Everything Las Vegas Issue # 586
August 11th, 2006
My next Las Vegas trip will be September 20th-26th. I will probably have a members during that time. If you would like to join us, just email me at mrvegas98@aol.com.
One Final Time: 30% Off “The American Casino Guide”
If you plan to go to Las Vegas before the end of the year then you might want to order the 2006 edition of The American Casino Guide.
If you use just ONE of the coupons, it will pay for the purchase of the guide.
PLEASE NOTE: This guide was printed in 2005 and a few of the shows are no longer running.
Here is the info:
30% Discount
plus two FREE bonuses!
Two pocket-sized strategy cards
one for 9/6 Jacks or better video poker
and one for blackjack (four versions)
Offer Valid though 8/20/06
at 10 p.m. Eastern Time
AMERICAN CASINO GUIDE
2006 - Edition
by Steve Bourie
The American Casino Guide has been
published annually since 1992 and is the most comprehensive book available for information on
all U.S. casinos including all casino/resorts,
riverboats and Indian casinos.
The 2006 edition includes detailed information
on more than 700 casinos in 36 states, plus it includes 191 coupons valued at more than $1,000!
To see a list of all casino coupons click here:
http://www.americancasinoguide.com/S…ons-2006.shtml
To order the book, click here:
http://www.americancasinoguide.com/Store/mrvegas.shtml
Steve
Clark County Department of Aviation Notice
The following information from the Clark County Department of Aviation, and is designed to be helpful to you and your hotel personnel when you are planning to travel.
McCarran is Operating Under Heightened Orange Security Alert Status
Enhanced TSA Security Measures in Place.
While there have been no specific threats to McCarran International
Airport, the Department of Homeland Security has taken immediate steps
to increase security measures in the aviation sector. As a result,
enhanced Transportation Security Administration measures have been implemented at the security checkpoints at McCarran International
Airport.
Passengers may not have liquids or gels of any size at the screening
checkpoint or in the cabin of the aircraft. The following items will
not be allowed in carry-on luggage, but may be transported in checked
luggage:
- Beverages
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Suntan lotion
- Cream
- Toothpaste
- Hair gel
- Other items of similar consistency
In addition, beverages purchased in the sterile area must be consumed
before boarding the aircraft.
Passengers may transport the following items in carry-on luggage:
- Baby formula or breast milk if traveling with a baby or small child
- Prescription medicine labeled with the name that matches the
passenger’s ticket
- Insulin and other essential non-prescription medicines
As a result of these enhanced security measures, expect delays at the
security checkpoints at McCarran. Passengers are advised to call their
airline to check the status of their flight before coming to the
airport.
McCarran sees 9/11-like chaos.
Passengers wait hours to get through security.
Security lines at McCarran International Airport snaked around corners, down the escalator and into the parking garage Thursday morning, a result of a crackdown by the Transportation Security Administration after an announcement that British authorities had foiled a terror plot.
The chaos and confusion that arose in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, returned to McCarran as thousands of passengers waited for hours to get through security checkpoints, many conceding that they would miss their flights.
More from The Las Vegas Review Journal Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-11-Fri-2006/news/9004882.html
Steve’s Las Vegas Quickies:
“The Sopranos Last Supper” and Bacardi of Southern Nevada have made a deal to promote their drinks at the show with a free “Big Apple Panic Attack Martini” to start out the evening for a Ba Da Bang. This is in lieu of a glass of free wine or champagne. Dillstar Productions and Bacardi have come up with a menu of drink specials featuring Bacardi at a reasonable $7 per drink and the drinks are named after the characters. A five-course dinner is included. Call (702) SEE TONY for information or reservations. The R-J says, “It’s a fun scene, one that’s hard to find on the modern-day Strip, or anywhere else for that matter.”
Thursdays in August, TI Pool, 6 - 11 p.m.
Shhhhh! It’s Whisper! For one month only, TI is throwing a nightime
pool party called Whisper beginning Thursday, August 10th and
continuing August 17th, 24th, and 31st. There is no cover for this
event and all industry members are FREE! DJ Inferno will be spinning
with an open format from 6 to 11 p.m. Swimming is encouraged!
If you attended the opening of Caesars Palace on Aug. 5, 1966, the celebrity sightings at Andy Williams’ show in the 980-seat Circus Maximus Showroom would have included: boxing greats Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey, Ed Sullivan, actors John Wayne, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn and a 20-something, starry-eyed kid in the back row named Steve Wynn.
reviewjournal.com — News - NORM
Gordie Brown returned Friday from St. Petersburg, Russia, where he did a private show for businessmen on a cruise liner on the Black Sea. He opens in mid-October at the new showroom that’s being built at The Venetian, next to the Blue Man Group Theatre.
reviewjournal.com — News - NORM
The Rolling Stones return Nov. 11 to the MGM Grand for their A Bigger Bang tour.
Vince Vaughn returns tonight to host his “Wild West Comedy Show” at Mandalay Bay. When he brought the show here over New Year’s, girlfriend Jennifer Aniston danced on the bar at Forty Deuce. If she makes the trip, she probably will miss Pitt, her ex-husband, by a day. The “Ocean’s Thirteen” cast is reportedly leaving on Thursday.
reviewjournal.com — News - NORM
Access Hollywood plans an in-depth look at “Love” at the Mirage. The hourlong special airs from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 20 on KVBC Channel 3.
Magician Nathan Burton, who stars in his own afternoon comedy-magic show at the V Theatre at Desert Passage at the Aladdin is among the 10 finalists on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” hit show.
J.C. Wooloughan Irish Pub at the JW Marriott will celebrate its seventh anniversary on Thursday, Aug. 31, with an Irish party from 8 p.m. until the wee hours. It will be a St. Patrick’s Day atmosphere along with giveaways, various drink and food specials and live music.
Delisco, the winner of E television network’s “The Entertainer” will appear at the Sahara’s Casbar Theater Lounge at 9 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and midnight, Aug. 29 - Sept. 3.
The Sahara Hotel and Casino has redesigned its Web site. The new site includes an interactive timeline about the hotel’s 50-year plus history.
The Venetian announced today that it’s partnered with McCarran Airport to introduce Airport SpeedCheck Advance, a service that allows guests to bypass airport lines by checking their luggage and receiving their boarding passes directly on the property. The service costs $20 and is available from 5:30 am to 3:30 pm daily via a check-in desk located in the Convention Center. Regular airport rules and regulations apply: Passengers must present valid ID and drop off luggage at least three hours prior to departure.
Las Vegas Advisor - Anthony Curtis - Today’s News
The LV Review-Journal reports that the South Coast will be renamed South Point. Last month, former Coast Casinos head honcho Michael Gaughan made a deal with Boyd Gaming to trade Boyd stock for sole ownership of South Coast. The Coast brand stays with Boyd, hence the name change.
Las Vegas Advisor - Anthony Curtis - Today’s News
Binion’s has two late night specials that are served from midnight till 6 a.m. For only $1.99 you can get a ham, 2 eggs, hash browns, toast and jelly. For only 99 cents you just eliminate the ham and get everything else.
Sunset Station special: The “Summer Diner Buffet” is only $10.99 when you present your Boarding Pass card.
ZUMANITY at NY.NY. is having a “Sensual Summer Nights” special that last through September 3rd. All tickets are jusr $69 instead of $99. This special also comes with one free appetizer from the Eroticafe and a “Zumanitini.”
The newest stop on the pool party scene: Treasure Island kicks off Whisper, its Thursday nights after-hours party at Wet, the new pool. Open from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Free. Must be 21.
For all you bowling fans, the Red Rock Casino will be adding a 72-lane bowling center, expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2007. The bowling center will also include a lounge, dining area, full service pro shop and a self-contained VIP bowling area including 12 lanes to host private banquets, meetings and events.
reviewjournal.com — Lenny’s Las Vegas
The contract of Harrah’s headlining comedy magician Mac King has been extended for five years.
The Lucky Motel sign, one of the oldest from a bygone era, is being taken down today at 1111 Fremont St. Illusionist Steve Wyrick has purchased it for his neon collection.
The Las Vegas Hilton has a new name for its Mexican restaurant: Hacienda Margarita. The chefs now are busy designing a new, exciting menu that will debut in a month. Dinner hours: 5 p.m.-11 p.m. And, yes, margaritas are on the current menu and will be on the new menu.
Michelle Nunes, a blackjack dealer at Hooters Casino Hotel took home the big win in the Miss Hooters 2006 International pageant this past week. Nunes was chosen from among 120 regional Hooters pageant winners from all over the world to represent Hooters of America for the next year. Nunes has already represented Hooters on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has also been featured several times in the Hooters Calendar. But most importantly, for Las Vegas locals and visitors alike, she can be spotted at the Hooters Casino Hotel every week dealing blackjack at the Hooters Girl Party Pit!
http://www.thecircuitlv.com/08_07_06.htm
X Girls which is at The Aladdin will be closing on September 4th. As of today, there is no replacement show announced.
Bally’s Las Vegas is combining the glitz and glamour of Don Arden’s Jubilee! with the fabulous restaurants at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas in the new Jubilee! Dinner and Show Package. Each package includes one Jubilee! ticket and $30 dining voucher that can be redeemed at one of six restaurants located within Bally’s and Paris.
The packages can be purchased at Bally’s Box Office for $80, $92 and $97, and are valid at Chang’s, al Dente, Bally’s Steakhouse, Ah Sin, Le Provencal, and Les Artistes.
http://www.casinotravelnews.com
NORM: New ‘Ocean’ might premiere in Vegas.
The Bellagio is being considered for the world premiere of “Ocean’s Thirteen,” producer Jerry Weintraub disclosed Wednesday.
Weintraub said leading man George Clooney raised the possibility during a break in filming at the resort Wednesday.
“We’re talking,” Weintraub said. “George said, ‘Have you thought about it?’”
Plans to hold the world premiere of the remake of “Ocean’s Eleven” at Bellagio fell through in 2001 in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Security concerns were cited as the reason at that time.
“Security issues don’t exist now,” said Weintraub. “It’s a big city now, and I’ve got some ideas.”
Returning to the Bellagio for “Ocean’s Thirteen” scenes was the plan all along, he added.
“(MGM Mirage bosses) Terry Lanni and Bobby Baldwin have been fantastic to us,” said Weintraub, who has another “Ocean’s” shoot planned for next month at Bellagio.
Weintraub also has had a longtime relationship with MGM Mirage megaboss Kirk Kerkorian.
Weintraub revealed script details for the first time on the scenes that were shot in Las Vegas over three days this week.
Tuesday’s shoot was at the construction site of Palazzo, the $1.6 billion, 3,025-room sister property to The Venetian.
“Al Pacino’s character, Willie Bank, is building a casino called The Bank and (Danny Ocean’s heist team) comes into town to see him,” Weintraub said.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-10-Thu-2006/news/8987753.html
MIKE WEATHERFORD: Braxton could have learned a lesson from Celine’s Vegas debut.
From The Las Vegas Review Journal
They listened to Celine, but they didn’t learn from Celine.
It was Celine Dion who talked up a Las Vegas residency to Toni Braxton. But no one at the Flamingo Las Vegas remembered that Dion got a lukewarm response when her Caesars Palace show opened in March 2003 after only a handful of previews.
History repeated itself Aug. 3, when Braxton’s new resident showcase invited celebrities and members of the media after only two ticketed performances. Reaction the next day came from various people but all reached the same conclusion: The debut was nothing short of a train wreck.
More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-10-Thu-2006/living/8939571.html
Lenny’s Las Vegas: Something Old, Something New.
The Scintas perform at a new venue and Toni Braxton opens at the Flamingo.
By Len Butcher.
Went to see a few shows last week-one new, the other at a new venue. The first was The Scintas, and for the five or six people (not counting my mother) who read my column, you know that this is one of my favorite shows in town and I have been recommending it over the past five years when they performed at the Rio.
They have now taken their act to the Sahara with lots of good new material, but the theater, in my opinion, is a killer. First of all, the theater at the Rio was like a nightclub, with tables and booths and the stage featured a runway that took the performers out into the audience. A perfect setup for The Scintas type of show where there is a lot of interaction with the audience.
The Sahara’s theater, like most today in Las Vegas, has “stadium or movie seating”. Nothing particularly wrong with that, and I have to admit the seats are comfortable. But the theater itself needs to either be torn down, or a major facelift given to it. There is nothing visually attractive about it. In fact, there is nothing visual about it at all. It’s like walking into a large black, gloomy room. Not the kind of setting you want for a show that’s full of life with lots of laugh and great music.
The crowd still loved them and they got a standing O the night I was there, but let’s hope the hotel gets sold fast (it’s on the block now) and the new owners make the theater a priority.
Then there was the opening night for Toni Braxton and the Flamingo has a winner on its hands. Not only does the six-time Grammy award-winning artist have a great voice, but she has a great rapport with the audience, which means everything. Liberace once told me that “no matter how talented you are, you have to be likeable. Likeability is the key to your success. If people don’t like you, you’ll never make it.”
How right he was, and Braxton has it. She knows how to play to the audience and with her nine talented dancers, two backup singers and great band, creates a high-energy, sexy show that should appeal to just about everyone.
The show is called Revealed, a good choice, considering most of the costumes worn by Braxton and her dancers, but it means much more than skimpy costumes, as her selection of songs illustrates.
I am putting this high on my must-see list. By the way, when she changes microphones at one point and says, “I think I deserve a million-dollar microphone,” that’s exactly what she’s getting-a $1 million 500-carat diamond-studded microphone. Now that’s class. Tickets range from $69 to $109. Braxton performs Tuesday thru Saturday at 7:30 each night.
NORM: Comedy festival set for LV return.
A monster hit a year ago, The Comedy Festival is returning to Caesars Palace on Nov. 14 and will be expanded to five days.
A spinoff of the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colo., the first-year event included 50 performances, with appearances by such stars as Dave Chappelle, Larry David, George Lopez, Bill Maher, Dennis Miller, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Garry Shandling and Jon Stewart.
This year’s talent lineup will be announced later, but “comic relief” will be aired live by HBO from the Colosseum on the final day, with co-hosts Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams. The event will benefit “Children of Katrina” and other Katrina-related charities.
The Roman Plaza amphitheater has been added to the festival, which is presented by HBO and AEG Live and sponsored by TBS.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-11-Fri-2006/news/9010371.html
SHOW REVIEW: The Scintas By Mike Weatherford
Las Vegas Review Journal.
Always Dependable: The Scintas preserve the ring-a-ding style of old Vegas.
When I came to Las Vegas in the late 1980s, I never thought I would be writing this sentence: Las Vegas casinos are starting to forget about entertainment for people in their 50s and 60s.
This is not to say all age groups don’t enjoy Cirque du Soleil, or that we don’t get enough classic rock for baby boomers. But the original golden-age Vegas acts are gone or starting to face the final curtain — catch Don Rickles and Steve and Eydie while you can — and the tide has shifted away from acts who either imitate the greats outright or preserve their ring-a-ding style.
The Scintas do both, rolling out comic celebrity impressions combined with their own sibling chemistry. The family act’s manic style hearkens back to the “show bands” of the vintage lounge era, though a few dramatic or sentimental moments also rise up in a very old-Vegas fashion as well.
More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-11-Fri-2006/weekly/8951934.html
PLAYER’S EDGE: South Coast offering daily players club promotions.
The South Coast is running a different promotion every weekday this month. On Mondays, Club Coast members earning 2,000 points ($2,000 coin-out) will receive 1,000 additional points (only once per day.) Use your points on Tuesdays to purchase meals, and they are worth double the usual cash value. Wednesdays is double points day. On Thursdays, members purchasing a Garden Buffet with their points will earn a second buffet free. And on Fridays, a random slot player will win $100 in instant credits every 30 minutes, and the club members sitting to his immediate left and right will get $50 in instant credits.
More “PLAYERS EDGE” here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-11-Fri-2006/weekly/8974264.html
“Lunchtime With Ira”
It’s deep space and fun music on next week’s (August 14) “Lunchtime with Ira.” Ira David Sternberg talks with Nichelle Nichols (Lieutenant Uhura in the popular “Star Trek” franchise, who will be attending the Star Trek convention) and members of the popular “Society of Seven.” “Lunchtime with Ira” is a weekly radio show broadcast live from the Las Vegas Hilton on KDWN AM 720 TALK RADIO in Las Vegas, carried nationally on Cable Radio Networks (CRN), streamed live, archived and podcast on www.lvhilton.com, and aired on the Watchit Television Network (Watchit Media, Inc.) channels on hotel in-room television sets.
VegasTalk Radio Show - The FIRST Internet Radio Variety Show from Las Vegas ABOUT LAS VEGAS!!!
You can NOW listen to ALL of the previous guest interviews under “Show Archives” on the website!
Since our show has been running for several years now, there are quite a few. So you’ll need to select the Intial of the Last Name of our guests to locate them. Take a look around and listen in! Each interview runs less than 20 minutes.
This week’s show for Thursday, August 10, 2006 contains:
An interview with Dr. Lonnie Hammargren, a longtime Nevadan serving the public as a previous LT. Governor, and member of the UNLV Board of Regents. Lonnie is an accomplished surgeon. His science interests are broad, ranging from biology to medicine, mathematics, anthropology and psychology. His special focus is the history of scientific thought, archaeology and astronomy. Lonnie is an avid collector with special interests in trains, planes, cars, boats and the history of Nevada. His personal collections include: a Nevada History Yard, a Car Museum and an Egyptian Tomb which is a tribute to the history of ancient Egyptian medicine and science.
The “Vegas Confidential” call with Norm Clarke, Norm is voted “Most Connected” person in town and daily columnist for the Review Journal and author of the best selling “1,000 Naked Truths”. http://www.NormClarke.com
“Show Happenings” with Chuck Rounds - Chuck reviews the events happening this week in Las Vegas. http://www.igoshows.com
“Fine Dining” with Les Kincaid. http://www.LesKincaid.com
“The Godfather of Las Vegas”, Mark Wayman’s Insider Report http://www.godfatherlv.com
The weekly variety and entertainment show broadcasts LIVE and will be archived online at the VegasTalk Radio website (http://www.vegastalkradio.com/?a=1327) by midnight the same day it plays.
Slots Reviews by Gayle Mitchell
1) Bonus Deuces Wild Video Poker
An innovative video poker game, already hugely popular among land-based casino gamblers, where cards with a value of two, or deuces, as these are better known - are wild. Any deuce can substitute for any other card of any other suit - it really is like having four Jokers in the pack, and it gives a new and very appealing twist to a great casino standard. Whenever players get one or more deuces in their final hand, Microgaming’s Viper software will automatically assign it a suit and value to give them the highest possible payout. This player-friendly facility ensures that it is a lot easier, and much faster to create potentially winning hands.
The screen layout has been developed with large, easily read card graphics that are dealt with smooth precision from the 52-card deck. The paytable features top ranking hands winning 5,000 coins on a Royal Flush, 2,000 on 4 deuces with an Ace and 1000 if you can put 4 deuces together.
Played at 5 coins a hand, in the range 0.25 to 5.00 a time, the maximum bet is $25.00 a hand, and at that level jackpots could deliver a generous $25 000.00.
2) Joker Poker
This multi-hand video poker game sets new levels of excitement and action in this popular genre. Up to 100 hands of video poker can be played simultaneously at a time with a wide choice of wagers. For the gambler with a good bankroll and a penchant for action this is the ideal game.
Outstanding features include generous pay tables and an Auto Hold facility that holds the mathematically superior cards in the hand, but plays them only when and if the player wishes it.
Every hand is dealt from a separate and independent deck of 53 cards. The extra card is a Joker and is Wild, standing in for cards of any denomination and suit to complete a winning hand. When a Joker card is dealt, a suit and denotation are automatically assigned to the card giving the player the highest possible payout for the hand.
In addition to autohold, the analyser tables give guidance on current odds and cover permutations to help the player make the right decision - a valuable player tool that enables faster and more accurate play.
3) Mad Hatters
This is a summer tea party with a difference, where with a little luck and good interactive judgment players can have their (tea)cake and eat it. It’s a 5 real, 30 pay-line game with several unique firsts for online gaming; check out the different ways to win on more pay-lines and up to 50 free spins, and the innovative Extra Wild and Expanding Wild features.
See three, four or five Crazy Cuckoos on adjacent reels and an on-screen bonus feature is activated where players can choose three out of five birds and add the wins to their pay-line rewards. And those wins can add up to 11,100 coins.
Next, hope for the rabbit in the magician’s hat that is the Scatter symbol, because three, four or five of these across the reels activates the free spin function where players can rack up the most free spins ever in a game on the Internet… up to 50. Scatter wins are multiplied by the player’s total bet, and wins within those free spins are multiplied by x2. With so many ways to win at Mad Hatters, the game will deliver hours of entertainment.
4) Starscape
This video slot has some of the best artwork yet seen on the Internet: scintillating galactic graphics are matched with an exceptionally smooth-running 5 reel, 25 payline format with a host of entertaining features to give players a truly out of this world playing experience.
Wild, Scatter, Pick until Match Bonus Game and Multiplier features all deliver space age thrills, with brilliantly colored Saturn and its rings, giant Jupiter, fast moving icy asteroids and a fire-storming sun so real that you can feel the heat. The Bonus screen appears when three, four or five of the huge Scatter spacecraft majestically glide across your reels, triggering a giant window into space and 25 blocks from which players can select a multiplier that can launch wins into a different galaxy.
This slot has a maximum jackpot that can blast players to 70,000 in the base game, with a further 37,500 achievable on bonuses, all accompanied by a planet load of thrills and excitement.
There is always a welcome mat out to new subscribers.
I encourage you to invite your family and friends to join us.
TO SUBSCRIBE: Send a blank e-mail to: CPon@casinoplayersezine.com
A confirmation message will be sent and require your reply.
This Free ezine is published online twice/month.
Subscribers are notified by email when published.
NORM: Poker event feels feminine touch.
In “The Grand,” a celebrity poker film being shot in Las Vegas, Woody Harrelson’s character faces a woman for the title.
Insiders tell me she wins.
Over at the Rio, site of the World Series of Poker, life soon might imitate art. Few doubt that the day is coming when a woman will rule the world of poker.
“Absolutely,” said Phil Hellmuth, the 1989 winner of the Texas hold ‘em main event.
A handful of tournament-tested female pros were still in the hunt Friday, the midway mark, as the WSOP field was being whittled from almost 9,000 to 600.
Annie Duke, Cyndy Violette and Kathy Liebert are among the five or six “capable of winning it all,” said Doyle Brunson, the 1975 and 1976 main event winner.
“If the field was 50-50 (men and women), we’d dominate,” said Susie Isaacs, who has a book coming out in January titled “Queens Can Beat Kings: Broadminded Poker.”
Isaacs is the first woman to win back-to-back WSOP championships in the women’s competition, taking titles in 1996 and 1997.
Hellmuth doesn’t disagree that the final table would have a distinctly more feminine makeup if half the field was female. Women now make up only 3 percent of the entries.
“Annie Duke is fearless,” Hellmuth said. “She knows the game, and she has all the different gears. She knows how to play fast.”
Her weakness, Hellmuth said, “is she’s focusing more on business than poker.”
Violette has “great instincts, and she’s also fearless,” he added.
Violette, who had $110,000 in chips at the 3:30 p.m. break, said, “The key is you have to get lucky and stay lucky.”
“Women play the female card,” Brunson said, “and some do it better than others.”
By Norn Clarke
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-05-Sat-2006/news/8902919.html
NORM: Keep lookout for ‘Ocean’s’ crowd.
By Norm Clarke/Las Vegas Review Journal
The wisecracking safecrackers of “Ocean’s Thirteen” return this week for some unfinished business.
Most of the cast from the 2001 “Ocean’s Eleven” remake and “Ocean’s Twelve” arrive today for the first of two Las Vegas shoots.
In town for film scenes at McCarran International Airport and Bellagio are George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Andy Garcia, Carl Reiner and new addition Ellen Barkin.
If Angelina Jolie is joining Pitt, no one’s saying, but the new mom may be ready for a Vegas vacation.
Missing from the lineup will be Julia Roberts, Clooney’s love interest in the first two movies, and “Ocean’s Twelve” co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones, who played an investigator out to nab them in Europe.
A second shoot is scheduled in Las Vegas for September. The Stephen Soderberg-directed film is to be released next summer.
Producer Jerry Weintraub has hired Bernie Yuman, longtime manager of Siegfried & Roy, to represent the film for the Las Vegas shoot.
Yuman said that he met Weintraub more than a decade ago when Weintraub invited Siegfried & Roy to participate in “Vegas Vacation.”
“We made the deal (on ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’) and we’ve talked almost every day since,” Yuman said.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-06-Sun-2006/news/8914430.html
Everybody who was anybody wanted a shot onstage.
By Mike Weatherford/Las Vegas Review Journal
Rome Swings” was the title of the show originally meant to be wrapped around star performances at Caesars Palace. Redundant it was, in both name and purpose. When you have the ultimate swinger and “Noblest Roman of Them All,” as Frank Sinatra was once billed there, who needs the rest?
Veteran show producer Bill Moore remembers he and his late partner, George Arnold, got a huge break when an invitation to stage a production show at Caesars lifted them from the ranks of the Thunderbird and El Cortez.
They received “an unlimited budget and a very spectacular wardrobe” for the opening festivities headlined by Andy Williams on Aug. 5, 1966. But the show’s only lasting contribution was the Roman-toga look that casino greeters sport to this day.
More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-06-Sun-2006/living/8724234.html
SHOOTING STARS: Another ‘Ocean’ in the desert.
By Carol Cling/Las Vegas Review Journal
You’re either in or you’re out — and, this week, “Ocean’s Thirteen” is definitely in.
Starting today, the second sequel to the hit 2001 “Ocean’s Eleven” remake returns for the first of two brief location shoots. (The second one takes place later next month.)
The production plans to pack a lot into this week’s three-day visit, with scheduled locations ranging from Bellagio (”Ocean’s Eleven’s” primary setting) and Paris Las Vegas to McCarran International Airport and Strip construction sites.
“Everyone but Elliot Gould” will be making the location trek, reports executive producer Susie Ekins.
That includes such returning stars as George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and Andy Garcia, along with newcomers Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin. (Not to mention director Steven Soderbergh, working from a script by Brian Koppelman and David Levien.)
Gould may not be visiting Las Vegas this time around, but his character, old-timer Reuben Tishkoff, definitely figures in this latest caper — with Ocean and Co. out for revenge when a nasty casino owner (Pacino) cuts Tishkoff out of a deal.
Most of “Ocean’s Thirteen” is filming on a Hollywood casino set, but “there’s some things in Vegas you can’t capture anywhere else,” Ekins acknowledges. “You have to have some element of Vegas exteriors to make a believable movie.” reviewjournal.com — Living - SHOOTING STARS: Another ‘Ocean’ in the desert
Can ‘Plaid’ last forever?
Musical is not in harmony with Vegas glitz.
By Jerry Fink Las Vegas Sun
“Forever Plaid” celebrates its 500th performance at the Gold Coast on Thursday .
Whether it will make 1,000 is anybody’s guess.
“We’re struggling, like everyone else,” producer Richard Martini said with a candor not typical of most producers. “Summers are always bad. But even last fall and winter, we were struggling through some parts of the year. We did OK; we didn’t lose any money.”
Until this summer.
“We will lose a little bit,” Martini said.
He’s hoping things will pick up in the fall and that the production can hold on until the Christmas season for the popular holiday version of the musical, “Plaid Tidings.”
More Here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2006/aug/08/566635033.html
Toni Braxton
There is no shortage of buzz around Toni Braxton’s first week at Flamingo Las Vegas. She opened last Tuesday, and Thursday’s media preview was fairly rough, but Flamingo President Don Marrandino remains unshakably confident in the six-time Grammy Award winner. “Looking back I’d probably like another six days to work it out. It’s an intense production show, not a concert, with 21 songs and a lot of choreography, but by Saturday it was together.” Marrandino said Braxton sings over a vocal track during a couple of her dance numbers, and during the first few nights the sound mix of her voice and the track was off, a problem that has been remedied. He also said Braxton’s wide appeal would make her a winner at the hotel - “There was a five-minute segment about her on E! on Saturday, great exposure, and she’s sold 40 million records,” he said - and added that he plans to extend her eight-month contract at the hotel. “Presales have been off the hook,” he said
Las Vegas SUN: John Katsilometes
An aura of Old Vegas
An aura of Old Vegas was on display Saturday night at the Stirling Club at Turnberry Place, when Kelly Clinton invited Frankie Scinta and her sig oth, Clint Holmes onstage (or on the dance floor, in this case) to sing a couple numbers after Scinta had just finished work at the Sahara and Holmes stopped by after his performance at Harrah’s (Scinta’s turn at Louie Prima’s “Just A Gigolo” was particularly inspired). Holmes is fired up about his PBS special, which airs at 8 tonight in Las Vegas, and also reports that the name of his autobiographical musical has been changed from “Jam” to “Breathe” (which is not merely a good title, but sound advice). And, to wrap the latest Holmes/Clinton installment in Fab LV, Clinton filled in for Holmes’ sister, Gayle, at Harrah’s on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. “Excited and nervous” were Clinton’s dueling emotions at taking the Harrah’s stage.
Las Vegas SUN: John Katsilometes
OPEN BAR at Fashionistas!
Starting Tuesday August 8th for a limited time only, Fashionistas is instituting an amazing added value for all of our customers – we’re offering a free open bar with the purchase of a full priced ticket in any price tier!
That’s right – FREE OPEN BAR!!!
Anyone who purchases a full-priced ticket will receive a wristband at the box office that entitles them to the free open bar for the duration of the show. Patrons who purchase a discounted ticket or receive a ticket from a wholesale outlet will have the option to purchase the open bar promotion for an additional $10 at the box office.
Living In Las Vegas Podcast #25 is Online!
Title: How Scott and Melissa got Hitched
Ah, memories. At the urging of several listeners, today’s Living In Las Vegas podcast recounts the story of how two crazy kids named Melissa and Scott met.
Show notes:
PodWorx update
Being a Pool Pansy
Thanks Hunter, Graham
New Skype: LasVegasPodcast
Venetian visit
Sorry state of state treasurer candidates
Dinner at Hannah’s
The Story of Scott and Melissa MP3: http://www.livinginlv.com/podcasts/LivingInLVPodcast25.mp3
Streaming MP3: http://www.livinginlv.com/podcasts/LiLV25.m3u
Photos: http://www.livinginlv.com/photos/index.cfm#25
Visit the Website: www.LivingInLV.com
Thanks for listening! Send your on-air questions to onairq@livinginlv.com. Leave a voice mail and hear yourself “on the air” by calling the Living In Las Vegas Listener Line: 206.202.3223.
Sopranos Last Supper
Reviewed July 15, 2006
by Nancy Hruska? www.accessvegas.com
After being ushered into the “club” by a thick New York accented, rough around the edges, probably seen a little too much family business girl, it’s obvious; we’ve left Las Vegas and entered the old neighborhood. This is no average show, you can fugghedabout dat.
Krave, inside the Aladdin, is letting America’s favorite Mafiosa family, the Baritones AKA Sopranos, hideout and eh, just take care of a few things. Everyone is there, Tony, Bobby Bacala, Christopher, Pauly Walnuts, Johnny Sack, and Uncle Junior.
And don’t forget the women, Adrianna, Dr. Melfi, Janice, Meadow, and Carmella. All of them have two things on their mind- to find a rat and elect a new Mob Boss… Someone is going to be made. But as any good Italian would have it, business always travels with pleasure and the Baritones know how to throw a good party. In this case, The Soprano’s Last Supper. Complete with the sexy Bada Bing Go Go Girls, Cop shooting, trash talking, singing, and most important… food; anyone incapable of having a good time with this family can swim the fishes.
Polyester jumpsuits, wifebeaters, cigars, big collars, and gold, gold, gold seem to be the dress code in Sylvio’s place. This Mob hideaway owns the word “gaudy” with dozens of disco balls and loud decor. And something says the place is nearly empty for a reason. Perhaps it’s normal clientele is there usually to take care of other types of “business.” Here the boys get fired up about who’s a dirty rat and what it takes to be a real “boss.” Guns are pulled and filthy Italian mouths are at their best before they decide to elect someone new. From the family? No. From the audience.
But not before a few other details are covered. First, a little number by the voluptuous firecracker singer Ms. Dee Dee Diamond. Nothing gets wise guys going like this saucy Italian femme except maybe a lap dance from the Bada Bing Go Go Girls. And who can even think of whacking a rat or Making a new boss on an empty stomach anyway?
Food is served to everyone by the truckload. And not just an average stale Vegas buffet line-up, but food that would make even the Corleone family proud. Three different types of Lasagna, every sauce known to the Mediterranean, Chicken Parmesan, Antipasto, noodles to no end, and real Canolis were just a few of the delicacies fit for a Mob king. But this dinner was no peaceful meal by candlelight. The cast, in their true Italian spirit, visit all the tables, talk way above any normal pitch, and do their best to harass everyone. “Manga!” “What, that’s all you’re gonna eat? No respect!”
Now, it seems so far, in the old neighborhood, it’s the wise guys that make all the noise. But some of the overly tanned, bad mouthed, and ballsy women would beg to differ in that they hold some puppet strings and attitude of their own. It takes a certain kind of woman to marry into this business. Complimented by the singing of “Dancing Queen” and Aretha’s “Respect,” the ladies reveal several tips on being a successful Mob princess. On clothing- if it sparkles, dangles, or the designer ends in ?o-, buy it! On hair- bigger is better. On the right walk- chew gum and strut, and chew, and strut, and chew… On marriage- marry into money! It is after all, not how you spend your time, it’s how much you spend in your time.
And now with all the nonsense, singing, dancing, and Tony’s shrink appointments finally out of the way, it’s time to Make the new boss. One by one, audience members are brought up on stage and tested to see if they’ll fit the underworld position. A slick dirty dog is chosen and the partying continues. No one is sitting any longer. The quiet, sly Mob hideaway swarms with a cha cha dance line and crashing wine glasses. The audience can’t help but celebrate like one of their own is the new boss.
So one might question: All this fuss, food, singing, and dancing just for this small order of Mafia business? Well, that’s how the Sopranos like to do things. If someone doesn’t like it, there’s a concrete shoe just their size.
http://www.las-vegas-shows-reviews.com/sopranos-last-supper.htm
The Top 100 Las Vegas Strip Restaurants
http://www.ceo-cfogroup.com/top-100-on-strip.bv
The Top 100 Off Strip Las Vegas Restaurants
http://www.ceo-cfogroup.com/top-100-off-strip.bv
Friends Perform In Tropicana’s Lounge
From www.accessvegas.com
Talented lounge group, Friends, takes the stage every Tuesday through Saturday in the Celebration Lounge at the Tropicana Resort & Casino.
Friends consist of six gifted musicians and singers that enjoy working and playing together. Lead vocalist Susan McDonald possesses not only considerable vocals, but also the ability to engage and entertain audiences. She is joined by the dynamic Derrick Cordero, who sings and works the crowd with his funky dance moves. Fabulous vocals also come from musicians Steve Grantham on drums and Sean Barney on bass. Pete Sprague, “The Doctor,” is the keyboard wizard and musical director for the group, as well as a lead and backup singer. The Rock edge is provided by Matt Mackelvie who proves his talent with guitar solos from Aerosmith, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Santana.
Friends entertain audiences with an eclectic mix of music ranging from classic rock, to dance favorites, as well as current Top 40 tunes. The play list includes songs from such artists as Patsy Cline, Luther Vandross and the Rolling Stones. A couple of funky tunes include “I Like The Way You Move” by Outkast and “Don’t Funk With My Heart” by the Black Eyed Peas.
Friends perform Tuesday and Thursday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Wednesday from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., and from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. There are no performances Sunday and Monday nights. The show is FREE.
On The Town With Vegas Vic
By: Victor H. Royer
Welcome to Las Vegas! My name is Victor H. Royer, but everyone just calls me Vegas Vic. I was named after that famous neon sign in Downtown Las Vegas, that cowboy with the hat on top of the Pioneer Club, always waving his hand and beckoning to his long love, Sassy Sally, on the other side of the street. I will be writing a few articles for AccessVegas.com, so I hope you enjoy them.
Video Slots — The Price is RightThis is a progressive video slot machine. The Price is Right machines are based on the IGT Megajackpots system. There are two versions of this game, one with the Cliff Hanger Bonus and the other with the Plinko Bonus. Both games also feature the Showcase Showdown Bonus as well. The base game is the 9-line video slot machine based on the Price if Right theme which has already been established. You may have in fact played this game already in your favorite casino. These two versions of the game that are the next stage in the development of this theme feature the addition of these bonuses plus the progressive jackpot which starts at $10,000.00.
When you reach the Showcase Showdown Bonus, you will receive up to two spins from the top-box reel. If the spin results in 55 to 100 credits, the game’s stage is now set for some big bonus fun in the main Showcase round. In this main round, you get to pick on-screen price tags each of which reveals a prize amount paid in the total number of credits shown on the tag.
Some tags add extra bonus credits to your prize package, and one tag is a multiplier which can multiply your win up to five times. When you reveal the values of all the prize tags in that package you will be awarded the package’s total bonus credits. If the total spin amount was not over 100 credits, then you will win the total spin amount multiplied by the line bet amount. Otherwise, you will still receive a consolation spin. If your spin results in exactly 100 credits, then you get an extra spin that could mean even more credits for you.
The Cliff Hanger Bonus and the Plinko Bonus are the two main features which separate the two games from each other. You can tell which game you are playing by looking at the top of the game itself, where it will say either “Plinko”, or “Cliffhanger”. Otherwise, all the other features of the games are the same as described here.
In the Cliff Hanger Bonus, the object is for you to help your yodeling climber climb up the side of the mountain. You do this by picking up to three price tags. Each tag reveals the number of steps the climber will take. The farther the climber goes, the more credits you get. But, if the climber goes over the edge and falls down the cliff, well, then you will just have to settle for the consolation credits (which aren’t shabby at all, just by themselves). No matter what, even if your climber goes over the edge, you will always win something in this bonus round.
In the Plinko Bonus round, you will first receive one Plinko chip. You then try to get as many as three more chips by selecting three products from groups of two on the bonus screen. The more chips you find the more chances you have to get the biggest Plinko bonus. After you have collected all the chips you can get, you indicate where to drop them by touching your finger over that specific area at the top of the Plinko board.
You do this one by one for all the chips you were able to collect during the earlier part of this bonus round. The Plinko chip then ambles its way down the Plinko board, bouncing around as it hits the spokes, and eventually it will land in a pocket which designates the bonus amount you will win. And so on for all the chips which you were able to collect for this bonus round.
If you’re not familiar with the traditional Plinko game, this used to be a very popular carnival game. The game was simply a board with nails protruding from it, and with pockets below. A rubber ring, or a ball, was dropped in from the top, gravity took over, and eventually the ring, or ball, bounced their way all the way down to the bottom and came to rest in a pocket which then designated your win.
This version of The Price if Right, with the Plinko Bonus, is very similar to that game in the Plinko Bonus round. Actually, it’s a really fun game, and I happen to like that version of this progressive better than the others. But that’s only my own personal preference, because all the games in this series from IGT are great fun, and offer terrific wins.
Victor H. Royer is the Author of 18 books, more than 50 casino reports, profiles, and manufacturing analyses, and a business consultant. He can be contacted at: vicnvegas@aol.com , or visit his Web site at: http://hometown.aol.com/vicnvegas/myhomepage/newsletter.html
Article from www.accessvegas.com
Vegas Coupons Group ANOTHER NEW COUPON! - SHOWTIME IN VEGAS.
This is only a six week run, so check it out while there’s time!
SHOWTIME IN VEGAS
http://www.vegas4locals.com/couponshowtimeinvegas.html
From the Streets to the Stage, “Showtime in Vegas” Launches with a
Grand Prize of a Las Vegas Show Contract Valued at $150,000
Radio personality, Mike P. hosts “Showtime in Vegas” to find the next
superstar
Las Vegas June 28, 2006 A David Saxe Production, “Showtime in
Vegas” is a hot competition to find the next
big superstar. Hosted by radio personality, Mike P. of 97.5
FM, “Showtime in Vegas” is a mix of comedy, sexy
dancers and impressive performers battling it out each week for a
spot in the finals. The six week competition
begins August 4th at 10:30 p.m. at the V Theater inside the Desert
Passage Mall.
A blend of “Showtime at the Apollo” and “The Steve Harvey Show,”
contestants will be at the mercy of the
audience. At the end of each show a champion will be selected and
move on to compete in the grand finale show
for big prizes. Go-go dancers and the “Showtime Dimes” offer sexy
dance entertainment between acts. Funny
man Mike P., star of the Morning Madhouse on 97.5 FM and famous for
his morning phone pranks will throw in his
own mix of comedy as master of ceremonies. From the streets to the
stage, it’s the audience’s vote that will
decide the fate of one lucky performer.
The competition will be intense with the grand prize including cash,
a paid vacation and a Las Vegas Show
Contract, valued at $150,000! The winner of “Showtime in Vegas” will
be crowned September 8th in the grand
finale show with all five weekly winners.
“Showtime in Vegas” takes place every Friday at 10:30 p.m. for six
weeks beginning August 4th inside the V
Theater at the Desert Passage Mall at the Aladdin Resort & Casino.
The grand finale show will be held on
September 8th. Tickets are $24.70 for general admission and $15.00
for family and friends of contestants.
For tickets or more information please call the V Theater Box Office
at (702) 932-1818 or email:
info@showtimeinvegas.com
Free Offer
Henry Tamburin is offering a FREE three month subscription to his Blackjack Insider e-Newsletter with full membership privileges. The newsletter covers the world of blackjack with strategy articles, trip reports, product reviews, tournament tips, reviews of playing conditions, and more. To subscribe go to www.bjinsider.com/free/.
Ultimate Blackjack Tour by Bill Burton
The Ultimate Blackjack Tour has just signed a two year contract with CBS to broadcast their tournaments on national television beginning Saturday September 16, 2006. The television coverage the Ultimate Blackjack Tour may just do for Blackjack Tournaments what the World Poker Tour did for Poker tournaments. CBS plans to televise the UBT tournaments at 2pm EST as a lead in to their Saturday NCAA football coverage.
The Ultimate Blackjack Tour (UBT) is a series of Blackjack tournaments held around the world in locations including Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Aruba and Paris.
The winners will compete against each other in the Championship event at the end of the regular series of tournaments.
More Here:
http://casinogambling.about.com/od/blackjack/a/UBT.htm
From “The Circut”
http://www.thecircuitlv.com
A Circuit Exclusive: …A recent tour of downtown’s Golden Nugget revealed a great deal of insight into the historic property’s future! Change has been long underway in the Food & Beverage department since the property was purchased by Lawry’s, what with Zax’s already having been replaced on New Year’s Years Eve by the very cozy Vic and Anthony’s–a tribute to CEO Tillman Fertitta’s father Vic and uncle Anthony. The changes will continue and increase over the course of the next two years and beyond. To start, a brand new poker room with 10 tables is expected to open in early October. The current poker room and snack bar will be incorporated into a new Center Bar with a loungy feel, plasma screens, plenty of seating, and maybe some live light entertainment. A 20-seat snack bar will be located next to that. The lobby will open onto the brand new pool complex, already under construction and optimistically said to be opening by the end of 2006. With two decks for ultimate sun exposure, the complex features a new pool, waterfall, spa, and slide that actually shoots through a shark tank (gulp)! A northern Italian indoor/outdoor restaurant called the Grotto will overlook the pool. But the biggest news is the incorporation of what is currently a stage under the canopy of the Freemont Street Experience on the corner of 1st and Freemont. The space will blast through the buffet –to be relocated to the second floor–and create more space for slots and a new sports book. Walking into this newly created space, a spiral staircase will wind around a two-story tubular fish tank up to a club/piano bar and live music venue with a special balcony that can allow acts to perform for crowds below on Freemont and inside. Behind this, a new tower will add 300 rooms with the possibility of a lounge on the top floor in the style of Mix. There’s actually even more–like a 1,300 person capacity mixed-use performance venue (think The Joint)–coming down the pike but I figure I should keep some things under wraps for now.
From “Eye On Vegas”
Nuthin’ but LOVE
Everyone and their mother knowsCirque du Soleil finally launched the long-anticipated The Beatles LOVE last week and they did it right with a series of show premiers, after-parties and a grand opening gala like only Cirque can do. The Eye on Vegas was there to record the mayhem for our readers.
First and foremost, let’s start with the reason for it all, the show itself. The Beatles LOVE is a phenomenal addition to the entertainment landscape of the Las Vegas Strip. Totally unique and unlike any other show on the Strip, Cirque-related or not, LOVE will be a smash-hit and a masterpiece that will have Beatles fans out of their seats (literally) and singing along to the re-mixed masters that were turned into full digital remixes and have the Fab Four never, and we mean never, sounding better. The main difference between The Beatles LOVE and any other Cirque show is transparently obvious; the music takes center stage creating a canvas for the amazing Cirque performers who brilliantly interpret the musical visions of John, Paul, George and Ringo. The show takes viewers on a mostly chronological tour of The Beatles catalogue with performances that seamlessly blend into the music with definite Cirque flavor. From the very beginning of the show, when the partitions are dropped revealing the full scope and size of the 360-degree theatre in the round-style venue (2,000+ seats), the monstrous LCD plasma screen fires up in an explosion of colors and lights, and the Cirque team takes the stage from all sides (including up and down) you realize you are in for quite a ride. Our favorite scene was Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, which literally coats the theatre in blinking stars and quite literally gives off the effect of sitting in the middle of the Milky Way. The shattering VW Bug and Sergeant Pepper’s reoccurring role and the sound clarity of ‘Come Together’ were other highlights that caught our Eye. Add some quirks like the speakers in the headsets of the seats, the Bobbie uniforms of the ushers and the jaw-dropping theatre entrance and lobby and The Mirage has a winner on its hands which will put the cherry on the sundae of the Mirage make-over and property re-branding. This show is immediately an absolute MUST see for any Beatles fan who will definitely feel the LOVE. If the last time you listened to a Beatles track was on DJ Danger Mouse’s mash-up epic The Grey Album, never fear, there are enough nostalgic moments to warm your heart and plenty of Cirque action to ensure enjoyment.
The Beatles LOVE opened over several days, which included multiple after parties at JET Nightclub before Friday night’s grand gala opening and traditional Cirque du Soleil blowout opening night bash. With more star power than a Hollywood blockbuster premier, a laundry list of stars got a taste of Liverpool’s most beloved sons including Tony Bennett, Prince, Billy Crystal, ‘Beach Boy’ Brian Wilson, Eddie Murphy, Siegfried & Roy, Woody Harrelson, Shannon Elizabeth, Busta Rhymes, Jennifer Coolidge, Phyllis McGuire, Dita Von Teese, Rachel Leigh Cook, Michael Richards better known as Cosmo Kramer, Wayne Brady, Free Ride’r Edgar Winter, poker pros Annie Duke and Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson (no, not together), Good Will Hunting and Drugstore Cowboy director Gus Van Sant, Virgina Madsen, and comics George Wallace, Carrot Top, David Brenner, Kevin Nealon, Paul Reiser and the legendary Eric Idle. Of course, add the two surviving Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, alongside the families of their departed partners Yoko Ono, Julian Lennon, Sean Ono Lennon, Cynthia Lennon, Olivia Harrision, Blair Harrison and Dhani Harrison and rarely has an event been so well attended.
After the star-studded bash the party really got going in The Mirage Conference Center where several ballrooms were turned into party central, at least for one night. With dozens of restaurants bordering the aqueduct decorated walls offering up tasty morsels of culinary delights to party-goers who ensured they were well fed providing them the energy to celebrate late into the night and early into the morning. At around 1:30A, a parade of Cirque entertainers led by the omni-present Sergeant Pepper lined up at a partition to yet another ballroom, as the clock hit zero, the doors opened extending the Cirque created chaos even further.
Social House Unveiled
While stellar restaurants like Nobhill (MGM Grand), Andre’s French Restaurant (Monte Carlo, 6th Street), Sensi (Bellagio) and Onda (Mirage) showed off jewels of their menus, soon-to-be new kid on the block Social House (Treasure Island) gave foodies a taste of what’s to come, and we’re excited. Executive Chef Joseph Elevado is heading up culinary operations at Social House, the first restaurant offering from the PURE Management Group, after spending NINE years with acclaimed sushi master Nobu Matsuhisa. After tasting one dish, the thrilling Toro Tataki with Pineapple Miso, it’s obvious that Elevado has been paying close attention to his former sensi. When Social House opens toward the end of the summer expect other original Elevado creations like Ginger Scented Sea Bass, Lemongrass Shrimp and Lobster and Curry Lobster, Toasted Coconut and Green Apple Aioli hand roll to thrill diners, very possibly offering up a Nobu for a new generation, one that wants exquisite and creative Japanese cuisine without dropping a mortgage payment at the end of the meal. Other Social House elements that will impress appear to include the second floor, outdoor, Strip-front patio, the interactive sushi bar and a wood and steel-designed dining room that includes high-tech tricks like dining room tables on hydraulics that convert to cocktail tables. We’re calling it right now, Social House is going to be a hit and remember the name Joseph Elevado, because pretty soon you won’t be able to forget it!
Happy Andre Day
Last Friday night revered local chef Andre Rochat celebrated Andre Rochat Day (June 30) by hosting a collection of friends for dinner at his downtown Andre’s French Restaurant on Sixth Street, the same location where his original restaurant has stood for 26 years, over a decade before Wolfgang Puck opened Spago at the Forum Shops. In recent years, fans of Rochat’s outstanding French fare may have found it easier to stop at either of his two Strip-side outlets Andre’s French Restaurant at the Monte Carlo or Alize on the roof of The Palms, however, there are few Vegas restaurants with as much style, history and charm as Andre’s original location.
His special anniversary dinner offered playful interpretations of some classic dishes like Grilled Goat Cheese Soup, Roast Partridge with Creamed Morsels and a Roasted Rack of Lamb with Summer Fruit Couscous, paired with a delightful Chateauneuf-du-Pape of course that might just be the best lamb we’ve had in Las Vegas. Each course was expertly paired by Sommelier Melanie Dagenais who humbly chose wines that let Rochat’s food shine rather than fighting for table recognition with the chef as is sometimes experienced in Las Vegas restaurants. Below the restaurant is what might be Las Vegas’ only legitimate wine cellar, located below ground and built by Rochat himself who does most of the construction and renovation work on his original restaurant himself. His large collection of cognac and armenacs take up a large portion of wall space but feature some rarities including one bottle which remains from the 1930s social experiment known as Prohibition.
With 26 years under his belt, Rochat has proven himself a true culinary pioneer and selflessly devoted to the Las Vegas dining scene. His original restaurant is truly a Las Vegas landscape, one of the city’s top French outlets and certainly one of the most romantic spots in the city. If you’re lucky you might even get a story or two from the chef who has made Las Vegas his home for nearly three decades and has the stories to prove it.
CityCenter Stats
Having now officially broken ground, expect more information to surface regarding CityCenter, the behemoth 66-acre project currently being constructed on Las Vegas Boulevard, directly south of the Bellagio. What we know so far is that the project has been fixed with a $7 billion budget, making it the largest privately funded development project in the country’s history. Seven separate towers will dot the CityCenter skyline; a 60-story curved hotel tower neighboring a smaller yet similar tower, two residential towers in the center of the project rise above 500,000 square feet of retail space and two boutique hotel properties which will align the north and south Strip corners; one from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Company and, of course, one from the Light Group. Over 7,000 construction workers will be working on the project and, upon opening in 2009, over 12,000 employees will find fulltime work on property. We’re also hearing that a series of connecting parks will link several of the rooftops of the property.
http://www.eyeonvegas.net
Strip trippin’
Toni Braxton: Revealed is a self-aggrandizing career celebration of the newest Vegas showroom brat.
BY DAVE SURRATT/Las Vegas City Life
A change of the guard at the old Flamingo Showroom: Wayne Newton is out and a much curvier ’90s mainstream R&B sensation is in. Last Thursday, Toni Braxton’s extended life in Vegas was officially laid open in Toni Braxton: Revealed, much like one of those medieval tomes stored under vacuum and observed through thick museum glass. But what were we shown? It’s been variously called a concert, a retrospective and a dazzling live production show — all more concise descriptions than, say, “a calculated, vaguely funereal celebration of disinfected sex and stunning self-aggrandizement,” and yet none of them quite on the mark. Maybe it’s best to just tell the story.
Shortly after being seated, we were offered complimentary drinks, including something called a Toni-tini. It’s like a Cosmopolitan, but redder and sweeter and more likely to gag the reviewer’s date, as well as fall from a teetering drink tray onto his pantleg, prompting the cocktail waitress to actually glare at him like it was his fault, which it most certainly wasn’t. After a quick introduction by Flamingo President Don Marrandino, multiple curtains rose to a swelling synth-anthem. There was Braxton, shimmering in a tiny sequined dress atop a horseshoe-shaped staircase, surrounded by dancers high and low. Spectacle trumped singing, initially, as she appeared to intentionally lip-sync into a headset mic while getting around with impressive sultriness on three-inch heels.
As the overture calmed down, Braxton grabbed a hand-held microphone, strutted frontstage and shouted, “All right guys, I’m here!” The audience cheered, but not loudly enough. “I said I’m here!” she pushed, and the audience stepped up its adoration — probably none so soulfully as Fernando, the Toni-T-shirt-wearing young man in the front row whom she’d eventually invite onstage to squeak out a couple of lines before sending him away with a new wristwatch.
“I think we should have an orgy tonight,” she mused early on. It never happened.
More Here:
http://www.lvcitylife.com/articles/2006/08/10/theater_and_dance/stage.txt
Jenna Jameson says her Madame Tussauds figure marks her career peak.
By Joshua Longobardy/Las Vegas City Life
The first thing you notice about Jenna Jameson is her stature: She’s just a tiny little thing. The next is her chimerical rack, even more mountainous on such a petite body. And the third, if you happen to be at the unveiling of her wax figure at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas museum on August 2, is the aura of celebrity with which she now carries herself.
Upon arriving at the event, I was as unfamiliar with Jenna Jameson as any modern man could be. That is: I of course knew her name, her line of work and her image, but to either my fortune or misfortune I was always too busy with the fantasies of my own life to pay much attention to those inspired by her. Yet there was no mistake about it the moment I saw her: Jenna had on black high heels and a lavender dress that left the tattoos on her lower legs exposed, with white straps that must not have done a very good job of supporting her fantastical boobs, because she often was forced to lift them by hand, to the audible sighs of hopeless men, throughout the afternoon.
More Here:
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2006/08/10/jenna.html
Sizzling Summer Packages
Gas And Go, Deluxe Romance Package, And Bed & Breakfast Package.
The Aladdin Resort & Casino, the future home of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino introduces three Sizzling Summer Packages! First, Aladdin’s Gas and Go Package is undeniably the most attractive reason to take a road trip to Vegas this summer. Second, enjoy an experience of the Deluxe Romance Package that insures an exquisite romantic get-a-way. Third, the Bed & Breakfast Package is the perfect way to relax while staying at the Aladdin on the Las Vegas Strip.
Driving to Vegas just got cheaper with Aladdin’s introduction of Gas and Go! Whether you leave Vegas up or down, the Aladdin will take care of your drive back home. The Gas and Go package offers a $40 gas credit that will be applied to guests’ folio at checkout! Rooms start at $89/a night, two night minimum required and include two tickets to one of the following shows in V Theater: X-Girls, Fab Four, Nathan Burton Comedy Magic, or Popovich Comedy Pet Theater; and $10 free slot play after an initial $20 slot play.
For those looking to indulge in a romantic retreat on the Las Vegas Strip, Aladdin’s Deluxe Romance Package offers lavish accommodations for two, a bottle of Chandon Blanc de Noris champagne to help you unwind, six chocolate covered strawberries for you and your loved one, plus nightly turn down service.
The Bed & Breakfast Package can help take the edge off a stressful day of sight seeing and gambling with a two-for-one admission to Aladdin’s acclaimed Elemis Spa. Waltz into your room that features deluxe accommodations, kick back, relax and wake up in the morning for two breakfasts at the award winning Spice Market Buffet.
For more information, visit the web site at www.aladdincasino.com, or call
1-877-333-9474.
http://www.casinotravelnews.com/Las_Vegas/las_vegas.html
Vegas Values Report for 8/6/06
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.
http://www.americancasinoguide.com/Promotions/VEGAS-VALUES.shtml
Brett’s Vegas Views By Jackie Brett
The Luxor has announced The Spotlight Series, a star-studded, eclectic line-up mix of entertainers to be featured in the Luxor Theater.
The series will kick off with “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” sketch comedian, Drew Carey and The Improv All Stars, Aug. 17-20. For tickets, on-sale dates will vary by artist, call 800- 557-7428 or 702-262-4400. The rest of the lineup includes: Heart, Sept. 2-3; Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Sept. 15-16; Earth Wind & Fire, Sept. 21-23; Jim Belushi and The Sacred Hearts, Sept. 29-30; Liza Minnelli, Oct. 12-14; The Beach Boys, Oct. 20-21 and Dec. 25-31; LeAnn Rimes, Oct. 27-28; Olivia Newton-John Nov. 16-18; and Styx, Dec. 1-2.
The Scintas, who have been performing in Las Vegas for more than six years, have landed a spot on the Las Vegas Strip at the Sahara. After signing a three-year deal with the Sahara, the group oversaw almost $1 million in improvements to the main showroom where they are starring.
The lively bunch from Buffalo, N.Y. put on a fast-paced show featuring music, comedy and impersonations. The act is made up brothers Frankie and Joe, sister Chrissi and the “adopted” Scinta, Pete O’Donnell, who plays the drums. Because the showroom is so big, three musicians have been added to the show.
The show features new routines, old favorites and more of Chrissi, who is a petite lady with a huge voice. The family has been performing together since childhood. Their story is a true American dream that began to take its present-day shape in a bar owned by former Buffalo Bill and present ESPN color commentator Paul McGuire. Frank and Joe began working the piano bar, singing songs and adding a joke or two. Soon the lines were out the door and they realized they were on to something. They brought sister Chrissi in on weekends to sing with them and the rest is history.
The Scintas perform, Tuesday through Sunday, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $59.95 and $69.95, call 702-737-2515.
Known as the “Best 10 p.m. Show” in Las Vegas, comedian George Wallace continues to keep audiences laughing Tuesday-Saturday at the Flamingo Hotel, where he is entering his third year as a headliner. Wallace has found great success in keeping each show fresh by interacting with his audience members and bringing in special comedic and musical guests to perform in his show.
Running through Sept. 2, Wallace is being joined by music sensation and Broadway headliner Jennifer Holliday. She has been making music for more than 20 years but is remembered most notably for her 1982 hit single, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” Holliday revived the song later when she delivered her show-stealing performance in the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls,”an adaptation of The Supremes’ saga.
While starring on Broadway, Holliday has released several successful pop albums and a number of top-10 songs. She continues to top the dance charts with hits like “I’m On Your Side” in 1991, “A Woman’s Got The Power” in 1999, and “Think It Over” in 2000.
Desert Passage has added several new retailers… Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, a second ABC Stores location and the eatery Tacone Flavor Grill and Daiquiri Bar.
The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory manufactures an extensive line of over 300 premium chocolate candies and other desserts. The Factory churns out confections such as caramel and candy apples, fudge, chocolate, clusters, peanut brittle, licorice, caramels, creams, melt-aways and truffles in full view of the customer using traditional cooking utensils. The Desert Passage location is the newest of the company’s 307 locations worldwide.
In July, ABC Stores opened its second location inside the shopping center. This Hawaiian-based one-stop shopping chain also offers island fashions, jewelry and beauty items, as well as specialty food, flowers, keepsakes and souvenirs.
Also in July, Tacone Flavor Grill and Daiquiri Bar opened offering healthy, hand-made menu items - such as gourmet wrapped and grilled sandwiches, farm fresh salads, home-style soups, desserts and smoothies - in a colorful and fun environment. As one of the fastest-growing quick-service gourmet food franchises in America, the company’s Desert Passage’s location is the first in the chain to offer a fully-stocked bar with various well and frozen drinks.
http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/brett/index.htm
Adult shows are growing up.
Performers bring energy to Strip acts.
By Jerry Fink/The Las Vegas Sun
One adult show on the Strip has been revamped, another is new and a third is both new and revamped.
The three shows include “X Girls the Show” (revamped), “Bareback” (new) and “Headlights & Tailpipes” (new and revamped).
Of the three “X,” at the Aladdin’s V Theatre, may be the sexiest - and it’s the only one in which the girls aren’t topless.
Husband and wife producers Matt Stabile and Angela Sampras are limited by zoning restrictions on how much skin their troupe of seven can reveal, so they hired performers with extensive dance backgrounds to create a show that is full of energy and at times very sensual - though not consistently so.
More Here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2006/jun/12/566610749.html
VooDoo rises with the heat
By Justin Jimenez from LV Magazine
VooDoo Lounge
Where: The Rio
When: Open daily, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.
Cost: $20 and up
Info: (702) 492-3960
When the sun falls, spirits rise to the roof of the Rio. VooDoo Lounge embraces the mystery of the New Orleans root doctoring and finds a perfect niche within the nightly concoction of Las Vegas mayhem, becoming one of the premier summer outings.
The largest tipping point of the eclectic hang is the oversized multilevel balcony that hovers atop the roof of the enormous hotel-casino. Vegas’ mid-year heat suddenly becomes desirable as the breeze from 500 feet up cools the sweat of the bodies pulsating on the deck. The off-Strip location provides phenomenal panoramic views of the shimmering boulevard, audibly accented by a nightly DJ.
A romantic spell is highly possible within the intimate and dark décor of the interior, but add a couple of the establishment’s legendary cocktails to the mix and an evening of subdued passion could explode into an early morning uninhibited party. Live music fuels the dance floor, but bodies tend to be rhythmically surging wherever there is space. Go-go dancers punctuate the movement with the gorgeous vixens prancing atop personal stages throughout the room. As midnight eclipses, the venue gives into the night and the energy is pulsating off the walls.
Chris Crotty’s menu in the VooDoo Café a floor below boasts Orleans barbecued shrimp, Creole crab cakes and spicy seafood gumbo that can start up the night. The steak is superb, with a New York Strip and salivating rib eye a la Creole. The cleverly tagged Three Little Pigs, an apricot-glazed pork porterhouse, andouille potato gratin and tasso béarnaise, is also noteworthy.
Need a cure for the inevitable overindulgence inspired by these spicy southern morsels? Travel back upstairs and try sticking pins into the creamy VooDoo Doll, a libation sewn together with white crème de cacao, strawberry liqueur, banana liqueur, cream and a cherry to soothe the soul.
Beware of the Witch Doctor, a healer of a different kind, making the already dizzying heights spin a little faster. Four kinds of rum and a blend of juices create the chaotic clinician, big enough for two, but take one solo if you are eager to chase the dark spirits.
The flamboyant bartenders spin bottles to the beat, and the Mojo Juice makes the show even more spectacular. Cruzan raspberry rum, fresh lime juice and mint make for great liquid courage. Latin flavor invades on Mondays with Elevación VooDoo and VooDoo Risin’ heats up the underworld elements on Thursdays. Keep your eyes open, too; you never know who you might run into.
Recently Prince was in, not long after Tito Puente Jr. An underworldly choice in after-hours, VooDoo is sure to lift any curses that have been lingering around.
http://www.lvshowbiz.com/feature3.html
I hope you enjoyed this issuw. PLEASE check out our Forums, they are a lot of fun with tons of more Las Vegas info.
Steve
Posted on August 12th, 2006 by MrVegas98
Filed under: Newsletter
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