By: Joe Brown/Las Vegas Sun

Busted: The Strip’s latest entry in the what-to-do-with-the-kids sweepstakes, the “Mega Bubble Show” at the Steve Wyrick Theatre at Planet Hollywood, is a bunch of hot air.

The show’s creator, Fan Yang, is the real-life Mr. Bubble, holder of 15 Guinness World Records, the Thomas Kinkade of soap and water. During the show’s hour, we will learn that bubbles contain life lessons (“a bubble will cross boundaries and not discriminate against anyone”) and that it’s difficult to convince your wife’s family that blowing bubbles can be a valid career path.

Backed inexplicably by a pair of unlighted Christmas trees and working from a wheeled mad-scientist setup containing soap-filled pans and platforms with jewelry store uplighting, Yang is forever blowing bubbles. Using his hands, custom-built bubble wands and PVC pipes, he levitates bubbles, implants opalescent bubbles within transparent bubbles, coaxes and choreographs amoebic bubbles that merge and jiggle in biomorphic towers.

More here:
http://lasvegassun.com/news/2008/feb/13/more-fun-him-audience/

By: Jerry Fink/Las Vegas Sun

Maybe the best indicator that “Monty Python’s Spamalot” has bucked the Broadway jinx and become a Vegas hit is that John O’Hurley has rejoined the cast. Back in March when the show opened at the Wynn, O’Hurley was the celebrity draw. Fresh from “Dancing With the Stars” and cult famous for his role as Elaine’s boss on “Seinfeld,” he certainly wasn’t the brightest star on the Strip.

But he drew rave reviews for his portrayal of King Arthur in the quirky musical.

Then O’Hurley took a 4 1/2-month break from the show.

During his hiatus, O’Hurley said, he spent time with his wife, Lisa Mesloh, and their 14-month-old son, William Dylan O’Hurley. He also found time to:

More here:
http://lasvegassun.com/news/2008/feb/12/happily-back-king-arthur/

Arizona Charlie’s is bucking the trend toward DJs and canned music, putting the spotlight on some of the finest lounge performers in Las Vegas.

There are two Arizona Charlie’s — one at 740 S. Decatur Blvd., the other at 4575 Boulder Highway (at U.S. 95/93) — and both are featuring well-known local entertainers. Some are playing both venues.

The lineup at Arizona Charlie’s Naughty Ladies Saloon on Decatur features the Smith Brothers Band tonight through Saturday; Sidro’s Armada, Feb. 19-23; and Denise Clemente, March 11-15.

Over at Arizona Charlie’s Palace Grand Lounge on Boulder, the entertainment includes the Smith Brothers Band, Feb. 19-24; Denise Clemente, Feb. 26-March 2; and the Cool Cats featuring Lena Prima, March 25-29.

The Naughty Ladies Saloon at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur offers live entertainment five nights a week: 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The Jerry Tiffe Band plays from 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays. Karaoke Mondays take over from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Mondays.

The Palace Grand Lounge at Arizona Charlie’s Boulder has a similar schedule, with live entertainment five nights a week: from 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays and from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. There is also live music from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. The lounge is dark on Mondays.

Over the years I have observed players performing some entertaining, bizarre and different rituals as they play the slots or table games. I know that I have not seen it all so I asked some of my readers to share their observations or relate the rituals that they perform for luck.

The response I received was amazing. If you have ever openly or secretly performed a lucky ritual, rest assured, you are not alone. Here are some of the rituals that players perform.

More here:
http://casinogambling.about.com/od/casinoplayerinformation/a/rituals.htm

Note from Steve. Our newsletter and forum members contributed their stories to Bill Burton in preperation of his article.

"We are delighted to partner with VEGAS.com to provide our guests with a top box office experience as well as full concierge services," said Rudy Prieto, CEO and general manager of the classic property.

Since 2004, the Hilton has spent more than $100 million dollars in construction and renovation projects: a stunning new lobby; remodeled porte-cochere; renovated and refurbished rooms, including 221 executive level "Resort Club" rooms offering additional amenities and access to the "Resort Club" lounge on the 24th floor;  enhanced and modernized casino; a new hip Tempo lounge, Fortuna, a coffee & wine experience, and an expansion of its legendary SuperBook. The property also introduced a strong entertainment schedule led by superstar Barry Manilow in the Hilton Theater, the popular production show, "Menopause the Musical," and The Scintas in the Shimmer Cabaret.

"We're proud to provide our technology and services to help enhance the world-class experience guests receive at the Las Vegas Hilton," said Howard Lefkowitz, president of VEGAS.com.

VEGAS.com also is the largest city destination travel website in the world with extensive, constantly updated information and a full range of travel products including hotel rooms, air-hotel packages, show tickets, tours and golf   The website and its companion LasVegas.com receive more than 2.5 million unique visitors per month.  VEGAS.com is a member of the Greenspun Family of Companies, privately owned and operating in Southern Nevada for more than 60 years.

Las Vegas generosity was on full display again Saturday, with another $12 million in donations raised for the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute at the "Keep Memory Alive" fundraiser.

Let us count the ways:

• A tour of Italy with chef Mario Batali in the role of tour guide brought $220,000.

• A playhouse designed by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry went for $350,000.

• Five dinners by a combination of star chef Tom Colicchio, Guy Savoy, Wolfgang Puck and David Robins fetched $550,000.

• Lunch with Teri Hatcher of "Desperate Housewives" added $50,000 to the total.

• Michael Buble and his musicians, which were the evening's featured entertainment, donated their checks and covered their own travel expenses.

• Lorraine Bracco and Steve Schirripa of "The Sopranos" struck a chord when they agreed to host dinner at Rao's in New York and threw in a copy of the final "Sopranos" show autographed by all the cast and a baseball bat used in one of the scenes. Two bidders agreed to pay $150,000 each. Schirripa got another $5,000 after a spirited bidding contest for emcee Robin Leach's black wool tuxedo sweater with sequins.

The big buzz of the night was generated by illusionists Siegfried & Roy and boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn announced they will come out of retirement next year to perform their tiger and lion show at Larry and Camille Ruvo's gala benefit.

Ali attended to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease. The brain institute is adding researchers for Parkinson's, which Ali has suffered from since the early 1980s.
ReviewJournal.com - News - NORM

Clearly the magazine doesn't understand that physical fitness has a whole other meaning here. The Las Vegas lifestyle is not conducive to traditional calisthenics. People have been known to spill a lot of beer doing jumping jacks. Around here, we improvise.

Did the magazine, for example, take into account that a majority of Las Vegans never sleep, which means they live twice as hard as residents of other cities and, therefore, are double the girth?

In Las Vegas, a large segment of the male population long ago gave up on "six-pack abs" and moved on to the more challenging "24-pack abs." It takes great dedication to reach such widths.

More from The Las Vegas Review Journal here:
http://www.lvrj.com/news/15538857.html

There was a time when Las Vegas was a culinary wasteland. Visitors came here to gamble, drink and do all those things that they didn't have the freedom to do at home — instead of sitting for a proper meal. That isn't to say there wasn't anything to eat; after all, Vegas is the home of the all-you-can-eat buffet and the 99-cent shrimp cocktail. There was even a period when the chuck wagons that roamed from table to table carried caviar, but that was hardly to display extravagance — it was to keep gamblers thirsty and ordering more drinks. And then, in the early '90s, along came Puck, which began the Strip's evolution into a world-class dining destination.

Food Network helped to spark the genre of celebrity chefs. Broadcasting to an entire culture of people who were becoming more and more educated about food, the Network introduced the masses to the art of cuisine. The professors of this education quickly became celebrities in their own right, teaching the throngs how to cook well for themselves, taking viewers along on their travels in search of good food, and even showing us how to do it in 30 minutes or less. As the masses began to realize that food was meant to be delighted in, savored and appreciated as a privilege, so did Las Vegas, and casinos began to lure big-name chefs to share prime real estate with their gaming floors.

WOLFGANG PUCK is considered the pioneer of fine dining in Las Vegas. In 1992, he opened Spago, his flagship restaurant, at The Forum Shops at Caesars. His popularity in Los Angeles followed him here, guests already familiar with his reputation for his take on California cuisine. With Puck, along came the notion that maybe, just maybe, Vegas tourists would be willing to include a nice meal in their itineraries. Puck has gone on to open five more restaurants under his name: Chinois in The Forum Shops, Postrio at The Grand Canal Shoppes, Trattoria del Lupo at Mandalay Bay, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at MGM Grand and the soon-to-open Cut at The Palazzo.

EMERIL LAGASSE has been there from the beginning, launched into the spotlight with his show Essence of Emeril, then kicking things up a notch with Emeril Live. Energetic, passionate about food and seeming like an everyday Joe, Lagasse trained millions to appreciate the beauty of garlic and pork fat. Eventually, the mayor of Food Network began to expand his empire with restaurants across the country. His first here was Emeril's New Orleans Fishhouse at MGM Grand, followed by Delmonico Steakhouse at The Venetian and the soon-to-open Table 10 at The Palazzo.

Other Food Network alums, ready to expand their brands and create an empire of their own, began branching out here. BOBBY FLAY, the red-headed grill master, has Mesa Grill, his Southwestern-influenced mecca at Caesars Palace. The Too Hot Tamales, SUSAN FENIGER and MARY SUE MILLIKEN, followed suit with Border Grill at Mandalay Bay. MARIO BATALI and partner Joe Bastianich recently opened B&B Ristorante and Enoteca San Marco, both at The Venetian, and Carnevino, his steakhouse endeavor at The Palazzo.

Chefs who aren't exactly household names but legends in the culinary world have made the mark here as well. CHARLIE TROTTER, who had an initial venture at MGM Grand in the early '90s, has returned with Restaurant Charlie at The Palazzo. ALEX STRATT, DANIEL BOULUD and PAUL BARTOLOTTA all have homes at Wynn. NOBU MATSUHISA, a pioneer of modern Japanese cuisine, continues his tradition at Nobu at the Hard Rock Hotel. THOMAS KELLER, of the celebrated Per Se in New York, has graced us with Bouchon at The Venetian. JULIAN SERRANO of Picasso and MICHAEL MINA have matched the elegance of their restaurants and cuisine with the sophistication of Bellagio.

But let us not forget the French, who had celebrity chefs long before Food Network was even conceived. HUBERT KELLER, who makes his home in Las Vegas these days, has Fleur de Lys, where he can occasionally be seen deejaying, and the casual Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay. GUY SAVOY landed as well at Caesars Palace, bringing the same service and perfection you'd find at his Paris outpost. JO?L ROBUCHON, our only three Michelin-starred restaurant, located at MGM Grand, proves that Las Vegas has finally arrived as a culinary haven. The celebrity chef fascinates so many because they're so much more accessible than an A-lister. We certainly have celebrity chefs to thank for elevating the level of dining in Las Vegas. And if you're there on an extremely lucky night, a celebrity chef just might be in the kitchen cooking your food.
Las Vegas Magazine

"An oasis in the desert where travelers from both the East and West Coast could come for gambling, fine food, luxury accommodations and great entertainment." That was Bugsy Siegel's dream. The man credited with making Las Vegas into the gambling mecca of the United States, Siegel envisioned a luxury property that would have individual air conditioning, tiled bathrooms, gardens and swimming pools and provide guests the "complete experience," a property he would call the Pink Flamingo Hotel and Casino.

Now a 3,500-room property owned by Harrah's Entertainment, the Flamingo, located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, is surrounded by lush tropical gardens, a 15-acre wildlife habitat, swimming pools and spectacular waterfalls. The 77,000-square-foot casino boasts headline entertainment, stunning Strip views and one-of-a-kind guest rooms.

An award-winning renovation at the Flamingo transformed more than 500 hotel rooms into lavish, stylish and technologically advanced suites. Acknowledged by the prestigious Hospitality Design Awards for Creative Achievement, the Flamingo Go Rooms renovation project was recognized as a finalist in both the Hospitality Debut and Mid-Range Hotel categories.

A collaboration between Flamingo and Cagley & Tanner, a Las Vegas interior design firm, the Go Rooms' modern designs capture the essence of the architecture of the legendary 1940s resort.

Highlighting the renovation was the completion of 30 Go Metropolitan rooms. The sleek 1,500-square-foot, two-bedroom suites epitomize luxury. They're adorned with rich hardwood floors, marble bathrooms and state-of-the-art entertainment centers, four 42-inch flat-screen high-definition televisions and a vibrant green, brown and orange color scheme. The posh retro suites provide a stunning view of the pulsating Las Vegas Strip.

In a city where the landscape and skyline are forever changing, it is nice to know that a little bit of Las Vegas antiquity can still be found in the heart of the Strip at the Flamingo. As for Siegel, one can only assume that his "oasis in the desert" has far surpassed his imagination. And yet some 80 years later, the Flamingo is exactly what he envisioned … a place for guests to Go for a "complete experience."
http://lvshowbiz.com/feature3.html

2) Soul Train Mystery Progressive: IGT. 87-94%. 2 spins.
Don Cornelius is back with the familiar dance show Soul Train—this time with a 9 level MegaJackpots link. While max coins are not required, the larger bets will increase your chances of setting off the Mystery Bonus because of 9 potential progressive jackpots. The other highlight for this multi-jackpot progressive is the possibility of winning 2 out of 9 jackpots each time you enter the bonus round.
While this exciting slot offers cool soul sounds, remember–the number 9, number 9, number 9.

3) Monopoly Super Grand Hotel: Wms. 87-92%. 3 spins.
This is an upgraded version of Monopoly Grand Hotel with an impressive top box display of a luxury hotel’s room, floors, bonus credits and centered arrows depicting the elevator.

Thus, 3 or more scattered elevator symbols will begin the Elevator Free Spin Bonus whereupon selection, you receive 6-10 free spins. Watch for the Going Up arrows during this round to move towards a bonus credit amount.

The main bonus round, Tycoon Bonus starts with 3 or more hotel symbols and continues with a display of the familiar Monopoly board. Make your railroad selection and at the same time the number of hotel guests. Additionally, a set of property deed cards appears face down. Now the action begins for several bonus streams based on your choices. First, choose 5 properties to place hotels on specific squares, doubling the values if the same color is chosen.

Then, your chosen hotel guests scatter to various properties as you collect when they visit your properties. You receive additional credits for guests visiting railroads, Free Parking, Electric Co and Community Chest.

If you love the Monopoly versions as I do, then this game is surely a ‘grand’ choice.

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

It's a divine week for The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, as the Divine Miss M kicks off The Showgirl Must Go On, Feb. 20. In her eclectically bawdy style, Bette Midler's show will include some of her more infamous personas, such as the oldest living showgirl (where better than Las Vegas?) and mermaid-in-a-wheelchair Delores Delago. Midler will be backed by The Fat City Horns and 20 dancers, and will perform her 90-minute show five nights per week for the next two years.

The singer/actress/comedian has collected more achievements and accolades than a showgirl has feathers. Her first album, The Divine Miss M, made it to No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart, and in 1973 she won her first Grammy for Best New Artist. She has since received three Grammys, and in December was nominated for a fifth, for her song " Cool Yule."

Add to that four Golden Globes, three Emmys, a Tony Award and her unforgettable roles in movies such as Ruthless People, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Beaches, The First Wives Club and so many more. And then there are the songs: " The Rose," " Wind Beneath My Wings," " From a Distance" and on and on.

A veritable firecracker, the proudly crass and admittedly tacky performer will be a divine fit in Las Vegas.

Bette Midler
Where: Caesars Palace
When: 7:30 p.m. Tues.-Wed. &: Fri.-Sun., begins Feb. 20
Cost: $117 and up
http://lvshowbiz.com/feature4.html

Nevada casinos are moving toward new technology that will allow managers to change the look, price and take of slot machines from a central computer. But before converting, the industry needs to convince gamblers the new system won’t cheat them by allowing a central office to snatch away looming jackpots at the last minute.

For the millions of people who play slots, the notion that somebody in a back room could change something about their machine without their knowing it could be a confidence killer for the integrity of the game.

“The player perception is, ‘They changed the game just as I was getting ready to win a jackpot,’?” said Faisal Khan, a technical compliance manager with New Jersey-based Gaming Laboratories International.

The technology, known as server-based gaming, enables casino floor managers to make changes to slots from a central computer that functions as a server for several machines. With a few keystrokes, a manager can change denomination, percentage hold and appearance.

More Here:
http://lasvegassun.com/news/2008/feb/17/dont-worry-your-slot-bets-are-still-safe/

"We've been sold out for three weeks," said Jose Martel, longtime maitre d' at Michael's Restaurant, which moved to the South Point last year after almost 30 years at the Barbary Coast.

You might recall that it was at Michael's that a desperate 11th-hour planner got turned down a few years ago even after a most unusual offer. The caller, a local heart surgeon, offered Martel a free bypass.

Dan Shrum, director of the Top of the World restaurant at the Stratosphere, said it's the busiest night of the year.

It didn't hurt that USA Today this week included the Top of the World in a list of Top 10 places to spend a romantic Valentine's Day.

Last year, a love-struck diner had a rose in a fancy box delivered to his table every five minutes until the 11th and 12th arrived with a diamond ring. His girlfriend said yes.

Picasso at Bellagio "got hammered with reservations," said maitre d' Ryland Worrell. "We're sold out, and we got so many two-tops, it's not even funny." The most requested table: "No. 17, right at the window, with the best view of the fountains."

The second most requested table is No. 34, where George Clooney and Julia Roberts shot a scene for "Ocean's 11" seven years ago.

"We've got two proposals with rings," Worrell said. "I bring it to the table during dessert."

One year, a gentleman had Worrell put the diamond ring in a glass of champagne. But the plan almost took a horrifying turn when the woman took a couple of sips without noticing the ring.
ReviewJournal.com - News - NORM: Some LV spots spell romance

But it's far more benign when Martin Nievera is talking about joining the Society of Seven for two months at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

"He grew up with us," Society co-founder Tony Ruivivar says of the younger singer, who was set to join the Flamingo afternoon revue Wednesday as a guest star and remain through April 13.

More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/living/15626337.html

Clint Holmes was on the telephone from Atlantic City, quoting the bard of Broadway: "Neil Simon said, 'Musicals are not written. They are rewritten.' "

The same holds true for Holmes' pet project, "Just Another Man." Instead of the planned off-Broadway opening in late April, Holmes and his team are looking at taking the musical to another city before going to New York.

"We're continuing to process it, and we feel we need to do it somewhere other than Vegas. Once you go to New York, it's do or die. After working on it for four years, why rush now?"

Meantime, he's booked "Clint Holmes and Friends" April 18-20 at Suncoast, after drawing strong crowds during a Christmas engagement.
ReviewJournal.com - News - NORM

This "free play for points" program will be for new points only. Boarding Pass points earned before the changeover are unaffected and still may be redeemed for dining, gifts and travel comps.

The other major change in the Boarding Pass program is that the dozen or so video poker machines found in each Station Casino that return more than 100 percent with optimal play now require $4 coin-in to earn one point. All other games still earn points based on a $1 coin-in-earns-one-point formula.

More PLAYER'S EDGE here.
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/15661317.html