“We congratulate Barry Manilow on a great year of success, not only at the Las Vegas Hilton, but in winning an Emmy award and his ‘Greatest Songs’ success on the charts,” said Ken Ciancimino, Las Vegas Hilton executive vice president. “Barry’s phenomenal appeal and his staying power as our long-term headliner make him an enduring symbol in this erratic Las Vegas entertainment market.” 

Manilow opened Music and Passion at the resort on February 23, 2005.  The show and the Las Vegas Hilton was a perfect next step for Manilow since his sold-out 2004 “One Night Live! One Last Time!” tour was thought to signal the end of his concert career.  “One Last Time” played to more than 250,000 fans in 23 arenas throughout the U.S. and the U.K.

In March 2006, the Las Vegas Hilton joined Barry Manilow in celebrating the “platinum” certification of “The Greatest Songs of the Fifties” (with sales in excess of 1,000,000 units) and his one-year anniversary at the classic resort by extending his exclusive long-term engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton through 2008. special ceremony during Manilow’s performance, Nicholas L. Ribis, president & CEO of Resorts International and co-owner of the Las Vegas Hilton, announced the extension to a packed showroom.

After taking a few weeks out of his long-term engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton to undergo outpatient arthroscopic surgery,  Manilow returned to the Las Vegas Hilton in November 2006 on the heels of a truly outstanding year, which began with his “Greatest Songs of the Fifties” debuting at # 1 on the charts and quickly achieving platinum status. He then received an Emmy Award for his PBS television special, “Manilow: Music and Passion,” with the DVD achieving triple platinum status.   The year culminated with the unprecedented record launch of his “Greatest Songs of the Sixties,” which garnered him the biggest sales week of his career when it debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #2.

Manilow: Music and Passion is an exciting, multi-faceted production that features contemporary hi-tech music and effects mixed with the classic entertainment values of Las Vegas legends such as Sinatra, Presley, Davis, and Martin. It stars Manilow and a cast and band of 14, offering not only a full scale production but also the intimacy of a state-of-the-art 1,700-seat theater, unique “on-stage” seating, incredible songs and a concert that changes on a nightly basis.

Matt Lewis (Elvis) continues to be the star attraction, performing nine of The King's hits, including "Don't Be Cruel," "Jailhouse Rock" and "Suspicious Minds."

Although the cast changes from time to time, Lewis is joined now by John Anthony (Rod Stewart), Karin Lawson (Janet Jackson) and Stacey Whitton (Marilyn Monroe).

The latest addition is vocalist/comedian/impressionist Stephen Sorrentino, whose one-man show, "Voices in My Head," has played around the country. Sorrentino adds a new dimension to the production, and a lot of energy.

He is the host of the show, introducing the various acts, and makes several appearances performing his own shtick, including a dead-on Elton John tribute.

Sorrentino also does some off-the-wall bits, such as various entertainers doing Led Zeppelin songs: Willie Nelson singing "Kashmir," Ethel Merman doing "Immigrant Song" and Jerry Lewis' Nutty Professor singing "Black Dog."

Although most of the dolphin deaths were attributed to natural causes, they nonetheless caused Mirage officials concern. In 2004, the hotel hired a team of outside experts to conduct an audit of the exhibit.

The audit results were turned over to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the government entity responsible for ensuring that marine mammals in captivity are properly cared for.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Feb-18-Sun-2007/news/12653710.html

First, The Price is Right came on down to Bally's. Now, Paris Las Vegas catches game-show fever, importing that grand old classic, Beat the Clock. They just added music, subtracted prizes and renamed it The Producers.

The result? … Don't discount the joys of a free washer/dryer.

Jamie Gold, winner of the richest prize in World Series of Poker history, acknowledges that he broke some rules on his way to claiming the $12 million pot.

In his first interview since settling a legal dispute over the winnings, Gold admitted he flashed one of his cards at a competitor and that he tipped off a friend by showing a card.

"I kind of just lost myself, and I regret doing that," Gold told New York Times free-lancer Steve Friess. "And I basically told a friend of mine what I had because I didn't want him to bust out, and that was also really inappropriate. And I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen again. People are just going to have to forgive me."

Gold, a Hollywood producer from Paramus, N.J., was sued by fellow participant Crispin Leyser, who succeeded in getting half the prize money by going to court.

Leyser said he and Gold made a deal going into the poker tournament: Gold would split his winnings in exchange for Leyser's help in recruiting minor celebrities to play in the World Series of Poker under the banner of Gold's sponsor, the poker Web site Bodog.com.

The company is exchanging the Barbary Coast for 24 acres adjacent to the shuttered Stardust that will be added to the planned $4.4 billion Echelon Place development.

Boyd closed the Stardust in November and is preparing to implode the hotel tower's skeletal remains next month. With the Barbary Coast leaving the fold, the nearest company casino to the Strip is The Orleans, a few miles west on Tropicana Avenue.

More from The Las Vegas Review Journal here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Feb-25-Sun-2007/business/12694944.html

The raid on a place called Jake's Sports Cafe gave radio morning shows and TV anchors a chance to tag their newscasts with jokes about the big difference between the Bible Belt town in northern Texas and big, bad Sin City.

There's only one problem when you start to read about the case: The cities are not so different.

More from The Las Vegas Review Journal here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Feb-25-Sun-2007/living/12745722.html

Try the gondola ride at The Venetian's Grand Canal Shoppes, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

The 12 boats are modeled after the real thing from Venice. They ferry passengers along the half-mile Grand Canal that flows through the center of shops and restaurants. The ride takes a leisurely 15 minutes and gives passengers the chance to people-watch or scope out shops they want to visit. Riders can take a gondola trip outside, as well, weather permitting.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Feb-25-Sun-2007/living/12608757.html

The cast of "Mamma Mia!" recently celebrated its fourth anniversary at Mandalay Bay.

Four years and counting. The production, featuring some of ABBA's greatest hits, is due to close in August 2008.

It will make room for yet another Cirque du Soliel production on a property owned by MGM Mirage.

The show has not yet been announced, but it will join the already impressive Cirque roster – "Mystere" at Treasure Island, "O" at the Bellagio, "Zumanity" at New York-New York, "Ka" at the MGM Grand and "Love" at the Mirage.

Expected in the future is a Cirque tribute to Elvis (at the still-being-built CityCenter) and a Cirque show starring magician Criss Angel (at the Luxor).

The cast of "Mamma Mia!" is led by exceptional performers, especially Carol Linnea Johnson (as Donna Sheridan) and Kelly Anise Daniels (as her daughter, Sophie).

The production will be missed when it finally sings its swan song. After more than 1,500 performances in Las Vegas it has become an integral part of the local entertainment scene.
Las Vegas SUN: LOOKING IN ON: ENTERTAINMENT

Wallace is in his third year as a headliner at the Flamingo. He is best known best for his "Yo Mama" jokes and his infamous "I Be Thinkin" lines.

Mark your calendar, the fourth annual Rockabilly Rod Reunion is set for Oct. 6 at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. with a kick-off party on Oct. 5. The event will feature hot rods and kool kustoms with nothing newer than '65, bands, pin-up girls, kustom kulture vendors, and contests.

The Medici Café and Terrace at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas offers a tasting menu highlighting one seasonal ingredient each month: chocolate in February; tropical fruit in March; rhubarb in April; and asparagus in May. Chef de Cuisine Truman Jones' menu features a six-course meal and wine pairing. The price is $80 excluding wine or $110 including wine pairings, plus tax and gratuity. For information; call 702-567- 4700.

Once again, J.C. Wooloughan's Irish Pub at the JW Marriott in northwest Las Vegas has St. Patrick's Day celebrations planned for Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 17 with plenty of live entertainment, giveaways and merchandise, drinks and food.

On St. Pat's eve, there will be a great happy hour and the Wild Celts will perform live on stage from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Later from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., entertainment will feature an appearance from Joshua Tree, California's extreme U2 Tribute Band. At midnight, the pub will ring in St. Patrick's Day with a beer in hand and a song.

On March 17, the pub will kick things up a notch offering three venues in which to celebrate: J.C. Wooloughan's Irish Pub; The Backyard an outdoor venue; and the newest party location, 'Edge' Lounge. At 11 a.m., there will be a smorgasbord of food and libation and the bag pipes will launch the festivities at noon with Thompson / Keefe taking the stage, followed by Las Vegas legend John Windsor and feature band Joshua Tree 'unplugged' for an afternoon performance. Local favorites Pop Culture will entertain guests later in the evening.

At 5 p.m., The Backyard will open with festive music and 'Edge' Lounge will host the feature acts, Wild Celts at 5 p.m. and Joshua Tree at 10 p.m.

Cover charge will be $10 at J.C. Wooloughan's Irish Pub & Backyard and $20 for the 'Edge' Lounge, The Pub & The Backyard combined. Advance tickets and VIP badges are available at J.C. Wooloughan's. For information, call 702-869-7725.

Went to the Imperial Palace the other evening to watch (for about the 20th time) another edition of the award winning show, "Legends in Concert." I am always amazed how professional the impersonators are in this particular show. The real reason we attended, however, was to welcome back to Las Vegas one of our favorite entertainers, Stephen Sorrentino, who was signed to be the "Comedy Host."

Not only is Sorrentino the "host" of the nearly 90 minute presentation, but he does a great impersonation of Sir Elton John, which has been his "bread-and-butter" for a number of years. Stephen, of course, was not the only act we went to see, honest! The lineup consists of look-a-likes and sound-a-likes: Rod Stewart, Janet Jackson, and Marilyn Monroe and of course an Elvis.

"Legends in Concert," produced by On Stage Entertainment, is the longest running independently owned production show on the Las Vegas Strip. Last June the tribute show reached a major milestone with its 5 millionth showgoer. Now that's what I call a great tribute to those guys and gals who have worked in Legends, ranging from a slew of Elvis impersonators to Judy Garland. And, it must be pointed out, that those performers who came first (as well as those of today) not only look like the person they are impersonating, but they use their own voice to sing, etc. It truly is a great show for the buck.

Now on to what we watched the other evening. The first thing now is that Sorrentino comes out as himself and does about 5 minutes of comedy to set the show in motion, and continues the comedy skits between each new act. The first act out was John Anthony as Rod Stewart, who opens with a great "Hot Legs," followed by "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," "Some Guys Have all the Luck," "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" ending with "Maggie May." He's a dead-on look-a-like!

Next up is Karin Lawson as Janet Jackson. Wow, what a look-a-like! Her opening number, with a bevy of great dancers, is "Black Cat," which is followed quickly by "If," "Nasty," "All For You," and closing with "Rhythm Nation."

Now it's Stephen's turn to perform as Sir Elton. He comes out attired in a red suit, sunglasses and sits down at the piano (it's not red folks) and goes right into "Can You Feel The Love Tonight." You know he's on top of it this particular evening (he's always in top shape). He quickly moves on to "The Bitch is Back," "Philadelphia Freedom," "Your Song," "Crocodile Rock" and closes on a great "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me." What more can you expect. Well, you know it has to be something special next. And it is!

Marilyn Monroe, as portrayed by Stacey Whitton, is a natural for any tribute show. And Stacey does a great job of bringing the one-time heart throb to the stage. "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" opens her time on stage with "I Wanna Be Loved By You," "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and ending with "Bye, Bye Baby." She also does a thing with an audience member which is really cute.

Then it's the King's turn to get the audience excited, and Matt Lewis does just that as Elvis. He has the honor (Elvis that is) of always closing a "Legends" show. But when Elvis is on stage there is a lot of energy and love being sent to him from the audience. They do respond! "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" opens the show and is followed by "A Little Less Conversation," "Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear," "Don't Be Cruel," "Jailhouse Rock," "A "2001: A Space Odyssey" (my personal favorite), "Burning Love," "An American Trilogy" with the finale "Viva Las Vegas."

During this particular performance Lewis went into the audience and to a particular booth where a young couple was sitting. We were told by Ms. Jackie Brett (Public Relations, etc. for the Hotel) that something special would be taking place. And it did! Jason Ritchey of Lewisberry, Penn., proposed to his lady, Kellie Zema, of Steelton, Penn., during the Elvis portion of the show (with Elvis standing next to Ritchey who got on his knees). Thank God she said "Yes…" These things just don't happen you know. The young man worked with Jillian Hrushowy, the shows production manager, and Lewis to pull it off. It took a couple of weeks, but it worked out perfectly.
It's The Norm – Legends In Concert

In its six years at The Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel, The Second City has continued its well-earned tradition for launching the careers of the comedy worlds best and brightest. Alumni of The Second City Las Vegas include current Saturday Night Live cast member Jason Sudeikis, MAD TVs Frank Caeti and Dan Bakkedahl of The Daily Show and Kay Cannon, writer for the NBC sitcom 30 Rock.

Lucky Cheng’s, which had briefly opened doors across from the Stardust, will immediately make the move to its new permanent home inside KRAVE’s venue on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue. A hit in New York’s East Village since it opened in 1993, Cheng’s is known for its colorful atmosphere and world-class Pan-Asian cuisine almost as much as it is for its drag entertainment, cabaret performances and daring audience participation. “By acquiring Lucky Cheng’s Las Vegas, KRAVE strengthens its position as the premier gay nightclub in America, and also broadens the overall appeal of our brand,” said club director Bill Huggins.  “Lucky Cheng’s is famous for outrageous dining fun and over-the-top drag queen entertainment.  It complements our existing nightclub operations and creates an entertaining dining experience that appeals to a wide audience, gay and straight.” With a full-service kitchen and three bar areas on property, KRAVE is certainly suited to host Lucky Cheng’s, which should be a hit with the alternative masses enjoying KRAVE each and every weekend. It also gives KRAVE the ability to offer a very ‘TAO-like’ service experience by offering dining and nightlife under the same roof. The larger question to KRAVE and Cheng’s, will they be able to widen their audience and find fans in the straight community? We’re just as interested to find out as they are. Let’s just file this under ‘possibility pending’ for the time being.
http://www.thevegaseye.com/

NORM: Jackson rep says offers pouring in.

She added, "Mr. Jackson did not move to Las Vegas to shop a Vegas show. Mr. Jackson is in Las Vegas because he likes the city and found it a convenient location to record with the artists, songwriters and producers who are working with him in the studio."
reviewjournal.com — News – NORM: Jackson rep says offers pouring in

Elizabeth Taylor Celebrates Her Diamond Jubilee 75th Birthday in Vegas.

Old-School Vegas Makes a Kickback … Uh, Comeback
From: http://www.vegaspopular.com/

More Here:
http://www.vegaspopular.com/2007/01/18/old-school-vegas-makes-a-kickback-uh-comeback/

Remember those parties in college when a drunk guy inadvertently kicked over the host's bong and spilled bong water onto the rug, only he never cleaned up the resulting mess, so the skunky water festered while the host of the party was passed out? And then, the following morning, the host awakened to a room that smelled like a cross between a stale bong and the seventh circle of hell?

That's what downtown Las Vegas smelled like on Sunday night. After four nights of what will eventually be remembered as the Hip-Hop Woodstock, the atrociously sloppy NBA All-Star Game made complete sense. You can't blame the groggy players for shattering the record of "Most Botched Alley-Oop Passes in a Single Exhibition Game." They were still battling a severe retroactive contact high. Hell, I'm battling it right now. The original text of the previous sentence looked like this: "Wrhrhrh jdkdlehj fgfjslelfhfhf sgfhgfkdldhjsd fjg agshshsk ahdjdkdksh Contact High."

http://www.VegasTalkRadio.com

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, March 1, 2007 contains:

An interview with the longest running headliner playing in Las Vegas, Frank Marino!  Frank has starred as Joan Rivers in La Cage at the Riviera and serves as the host and MC for the show.  Frank, who has authored a book, produced a CD, and has appeared in movies; has performed in La Cage for almost 22 years.  He was the second star of the Walk of Fame in Las Vegas and also has a street named after him!

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.StraightFromTheStrip.com

"Fine Dining" with chef and Radio Show host Les Kincaid.
http://www.LesKincaid.com

"The Godfather of Las Vegas", Mark Wayman's Insider Report
http://www.godfatherlv.com

"The Las Vegas Nightclub Report" with Jodie Rocco from TravelNice.com & Nightclubs.com
http://www.travelnice.com/?aid=7397

"The Las Vegas Locals Report" with Tom Wilkinson from Vegas4Locals.com
http://www.Vegas4Locals.com

Attention all red-blooded healthy females (and surely males): Someone has gathered all the most beautiful men from all over the world and shoved them in a Theatre at The Rio for your viewing pleasure. Oh, and they're not exactly clothed. And talented, too! Was it mentioned that they're not really clothed?

The Rio showroom is home to one of the most renowned male review shows this side of the six-pack… er… western hemisphere. Since 1981, Chippendales has been celebrating all that is MAN with the sexiest, most crowd pleasing party ever thrown. The secret to the show's success lies in the magical mixture of the unparalleled chaos from a "girls night out" on steroids (the audience) and the impeccable pecs that flood the place. On top of that, these incredible Y chromosome performers aren't all brawn; the show explores all the facets of men from the hot rugged blue collar worker to the introspective, woman pleasing, sensitive new age guy. They even have aerialist acts slipped in between the singing and dancing …per…fectly…defined…hot…muuu….scles (shiver). Oh who is anyone kidding? Take your clothes off already!

The men that look as though they walked straight out of a Calvin Klein ad start the show off with some hot choreograpy resembling a west side story battle. Latin lovers vs. the punk bad boys (though the wardrobe is definitely of no consequence). Powerful dancing complimented by seductive stares is the perfect recipe for getting the heated crowd literally out of their seats. And unbridled behavior is encouraged! As a matter of fact, a mock dating game show "Chipp shot," invites one ridiculously lucky girl on stage to go to some less than holy places with her clothing challenged date. It then becomes apparent that this is definitely not a "look but don't touch" environment.

Go Chippendales Gentlemen go! Go celebrate all the personalities and hobbies that make you so individualized and appealing; from 1980's breakdancers to doctors (with a different examination itinerary) to cowboys to dirty, sweaty handymen (just don't forget to wear only the tool belt). A little adrenaline never hurts sex appeal as well, which is exactly what is demonstrated in a mind-blowing aerialist act. Two of the most perfectly carved male physiques fly through the showroom with a ribbon act protected only by their own strength (no nets). The artistic and death-defying result is one of awe and literally sizzling.

And yet, even after all the different types of displays of raw man talent, the best is still yet to come…the end of the show. Chippendales then modestly encourages everyone to come up on stage, chat with all the guys, and take photos. Are these statuesque figures really human? Absolutely, flesh and blood, perhaps even have a personality or maybe a flaw or two. Still, a casual encounter or subjection to their steamy selves under the house lights still provokes the same result… a very cold shower.
http://www.las-vegas-shows-reviews.com/chippendales.htm

Among the puppet pals who join him on stage, you'll meet a cowboy named Buffalo Billy, a dragon named Scorch, and even a human puppet selected from the audience. (If you're looking for some tips for some witty quips, pick up a copy of the book he recently co-authored. It's aptly entitled, Better Living Through Ventriloquism: How to Say What You Shouldn't And Get What You Want.

A veteran Vegas performer, having headlined at four different hotels, Lucas and his unique pals now call the Steve Wyrick Theatre home. Dubbed "The Man Who Can Make Anything Talk" you will find yourself believing that not only his puppets have a voice, but so does just about any object on stage with him. Inanimate objects, and even Lucas' own hand, will utter opinions and comments, and we buy right into it. Why not? It's great fun for the whole family and a great way to spend an afternoon away from the gambling and shopping. Hey, there's only so much money we can spend, right?

But just because he prefers doing an afternoon family-type show, don't think this enormously talented guy hasn't been around. Lucas has entertained fans across the globe for more than 30 years, including U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. He also performed at the London Palladium for Queen Elizabeth. As a TV performer, Lucas is an acclaimed comedian and an expert in the field of ventriloquism.

You may have seen him recently on TV shows including The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show and Nip-Tuck. Lucas also performed on his own comedy special, Who's In Charge Here for the Disney Channel and has been called "The World's Best Ventriloquist" by the New York Post and The Times of London; honored as "Entertainer of the Year," by Atlantic City Magazine; and has been named the "Ventriloquist of the Year" by the American Society of Ventriloquists. Told you he was a heavyweight.

Be sure to catch him afternoons at 3 p.m. (dark Fridays). Ticket prices for general admission start at $24.95. If you're looking for a great show with a lot of laughs, don't let this one pass you by. Plus your kids will love you for it.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/eNewsletters/eNeon/only/ronnlucas.html