a wonderful Italian deli with sandwiches that will knock your proverbial (or literal) socks off. I have a friend who actually makes me stop to pick one up for her before I come back to Los Angeles. It’s that good. Throw in the fact that you can get a sandwich big enough for two meals for about $10 and I don’t know what you’re waiting for.

Honorable Mention: Ming
Chinese restaurants are a dime a dozen in this city and this one will certainly never win any awards for fancy décor or adventurous menu items. But if you want traditional Chinese at a fraction of the cost of most hotel Chinese places, Ming is the place to go.

Best Expensive Restaurant: Alex (Wynn Las Vegas)
From Chef Allesandro Stratta, Alex is the newest, hottest, most award-worthy restaurant in the city. The meals are more than just food on a plate, they are constructions – feats of almost engineering-level accomplishment blending the perfect tastes and textures into a heady experience that even the least appreciative palates can recognize as great. Just be sure to digest fully before looking at the bill.

Honorable Mention: Mix (Mandalay Bay)
Another acclaimed chef (in this case Alain Ducasse), another award-winning restaurant. Here the fantastic French/Continental fare is served in a beautiful room with amazing views from the top floor of THEhotel’s tower. Not quite as expensive as some of the other expensive restaurants in town, but still very pricey and still completely worth it.

Best Desserts: The Chocolate Swan
Okay, see, I have this theory. There are two basic types of people in the world: cake people and icing people. Icing people are the ones who will always choose a corner, end piece of one a sheet cake while cake people will choose one of the middle pieces. Icing people are dreamers, poets, and scholars and have a true appreciation for the finer things in life. Cake people are fundamentally okay, I guess, but I just don’t trust them. You shouldn’t either. Icing people will love The Chocolate Swan and its mind boggling array of mouth-watering confections (from candy to pastries to ice cream and beyond) whereas cake people will just kind of shrug. See… you just can’t trust them.

Honorable Mention: Fix
See Best New Restaurant above and throw in warm, sugared, banana donuts with chocolate dipping sauce. Come on!

Best Shows

Best New Show: KÀ
Cirque du Soleil has outdone themselves with this new production that can only be described as epic. A martial arts spectacle, an engaging storyline, and staging that makes you question your own eyes (“I can’t actually be seeing what I’m seeing – it’s not possible”) add up to a truly unique event and one that should not be missed.

Honorable Mention: Avenue Q
Foul mouthed puppets singing songs about life, love, and Internet porn. There’s a reason that this show won a Tony Award.

Best Production Show: Mystère
Trying to describe this show in full sentences is too hard, so let’s just do it with a series of words. Emotional. Awe-inspiring. Evocative. Funny. Scary. Beautiful. Passionate. Heart-breaking. Uplifting. Erotic. And that doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Honorable Mention: KA
See Best New Show above.

Best Magic Show: Mac King
There’s something inherently more satisfying about seeing a card trick (or something equally as “small”) done really well than any whirling blades of death escape style tricks (or something equally as “grand”) could ever be. Add in the fact that Mac King’s show is laugh-out-loud funny and you have a true recipe for great entertainment.

Honorable Mention: Penn & Teller
More than just a magic show, Penn & Teller put on the deconstruction of a magic show by telling you how they are doing the tricks yet still amazing you every time.

Best Music/Variety Show: Clint Holmes
In less talented hands, this type of show would look like a bad ‘70s variety hour where you’d expect a visit from Susan Anton or Joey Heatherton at any moment. But Holmes turns what could be treacle into an engaging experience that wins you over immediately. He’s a talented singer, a great performer, and seems to be a genuinely nice guy and in my book that adds up to a “best” award any day.

Honorable Mention: Barry Manilow
Mainly because I’m frightened of the Fanilows. But seriously folks, give Mr. I Write The Songs his due because even after all these years he’s a consummate showman and a terrific entertainer. Admit it… you know all the words to Mandy, don’t you?

Best Comedy Show: Second City Improv
Great comic improvisation is like watching a virtuoso musician riff. You’re never quite sure where it’s going but where it winds up, and the thrilling journey along the way, make it something that you can’t take your eyes off of. The talented performers of Second City know their craft and will make you wonder how anyone can think that quickly.

Honorable Mention: Rita Rudner
This quirky comic has been slaying audiences for years with her off-kilter observations like this, a favorite of mine from one of her early TV appearances (paraphrased, but close enough): “When I was a child, my parents got a pony for my birthday party one year. You know these things are never in very good shape. Well, this one dropped dead. It just wasn’t much fun after that. One of us would sit on it and the rest of us would drag it around in a circle.”

Best Adult Show: Folies Bergere
True, you get more “adult” on basic cable than what you get in this throwback to days of Vegas entertainment of yore, but if you want a classic “showgirl” experience, complete with feathered headdresses and beautiful, bare-breasted women to watch, Folies is the best choice in town.

Honorable Mention: Chippendales
It’s obvious why the ladies like this one, but I hereby throw down the gauntlet for the guys. Go with your wife or girlfriend, let her sit up front with her friends, grab a drink, sit in the back, and watch the insanity unfold. It’s like watching a pack of hungry pumas attack a group of elk.
http://www.vegas4visitors.com/column/05_12_19.htm
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Dinner theater serves variety.
By Jerry Fink

Ben Ardito and Gary Sax have been trying to find the right recipe for entertainment to make their downtown nightclub/restaurant work since opening their doors for business more than a year ago.

Country. Jazz. R&B.

“Nothing worked,” said Ardito, a Florida businessman. “People are afraid to come downtown.

“We’ve got to let people know that downtown is safe. The police are here. The city is cleaning up the neighborhood. I’ve got off-street parking. We’ve got security all night — there has not been one single incident here in a year. Our customers are safe. We’ve got to let people know that.”

Ardito, whose home and family are still in Florida, came to Vegas at the urging of Sax — the two men are partners in Sax Entertainment Group, a company that (among other things) produces films and commercials.

“He called me up one day and said the city is opening a new entertainment district and I should come out and take a look,” Ardito said.

He flew out, talked to Mayor Oscar Goodman and others and liked what he heard and saw.

He opened the restaurant Benedetto’s and nightclub Take 1 at the Day’s Inn, 707 E. Fremont St.

“More than 250 people came to the grand opening,” Ardito said. “The major judges, businessmen. Everybody promised us the moon.”

But he hasn’t heard from them since.

So he and Sax (and Ardito’s son, John) have been going it alone.

More Here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2005/dec/19/519842386.html
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Columnist Jeff Haney: Behind the scenes of new ‘King of Vegas’ reality show.

An amateur gambler is competing heads-up against a professional bettor.

Who feels more pressure?

And who is more likely to let the pressure affect him (or her)?

That’s the conflict at the heart of the TV series “King of Vegas,” which debuts next month on Spike (Cox cable channel 29). It concluded production last week in a temporary studio constructed in the parking lot behind Bally’s.

“Just because someone is an amateur, or an ‘unknown’ as I like to call them, doesn’t mean he’s not a skilled gambler,” Henderson-based TV sports prognosticator Wayne Allyn Root said on the “King of Vegas” set. “I’ll take our unknowns, stack them up against the pros and give them a shot.”

More Here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/commentary/2005/dec/19/519842393.html
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Wynn Las Vegas Celebrates Its First New Years Eve.

Can a mega-resort host an intimate night on New Year’s Eve? The newest resort, Wynn Las Vegas, did just that for their first New Year’s Eve celebration with a collection of intimate entertainment and dining options. From classic music and fantastic cuisines to DJs and dance floors, Wynn Las Vegas offered up the best in personal entertainment choices for guests to ring in the new year.

Those looking for quiet sophistication chose Five Diamond award winning restaurant Alex to celebrate the New Year. Chef Alex Stratta offered a magnificent seasonal New Year’s menu, a delectable six-course holiday feast inspired by the flavors of the French Riviera. Guests savored Roasted Sea Scallops with cauliflower puree and fresh white truffles and Braised Short Ribs of beef with potato gnocchi and red wine sauce in one of the most chic settings on the Las Vegas Strip.

In the center of it all was the Lake of Dreams, the 140-ft waterfall located on the mountain, which pulsated with music and lights throughout the evening. At 11:45 PM, guests sipping cocktails at Parasol Down watched as the lake began to bubble with anticipation of 2006. Other fantastic views were from Daniel Boulud Brassiere and SW Steakhouse with patio seating overlooking the action of the Lake of Dreams. Each restaurant offered a Five-course Gala seating prix fixe menu with music and dancing. At all vantage points, guests overlooking the Lake watched as an image of a giant clock rose out of the water to count down the last few seconds of 2005.
Guests looking for a feeling of nostalgia dined at the resort’s Country Club: A New American Steakhouse. With a rat pack theme, a band singing their favorite Sinatra tunes played as guests danced and dined on New York Strip, Black Sea Bass or Prime Rib of Beef while overlooking the best view on the strip, the 40-foot waterfall on the 18th hole on the Wynn Las Vegas Golf Course.

From old Vegas to new Vegas, guests looking for the hottest nightclub scene danced until the first hours of daylight in 2006 at Wynn’s new nightclub, Tryst. With a breathtaking 90-foot waterfall cascading into a secluded lagoon, guests at the nightclub toasted the New Year with champagne and danced to resident DJ Justin Hoffman.

“We were very excited that many of the 350,000 Las Vegas visitors choose to explore the experiences of Wynn Las Vegas as we made history celebrating our first New Year’s Eve,” said Denise Randazzo, vice president of public relations and advertising.

Tryst’s regular hours of operation are Thursdays-Sundays, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Cover charge is $30 for men and $20 for women; no cover charge for bottle customers. Thursday nights is “Industry Night,” with complimentary admission for those in the local service industry with proper ID arriving before midnight.

Opening its doors on April 28, 2005, Wynn Las Vegas Resort and Country Club has positioned itself as the preeminent destination resort on the Las Vegas Strip, where every detail has been designed for the ultimate comfort and convenience. The 217-acre Resort offers more than 2,700 guest rooms and suites in its gleaming 50-story bronze tower; 22 food and beverage outlets specializing in fine Italian, French, Mediterranean, Chinese, Japanese and American fare. In addition, Wynn Las Vegas features the Strip’s only 18-hole golf course, designed by Tom Fazio and Steve Wynn; a 110,000-sq. ft. casino with coinless slots and a full complement of table games; a full-service salon, fitness center and signature spa and the Wedding Salons at Wynn Las Vegas. Entertainment at Wynn Las Vegas includes Le Reve and Avenue Q. For more information, please visit www.wynnlasvegas.com.

SOURCE Wynn Las Vegas
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Imperial Palace’s ‘Be A Legend’ Karaoke Celebrity Impersonator Contest Begins Third Year.

Elvis, buckle up your jumpsuit, Louie, grab your horn and hankie, and Ol’ Blue Eyes, do it your way – the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino’s “Be A Legend” karaoke contest kicks off its third year on Thursday, Feb. 16.

Celebrity impersonators from across the country compete for an audition with the hotel’s award-winning celebrity tribute full-production spectacular – Legends in Concert – playing to packed audiences in its 23rd year. First place also wins $750, second place wins $500, third wins $250 and fourth and fifth place each win $100. About 20 contestants must be prepared to sing up to two songs in full costume and makeup of the performers they impersonate. The top five, as determined by a panel of entertainment industry judges, compete for the prize money and audition.

The “Be A Legend” karaoke contest is free and open to the public at Tequila Joe’s, the hotel’s karaoke club on the Strip sidewalk. The quarterly event also will be held May 18, Aug. 17 and Nov. 16.

For an entry form and contest rules, go to www.imperialpalace.com, select “be entertained” and then “TJ’s-karaoke” from the drop-down menu.

The Imperial Palace is home to the award-winning tribute show “Legends In Concert” and the Dealertainers. The hotel also hosts The Auto Collections, “The World’s Largest Classic Car Showroom.” Imperial Palace is the most central stop on the Las Vegas Monorail. In addition, the resort is famous for “Five Star Friendly Service” and includes a race and sports book, 2,640 rooms and suites, world-class gaming and amenities, a seasonal poolside “Luau,” 40,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, 10 specialty restaurants, 10 bars and lounges, state-of-the-art spa and fitness center, business center, concierge service, medical center and two new wedding chapels with reception facilities.
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HYPNOTIST MICHAEL JOHNS SURPRISED SUSAN HAWKS OF `SURVIVOR’ GOES UNDER.

Michael Johns hypnotized Las Vegas resident Susan Hawks who starred in the original “Survivor” reality series filmed in Borneo who was beaten out by Richard Hatch. Johns hypnotized her on Friday night in “Hypnosis Gone Wild.” Her husband Tim attended the show a couple of weeks ago and brought her to see it. Johns said, “She got on stage and was incredible and very funny. She went under so deep which usually mean the person is very smart and of sound mind.” After the show the couple who owns Juices Wild in Summerlin invited Johns to the New York-New York Piano Bar where they hung out until 3 a.m. Johns who didn’t know who she was because of his on-the-road tours and working nights doing his show went out with the couple because they seemed like such nice people. At the Piano Bar people kept staring at them and coming up to her asking, “Aren’t you Susan Hawks from `Survivor’ and he was shocked to find out how big a celeb she was.” `They moved to Las Vegas from Palmyra, WI after she she became a “Survivor” star. She reveled that she is currently negotiating with “Animal Planet” to do a new show.
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LANCE BURTON SOAKED IN ROSE PARADE; FTD FLOAT WINS FIRST PRIZE

The Monte Carlo’s headlining magician Lance Burton was soaked and chilled by a torrential two-and-a-half-hour downpour in Pasadena before a worldwide viewing audience of over 100 million but the FTD Float “Your Wish is My Command” took The Sweepstakes Award which is the Grand Prize as Best Float in the Rose Parade themed “It’s Magical.” Lance said, “Despite the nonstop cold rain soaking me to the bone; even knocking my waterproof cape off it was the children’s happy faces and the spirit of the crowd that made it all worthwhile.”
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Contestants Attempt to Eat 9 Pound Hamburger in Las Vegas 1/21

History will be made on January 21, 2006, when competitive eating’s finest gurgitators descend upon the Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, for one of the sport’s greatest challenges: devouring the monstrous nine-pound Big Daddy Burger at the Plaza Casino Big Daddy Burger Eating Contest.

Sonya Thomas, the top ranked eater in the United States, will attempt to break her 2005 world record of devouring the famed burger in 48 minutes and 10 seconds. However, the Black Widow will face stiff competition from phenom Joey ‘JAWS’ Chestnut of San Jose and local favorite Rich “The Locust” LeFevre. There will be $12,000 in prize money on the line.

“The nine-pound Big Daddy Burger is perhaps the most challenging food in the history of competitive eating,” said Richard Shea, President of the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). “This is our Mount Everest.”

“The rule at the Plaza is ‘the bigger, the better,’” said Phil Flaherty, COO of the Plaza. “So we are working with the IFOCE to put together the most outrageous and spectacular eating event the public has ever seen.”
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Top 7 Las Vegas Hotels - The guide to the hotel you want in Las Vegas. By Zeke Quezada

1) Mandalay Bay - Las Vegas Hotel

I’m in love with this place. The food is great, the rooms are spacious, the pool reminds me of the Himalayas and the atmosphere is all fun. This is possibly the best pool in all of the Las Vegas hotels. It also has some of the best food of all Las Vegas hotels.
Read Review

2) Paris Las Vegas- Las Vegas Hotel

With a center strip location, great rooms and extremely nice people, this Las Vegas Hotel is the perfect place to stay if you don’t feel like sleeping in the gutter after a long night out. I cannot say enough good things about the Paris as it seems as if they try harder to make themselves better than the rest.
Read Review

3) MGM Grand - Las Vegas Hotel

I love to eat and they love to cook. The casino is huge at over 100,000 sq. feet, they have lions in the lobby, great restaurants and they give you $1000 just for checking in. Well, they don’t really but it feels like they do. All I would say is that you try to get a room close to the elevator because you could be forced to walk a great distance if not. One of the largest Las Vegas hotels on the Strip
Read Review

4) Bellagio - Las Vegas Hotel

I won’t lie its nice. Is it the great place every likes to think it is? It’s expensive, the food is expensive and the gambling is expensive. If you have the cash, stay here, if you don’t, walk through the place and smell the money.
Read Review

5) Monte Carlo - Las Vegas Hotel

You will not find this Las Vegas Hotel on many top ten lists but let me explain. If you have children it’s great. If you play poker it’s convenient. The pool is nice and the rooms are decent and it’s a bargain. Best hotel on the Las Vegas strip if you have kids but you don’t want to stay at Disneyland like Circus Circus or Excalibur.
Read Review

6) Aladdin - Las Vegas Hotel

Another Las Vegas Hotel not usually thought of as great. They have great room specials and huge rooms. The buffet is really good, the pool is modest but fun and they have great shopping at the Desert shops. What more could you want?
Read Review

7) Caesars Place - Las Vegas Hotel

Yeah, you can’t have a list without Caesars on it. The Forum shops gives you great people watching and good eating. The restaurants inside Caesars are incredible and the rooms are still large by Las Vegas Hotel standards. The pool area is huge and they attend to every detail. This is a Las Vegas Hotel the way it should be.
Read Review
http://govegas.about.com/od/guidepick1/tp/tplvhotels.htm
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Las Vegas Entertainment News
Chuck Rounds’ Las Vegas Entertainment News

January 2006

2006!!! It’s the New Year!! A time of renewal…a time when we get to look back and see what we did right, and what we did wrong in our lives. It’s a time when we look ahead, and figure out how to make this year better than the previous one. We have to figure out the path that will make more things go the way we want them to. It is a time for resolutions…It’s time to get fit and healthy, a time to get thin, or rich, or married, or divorced; a time to stop smoking or drinking; a time to be a better, more committed person both personally and professionally. It is a time when we are forced to try and figure out how to do less of what is bad for us and more of what is good for us. The New Year always brings new hopes and new challenges to people. 2005 was a tumultuous, but good year. It’s time to fill ourselves up with resolutions and hope that the New Year will bring us into a better and more prosperous time of our life. With these hopes also comes the pressure to achieve…that personal commitment within us that is undoubtedly going to take a lot of time and energy. It’s a new beginning! You just have to find the energy to figure out and evaluate your personal life for both the entire year behind and the entire year ahead of you…and it sounds so simple.

It is different for the entertainment industry. Simple barometers of sales measure the success and failure of just about any production. Did it make money or not? Will it eventually make money? Is it worth the expense? It would be interesting if we could objectively apply simple gauges to our own lives.

2005 had some interesting occurrences…

“KA,” at the MGM, started showing previews six-months late with a budget that doubled to over 165 million dollars. It has since been named by several sources to be the best theatrical production anywhere…I was not one of those sources.

“Forbidden Vegas” opened at the Westin. A brilliant show that deserved a spot on the Strip, but never caught on, and subsequently had to close a few months later.

Downtown venues got a boost with the talents of Gordie Brown and Vinnie Favorito. Each of these headliners did a great job, and the hope was to bring more folks to the area and establish downtown as a legitimate entertainment spot…they have both closed and moved on to other venues.

Elton John has done wonderfully at the Coliseum. Between him and Celine, they have started the clamor for big time headliners to grace all of the hotels on the Strip, and since, Barry Manilow opened his show, “Music and Passion,” at the Las Vegas Hilton.

The new $7 million Chippendales Theater, seating 400, opened at the Rio and is known as “The Ultimate Girls’ Night Out.”

It was a “re-do” year for many productions…”Forever Plaid” reopened at the Gold Coast, returning to Las Vegas after a six-year absence.

“Erocktica” opened at the Rio, then it closed for a month to re-do the production, and then reopened.

“We Will Rock You” closed for a short time to re-do its production, then it reopened…then it closed.

“Midnight Fantasy” was transformed into “Fantasy”…a small revamping of the show and acknowledgement that it never actually played at midnight.

Comic Hypnotist Justin Tranz has reopened his show, this time at the Congo Room inside the Sahara. He had a long-standing and successful show at O’Shea’s. He has worked hard and stuck it out during the lean times, and finally was placed in a good showroom…and then he closed.

On April 28th, Wynn Las Vegas opened…and with it, it brought “Le Reve”…which had problems, went back into rehearsals, but then reopened as a masterpiece…but not everyone realizes that yet. A short while later, in another theater, the Tony-award winning, unorthodox, Broadway puppet play “Avenue Q” opened.

After many successful years at the Tropicana, Rick Thomas moved to the Stardust. As soon as he vacated the Tropicana, Dirk Arthur stepped in to take the afternoon spot.

Wayne Newton was at the Stardust, then he was at the Hilton, and now he is at the Flamingo.

Delisco, crowned “The Entertainer” by Wayne Newton, opened his show at the Shimmer Cabaret inside the Las Vegas Hilton. “The Entertainer” was a ten-episode series that chronicled Wayne Newton’s nationwide search for the next Las Vegas headliner.

Steve Wyrick closed his show at the Aladdin. He is supposed to be opening his brand new entertainment experience inside the Desert Passage Mall. The complex is supposed to include a production show, dining, retail, and nightlife…it has been promised for a while with no actual product.

The “Aussie Angels” opened at the Simmer Cabaret at the Las Vegas Hilton…and then closed.

“Tropical Passions” opened at the Sahara…and then abruptly closed. When checks started bouncing, the performers stopped working. This caused tremendous problems for the cast. The bulk of the company came from Miami to do the show and locked themselves into six-month leases (which seemed to make sense with their six month contracts,) but suddenly found themselves without jobs.

Just when we were about to laud and praise the show “Spotlight” for being the “little-show-that-could” and celebrate its one-year anniversary at Bourbon Street, it closed.

The women of Zumanity were featured in Playboy.

After five years at the Luxor Hotel, The Blue Man Group moved into their own specially built theatre at the Venetian.

Magician Curtis Adams started a 6-month run in the main showroom at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas.

“Buck Wild” opened at the Sahara. The Country/Western musical, dance, variety show is a lot of fun. The early shows are covered for the family, and the late show is topless.

The Broadway to Vegas trend that started with “Mamma Mia,” will soon be followed by “Hairspray” (with Harvey Feinstein,) “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Spamalot.”

It was an interesting year, and it will be a great new year with a lot of new productions.

This month is a slower month in the city, but will bring of a lot of things:

The first week has, of course, the First Friday at the Art district downtown. The CES convention is a huge time in the city. Jay Leno will be at the Mirage, and the Boardwalk casino will be closing to make way for the new “City Center” residential and commercial project.

Jay Leno is back at the Mirage during the second week of the month.

Week number three brings Disney On Ice to the Orleans Arena; Regis Philbin will be at the Golden Nugget. Ray Romano steps in at the Mirage, and the Miss America Pageant will be held in Las Vegas at the Aladdin.

The last week has Jay Leno returning to the Mirage. INXS will play at Mandalay Bay Events Center. Elton John begins an extended run at Caesars Palace, and at the end of the month, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” will close at the Tropicana.

The beginning of February has the opening of “Menopause, the Musical,” a parody set at a Bloomingdale’s lingerie sale, at the Shimmer Cabaret at Las Vegas Hilton. Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” will be shown at the Aladdin. The Hotel San Remo officially becomes Hooters Casino Hotel. A Hooters Beach Club and a Dan Marino Fine Foods & Spirits Restaurant are planned. The property has undergone a $60 million renovation, and “Hairspray”, the musical comedy phenomenon with Tony Award winning numbers that made it a hit on Broadway, opens at the Luxor.

For dates and times, be sure to log onto the Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide: ( www.lvol.com ).

I Go Shows ( www.Igoshows.com ) is, of course, the place to read the reviews of all of the shows that are in town so that you can be better informed as to what you should expect from a certain production. The reviews are updated as needed to give you the knowledge you need to spend your entertainment dollars better.
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2006 Happy New Year by Bill Burton

Another new year is upon us. It seems like only a few months ago we were ringing in 2005 and now we are ushering it out making way for 2006. The decade that started with fears of a Y2K bug that would affect all computers is now half way gone and instead of a technology meltdown we have seen more rapid technical advances in all aspects of our lives. Each year at this time I like to take a few moments to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the future. Since this year marks the half way point of the decade I thought I started looking back at the last few years.

More Here:
http://casinogambling.about.com/od/slots/a/2006.htm
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Lenny’s Las Vegas:

Lacking Resolution.
No point in making something you won’t keep.

Well, another year has gone by and we are now a few days into 2006. Our New Year’s Eve celebrations were a big hit and thankfully, the strong winds that flared up throughout the day and evening tapered off enough for Las Vegas to put on an impressive fireworks display to bring in the new year to the cheers of some 300,000 people jamming the Strip.

I’m not going to bore you with resolutions because, if you’re like me, you make them and never keep them. But I would like to take up a little space and let you know a few of the things I’d like to see — or not see — this coming year in our town.

Top of my list would be to ask hotels with the top shows to give locals a 50 percent discount on tickets at least two nights a week. We have some great shows here (KA, Avenue Q, Celine Dion) to name a few and some great ones soon coming, like Hairspray and Spamalot. Unfortunately, because of the ticket prices, many locals can’t afford to see them.

Although I love ticket-in, ticket-out slot and video poker machines and machines that will cash my ticket, I still would like to see more staff working the floor. Casinos seem to be getting like large department stores where you can never find anyone to help you. I know the less staff they have, the more money they can make, but hey, guys, you’re showing record wins almost every month.

I wish someone would monitor those people working the change booths. Although many are pleasant and helpful, there seems to be just as many who don’t know how to smile, nor how to speak. Bad enough you’re losing money without having to deal with somebody with an attitude.

Looser machines. I know that state law requires machines to pay out a minimum of something like 80 percent or a bit more, but this past year, any machine I played had a tough time giving back 10 percent. This was a common complaint I heard from players throughout the year. They didn’t mind losing as much as they hated not getting any play for their money. Casinos should listen. Not a good sign when the natives get restless.

I’d like to be able to use my players card not only to buy my tickets for a movie in the casino, but to pay for any food or drink that I buy at the concession counter once I’m in.

I hope we have seen the last of Cirque du Soleil shows, or any imitations of them. The ones we’ve already got are great, for the most part, excluding Le Reve.

I wish all shows would start at 9 so I could have time to have dinner before going. Shows beginning at 7 or 8 make it too early to have dinner and by the time you get out, it’s too late.

Despite its less than stellar performance, I hope that if we go ahead with an extension of the monorail, it will run from the airport to the Strip, rather than from the Strip to downtown. If you think not many people are riding it now, wait ’til you see how many (or few) passengers there’ll be taking that Strip-downtown ride.

I would love to see 2006 be the year that they actually start construction on a rail line that would carry a high-speed train between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

When I first moved here, the population was 260,000. Today it’s 1.5 million. Do I like it? No. Will it stop growing? No. Will I continue to complain? Yes. Being the selfish person that I am, I do wish that cities, including ours, could limit growth and create satellite cities at least 50 miles away in all directions. We certainly have enough land in Nevada to do that.

That’s about it for now. I’m sure you have many more pet peeves that you could add and I’d love to hear them, as well as run them in this column.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lenny/2006/0104.html
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Imperial Palace ‘Dealertainers’ Perform Miracles — Celebrity Impersonators Rival Real Deal.

Can Stevie Wonder deal blackjack?

You bet.

If he’s a “Dealertainer” at the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino.
Where else but in Las Vegas could you mix dealers who look like celebrities and entertainers who learn how to deal to create a winning combination of celebrity impersonator dealers.

The IP’s signature gaming-entertainment concept has been so popular since its start in 2003 that Dealertainers work the casino daily from noon to 4 a.m. When the lights and music come on, all eyes in the casino – well, maybe not the pit bosses – turn to the Dealertainer stage in the middle of the pit. Suddenly Billy Idol, Gwen Stefani or Rod Stewart breaks into a song, and toes start tapping, bodies gyrate to the beat and occasionally you hear a hotel guest singing nearly as loudly as the superstar.
There are 29 Dealertainers, including two versions of Elvis, Louie Armstrong, Bette Midler, the Blues Brothers and Aretha Franklin. One Dealertainer performs as Janet Jackson – and also as Prince.

So, just how does Stevie Wonder deal blackjack?

Depending on who you ask – and how far their tongues are planted in their cheeks – either card players go by the honor system or the deck has been imprinted with Braille.
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Growth pains for S&M-tinged show

By Richard Abowitz
Special to The Times

January 8, 2006

THERE was a bit of culture shock at first. When legendary pornographer John Stagliano opened his long-dreamed-of erotic dance show, “The Fashionistas,” at the Desert Passage Mall in the Aladdin in late 2004, he expected his biggest headache would come from county regulators over the show’s envelope-pushing explorations of sexuality, fetish and sadomasochism. He was mistaken.

“The thing that is radical about my show is the content: An S&M image is being used to move the story forward. My biggest fear was that people would think intellectually about what is going on onstage,” he explains. “This is a girl who is trying to seduce somebody by showing him pictures of her tied up; I thought that might offend somebody. It hasn’t; they were looking just at how much skin was revealed, and by that standard, the show isn’t radical at all.”

In fact, while it has occasional man-on-man dirty dancing and even a shoe-fetish number, the most sexually provocative and adventurous show in Las Vegas history isn’t even topless. And so, rather than condemnation, the show (based on his adult film of the same title) opened to extraordinary critical raves in local outlets that praised Stagliano’s aggressive choreography, aerialists, lighting effects, sumptuous costumes, production values and, in general, proclaimed “Fashionistas’ ” creativity off the charts: Las Vegas had never seen anything like it.

Of course, being startlingly original and creatively adventurous is not what Las Vegas entertainment is known for, especially in its adult shows, which tend to require no more than jiggles and jokes. So finding an audience for a 90-minute modernist dance interpretation of a marathon porno movie has been a huge challenge. This time last year, Stagliano was reporting losses of $35,000 to $40,000 a week.

“It is really difficult to market to this town. It is so expensive and so competitive. I didn’t know it was this hard. Vegas audiences have been great for me. But it is a small audience because there are only so many people in town who want to see my kind of show at one particular time.”

Though it’s no longer losing that kind of money, even now Stagliano says “Fashionistas” is nowhere close to breaking even. “It is doing very poorly. It is an expensive show to do. There are 20 performers in the show, and it is a small room. The most we can get in there is 200 people. So the show has been a creative exercise for me to a large extent.”

Lacking dialogue, the story at the center of “Fashionistas” — a love triangle centering on a European designer who is developing a fetish line — is told through dancing and a soundtrack that mixes original music with songs by, among others, Tool, Led Zeppelin and Evanescence. What has wowed critics here is that the sensuality and staging of “Fashionistas” are sophisticated, aggressive and detailed. Traditional Vegas chorus lines and moves are a world away from the wild expressive dancing Stagliano favors.

One lead, Kelly Adkins, a veteran of almost a decade in Vegas shows, laughs when asked to compare Stagliano’s show with her other Vegas experiences. “John is not afraid to do what he wants to do and do it hard. He gives you the liberty to take the show to the next level to make it more erotic.”

Victoria L. Ribeiro, who recently left a position as vice president of marketing for Splash at the Riviera to work as the director of marketing for “The Fashionistas,” says: “The main difference between John and the other producers in Las Vegas is that John’s vision was rooted primarily in creating a beautiful dance show with little consideration to the marketability of that show. Rather than find an element or concept that might be missing in Las Vegas and build a show to fill that niche, he built ‘The Fashionistas’ to realize a creative dream. But a critically acclaimed show in Las Vegas is not necessarily one that will sell tickets.”

Unlike with “Le Rêve” and “Kà” (or, for that matter, the short-lived “We Will Rock You” and “Avenue Q”), the national media have mostly ignored “The Fashionistas.” Nor have the local good reviews even helped Stagliano’s relationship with the host property. According to Stagliano, “The Aladdin hotel has not been receptive to helping us do any marketing. Other shows are promoted as part of the experience of coming to the Aladdin hotel, and my show, which has done much better critically, is ignored.”

Certainly with so many obstacles, any other show would have closed. But Stagliano is as stubborn as he is creative. According to Ribeiro: “Luckily, John’s resources to sustain his dream have allowed the show to remain open.”

And his resources from his day job are substantial. “John is arguably the most influential pornographer this industry has ever seen,” says Mike Ramone, editor in chief of Adult Video News, the porn industry trade magazine. In the ’80s Stagliano pioneered the genre of plot-free porn known as gonzo through his wildly popular Buttman films. Though his on-camera career ended (Stagliano was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1997), he continues to wield influence and rake in money as the owner of Evil Angel, among the country’s premier distributors of adult films.

The movie version of “The Fashionistas” was honored with numerous AVN awards, and Saturday night Stagliano was scheduled to receive a special achievement award for the stage version of “Fashionistas” from AVN during its annual Las Vegas convention at the Venetian. According to Ramone, “John is the first pornographer to stage a Broadway-quality show and to stage it so brilliantly. It is a significant step in the mainstreaming of adult.”

Where else would you expect such a cultural breakthrough?
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Vegas Values Report

The below information is supplied by Scot Krause, our roving reporter, who supplies us each week with information on the best Las Vegas promotions. It’s only available here on the americancasinoguide.com web site so be sure to come back each Monday morning to find out about the best values in Las Vegas.

Here’s what we found this week:
http://www.americancasinoguide.com/Promotions/VEGAS-VALUES.shtml
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Steve’s Trip Report

I guess the old saying “Better late than never” will have to apply to this Trip Report.

Myself, my son and his girlfriend left New York November 23rd for Las Vegas. The changeover in Chicago went off without a hitch. We got to Las Vegas at 9 PM and checked into the I.P. Their was a slight delay on the return flight but it was only an hour.

I had prearranged with my pal Bob Cohen to surprise my son and Kim with a Luv-Tub room. I got the Strip view room overlooking the Carnival Court at Harrah’s which was very loud at night.

The I.P. casino has went through extensive renovations and was brighter and more spacious than the last time I was there. They removed many slot machines and some tables so navigating the casino was easier than ever. They moved the Champagne Pit towards the front of the casino and spiced up the Dealertainer Pit.

As usual, the I.P. personal are very customer friendly from the maids to the Pit Bosses. Playing at the I.P. is always a lot of fun.

Summary of the Trip:

Gambling:

I’ll start with the gambling as that will be the easiest to write about since I had no luck at all except for Pai Gow. I did lousy at the horses and the few dogs I bet and I only cashed 3 tickets in five days. I did hold my own at Pai Gow and in two of the sessions that I played I only lost two hands, the first one and the last one. I either won or pushed every other hand. I had no luck at the slots and did not walk away a winner one time. I managed to play even only twice. My son had a little luck at roulette, and did very well with # 23 (Don Mattingley’s jersey number) But neither him or Kim had any luck on the slots or the tables.

Dining:

The I.P. Buffet:
I give them credit as they tried to improve this buffet with an omlette station and a new dessert station. It is still hit and miss though. Breakfast is still the worst meal of the day but you can always manage to find a few good choices at lunch and dinner. The chicken dishes are always good. the Prime Rib at night is worth the price of the buffet in itself.

The Flamingo Las Vegas Buffet:
We had Thanksgiving Day lunch at this buffet and it was excellent. I have always said this buffet is very good and this visit proved it. Everything was excellent especially the Turkey, Meatballs, Prime Rib and the Chicken. A great view of the Flamingo Habitat just makes the meal that more enjoyable.

The Aladdin Buffet:
Short and Sweet..the best in Las Vegas. A must try at least one time. Go early or get a Line Pass.

The Wynn Las Vegas Buffet:
This was billed as a “Holiday Buffet” so I expected it to be better than the regular buffet, but it wasn’t. In fact it wasn’t as good as the previous visits that Eileen and I had. It just seemed that the holiday deluge took it’s toll on the entire staff. The pluses were the Prime Rib, the Soup Bar and the Pasta Station. Missing were the Kobe meatballs that we enjoyed on our previous visit. All three of us were disappointed in the buffet.

Ming at the IP:
Simply put, one of the best Chinese restaurants in Las Vegas, perhaps even in the top five! The food is always excellent and with this visit it proved true again. The Chicken Lo Mein was the best I ever had. Portions are huge and can easily be shared. The three of us could not finish everything. Kim is a vegetarian and had no problem with the Seasonal Vegetable dish and Jason was very satisfied with the Moo Goo Gai Pan. I had the Beef with Chinese Vegetables which was very good. Prices are very reasonable and I highly recommend Ming to all my members.

Limerick’s Steakhouse at Fitzgerald’s:
This was out Thanksgiving Day main meal and we were the invited guests of Larry G. Jones. If you looking for the “Old-time Las Vegas Steakhouse” than this is your place. It’s rather small but very comfy and beautifully decorated. The food was out of this world. I had the Prime Rib, Larry and Jason had the Steak and Kim, the vegetarian had the Chicken which she will eat on occasion. Dinner came with a salad, a huge baked potato and a veggie. Food and service with top notch and having dinner with Larry was a great experience.

Benni-Hana at the Las Vegas Hilton:
This was a fun dinner despite the Family (Husband, Wife and two spoiled teenagers) that were at out table. The parents either lost the family nest egg or the teenage daughters ran off and got married earlier in the day because they didn’t flinch or crack a smile during the whole dinner show. The visual show was very funny and the food was very good. The only problem was the entree was served last and the timing was as such as that was all that was left to eat. So my last course was an entire steak without anything to eat with it. All in all, it was a pleasant experience.

The Shows:

The Fashionistas:
I really enjoyed this show a lot and so did my son and Kim. It really was very good. The music, the dancing, the acrobatics and the girls were fantastic. It was not as sexual as one would think so I don’t think anyone would be offended in seeing this show. It is nonstop from start to finish. The showroom is viewer friendly and there really isn’t bad seat in the house. There is also a comfy VIP section that includes lounge and couch seating. I have to say that the girls in the show were some of the sexiest girls I have ever seen. (I know Eileen won’t mind me saying that?…Eileen?)
Another plus is the beverage service throughout the show. (Drinks are a bit pricey)
I think you will enjoy this show, I did.

Delisco at the Las Vegas Hilton:
Can you say “Future Superstar?” This guys got it all. The winner of the Wayne Newton’s “The Entertainer,” Delisco proves why he won that title. He is a great singer and entertainer. Highlights of the show were his Motown tribute and the best version of Mr. Bojangles that I have ever heard. He even does some of his own material which is also very good. In speaking to him after the show, he told me he is considering some offers from other hotels now that the show at he Hilton has closed. Maybe the Hilton should consider another contract? He is THAT good.

David Brenner at the Las Vegas Hilton:
I have to say this was one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. Brenner is an excellent comedian and a great crowd pleaser. Being honest in my review, it was obvious to me, my son, Kim and most of the people in the audience that Brenner was not his normal self that night. He stated before the show he had a reaction to something he had eaten the day before and was on medication. That could have been true but he was fiddling with his nose during the entire show. He would also start one story, stop it in the middle, start another story, then finish the first story 10 minutes later.

Brenner did over an hour of great stuff and I am glad he changed his politically orientated show that he did at the Golden Nugget. His contact expired recently at the Hilton but if you get a chance to see him, do it. He is one of the best.

Since we had VIP passes to the show, 3 free rounds of drinks were included. We also got three rounds for the Delisco show that we saw right before this show. I don’t drink but my son and Kim do. I think the waitress really “liked” Kim as she continually brought here free drinks after the second round of three free ones were used up. Jason and I were hysterical! I lost count after 10 rounds..the girl can drink!

Larry G. Jones at Fitzgerald’s.
This marks the 3rd time I have seen Larry’s show and I enjoy it more and more everytime. Word on Larry’s show is finally reaching a lot of people as the showroom was full. Highlights for me are Natalie and Nate King Cole Duet, Willie Nelson and Julio Englasies Duet, Neil Diamond and my favorite, The Temptations (Larry does ALL the voices) Larry’s voice in itself is impressive, very strong with a wide vocal range. It was also very gracious of Larry to mention my newsletter at the end of the show. If you get a chance, see this show. You will have a great time and make sure you mention the newsletter to Larry.

There is also a poster of Woodstock on the showroom wall. Look between the two towers and that’s where I was sitting.

The Everything Las Vegas Members Meeting.

Being honest, I was a little disappointed that only half of the over 50 people showed up but after all, this was Las Vegas. Angela from the Gordie Brown fan Club informed me that traffic was horrendous and being there were a lot of locals were coming and it WAS Thanksgiving Weekend that may have been a factor in the turnout.

The people that came had a good time and as always it was a pleasure meeting them all. The meeting lasted a little over an hour and I think everyone had a great time. I appreciate the people that just stopped by to say “HI” and left. That was way cool for them to do that.

Angela also brought some Gordie Brown and Wonder Boogie souvenirs and along with the Larry G. Jones vouchers I had, everyone ended up with a gift which was very nice.

My pal Bob Cohen also came up to meet my members and extended them an open invitation to stay at the I.P. I also want to thank Jackie Brett and Pat from the I.P. for their help in setting the meeting up.

Well, that’s about all I can remember. We all had a good time. Kim was a Vegas Virgin and can’t wait to go back…neither can I.

Steve
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I hope you enjoyed this issue. Please feel free to post a comment.

Posted on January 20th, 2006 by MrVegas98
Filed under: Newsletter