For the uninitiated, Madame Tussaud is a real person, having risen to fame for her lifelike wax figures during the French revolution. You see she was forced to prove her allegiance to France by creating death masks for executed French nobles. Charming and not at all creepy, right?

For the last 200 or so years, the wax figures have moved from royalty to celebrity, with museums in London, Amsterdam, New York, Hong Kong, and this one in Las Vegas at The Venetian.

The 30,000 square-foot facility is divided up into several themed-rooms with celebrities from all walks of life featured throughout. Although the exact people immortalized rotate periodically, figure upon seeing celebrities from movies, television, music, sports, and even politics. Generally speaking these exhibits are pretty lifeless despite the lifelike quality of everyone from Brad Pitt to Barbra Streisand.

It’s the interactive exhibits that really make the cover charge more palatable. You can slip on a wedding dress and get married to George Clooney. You can race cars with NASCAR legends, including a cool game that reacts to your body’s shadow. There’s a place for you to pose next to Elvis, of course (it’s some sort of law in this town I think). And there’s even a haunted house section where real live people jump out and yell “boo” at you. These exhibits also change periodically but it gives you an idea of what you can expect.

There are also educational areas where visitors learn the history of Madame Tussaud and see the process by which they make the wax figures. There’s even a wax figure of a guy carving a wax figure. Heebie jeebie.

Some of the figures are so good that you want to touch them - which you can. They encourage you to poke and prod and take pictures along the way. I admit to very hesitantly touching a few of the figures because I was sure they were going to leap up and strangle me and encase me in wax so I could be displayed… sorry… got carried away there.

However, there are a lot of the figures that look no better than brightly colored department store mannequins. Oddly, they seem to do better with the male celebs than the female. Not sure why that is.

You can take as long as you want to tour the facility but even with the newer interactive exhibits and some excessive lingering I had a hard time wasting 45 minutes. At $22.50 per person for adults that’s a pretty expensive 45 minutes, although I figured it worked out to about 13 cents per fake celebrity so if you look at it that way it isn’t too bad. The place is much more entertaining than it used to be so that $22.50 now just falls into the expensive category for me instead of outrageous.

And it’s really not that creepy. Although I will say that it’s a good thing they didn’t have a figure of Vincent Price or they would’ve had to peel me off the ceiling.

Madame Tussaud’s Las Vegas
Location: Venetian
Address: 3377 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Local: 702-862-7800
Website: Madame Tussaud’s Las Vegas
Price:

Adults $22.95

Senior & Student $17.95

Children (6-12) $12.95

Children 5 and under, Free
Hours:

King was named Magician of the Year by The Magic Castle, “Entertainer of the Year” by the Las Vegas Weekly 2004 “Readers Choice Awards,” and became a Guinness World Records holder in 2004 for “The World’s Longest Game of Telephone.”

Talented juggler / comedian Michael Holly is now appearing as the 10-minute variety act in the production show, “Folies Bergere,” at the Tropicana through Jan. 2, 2007. Tickets are $59 and $69, call 702-739-2411.

Holly has starred in numerous local production shows and opened for such headliners as Dana Carvey and David Spade. He recently completed a successful year performing his one-man show, “The Michael Holly Off the Wall Comedy Hour.”

Earlier this month, “Forever Plaid - The Heavenly Musical Hit” celebrated its 500th performance at the Gold Coast where the show opened on Jan. 15, 2005. Susan Anton was on hand for the festivities and joined the cast as an audience participant on stage during their “heart and soul” routine. It was a great show biz moment.

In addition to the past year of packed houses at the Gold Coast, the Las Vegas production had a successful six-year run at the Flamingo Las Vegas from 1995 to 2001.

The long-running off-Broadway revue has given more than 4,000 performances in Las Vegas. They are the first “Forever Plaid” production to reach this many performances. Another recent accomplishment was the Las Vegas “Forever Plaid” cast releasing a 15th anniversary cast album in September 2005.

When the show opened in New York on May 20, 1990, it received unanimous rave reviews and ran for over four years.

Show times for “Forever Plaid” are 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays, and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $39.95 and $44.95, call 702-251-3574.
http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/brett/index.htm

Was invited to participate in a wee bit of wine tasting the other evening at the MGM Mirage, and of course I accepted. The room I was going to visit was the ONDA located near what I presume is going to be the new restaurant row of this very plush hotel / casino.

I was greeted by Ms. Shellee Renee, public relation specialist for the property, at a table set up just for us in the Wine Lounge. Right away a very lovely waitress was at our side informing us about the various wines. I, of course, went for a very nice Chardonnay while Ms. Renee settled for a light Merlot. Within seconds we had our wine and were being informed about the variety of meats, pasta and salads available to us. Wow, the selection is unbelievable.

But, first, a little about the restaurant: Its a very intimate setting with soft colors, imported tile and marble throughout. Onda seats 160, with room for 58 in the wine lounge. It has an extensive selection of wines from California and, naturally, Italy. The cuisine is rustic Italian with some American innovations created by Executive Chef Dennis Di Dio. According to Ms. Renee, it was originally established in 1999 and was re-designed in 2006. The wine lounge is open from 4 p.m. to midnight daily, while the ristorante hours are from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. nightly.

Chef Di Dio, who hails from New York and learned his profession in those classic neighborhood Italian Bistros, moved to Las Vegas in 1994, where he became a line cook in Kokomos Restaurant at the Mirage. He eagerly accepted a position at the then named Riva restaurant and in 1998, when Onda opened (replacing Riva), Dennis became the Assistant Executive Chef. He was named to his present position in 1999.

When our selection of cheese and meats arrived it was fabulous. The cheese tray consisted of Tete de Moine, Manchego, brie, house mozzarella and parmesan reggiano. The meats were prosciutto, salami, pork loin cotto, and soppressata coppa. We both had a petite salad along with a nice serving of fantastic Calamari Fritti. We finished up with Orrecchiehe (a pesto sauce with mushrooms and truffle parsley) over Angel hair pasta. It was wonderful. Of course we indulged in a wee bit more wine and pretty soon 90 minutes had passed so quickly.

All I can say, is if you have a friend and you want to impress, and you are not a big eater (or you already had a big dinner), then this is the place to take her or him. The appetizers range from $8 to $14 with the main course running between $19 and $39. Reservations are suggested by calling (702) 791-7354.
http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/norm/index.htm

For the past 40 years, no resort has epitomized the luxury, spectacle and star power of Las Vegas like Caesars Palace. It’s been the locale for some of the most memorable events in sporting history, from Grand Prix auto races to Mohammed Ali bouts. It’s been a second home for the world’s most famous entertainers and highest rollers, and has been immortalized in Hollywood movies. (To this day, guests inquire about the Rain Man suite, the lavish spread that upstaged even Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in their 1988 box office smash.)

If you’re a regular reader of Casino Player, you know that the mighty Caesars has added cause for celebration as it marks its 40th year. In our recent annual Best of Gaming issue, the resort claimed the award for “Best Overall Hotel Casino”, ending Bellagio’s seven-year winning streak. And its resurgence as the most elite Vegas hotel-casino is no coincidence; it’s the result of a brilliantly executed campaign, one in which no expenses were spared and enormous risks were taken.

More Here:
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The question of cash back versus comps is one of the “big three.” When you consider all of the gambling strategies for slot machines and video poker, and all the various procedures and tactics for winning, everything boils down to three basic questions.

1. Where to play? This includes strategies for casino selection and game selection.

2. How to play? This includes strategies for specific games and choices such as max credits on a lower-denomination game or lesser bets on a higher-denomination contest.

3. What to aim for? This involves bankroll choices and a system of evaluating net payback. Net payback is more than just profit from winning; it also includes comps and cash-back promotions.
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CKX, Inc, its subsidiary Elvis Presley Enterprises and Cirque du Soleil have reached an agreement with MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGM) to create a permanent Elvis Presley show at the CityCenter hotel/casino, under construction in Las Vegas. The show is expected to open with the hotel in November 2009.

The deal announced during Elvis Week, the week in which we commemorate Elvis’ untimely passing on August 16, 1977, marks the return of Elvis to Las Vegas, the site of some of the most remarkable performances of his illustrious career.

Cirque du Soleil’s creative team is inspired by this new extravaganza.  The creative combination of live musicians and singers, projections, dance and the latest in multimedia sound and lighting technology are stimulating and aim at offering an emotional bond with the audience. The show will bring Elvis back to Las Vegas for millions of his existing fans and create a buzz that will enable the persona of Elvis to reach untold numbers of new fans.

A design collaboration between MGM MIRAGE and six internationally acclaimed architects, CityCenter will open in 2009 on 66 acres between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo resorts. At the heart of the action on the Las Vegas Strip, CityCenter will feature a soaring 60-story, 4,000-room hotel/casino, two 400-room non-gaming hotels, 500,000 square feet of retail shops, dining and entertainment venues and nearly 2,800 luxury condominiums.

Robert F.X. Sillerman, Chairman and CEO of CKX, Inc., commented, “I am pleased that during this time, when we remember Elvis Presley and celebrate his life, we are able to announce his return to Las Vegas, a place where he truly rose to iconic status. And with the remarkable creative talent of Cirque du Soleil, fans who saw Elvis perform, as well as those who never had a chance to see him, will be able to experience Elvis in an entirely new and exciting way. This will be the first step in establishing a twenty-first century presence in Vegas for the King.”

Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil, commented, “This new creative challenge is exactly what we strive at accomplishing in the development of our new productions. Cirque du Soleil is thrilled to be involved in CityCenter and we are particularly honored to be entrusted with this assignment.  We are working closely with our partners to ensure the public will have an unforgettable encounter with the King of Rock and Roll. Elvis had a unique relationship with his adoring fans in Vegas and a large part of our mission is to recreate the excitement and the spirit of joy he generated here.”

Bobby Baldwin, President and CEO of Mirage Resorts, an MGM MIRAGE operating division, said, “We are thrilled to partner with our friends and colleagues at Cirque du Soleil, who are known the world over for creating memorable entertainment experiences.

With this show we will bring together Elvis, an icon of Las Vegas entertainment history, with CityCenter, a destination that represents the future of this remarkable city.”

No show in Las Vegas’ history has raised so much controversy as the “Crazy Girls” at the Riviera Hotel & Casino by virtue of trying to do their job to entertain the 10’s of millions of visitors who flock to Las Vegas each year with the type of entertainment that made “The Entertainment Capital” the success that it is today.

Norbert Aleman, creator and producer of “Crazy Girls,” said, “`Crazy Girls’ and `La Cage’ are considered the backbone of the Riviera Hotel & Casino’s entertainment.  I began at the Riviera with a 12-week engagement and here we are beginning our 20th year of `Crazy Girls’ with both revues going strong. I was told that we’d never survive by naysayers. We’ve faced controversies with the National Organization of Women, Las Vegas City Hall and a powerful state senator and we held our ground. The public was supportive and we are still here. During the early to mid-‘90s `Crazy Girls’ was the only show of its type and now there are copies that keep closing. It’s a competitive business where you need to be detail-oriented and the Gentlemen’s Clubs have a natural advantage for those who want to push the envelope. But I must explain that we in no way are like the clubs and are a safer alternative with really beautiful dancers who spent their lifetime in dance classes.”

Norbert said, “I have chosen 10 talented technically-trained dancers for the current edition of `Crazy Girls’ and during the past 19 years we have created 150 to 200 `Crazy Girls’ and ex-Crazy Girls. Maybe it’s time for a `Crazy Girls’ reunion. Change is a constant for this type of revue. Over the years, we have had many emcees from singer Stuart May to Bambi Jr. (Montel Williams ex-wife), comedian Carole Montgomery, prop comic Joe Trammel to Jahna Reis Steele. The average Crazy Girls can do a run of three to five years.  We also have world-class juggler Nino Frediani and have always had a variety act or comedian to entertain the audiences.”

He said, “After so many years of creating and producing I feel that the show has made its mark on Las Vegas and has found its niche. That’s why I feel comfortable to give the show to the No. 1 star and faithful employee Karen Raider. She will continue to produce my dream and carry on with its theme. She’s the only person who could do this so I can live in peace and sleep well at night.”  

 Norbert continued, “It’s like a second family among the `Crazy Girls.’ When we began in 1987, `Crazy Girls’ and `La Cage’ were doing 18 shows each per week with three shows nightly six nights a week. We now do one show a night which has quality over quantity. Most of the audience comes from out-of-house via word of mouth. Only about 10 percent are staying at the Riviera. Las Vegas already has topless beaches, pools and bars at hotels.”

The Robb Report said, “The `Crazy Girls’ are the best alternative to the vast array of gentlemen’s clubs in Las Vegas and a much better value.”

Norbert said, “The `Crazy Girls’ and the Riviera are keeping the memories of Las Vegas alive and we will be here for at least another year at the Riviera Hotel & Casino. When our show began in 1987 we had a predominately male audience and bachelor parties and now it’s Middle America with half the audience being couples and some small groups of women and men. The social mores of America are changing and becoming more like Europe. The show has gained wide acceptance among adults 18 and older. The strip clubs are taboo for Middle America’s couples. Often the stripper will hit on the man and the woman.”

Aleman’s sexy provocative dream shows have brought a little bit of Paris to the world famous Las Vegas Strip. `Crazy Girls’ has left a permanent imprint on the Riviera and Las Vegas history. The show’s PR has upstaged major media events. When the unveiling of the nude statue took place the Riviera had 45 members of the press while the biggest hotel was announcing $125 million renovation and didn’t get a single member of the press to cover their event.    

If you love fantasy and beauty, you’ll flip over the hot, totally adult “Crazy Girls.” It was originally “Crazy Girls: Fantasie de Paris.” The French-born producer created the show from the entertainment capital of Europe – Paris. It began as a fantasy revue featuring the “Best Showgirls in Las Vegas” and became “Las Vegas’ Sexiest Topless Revue.” There’s something about “Crazy Girls” only seven-fold.

Part of the secret of success with “Crazy Girls” was the hands-on entrepreneurial style in every facet of the show from choosing the entertainers to the fine tuning of every aspect of the disciplined dancers. The show has always offered much more than the bare essentials of a topless revue. There has always been a top-rated act hosting the popular revue featuring the hardest working female entertainers. The young ladies are always happy to be dancing and it shows.

Norbert said, “Before my retirement I have decided to produce the movie of `Crazy Girls Undercover’ because the `Crazy Girls’ have been so popular and are the best. The movie will begin shooting in January. It will be an action-adventure movie with the beautiful `Crazy Girls’ playing the movie parts. The film has already been sold in Asia and Europe.”

If genius is 90 percent perspiration and 10 percent inspiration than that is an accurate description of this European producer’s road to fame and success. More people know the name “Crazy Girls” than 90 percent of shows. It’s a household name in Las Vegas. The celebrities who have taken in this show are too long to list.

Manilow is now taking a few weeks out of his long-term engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton to undergo outpatient arthroscopic surgery on both of his hips at a Southern California hospital. He recently tore the labrum (cartilage) in both of them. 

Before undergoing surgery, Manilow will perform a special musical tribute to Dick Clark on the Emmys, which airs on Sunday, August 27, 2006 on NBC. He co-wrote the lyrics with Bruce Sussman and sang the words to the catchy “American Bandstand” theme song “Bandstand Boogie.”

He will return in mid-October for “Manilow: An Evening of Music and Passion,” two one-night concerts in Atlantic City (October 14) and Chicago (October 21), the launch of his new album “The Greatest Songs of the Sixties,” then returns to the Las Vegas Hilton on November 8.  (The four shows added for 2006 at the Hilton are December 27-30.)

Tangerine
Where: Treasure Island - TI
When: Nightclub: Tues.-Sat., 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Lounge and deck: Tues.-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-4 a.m.
Cost: $20 and up
Info: (702) 492-3960 or (866) 80-SHOWS

Vegas is striving to retransition back to old school class, but Tangerine is already far ahead of the curve–or way behind, explaining why it is now headlining the trend. Celebrating three years of sultry nights in Las Vegas, TI’s modern day equivalent of a speakeasy comes alive with the throwback band and spicy burlesque shows reminiscent of the 1920s. Take your pick of celebrity clientele as well: Jimmy Buffett to Kanye West on the music end; Jeremy Piven to Chris Tucker from the screen; and Warren Sapp to Lance Armstrong striding in via the sporting world. It seems everyone finds their way to this trendy, now established, night crawl.

July 4 marks the anniversary, and few clubs are as celebrated as this one. The original retro feel is juxtaposed against contemporary Sin City, a DJ cuts in where the band leaves off and bottles flow around the room highlighting the elite VIP service. Frank Richards and DJ Hollywood have made the joint home, and other turntable virtuosos, such as Grandmaster Flash and DJ Skribble, have laid it down inside the venue as well.

The blend is a culmination of decades of the city’s signature decadence. As spring has already sprung and summer is here, the outdoor deck overlooking the Cove is the ideal place to peep in on the steamy Sirens. A DJ spins from high above as the pirate ship literally sails by and the record booth is visible from the Strip. A live bongo drummer has been known to accompany the outside deck, adding to the funky vibe echoing around the place.

The patio isn’t just a pre-dawn activity either; sunlight shines on the daiquiri service that goes throughout the afternoon. Indulge in the Tangerine Mojito to help escape the desert heat. But don’t just take our word for it; Tangerine was the 2005 Epicurean Award winner for Best Cocktails.

For those who enjoy the fine-rolled tobacco, the smoke is always sweet inside the top-shelf cigar humidor.

The décor matches the moniker, with the walls draped in orange and whites, glowing with citrus flavor come nightfall. While considered moderate in size by comparison to other night spots (capacity tops out somewhere around 500), it’s that intimacy that brings the secluded covert sensation; still, there’s plenty of room to dance.

Moonshine Wednesdays puts the stamp on the weekly party scene, as fresh musicians fill in every week, and cocktails overflow with a healthy mix of local and vacationing talent. Backstage Booty pays homage to local entertainers and is always dependable for a sea of eye candy.

While plenty of things are in store for the annual bash (Carmen Electra turned out last year), it’s the nightly party the other 51 weeks out that truly deserves the celebratory toast. So happy birthday Tangerine, but as the Mad Hatter would say, very merry unbirthday as well.
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