Amazing Johnathan
Where: Sahara
When: 10 p.m. Fri.-Wed.
Cost:$60.39
Info: (702) 492-3960 or (866) 80 SHOWS

Dubbed the “Freddie Krueger of Comedy,” The Amazing Johnathan has been a Las Vegas staple for the past seven years, offering audiences a healthy dose of one-of-a-kind humor. And if ever there were a holiday tailor-made for the self-proclaimed madman of comedy and magic, then Halloween fits Johnathan like a razor-sharp glove.

Performing nightly at the Sahara, Johnathan indulges in the kind of shock theater that would make your mother blush, yet he makes it work. Better yet, he makes it funny. Whether tormenting an audience member onstage with quips, gags and assorted tricks for the better half of a performance, or hurling insults at his assistant, there’s something undeniably magnetic about the performer.

His shaggy red hair spilling over a trademark headband, Johnathan looks like some sort of deranged fitness instructor, except instead of shaping bodies, he’s molding minds—very warped ones.

His assistant, Psychic Tanya (pictured), proceeds from the breathy, buxom pinup-ingénue realm once inhabited by Marilyn Monroe. She plays up her sex appeal—and her blondness—imbuing her character with the kind of ditzy humor that makes her an easy target for Johnathan’s wisecracks. As a result, he’s not above sticking a pair of scissors into her scalp, or stapling a playing card to her noggin.

While decked out in all the trappings of a magic show, Johnathan’s act is all about comedy. And the worst-kept secret is that he never really gets around to performing much magic. Instead, inventive gags and fumbling sleight of hand become the foil for his comedic assault. A list of things Johnathan can’t do is brought out, with a stagehand presenting the seemingly interminable list. It’s all self-deprecating, and that gets to the heart of Johnathan’s shtick. He knows who he is and what he’s good at, and he sticks to it.

Although he has made Vegas his home—in a mansion filled with practical jokes not unlike his stage show, no less—Johnathan spent some time in New York recently, filming a one-hour special for Comedy Central, Wrong on Every Level. The new special highlights the best of his Sahara routine, plus a smattering of new material that should delight old fans, while introducing newbies to his outrageous brand of comedy. The special premieres on Nov. 18 at 10 p.m.

After seven years in Las Vegas, Johnathan’s maverick humor has found a place to rest its bones. With a raised eyebrow, a conniving grin and a knack for the unexpected, the manifestation of everything your mother told you to beware has carved out a niche that is as gruesome as a jack-o’-lantern by Thanksgiving Day and as wildly hilarious as anything you could expect out of the Entertainment Capital of the World.
http://www.lvshowbiz.com/feature4.html

Although it is officially noncommittal on its plans for the Four Corners area — pending a much-anticipated master plan — Harrah’s Entertainment has mapped out substantial changes for Paris-Las Vegas. If realized, these would entail a significant rerouting of pedestrian traffic in front of the Parisian-themed resort.

According to a use-permit application filed with the Clark County Commission, pedestrians heading up and down the east side of the Strip would no longer be required to cross the 93-foot width of Paris-Las Vegas’ driveway. Were Harrah’s to get its wish, foot traffic would swerve 114 feet inland, “to create a promenade that results in a safer environment for pedestrians and patrons of the resort.” Escalators, stairs and/or elevators would then convey sightseers onto a 24-foot-high pedestrian bridge, extending 180 feet across the casino-hotel’s traffic roundabout.

More here:
http://www.lvbusinesspress.com/articles/2006/10/25/news/news04.txt

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 - Marilyn Monroe
As the song says: “I wish I could’ve know you, but I was just a kid, your candle burned out long ago, your legend never did.” I’m not ashamed to say it, I was in love with Marilyn Monroe. Probably just like most boys and men the world over. I was eight years old when she died, and I only began to appreciate who she was much later in life, when I grew up and started to watch these great old films.

Now IGT has made a series of video slots based around the theme of the old silver screen days of the cinema. This series of machines are called the Diamond Cinema, and the two games I will showcase here are this one, based on Marilyn Monroe, and the second one, just below, based on the famed duo of actors in the classic film Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

This game features various bonuses and many ways to win. When a wild symbol lands on the second and fourth reels, the whole reel becomes animated. This shows the legendary scene where Marilyn’s flowing white dress blows up around her waist as the subway train passes below and causes wind to blow up through the manhole. This is the classic scene from the film “The Seven Year Itch”, which Marilyn Monroe made while married to baseball’s legendary hitter Joe DiMaggio, who absolutely hated this scene.

Actually, the real truth behind the scene you get to see in the movie is that this was the only scene which was shot on a Hollywood sound stage. The rest of the film was made on location in New York. But when they were trying to film this scene, on a public street, there were so many people around watching them make that scene, and so many of them kept yelling at Marilyn and whistling whoopee, that the director could not get the shot. Also, Marilyn’s husband, Joe DiMaggio, was livid with this scene, and he kept yelling that he doesn’t want his wife to be shown “half naked” to the whole world.

The actual scenes shot in New York on that street show Marilyn bare all the way to her waist and there is indeed a whole lot of Marilyn to be seen. In the end, these scenes were cut out of the film, and a very private scene was staged on a soundstage at the studio in Hollywood, which produced the very mild and timid scene we now see in the movie. Nevertheless, that scene is still considered as racy, and as a sort of a trademark of Marilyn’s allure. Well, so much for reminiscing. Back to the game.

When three, four or five of the Marilyn Bonus Magazine symbols land left-to-right on any active payline, you will get to play the Magazine Bonus. The voice of an actress impersonating the voice of Marilyn will then guide you through the bonus game. In this game, Marilyn’s image is shown on the covers of 12 magazines. Touch the magazine cover, and each will reveal a credit value bonus, a credit value plus another pick, or a gift box.

All the credit values accumulate as the round progresses. For each extra pick you reveal, Marilyn’s voice will ask you to make another pick. And so on. If you get the gift box, you are then guided to the Gift Box Bonus. You will see a screen with several gift boxes. Pick a box and it will reveal your additional win credit value, which is then added to everything else you have won so far.

Victor H. Royer is the Author of 21 books on casino games and gaming, and more than 50 casino reports, profiles, and manufacturing analyses. Visit his Web site at: http://hometown.aol.com/vicnvegas/myhomepage/newsletter.html

Source of article:
www.accessvegas.com

Tuesday, indulge in two-for-one drink specials from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. as all industry professionals are welcomed to relax in the plush surroundings at “13”.  The antithesis to Vegas’ usual suspects, “13” Martini Bar offers a luxe experience – complete with bottle service, signature shots, delectable dishes, cigars and more – without the door lists, cover charges or $10 beers. 

In a place where women are valued more than anyone, it makes sense that ladies’ night delivers incomparable gifts to these guests of honor. Wednesdays, ladies drink free from 9 p.m. to midnight, whether they crave a blazing S’mores-tini or the All Nighter specialty shot.  Not to mention that “13” Martini Bar is one of the only upscale hotspots in Vegas where men outnumber the women several to one.  The odds are in female favor, no matter how you slice it.  All the while, they can sit back and relax to live entertainment from TKO with Peter Love.  The band brings the crowd to their feet with great party hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and Today. TKO with Peter Love performs Tuesday–Thursday, 10 p.m. to 2 am; Friday–Saturday, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.

“13” Martini Bar also offers fabulous happy hour specials Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. For a mid-party munchie, the happy hour menu re-opens from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. with specials on the bar’s extensive cocktails and tempting hors d’oeuvres like sesame seared-tuna or crab cakes.

Every Saturday, Sunday and Monday throughout the 2006-2007 football season, Hooters Casino Hotels offers $1 off any beer or cocktail and $2 off any martini at “13” Martini Bar including a special football menu with finger-lickin’ snack foods like pizza, nachos or those world-famous Hooters wings.

During this sizzling season, the lovely Hooters Girls dress to impress on NFL Sunday by sporting sexy football jerseys for guests and football fans alike.  Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., “13” Martini Bar hosts 97.1 The Point and gives away amazing prizes including a foursome at Mountain Falls Golf Club every hour and the potential to win up to $10,000 in cash each week.  After football mania, fans can head over to Dan Marino’s Fine Food & Spirits - recipient of AAA’s 2007 Three Diamond Award - and enjoy a Quarterback Colada or a Marino Margarita on the rocks in celebration of another great game day.

New Orleans’ Southern Belle sings, dances, acts and even impersonated Stevie Nicks 

Kellie Karl may be one of the most versatile entertainers on the Las Vegas Strip and presently can be seen nightly in “The Sopranos Last Supper” at the Harmon Theater at the Aladdin’s Desert Passage.

She said, “I play Tony’s psychiatrist in the musical at the Harmon Theater. I’m from New Orleans, the city that used to be and is no longer. My entire family is from there and came here during the storm. Her house survived but my other relatives lost everything. My mother could not wait to get back home.”

Kellie said, “I played Stevie Nicks in a show called `Hail Hail Rock ‘n’ Roll’ at Whiskey Pete’s. That was my first impersonation. My first professional show was in `Can Can’ at the Royal Sonespa Hotel.”

 She quipped, “I’m the most networking girl in Las Vegas and saw that `The Sopranos’ had an audition. They thought I looked the most like the mob psychiatrist and they hired me.  It’s a lot of fun. I’ve been playing this character since April. I love doing Dr. Melfri. Her cousins came in to see me perform a couple of times. They said you are just like my cousin Lorraine Bracco. One of them was more reserved but the other was saying `You really remind me of my cousin. You really did a good job. One came and then the sister told the other to see the show.”

Kellie said, “I was a cheerleader growing up in New Orleans. I loved to dance but my parents think I was rebellious. I was a good kid. I had a stay at home mom and my dad was a chemical engineer.  I always knew I would be a dancer. I trained for singing, dancing and acting.  My father used to love watching `The Sopranos’ but he has passed away. I’m not Italian but rather of French and Irish descent. The late Christopher Reeves movies are my favorite.  I like the late River Phoenix too.”

She said, “I love taking all my friends to Terrible Herbst’s late night specials from midnight to 6 a.m. There are all kinds of entertainers that hang out there. The last book I read was a self-help book `Path to Recovery.’ I’d rather be Oprah if I could be any star. I love her philanthropy efforts. I worked in `Creole Heat’ on Bourbon Street before I came to Las Vegas. Then I came here about four years ago. I don’t like living on the west side because of the traffic on US 95. I have an addiction to Doritos. I love instrumental music. I am a DJ and try to keep up on all that kind of stuff. I love the Moody Blues. My favorite song is `Nights in White Satin.’”

Kellie said, “I would love to live in Hawaii. I worked as a novelty act on a cruise ship It was so wonderful. I sang and did some comedy in a show. This show has everything and the food is great. Uncle Junior is my favorite character. He makes me laugh. My favorite restaurant is MIXX at the top of The HOTEL.”

“The AAA Five Diamond Award is among the highest compliments a hotel or restaurant can receive,” said MGM Grand President & COO Gamal Aziz.  “For SKYLOFTS and Joël Robuchon to earn this distinction reflects MGM Grand’s commitment to delivering superior products and experiences to our guests.”

For 2007, AAA evaluated more than 60,000 hotels and dining establishments across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean throughout a 12-month period.  Of those, only 93 resorts and 58 restaurants earned the esteemed AAA Five Diamond designation.     

These prestigious honors follow a multi-year evolution that has redefined MGM Grand as the ultimate Las Vegas experience.  SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand, one of only five Las Vegas hotels to earn this honor, debuted in January 2005 as a rare and private sanctuary of 51 two-story accommodations with expansive views of the Las Vegas skyline.  SKYLOFTS provides the quintessential Loft environment and the height of personalized attention including Dream, Spa and Music Butlers, 24-hour concierge service, luggage packing and unpacking services and pre-engraved stationery.

Culinary history was made in Las Vegas when legendary chef Joël Robuchon opened his first fine dining restaurant in the United States at MGM Grand in September 2005.  Named “Chef of the Century” along with scores of other accolades and honors, Chef Joël Robuchon presents unparalleled cuisine in a stunning setting.  In a city which has become known as a world-class dining destination, Joël Robuchon stands out among the best as one of only four Five Diamond restaurant award winners.

Chef Joël Robuchon said, “This is an incredible honor for the restaurant, and I am thrilled to be part of this outstanding resort.”

Hotels and restaurants must meet a list of stringent criteria as determined by AAA tourism editors and trained professionals to receive the AAA Five Diamond Award.