Everything Las Vegas Issue # 671
June 27th, 2008
Fremont Street Experience Hosts A Patriotic "American Pie 4th of July" Weekend.
Fremont Street Experience premieres “Don McLean’s American Pie” Viva Vision light and sound show with a weekend-long 4th of July celebration free to the public, 4 p.m.-midnight July 3-5 in downtown Las Vegas.
The world premiere showing of “Don McLean’s American Pie” Viva Vision show will open to the public on Thursday, July 3 at 9 p.m., including an opening ceremony hosted by Nellis Air Force Base’s Honor Guard and a live performance of the National Anthem.
The rock ballad “American Pie”, released by Don McLean in 1971, became the anthem for a generation and is still one of the most well-known songs in American musical history. McLean's most famous composition, "American Pie” is a sprawling, impressionistic ballad inspired partly by the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) in a plane crash in 1959. The song would popularize the expression "The Day the Music Died" in reference to this event. McLean has stated that the lyrics are also somewhat autobiographical and present an abstract story of his life from the mid-1950s until the time he wrote the song in the late 1960s.
"American Pie" reached number one on the US Billboard magazine charts for four weeks in 1971, and remains McLean's most successful single release. It is also the longest song to reach #1 with a running time of 8:36. McLean worked with Fremont Street Experience, providing footage and images for the Viva Vision show.
The Viva Vision schedule for all three nights include shows “American Freedom” at 8:30 and 12 midnight, “Don McLean’s American Pie” at 9:00 and 11:00 p.m. and “A Tribute to Queen” at 10:00 p.m. “A Tribute to Queen” is also a new Viva Vision light and sound show that premiered in April.
Additionally, visual fireworks and patriotic images – set to some of America’s favorite songs – will be shown overhead on Viva Vision throughout the evening, Thursday-Saturday.
Live bands will also be a part of the three-day entertainment line-up performing on both the 1st and 3rd Street stages, July 3-5:
1st Street Stage
5-8 p.m. – Tony Marques Band, featuring country jams
9-12 p.m. – NiteKings, featuring 50’s, 60’s and 70’s favorites
3rd Street Stage
4-7 p.m. – Keel 2, featuring classic rock
8-11 p.m. – Wonderboogie, featuring 70’s disco fever
Downtown Las Vegas hotel-casinos Binion’s, Fitzgeralds, Four Queens, Fremont, Golden Gate, Golden Nugget and Vegas Club will be selling 4th of July barbeque favorites from hamburgers and hotdogs to potato salad from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at several outdoor food cafes on Fremont Street Experience. Each food station will also be accompanied by a bar offering a variety of sodas, beers, cocktails and specialty drinks.
“Don McLean’s American Pie” and three nights of entertainment and food on Fremont Street Experience will be the perfect place for everyone to come celebrate our nation’s birthday.
Misfits’ icon cracked wise.
Comedian abandoned nice-guy-in-tie shtick early on — in Las Vegas, no less — and wrung laughs with brilliant, irreverent social essays.
By: Jerry Fink/Las Vegas Sun
I recall seeing George Carlin for the first time in the early ’60s on “The Tonight Show” when he was still wearing suits with pegged pants and narrow lapels and thin ties and trying to be a stand-up comedian who told jokes in the vein of Jonathan Winters that made everyone laugh.
Carlin was cleanshaven, his hair closely cropped, a style popular with the Ivy League crowd. He seemed nervous on camera, ill at ease in front of a national audience.
The last time I saw him was June 7 at the Orleans — scruffy, bearded, thinning gray hair pulled back tightly, clad in sneakers, black slacks and black pullover sweater, his anti-establishment persona fully developed after 50 years in the business.
More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jun/24/misfit-cracked-wise/
George Carlin: “I’m an alpha male on beta blockers”
By: Joe Brown/Las Vegas Sun
George Carlin was a funny man who became a wise man. The Las Vegas Sun's Jerry Fink was the last newspaper reporter to interview Carlin, and he remembered the massively influential, correctly-incorrect comedian beautifully in Tuesday's paper.
As Jerry points out, Carlin, who had a long, storied relationship with Vegas, was as much a writer as he was a comedian. And Carlin summed up his own new-millennial self in this — let's just say it: poem — from his 2005 book of musings "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?", which may be best savored in its audiobook form, read and ranted by the author. (You can also see and hear Carlin perform this piece here.
More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/joe-brown/2008/jun/25/george-carlin-im-alpha-male-beta-blockers/
Steve's Las Vegas Quickies:
Torrid at Hawaiian Tropic Zone hosts a Strip Las Vegas magazine party with cover model Kirsten Price as Maxim model DJ Frances closes out the Chicks with Decks series at 10 p.m. Saturday, June 28. Getting the party started, DJ D Miles throws down the hottest hip-hop and top 40 mix inside at 10 p.m. while the Chicks with Decks series comes to an end as Maxim Model DJ Frances hits the turntables on the patio from 1:30 to 4 a.m. Free p.i.n.k. vodka for ladies from 11 p.m. to midnight.
For a photo slide show of Elton John's 200th performance at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, click here: http://www.reviewjournal.com/media/slideshow/eltonjohn/
Las Vegas singing legend Steve Lawrence will fill the dates of his late friend and comedy icon George Carlin on Aug. 15-17 at the Orleans, it was learned Thursday.
"An Evening With Steve Lawrence" will include the backing of a 27-piece orchestra.
The newest additions to Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage are seven-week-old white, white-striped and golden tiger cubs. They made their first appearance on June 13, which was Siegfried's 69th birthday.
In July, the El Cortez is giving away a very attractive logo poker set to all players hitting a $200 jackpot on slots or $300 on video poker.
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars on Sept. 27 will make Elvis Presley its 27th star. Sponsored by the Viva Las Vegas Elvis Presley Fan Club, it will be in front of the Riviera, not the Las Vegas Hilton, where Elvis had more than 800 sold-out performances. Robert Alexander, president of the Las Vegas Walk of Stars, explained that an agreement with the county allows for stars to be placed only on sidewalks from the Sahara to Mandalay Bay. At the Riviera, Elvis's star will be near those of Sammy Davis Jr. and Liberace.
Entertainment Weekly recently did a themed issue of "The New Classics," compiling lists of the best movies, TV shows, etc. of the past 25 years. "Stomp" was ranked No. 35 and "O" was No. 41 on the Stage list, which is curious considering their comparative status on the Strip. "Stomp," while relatively new to Las Vegas in its "Stomp Out Loud" incarnation, belongs more on the Strip's endangered species list, while "O" continues to do capacity business as it nears its 10th anniversary in October.
This Just In at the Wynn Apparently there's a strong table-games promotion in progress right now at Wynn Las Vegas. As the details were explained to us (and verified as well as possible via the phone), every 30 minutes the dealers at all the lower-limit blackjack tables deal out one card to each player on the game and the one dealt the highest card gets a $50 matchplay coupon. The promotion runs 10 am to 6 pm Monday-Friday, so it's nearly done for today. But check in Monday to see if it's continued.
Trent Carlini closed his Elvis-tribute show at the Sahara a few weeks ago and the Beatles-tribute show Fab Four Mania has also closed at the hotel.
*The sexy xotic xciting “X” Burlesque girls who perform a nightly adult topless cabaret revue at the Flamingo have found real fans in Morris Day and the Time, who are now performing a series of special engagements there after Toni Braxton’s departure and until Donny & Marie Osmond take over the main showroom in September. First came two members of the Time and now Morris and the entire group visited. So impressed with the dance routines and perfect postures of the perky and provocative princesses they’ve even invited them to dance in their show this week as special guests!
Congratulations are in order for two good friends today: first to the Strip producer I can’t name at his request on his days ago engagement as he plans a September wedding thus shattering all his friends who never thought he’d ever remarry. … And to Flamingo headliner Nathan Burton who will be presented with magic’s Merlin Award for “Best Comedy Illusionist of 2008” this afternoon (WED) during his show.
Thirty years after comedian Steve Martin put the "boy king" in the pop music Top 20, King Tutankhamen is back in the news. The Las Vegas Natural History Museum today announced that it is receiving a donation of "authentic reproductions" from the Tomb and Museum of King Tutankhamen at Luxor. The King Tut Museum at Luxor Las Vegas, that is.
The gift, valued at $3 million, was made possible by MGM Mirage and Luxor President and COO Felix Rappaport, and includes the guardian statues, King Tut's sarcophagus and an array of statues, vases, beds, baskets and pottery. The 17-year-old Natural History Museum will store the items until an expansion is completed to permanently display the exhibit.
A new nightclub with an old Vegas vibe is opening today on the 1000 block of East Sahara. The Red Apple will tap into nostalgia of the 1950s and 1960s. Local entertainers are invited to perform on the stage.
Bobby Slayton, who originally planned to wrap up his residency on Labor Day at Hooters, now has extended to March
The Las Vegas Hilton is celebrating the Fourth of July with a buffet feast featuring more than 60 seasonal menu items of freshly prepared culinary delights. Just a sample: chipotle crusted prime rib of beef, oven roasted turkey with natural pan gravy, New England clam chowder, crispy southern fried chicken, Opilio crab legs, and chilled shrimp on ice. The special buffet is set for July 4-5, 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
The long-running tribute show , American Superstars at the Stratosphere, which opened with the property back in April 1996, has signed a contract extension through November 2009. The show features performers impersonating Elvis, Rod Stewart, Michael Jackson, Tim McGraw, and Christina Aguilera and you can catch American Superstars Sun. through Tues. at 7 p.m. and Wed., Fri., and Sat. at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Sin City Heat (formerly Sunset Strip) that rockin' band that fills the Shimmer Cabaret in the Las Vegas Hilton is led by Musical Director Steven Lee and features seasoned musicians, talented singers and incredible dancers. Showtimes: Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat (11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.,Thurs – 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.)
Room Special at TI From June 30 through Sept. 4, Treasure Island is offering a "Red, White, Blue and Green" promotional package that includes: room rates starting at $76 (with Petite Suite upgrades available for an extra $20); a $15 "midday food and beverage credit"; a $35 discount on cabañas; -35% on "Mystere" tickets and $25 in free casino play. It's available to the first 200 customers who book online, using the 'TIRWBG' promo code, or by calling 800/288-7206. Despite the limited number of openings, MGM Mirage assures LVA, "There are still rooms available at Treasure Island for those days and that deal."
Strip casinos have been rumored to be making a push to bring in local players, to shore up a soft lower- and middle-market tourist base. Now the Sahara is making it official, announcing "a designated part of the casino floor called Locals Lane." This new area "will feature machines that have better odds and payback percentages, comparable to those offered in neighborhood casinos … In conjunction with the designated local’s [sic] area, the Sahara has a new 'Gold Card' for locals that offers bigger incentives and discounts for meals, shows, drinks, hotel rooms and merchandise." What may make this press release especially newsworthy is a Strip casino's explicit admission that its normal slot holds and payback schedules are inferior to those found off-Strip.
Among a rash of postings at VegasTripping.com was the news that the Vegas and Laughlin Golden Nuggets "have a new online look, wiping away one of the last vestiges of the Tim & Tom era into the internet trash heap.The site is flush with lots of large dimension photographs of the property with only a handful of stock usage photos added to the mix." The Nugget sites also sport a spiffy new black-and-gold color scheme.
Okay. Bear witness, people. Saturday night — June 21 for all of you math freaks — was the 200th performance of Elton John's "The Red Piano" at Caesars Palace. The man deserves a major shout-out here. "The Red Piano" was launched in 2004 and its debut got major rave reviews (4 stars out of 4 stars in the LA Times ). More recently, "The Red Piano" has become a major tour in the UK and Europe. Elton John is the Sultan Of The Las Vegas Strip and he deserves tons of applause. The brother came to represent.
http://thevegaseye.com/
Rumor has it the fantastic Cuban show, Havana Nights, will be returning to the strip shortly at the Sahara. Let's hope so as this is one of the most exciting musical revues around.
"Mr. Las Vegas is back at the MGM. He begins the first of a series of performances, at the MGM Hollywood Theater, this one from July 31-August 6. Backed by a 22 piece orchestra, his show will feature music will include country, big band, R&B, and rock.
Asia poker is based on an ancient Chinese game called "13" and combines the elements of Pai Gow Poker and the American game of poker.
Each player at the table is dealt seven cards, which the player arranges to make three hands; a one-card hand, a two-card hand and a four-card hand. Each player shall set his or her hands arranging the cards into a high hand, medium hand and low hand. When setting the three hands, the four card high hand must be equal to or higher in rank than the two card medium hand, and the two card medium hand must be equal to or higher in rank than the one card low hand. For example, if the two card hand contains a pair of sevens, the four card hand must contain at least a pair of sevens and the two remaining cards.
A player will win if any two of the player's three hands (high, medium or low hand) are higher in rank than any of the dealer's corresponding three hands (high, medium or low hand). If any one of the player's three hands is identical in rank to the corresponding hand of the dealer this is a tie. Ties are also called "copy hands," and the dealer wins all copy hands.
American Superstars Show Still on Top at the Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower .
The American Superstars show, which opened in Las Vegas with the Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower in April 1996, has signed a contract extension through November 2009. This allows the show to continue to wow audiences with its line-up of celebrity tributes, announced American Casino & Entertainment Properties officials.
“The American Superstars show has thrived in the competitive Vegas entertainment market because it is quality entertainment which leaves audiences feeling entertained at a fair price,” said Mark Callas, who produces American Superstars with his Springtime Productions partner, Donny Moore. “Our formula is simple. The talented cast pays sincere homage to great musical acts, and the dancers and band pull out all the stops to make American Superstars a fun night of entertainment,” he added.
American Superstars is a full-scale production show that combines the talents of tribute artists portraying the likeness and musical abilities of today’s and yesterday’s hottest stars. The American Superstars cast features Darren Lee as Elvis, John Anthony as Rod Stewart, Chad Givens as Tim McGraw, Damian Brantley as Michael Jackson, and Lorena Peril as Christina Aguilera. The high energy Superstars Dance Band and the talented Superstars Dancers back the multi-talented cast.
Showtimes are Sunday through Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. in the Stratosphere’s Theater of the Stars Showroom. The show is dark on Thursday. Tickets are $42.75 for adults and $31.95 for children ages 5 to 12. VIP Seating is available for an additional $10 per ticket. For tickets or more information, call (702) 380-7711 or visit www.stratospherehotel.com
T&T Explodes At Luxor Hotel And Casino With Hot Mexican Fare And Edgy Design.
T&T (Tacos & Tequila), a highly stylized restaurant with a fun, high-energy vibe and flavorful menu, will open in late August at Luxor Hotel and Casino.
Utilizing their years of hospitality experience, creators and owners Michael Frey and Craig Gilbert announced T&T will be the first project under the formation of their new company, Drive This Entertainment!.
Embodying traditional and modern elements of Mexican style intermixed with rock‘n’roll flair, T&T combines the talents of world-renowned restaurateur Chef Richard Sandoval with the innovative creations of New York-based design team Rafael Alvarez and Brannen Brock for an unparalleled concept.
“This is not your grandma’s cantina – think Pink Taco meets Coyote Ugly interpreted by Quentin Tarantino,” Frey said. “I am excited to bring our version of a sexy, energy-infused Mexican restaurant to life. Offering more than just a great place to grab an amazing taco or great tequila, it will be a dining experience that will tantalize the senses.”
To bring their edgy vision to life, Frey and Gilbert worked closely with Alvarez + Brock Design on the 8,000 square-foot restaurant. Five icons of Mexican culture – the sombrero, the shot glass, the bullfight, skeletons and seductive women – inspired the design concept.
Translating the vibrancy of the design and flavor to the menu, Drive This Entertainment! enlisted the help of Sandoval, who will serve as consulting chef, and Saul Ortiz, former chef of Isla Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar at Treasure Island, as executive chef overseeing day-to-day kitchen operations. The menu will include Sandoval’s unique presentation of modern and traditional Mexican cuisine and a drink program highlighted by an extensive list of tequila selections, specialty cocktails and infused tequilas. Embracing Mexican culture through its design and cuisine, T&T will capture the attention of diners and onlookers with a massive brushed aluminum covering inspired by the sombrero. Two 20-foot laser cutouts depicting skeletons dancing and drinking tequila will adorn the “sombrero,” which will be lined with lights that shoot down toward the ground, reflecting the images on the floor and peppering the space with jagged illuminations. Serving as additional eye candy and a second design focal point, the bar area will feature a striking 25-foot-by-40-foot mural illustrating the excitement and voracity of a bullfight and the sensuality of its main subject: a female matador. Three similar murals with provocative images of the matador and bull will appear in the restaurant’s lounge area, El Salon, positioned off the main dining room to provide a more intimate experience. In keeping with the Mexican theme, the designers chose a bright color palette of yellows, reds, greens, oranges and blues throughout the restaurant in chair coverings, countertops and decorative lighting. Complementing its bold style, T&T will pump rock ‘n’ roll music into the space and create a unique bar experience with trained Tequila Temptresses, who will sport T&T branded apparel and provide guests expert recommendations on tequila pairings or shots. Offering guests a chance to take a little T&T with them, the concept also boasts a freestanding frozen daiquiri bar, which will offer drinks to guests on-the-go. Guests can also shop for men’s and women’s shirts and tanks, women’s high-quality logo-embroidered jean shorts and capris, as well as an assortment of sexy accessories from the fashionable clothing and gift boutique. T&T is scheduled to open in late August 2008. Located above hotel registration at Luxor, T&T will be open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and offer late-night dining until 3 a.m.
I moved to Las Vegas at age 21 with bachelor degrees in speech and
journalism and began working as an editor on the news desk of the LV
Review-Journal. It was a different city in those days – Planet Hollywood
sprung out of the famed Aladdin of 1966 vintage that Milton Prell bought for
$16 million. This property at times was called “The Vegas Jinx.” In 1962, the
inventor of the game Yahtzee, Edwin Lowe, opened the $12 million, 450-
room English Tallyho motel trying to prove it would work without gambling.
The first headliner in the Baghdad Theatre was Jackie Mason. There was no
cover or minimum.
It’s hard to believe that Paris will have been open 10 years this New
Year’s Eve. For one of the best views of The Strip try the Eiffel Tower
Restaurant. The food theme at The Paris is its food. From the Mon Ani
Gabi offers French bistro with indoor and outdoor dining on The Strip.
Napoleon’s offers over 100 varieties of champagne.
The Venetian was built on a solid foundation where the Sands stood for
44 years. It was the home of “The Rat Pack.” The Venetian opened on May
3, 1999. The Venezia opened June 27, 2007 and the Palazzo recently
opened. This is a quality mega-resort.
Las Vegas incorporated in 1911 remains the most populous city
founded in the 20th Century. The Old Spanish Trail came through Las
Vegas because of its artesian wells. Since there was greenery the Spanish
named it “The Meadows.” Gambling was legalized on March 19, 1931 and
15 years later Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo Hotel. Hoover Dam was
completed in 1936 and resulted in more tourism. Las Vegas owes its
growth to Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky and World War II. Nellis Air Force
Base offered more economic fuel for growth along with the Nevada Test
Site. The arid basin surrounded by mountains is about 2,000 feet above sea
level with the Spring Mountains to the West. Las Vegas’ hottest
temperature ever recorded was 117 on two occasions in 2005 and the
coldest was 8 degrees in 1937.
The tourist corridor is the Stratosphere south to Russell on The Strip
and east to Paradise and I-15 to the west. The Strip used to be called
Highway 91with Pair-o-Dice Club opening the first casino in 1931
followed 10 years later called the El Rancho. Kirk Kirkorian opened the
MGM Grand in 1973 kicking off an era of mega-resorts. Formerly the
Dunes golf course is now Project City Center, a 66-acre multi-billiondollar
project.
Without this history theatre talents would have had to be constantly on
tour. The Las Vegas Strip allows hard-working entertainers to live a
semi-normal life with some glitz and glamour. The Strip provides a home
for entertainers who are at their best since they don’t have to travel and are
able to adapt to a theatre customized for their act.
The most important things that happened since I moved to Las Vegas are:
• 1975 – Nevada gaming records break the $1 billion mark
• Clark County breaks the $1 billion mark in gaming revenues
• Las Vegas celebrates 75th Birthday and county population is at 463,087
• Las Vegas celebrates 50th anniversary of gaming in 1981
• First National Finals Rodeo held in Las Vegas
• The Mirage opens at 7 a.m. on Nov. 22, 1993 (Kevin Wynn gave me a tour)
• 1990 population grows to 741,295 as growth continues
• Excalibur opens as world’s largest hotel in 1992 with over 4,000 rooms
• MGM Grand Hotel opens on Dec. 18, 1993 with over 5,000 rooms
• Mirage Resorts Inc. and Gold Strike to open Monte Carlo Resort starring
Master Magician Lance Burton.
• The Dunes Hotel is imploded Oct., 27, 1994 to make room for Bellagio
• Clark County population hits 1 million in 1995
• The Stratosphere opens in 1996 making it the tallest building west of
Mississippi
• In 1997 The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace opens
• Bellagio opens in 1998 making it the world’s most expensive hotel at $1.7
billion
• Mandalay Bay Resort opened on Mar. 2, 1999 after Hacienda is imploded
• Desert Inn bought by SteveWynn to make way for WYNN Las Vegas in 2000
• Station Casinos opens Green Valley Ranch in 2001
• Fashion Show Mall spends $1 billion on expansion in 2003 with “The Cloud.”
• The Las Vegas Monorail opens in 2004 after spending $654 million
• Steve Wynn opens WYNN Las Vegas in 2005
Lance Burton’s show at the Monte Carlo won’t skip a beat in July with
Independence Day falling on a Friday. Lance is in his 13th year at the
Monte Carlo. The crowds keep coming and tickets for the 10 p.m. show are
easy to buy at montecarlo.com.
“Crazy Girls” is here for a hot summer performing nightly except for
Tuesdays. Comic-magician Tony Douglas is GREAT! “Crazy Girls” at the
Riviera Hotel has played host to this show since 1987 so its track record is
impeccable. The combination of magic, comedy, dancing and entertaining
numbers make for what might be called “feel good” entertainment. You
can’t go wrong with experiencing “Crazy Girls” at the Riviera.
“An Evening at La Cage” with Frank Marino as the host and special
guest star. The Riviera Hotel’s show took a break from June 26-28 with
understudy Jimmy Emerson filling in for his spot. Frank Marino was
filming a movie in California. He was just selected as the special correspondent
from Las Vegas for the TV show “EXTRA!”
The world famous celebrity female impersonator show features Lane
Lassiter as Michael Jackson, Derrick Barry as Britney Spears, Brent Allen as
Bette Midler and Judy Garland,, Crystal Woods as Diana Ross, Ryan Zink as
Reba McIntire, Steven Wayne as Cher and Celine Dion and Kenneth Blake as
Madonna and Dolly Parton.
From "The Vegas Eye"
"Brand Grand Opening"
The Light Group unveiled its latest restaurant concept on Thursday with the opening of BRAND Steakhouse, at Monte Carlo. One part steakhouse and one part lounge, Notables included top MGM MIRAGE employees, I mean execs (sometimes they forget that they are employees), Lovely ladies of Jet and The Bank and of course Top Media, …BRAND fused modern fine dining with the classic steakhouse. The Light Groups trademark open restaurant design lends itself to people-watching where diners and voyeurs alike are part of the scene. Designed by the award-winning design firm behind FIX Restaurant and STACK Restaurant & Bar, BRAND features a 5,000-square-foot dining room and adjacent lounge that became the center of excitement and energy. The dining room’s interior features a dramatically lit ceiling canopy that creates a pixilated abstract cow-print pattern. A rich palette of earthy colors and unique textures combined with soft lighting and subtle sound system adds to BRAND’s casually cool ambience. BRAND’s fluid design, featuring low-level walls and retractable glass partitions from both the casino and inside the restaurant creates a seamless transitions into either environment. The Light Group’s Executive Chef Brian Massie, fresh from Aspen Food and Wine and rife with imaginative interpretations of classic steakhouse favorites. Signature oversized Bone-In (dry-aged) and Bone-Out (wet-aged) Nebraska steaks and large chops cooked to order in a wood-burning grill will be highlights of Brand’s menu. House-made sauces will add a twist to the standard steak sauce, such as Brandy & Green Peppercorn; Whole Grain Mustard; Shallot-Red Wine Bordelaise while diners also can choose from a list of delicious steak toppings to mix and match for the perfect combination. Highlighting the menu is the Ultimate Steak: a mammoth 8.6-pound beef porterhouse for six. In addition, BRAND features an extensive list of wines, bourbons and specialty cocktails to complement each item on the menu. A select variety of more than 200 red wines chosen from areas spanning the California wine country, to the Bordeaux region of France all the way to the Super Tuscans of Italy will highlight the wine list. An elite array of bourbons has been selected to complete the perfect steak meal and will be sure to please any discerning palette. BRAND also will feature a specialty menu of classic cocktails we recommend the Apple Caipirinha (cachaca, cane sugar and fresh lime, garnished with an apple wedge).
George Carlin Tribute: Word on the street has it that some of the strip's most talented performers are gearing up (as in, trying to get something whipped into shape by performance time) to stage small tributes to George Carlin, much like the military would run a flag at half-staff for a fallen, beloved, general. But instead of the Strip darkening its lights, performers will be doing versions of Carlin's famous and controversial comedy routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television." The acclaimed comedian and social commentator, 71, died from heart failure Sunday night at Saint John's Hospital in Santa Monica. He had been the victim of several heart attacks and had a history of heart disease. He went to the hospital Sunday afternoon complaining of heart problems. Carlin was the host of the premiere episode of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975 and later starred in numerous HBO comedy specials. He also appeared in the big-screen comedies "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," "Dogma" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." His talent will be missed. Leaving Las Vegas: The MTV Music Awards. While most will remember the '07 Awards for the Spears trainwreck, it's also worth noting that Kanye West stated after last year's VMAs that he would
Our sources at Defamer are telling us this afternoon that the executives at MTV have decided against returning to Las Vegas, the scene of the 2007 Video Music Awards, for the 2008 incarnation of the show. Instead, this year's VMAs will be broadcast live on September 7 from the Paramount Pictures Studio in Los Angeles. While one source told TheVegasEye.com that it was a case of "been there, done that", a separate source told Thelayeye.com that the "very chaotic" proceedings last year had something to do with the decision not to return to The Palms Hotel in Vegas (where, you'll recall, a clearly out-of-shape Britney Spears nearly killed her career with a zombified rendition of "Gimme More".
http://thevegaseye.com/
Monti-licious By Monti Rock from The Vegas Eye
What's the deal with the Sahara? It was abrupt but Trent Carlini's Elvis Tribute gone. The Fab Four gone. A new show called Raw Talent or Raw Talent Live or No Talent Live produced by Bernie Yuman and Nicole Durr is opening. Nicole produced Havana Nights when it was at the Stardust.
Rumors around town indicate there may be other shows closing with the hotels and casinos tightening their belts.
My friend Tim Molyneux has a new show opening July 3 at the Rio Hotel Masquerade Ballroom It's a musical and is called All In, The Poker Musical. The timing is perfect since the World Series of Poker is already underway. The show will be Broadway bound when it leaves the Rio. Tim is the writer, creator and the producer of Bite which has been running at the Stratosphere for four years. After previewing Tim's latest, All In, I must report the music is superb.
Lot of changes going on at the Flamingo. I was especially shocked when it was announced Second City's final show was set for August 1st. It was five years ago when yours truly was roasted by Second City. Word is that X Burlesque may add a second show with the absence of Second City and of course everyone is still waiting for the arrival of the Osmonds, Donny and Marie.
Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian will soon have to make some changes since the fabulous Brent Barrett who plays the Phantom will be leaving the show. Brent's departure is scheduled for June 6th so if you want to hear this magnificent voice and see this handsome version of Phantom, run don't walk to the Venetian. Brent will soon be on his way to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. for his appearance on June 28th. Fortunately for his Las Vegas fans he will maintain a home here and will return to Las Vegas for a July 4th spectacular at The Hills Park at Summerlin with the Las Vegas Philharmonic.
I hear there are still talks circulating about Michael Jackson. Possible show at the Hilton, the Trump, the Palm? I don't know but let's face it, Michael is one of the great pop entertainers of our time and wherever he stops the crowds will appear. His most recent sighting has his face covered in black cloth, etc.
I went back to Hooters to catch Bobby Slayton again. This man is funny. Just remember don't sit in the front unless you have really thick skin. Even then, you’ll blush. And don't forget to catch Caveman at the Golden Nugget. This has become one of the longest runs ever for a one man show.
For anyone in search of that early Las Vegas style people love to talk about, you know the scene that was always on the agenda for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley and so many others, The Golden Steer Steakhouse offers a breath of Vegas nostalgia not to be missed. The Golden Steer has been a mainstay of fine dining in Las Vegas since 1958 and continues to be known for the quality of their steaks and seafood. Many of the staff at The Golden Steer have been there for thirty years. Maybe that's why the service is so spectacular. Anyway, for visitors and locals stop by The Golden Steer at 308 West Sahara and enjoy! And for those who like Asian Gourmet food, WOO at The Palazzo is the place to go.
Wes Winters will be opening his Liberace Tribute show at Planet Hollywood's Steve Wyrick Theater this week. I was one of the fortunate ones to see Liberace perform live here in Las Vegas and for my money Wes Winters has the Liberace genre down solid. It's a wonderful show performed by a brilliant talent. The entertainment and showmanship is what helped to create the Las Vegas we know and love. I first met Wes Winters during his five-year run at Carluccio's on East Tropicana. Wes has a great local following which was magnified on his closing night when the song "I'll Be Seeing You" filled the room where there wasn't a dry eye in the place.
I've been a fan of Steve Wyrick since his days at the Lady Luck downtown. Following his outing downtown Steve went to the Sahara and then to the Aladdin which of course became Planet Hollywood. The Steve Wyrick Theater at Planet Hollywood has had a revolving door when it comes to shows. Wes Winters may very well be the attraction the theater deserves.
Past tenants of the Steve Wyrick Theater include Ronn Lucas, Martin Niviera and most recently the Kayzallo Bubble Show, which has popped its last bubble. These were all attractions at the Steve Wyrick Theater but it's the ticket brokers that make it all work. The brokers are the key to any show. In my opinion David Saxe and the V Theater at the Venetian has it all figured out. He has a well oiled machine, Tickets for Tonight, cheap tickets.
The Nova jazz group heads up the Las Vegas Hilton's "Group Therapy Thursdays" at the Tempo Lounge starting at 5:30 PM on Thursdays. In addition to the sounds of jazz they're offering up drink specials, giveaways and even blackjack. It's a new twist but sounds like it just might be the spot to land before the week end. For those of you not in to the jazz scene, consider something else that's offered at the Las Vegas Hilton. Like the rock band Phoenix. They're billed as the ultimate rock experience. Upcoming shows in the main showroom feature performers such as Tony Bennet, Johnny Mathis, and Tery Fator, and of course the long running Barry Manilow.
No Masking Greatness by Kate Silver
Las Vegas Magazine
Time flies (among other things) when you're a Phantom. This week marks the two-year anniversary of Phantom —The Las Vegas Spectacular at the Venetian. But to Phantom Anthony Crivello, this is just the beginning.
"Las Vegas offers a different opportunity, obviously, the show being in for the long haul. The idea being that a $35 million investment can be recouped and that it can have a long, successful life in Vegas because of the fact that it has such spectacle," Crivello said.
He's referring to the $35 million cost to mount the production. Add to that the $40 million that was spent to make the theater resemble the famous Opera Garnier in Paris, but with a Vegas twist. There are pyrotechnics, illusions and a 1-ton chandelier that "crashes" down at 35 miles per hour — that's 30 miles per hour faster than the chandelier moves in other Phantom productions.
It's the technological and set advances of the show that draw in not only first-time Phantom viewers, but fans who have seen it all over the world and can't wait to see what it has become in the hands of original director Harold Prince, Andrew Lloyd Webber and, well, Las Vegas.
"The popularity of the show spills into Las Vegas," Crivello said. "It's not only the popularity of the show as a separate entity. But it's the popularity of the show where those people who were fans of the show say I want to see the version that has all the state-of-the-art technology. It just helps us."
Not that the show needed much help to begin with. Phantom is the most successful theatrical production in history, having grossed more than $3 billion worldwide since its London premiere 22 years ago. It has traveled to 20 countries and won seven Tony Awards in 1988 alone. Embracing its colorful and successful past, Las Vegas' version simply puts a new spin on the old standby.
"You would never see a $35 million budget on Broadway. You would never see this production of Phantom on Broadway because it's economically too much of a risk for a commercial producer with the objective being 'we've got to recoup our investment.'"
The other Vegas-ification of Phantom is that it's been cut to 95 minutes, hedging out an intermission. The result is a tight, fast-paced show that doesn't risk losing momentum — or poker players — during the traditional break.
Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular has been a meaningful step in showing just what happens when Broadway shows meet Sin City flair. In a town known for its revolving entertainment shelf life, two years is certainly cause for celebration.
"People know that they can see Cirque du Soleil here, and they know that they can see Phantom of the Opera here," Crivello said. "And they know that this particular company (The Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc. and BASE Entertainment) is the company that critics have said, if you're going to see Phantom anywhere in the world, this is the place to see it. It's spectacular."
Phantom —The Las Vegas Spectacular
Where: Venetian
Cost: $76.10 and up
Info: (866) 80-SHOWS
http://lvshowbiz.com/
Stage, Screen and Many Things in Between.
Singer/comedian brings her varied incarnations together in blockbuster show.
By: Paul Szydelko/Las Vegas Magazine
It’s not easy to be both bawdy and elegant, sassy and classy, funny and dramatic. But Bette Midler pulls it off with aplomb.
Those who saw the incredibly popular Kiss My Brass tour a few years ago may have some idea about what to expect from The Showgirl Must Go On at Caesars Palace. Something big, something clever, something bold. All things delicious, adding up to a satisfying evening of musical treats.
Unexpected delights complement the indelible songs for which Midler is best-known—“Wind Beneath My Wings,” “From a Distance” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”
Delores Delago, the wheelchair-using mermaid, brings smiles, and old, old Soph, a Las Vegas showgirl who has seen a few too many stages, also makes an appearance.
The Harlettes (Jordan Ballard, Kyra Dacosta and Kamilah Marshall), a 13-piece band and more than 20 dancers make Midler’s vision come to full life.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Midler first captured the public’s attention in 1967 when she landed a role as Tzeitel, the eldest daughter, in the smash Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof.
Midler started building a career as a nightclub performer when her pianist Barry Manilow, now performing at the Las Vegas Hilton, produced her acclaimed first album The Divine Miss M in 1972. A self-titled album a year later also soared to the top of the charts.
She won a special Tony Award in 1974 for her work on Broadway. A starring role in The Rose in 1979 led to many additional honors and roles on the big screen, including the popular Beaches in 1988.
Midler is like a vibrant rose that seems as if it should be getting ready to wilt but, indeed, blossoms again with each new challenge. With her knack for comedy and divine vocal talent, Showgirl is a sure Bette.
Bette Midler
Where: Caesars
Cost: $117.00
When: 7:30 p.m. Tues.-Wed. & Fri.-Sun. (dark through June
Info: (866) 80-SHOWS
http://lvshowbiz.com
This ‘Room’ should have a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. By Joe Brown
Las Vegas Sun
Harrah’s headliner Rita Rudner and her husband, Martin Bergman, have written a play. And it’s having its world premiere at the nonprofessional Las Vegas Little Theatre. A wisp of a sitcom, “Room 776” is not nearly ready for prime time. Or Sunday matinees.
The writing, directing and performances are unbelievable — and I mean that in the dictionary sense of the word. As in “not able to be believed.” (By that measure, you could call this play “incredible,” and even “terrific.”)
It doesn’t seem right to lure unsuspecting audiences — and make them pay $22 — to sit through a workshop staging of such an unbaked piece of work.
More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jun/26/room-should-have-do-not-disturb-sign/
Station Casinos announces grand opening of Aliante Station.
Station Casinos will unveil its newest locals' casino, Aliante Station, to the public on Nov. 11, 2008 at 11:11 p.m.
The $675 million casino is Station Casino's 18th property in Southern Nevada and is an equal partnership with the Greenspun Corporation, which owns the Las Vegas Sun.
Aliante Station, located in North Las Vegas, will offer guests 202 hotel rooms and suites, six restaurants and a food court. For entertainment, the property will feature a Regal Cinemas 16-screen movie theatre and a concert venue with seating for 600. There will also be 14,000 square feet of space for meetings and banquets.
To find out more about the property, go to the Web site.
A Gamble In The Sand from The Las Vegas Sun
The history of Las Vegas is the ultimate American rags-to-riches story, filled with unusual heroes and foes. This 103-year-old saga follows the city through its incredible ups and downs, and highlights how and where some of the U.S.’s most monumental moments occurred. The largest American city founded in the 20th century took shape as a railroad watering hole before turning into the "Gateway to the Hoover Dam." From there the town was known by its seedy mob label as “Sin City,” before finally transforming into the corporately-financed adult playground called the "Entertainment Capital of the World."
http://www.lasvegassun.com/history/
How do you stage Vegas?
Songwriter is confident he’s got the topic that will make a hit musical: Poker.
BY: Joe Brown/Las Vegas Sun
Las Vegas has never really had a show to call its own.
The Strip’s showbiz landscape has been studded with star vehicles, Cirque spectacles and big-name musicals, mostly imports and tours. We haven’t seen a true Las Vegas musical — that is, a musical about Vegas, created in Vegas by Vegas artists and performers.
Tim Molyneux thinks he’s got it. It’s called “All In: The Poker Musical,” and he’s previewing it in a cast staging at the Rio during the World Series of Poker. After that he’s setting his sights on a Broadway production, an international tour, a reality show. T-shirts.
He seems to have a pretty good hand: Poker is hotter than it’s ever been. It’s available around the clock on TV as a spectator sport, with celebrity players and amateurs who become sudden superstars. More than 60 million people are registered with online poker sites.
More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jun/25/how-do-you-stage-vegas/
Vegas Values Report
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 Sunday to find out about the best values in Las Vegas.
http://www.americancasinoguide.com/Promotions/VEGAS-VALUES.shtml
Encore construction photos from vegastripping.com
Start the countdown clock… it's less than six months until Encore Suites at Wynn Las Vegas opens. As with any opening of a Steve Wynn property, most recently Wynn Las Vegas in 2005, the run up to the big day is filled with prognostications, sneak peeks, aerial snooping and other attempts to poke noses behind the curtain. Last Sunday afternoon, I braved the Vegas heat to do a little photo recon mission, in the hopes of sharing this little bit of low-grade peekaboo with y'all. At the outset, it should be noted that I'm no expert on what is planned for Encore.
Start the countdown clock… it's less than six months until Encore Suites at Wynn Las Vegas opens. As with any opening of a Steve Wynn property, most recently Wynn Las Vegas in 2005, the run up to the big day is filled with prognostications, sneak peeks, aerial snooping and other attempts to poke noses behind the curtain. Last Sunday afternoon, I braved the Vegas heat to do a little photo recon mission, in the hopes of sharing this little bit of low-grade peekaboo with y'all. At the outset, it should be noted that I'm no expert on what is planned for Encore.
Start the countdown clock… it's less than six months until Encore Suites at Wynn Las Vegas opens. As with any opening of a Steve Wynn property, most recently Wynn Las Vegas in 2005, the run up to the big day is filled with prognostications, sneak peeks, aerial snooping and other attempts to poke noses behind the curtain. Last Sunday afternoon, I braved the Vegas heat to do a little photo recon mission, in the hopes of sharing this little bit of low-grade peekaboo with y'all. At the outset, it should be noted that I'm no expert on what is planned for Encore.
http://www.vegastripping.com/news/news.php?news_id=2144
Phantom Celebrates 2nd Anniversary With Record Sales.
By Robin Leach/Vegas Luxe Life
Phantom—A Las Vegas Spectacular is hitting a whopping $1 million a week in box office ticket sales as it begins its third year at The Venetian! That message from executive producer Scott Zeiger to his cast and crew at their private second anniversary celebration party last night (TUES) won rousing cheers and applause!
“In our second year we’re beating our first year’s box office,” he said. ”Phantom has become the No. 1 theatrical show on the Strip and is a very real part of the landscape and fabric of Vegas. We’ll definitely be back a year from now with a third anniversary to celebrate and we’re looking confidently ahead to a 5th year too!”
Scott, head of Base Entertainment, also revealed that because of the Vegas success of Phantom the other theatrical companies producing the Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber musical around the world will each close for one week to ‘upgrade’ their sound and light systems along with the Vegas theatrics. He explained, “London just closed for the one week overhaul. New York will close in September for the one-week upgrade. Vegas is without a doubt the best of all the Phantoms and this was simply a case of all the others wanting to catch up to what we do in Vegas.”
It was a low-key private cast, crew and families only party in the balcony bar after last night’s performance and Luxe Life was invited to be part of it. Phantom star Anthony Crivello had told the sold out audience how grateful the company was for their support over the first two years. “We get people coming back time and time again to see our show and they come from all over the world. I’ve performed as Phantom now over 400 times and its still an amazing thrill every night,” he told me.
Anthony now holds down the lead role without an alternate actor for the eight-weekly shows which increase to 10 performances over holiday periods. Former alternate Brent Barrett left for the summer touring company of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Tina Walsh, who starred in Mamma Mia at Mandalay Bay for two years before joining the Phantom cast as the Phantom’s courier Madam Giry told me, “With the black wig, severe long black dress and makeup its so different from everything I’ve done before that nobody recognizes me. But it’s really wonderful to be in the two longest running Broadway hits in Vegas.”
The show’s executive producer who is handling the Cirque du Soleil spectacular for The Venetian Macau told me he’s got lots of additional theatrical plans for both Macau and Vegas. “We are developing three or four more shows for the Las Vegas Sands resorts in Macau, which are without language so we cross the problem of all the different Chinese dialects,” said Scott.
“We’ve got new shows in the works for Vegas, and Robin, I promise you’ll be the first to know.” In fact he told me and then swore me to secrecy. I’m honoring the vow so that Luxe Life can reveal all of them first and exclusively. The most I can tell you for now is that the first for early next year will be an extraordinary surprise with an amazing new theater and several unexpected stars!.
Happy second anniversary to all at Phantom—A Las Vegas Spectacular. Click here for yesterday’s Luxe Life interview with Phantom creator Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.
http://blogs.lasvegasmagazine.com/VegasLuxeLife
Red Carpet Treatment at "LOVE"
If you want red-carpet VIP treatment at Cirque du Soileil’s Love show at The Mirage then sign on for the Tapis Rouge experience. You’ll feel like a Beatle star yourself with preferred seating at the show, a pre-show party at The Beatles Revolution Lounge with some of the cast specialty drinks and taste treats, a Love gift bag and a personal escort to the theater!
It’s a fun new addition to the Beatles musical, as it gets ready to start its third year! (It seems like only yesterday Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia were all here to open the spectacular!) Try the Bungalow Bill with blueberries and vodka in a martini glass, Mean Mr. Mustard with rum and peach flavored vodka in a champagne glass or the Fab Four itself with four different vodkas and mixed fruit juices in a shot glass!
The perfect buzz to see the psychedelic show! The Revolution lounge has become a hideaway for the stars with a laid-back comedy king Kevin James hanging at the bar for beers and Oakland Raiders star Lamont Jordan enjoying Patron tequila shots. Incidentally for those who don’t ‘parlez vous francais’ Tapis Rouge simply means “Red Carpet.”
http://blogs.lasvegasmagazine.com/VegasLuxeLife
Slot Reviews by Gayle Mitchell
1) Big Game Show Gold Edition Bonus:
It’s back, 10X better in its Gold Edition with 25 paylines. The bonus round begins when three Big Game Show Gold Edition Bonus symbols appear on an active payline. After the player activates the bonus round by pressing the flashing button, the game card award board is initiated and starts to randomly blink at which time one game card award square will be displayed to the player. Located on the game card are 14 different squares that contain credit awards and ball drop awards including 10X and 5X multiplier spaces. Located in the top box are ten balls including one Devil ball (zero award) and 9 with pay values (20-500). When the appropriate number of balls is revealed, the amounts are added to the game card credit awards and the total amount is awarded to the player, ending the bonus event.
2) Chef’s Daily Special Bonus:
Slot players will hunger for this 30-line bonusing game that plays, “That’s Amore” and boasts an interactive bonus game card. The bonus feature is initiated by the appearance of three bonus symbols on any played payline. The game board award card is then initiated and begins to randomly blink. The player is prompted to press the flashing button, at which time one game card award is displayed to the player. Located on the game card are three different squares representing one, two, and four-ball drop awards. Located in the top box are 11 balls, including a 2x multiplier ball and 10 balls with pay values. When the appropriate number of balls are revealed to the player, the amounts are added to the bonus meter and the total amount is awarded to the player. If one or more multiplier balls drop, all pay value amounts are first added together and then the multiplier(s) are applied last.
3) When In Rome:
Bringing slot players an empire of excitement, When in Rome combines a thrilling 5 reel Triple Stars with the crowd-drawing action of an interactive bonus game card, and new 3x 5x and 10x multiplier awards. When three When in Rome bonus symbols land on any played payline, players enter the fun-filled bonus round. The game card award board is then initiated and begins to randomly blink. Located on the game card are 14 different squares that contain credit awards and ball drop awards. The player is prompted to press the flashing button, at which time the blinking stops and a single award square is displayed. Located in the top box are eleven balls with pay values (20-1000). When one or more balls are revealed, the amounts are added to the game card credit awards and the total amount is awarded to the player.
4) Super Bankroll Bonus:
The company’s newest six-station true community bonusing game, Super Bankroll Bonus strengthens social excitement on the casino floor by allowing slot enthusiasts to play among others and experience a shared bonusing event. The theme of the new game is based upon AC Coin & Slot’s Bankroll and it stands 7 feet tall and almost 7 feet wide. The game boasts a 5-reel, 20-line program and plays the song, “Money, That’s What I Want.” Players are enticed with a jumbo-sized bonus event that features a scrolling display of a printing press printing oversized bills.
5) Triple Double Cherries: Wms Gaming. 88-92%. 3 spins.
The cool news about this slot is the Hot Hot Super Jackpot feature when you play all lines with a side bet of 10 credits thereby increasing the free spin round frequency and the credits won. The triple in the theme of this slot refers to a) multipliers ranging from 2X to 10X and a free spin bonus round. b) With 2 scattered bonus symbols, you are paid for all wins other than scatters plus the reels with the bonus symbols freeze and all the other reels re-spin once. c) side bet increases the 5 free spins to 10 at 3X jackpots. If three or more scatters land during the free spins, another 5 free spins occurs. Another benefit of the side bet is that the rewards for the largest winning combos are increased for base and bonus round spins. While this paytable may seem complicated, all you need to know are two phrases: side bet and triple wins.
6) Norse Warrior: Konami. 82-96%. 3 spins.
Stunning graphics highlight the theme of the base game of a fabled warrior astride his horse. Free spin rounds begin when three, four or five scatter across the screen bring on 10, 15 or 25 free spins, respectively and all jackpots are doubled. Watch for additional free games during this bonus round. For a low maximum bet of only 10-30 cents per spin on a penny machine, you can trigger all the paylines and be a slot warrior.
7) Capricorn Mountain: Konami. 82-96%. 2 spins.
This slot theme focuses on a tropical volcano and features a reel configuration that produces wins in both directions for scatter pays on adjacent reels. Therefore, the hits just keep coming. For example—when 3 or more volcano symbols scatter on the reels, a free games event of 10 spins begins. Further 4=15 freebies while 5=25 free spins. As with most bonus slots today, all jackpots are doubled during the free spins. You can climb this mountain with ease and extra cash when the random options of Quick Strike or Mystical Temple are in play.
Quarter Million$ – In the Money: Bally. 83-88%. 2 spins.
Merge the familiar slot In the Money with an Instant Spin wheel; put all 25 paylines into play and you are truly ‘in the running’ for $250,000. or more. This slot offers one of two bonus options; either play the reels or head to the bonus event that occurs at the roulette wheel above you. This top wheel offers bonus credits of 250, up to 25,000 credits. Wild symbol — In the Money subs for all symbols in winning combinations. Here are the numbers. A bet of 75 credits=an average bonus of 723 credits. A bet of 100 credits=two spins for an average bonus of 1446 coins. A bet of 125 credits=wheel spins, three times for an average bonus of 2169 credits. Want to be ‘In the Money’ again? If there is a random Mystery Pay feature, then that famous song will be ‘music to your ears’
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
Brett's Vegas Views by Jackie Brett
Raw Talent Live, a 75-minute experience featuring interactive live performances of the next generation of World Dance with live, original music, 700 costumes and exclusive, high-tech video illusions, will make its debut at the Sahara in August. Tickets go on sale next week, call 702-737-2515 or visit Rawtalent.com. This show will be performed nightly except Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m.
The show's creator Nicole Durr, who goes by ND and had the Havana Night Show at the former Stardust, claims the show that she's been working on 18 months will transport audiences from their world to a virtual world that crosses the line between real and surreal. Dancers, singers and musicians will tell the passionate story of the Laptop of Life? (LOL) – which holds the ultimate secret the world is after. Raw Talent Live, through visual illusion technology, will question the surreal world of modern day's duality. Do we live the life of machine beings or are we human beings?
Raw Talent Live will introduce the Ambient Entertainment Technology (AET), the show's exclusive video illusion technology. AET combines state-of-the-art video and audio technology, developed specifically for Raw Talent Live in collaboration with world-renowned video artist, Alex Doss. This exclusive technology allows the show's performers to virtually interact with hundreds of video images.
The iBar at the Rio has introduced a new pilot interactive tabletop program launched by Microsoft Surface Technology. The Rio owned by Harrah's Corp. has installed six wireless touch-screen computer tables that let bar customers perform a number of functions including viewing and sending messages to customers at another Microsoft Surface table that in essence promotes "flirting" and enhances the social experience.
Other applications allow customers to watch YouTube, play computer games, tour six Harrah's Las Vegas properties and watch video promotions of their shows, and order drinks. Harrah's is testing the tables for 60 to 120 days to see if they want to introduce more applications.
One of the current featured acts in Legends In Concert, the show celebrating its 25th year at the Imperial Palace, is the winner of the BBC's hit tribute-artist series competition The One and Only… Katy Setterfield began her three-month contract on May 19 performing as the soulful 60s icon, Dusty Springfield.
Prior to competing on the BBC show, Setterfield traveled the world performing as Springfield, Tina Tuner and Cher, but Springfield has always been her favorite.
Springfield, whose career as an artist spanned decades, is most famous for her hits Son of a Preacher Man, I Only Want to Be With You and I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself.
The 3,000-square-foot country dance hall Dixie's Dam Country Bar opened Memorial Day weekend at Hooters and admission is free. It has a good size bar, seating for 220 and a dance floor. Fabulous live music is provided by Scotty Alexander and the Smok'n Nashville Band when they play three hour-long sets Wednesdays through Saturdays. The last 15 minutes of each of the first two sets are capped off with New Country Strings, four female violinists who perform phenomenal fiddle music.
Alexander plays dynamite country songs using an antique fiddle and other instruments including keyboards, guitar, mandolin, banjo. His band includes his wife, Lisa, on vocals, Tommy Wayne on steel guitar, Donny Castleman on bass and drummer John Wackerman. Alexander came to Las Vegas in 1993 at age 19 to be co-host and featured performer in the old Aladdin's show Country Tonight. He played in Wayne Newton's band for seven years, and was musical director for three. Last September, he became musical director for ventriloquist Terry Fator, who won last year's America's Got Talent contest and currently headlines at the Las Vegas Hilton and will be moving to the Mirage next February.
http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/brett/index.htm
Tut exhibit leaving Luxor
Natural History Museum new home for Egyptian reproductions.
By MAGGIE LILLIS/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Hand-crafted clay pots, thrones gilded in gold and alabaster lanterns fit for a king — and made in Egypt 15 years ago — are on the move in Las Vegas.
The items, which are reproductions created for the Tomb & Museum of King Tutankhamen at the Luxor, have been mummified in bubble wrap and packing peanuts bound for their new home, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum.
The move is part of the master plan to revamp the Strip casino's motif and update its facility. The casino donated the Egyptian reproductions to the museum.
"The museum is a better home for it," Luxor President Felix Rappaport said. "We are a casino, and we had an exhibit that just happened to have educational value. We aren't curators."
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/news/21958534.html
SHOW REVIEW: 'Wizard: The Musical Journey of Oz Composer Harold Arlen'
Off to see the 'Wizard': Show highlights music of 'Oz' composer Harold Arlen.
By MIKE WEATHERFORD/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
"Wizard: The Musical Journey of Oz Composer Harold Arlen" opens with a video montage that includes a testimonial from Tony Bennett:
"Everybody knows those songs, but they don't know Harold Arlen's name the way they do Gershwin."
Those who see the new effort at the Greek Isles will leave with respect for Arlen's prolific, diverse career. The revue barely covers the "greatest hits" of the composer best known for "The Wizard of Oz" movie, who penned more than 550 songs with lyricists such as Johnny Mercer.
Arlen wrote shows for Harlem's Cotton Club in the early 1930s, pulling an innate sense of jazz and swing from the Jewish cantorial improvisations he grew up with.
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/21958294.html
'LOVE' CHANGES by Norm Clarke
About 30 percent of the cast of "Love" has been changed in recent weeks as the Beatles-Cirque du Soleil show nears its third anniversary.
A Cirque du Soleil rep said most of the departees were dancers.
"Some wanted to explore other options," said Anita Nelving, who added that three are having babies and several youngsters had exceeded the height limit.
She said about 20 jobs were involved.
"They had been with the show for almost three years, counting a year of creation," Nelving said.
The show, which opened June 30, 2006, at The Mirage, has undergone subtle changes as well, including the blackbird act and the choreography for "Come Together."
Holdovers include Brazilian actor Silvia Aberne, 73, who portrays Eleanor Rigby; Craig Berman, who plays Her Majesty the Queen; gum boot dancer Michael Moloi, and Charlotte O'Dowd, a solo dancer in "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."
http://www.lvrj.com/news/21762504.html
Resorts on Strip dealing
Projected room rates down for weekend.
By ARNOLD M. KNIGHTLY/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
With gasoline prices on the rise and the U.S. dollar declining internationally, Strip hotels are slashing prices to lure budget-minded customers.
Leading into the Fourth of July weekend, properties from the high-end Wynn Las Vegas to the financially precarious Tropicana 21/2 miles south are tinkering with room rates.
The report compares weeks in the year, not actual dates. So decreases are compared to the weekend of July 6-7, 2007, or the week of July 1-7.
Companies cut room rates in the hope that customers will not only fill the rooms, but spend the extra money in the property's restaurants, shows or on the casino floor.
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/news/21251399.html
LENNY'S LAS VEGAS: Ante Up For Africa
If you're a stargazer, mark Wednesday, July 2 on your calendar. That's the date the 2nd annual Ante Up For Africa tournament at the 2008 World Series of Poker takes place at the Rio. More than a dozen celebrities and athletes are returning to join poker's top players to raise public awareness and funds to support the victims of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.
Last year's Ante Up For Africa event featured more Hollywood celebrities and poker professionals than any other charity tournament ever and raised more than $700,000. Among those confirmed to participate this year, subject to availability, are actors Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler and Kevin Pollack; comedians Ray Romano and George Lopez; and athletes Charles Barkley and Jason Kidd.
http://www.lvrj.com/living/20800634.html
Tropicana to Slash Ticket Prices.
Well, it's about time. After seeing tickets to Las Vegas shows climb over the past few years, one resort is bringing prices down for two of its most popular shows. The Tropicana announced that they have reduced the prices for the long-running "Folies Bergere" and "Xtreme Magic" starring Dirk Arthur.
According to spokesperson Lisa Keim, the resort also eliminated special promotions such as two-for-one offers. Marketing will instead focus on "the best value on an individual ticket price." "Folies" tickets now range from $42.50 to $53.50 tax included, instead of $68.90 to $78.90. "Xtreme Magic" tickets range from $25 to $30.50 inclusive, instead of $33.90 to $39.40. Those are big savings.
http://www.lvrj.com/living/20800634.html
TAXICAB AUTHORITY: Board approves fare increase.
Passengers to pay extra 45 cents per mile.
By HOWARD STUTZ/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Las Vegas cab passengers will pay an additional 45 cents a mile starting July 6 after the Nevada Taxicab Authority voted unanimously Monday to increase rates in reaction to rising gasoline costs.
The fare boost includes a permanent 20 cents per mile charge and a temporary 25 cents per mile fuel surcharge that could be increased if gasoline prices climb above an average of $5 a gallon.
The five-member board spent almost two hours listening to drivers, union representatives and taxi company executives on how the rate increase should be implemented. Some drivers argued against any fare increase, believing the higher costs would cut into their tips.
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/business/20733559.html
MIKE WEATHERFORD: Comedy on Strip victim of own success.
Budd Friedman would be a good candidate for one of those "Six Degrees of Separation" games. The founder of The Improv comedy clubs has worked with so many show business names, it wouldn't take six moves to connect most of them.
But maybe that's not always a good thing on the Strip, where The Improv at Harrah's Las Vegas now competes for attention with its own legacy.
"I'm ripping off all these mirrors and red-lacquered wood, and there's brick," he recalls. "I didn't know anything about putting up plasterboard or anything like that. I cleaned the brick up. And that's how the brick wall was born."
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/living/20638644.html
Four stuck in elevator at Paris LV
From: The Las Vegas Review Journal
An elevator cable at Paris Las Vegas snapped about noon on Friday, trapping four occupants inside the elevator for about an hour.
Firefighters were called to the scene about 12:30 p.m. to rescue the occupants, according to Clark County Fire Department spokesman Scott Allison.
"It's not like it threw them up in the air or anything," he said.
The elevator then automatically lowered itself to around the 14th and 15th floors, and firefighters were able to open the elevator shaft and get the occupants out. Firefighters then found the snapped cord lying on top of the elevator.
A 60-year-old woman inside the elevator complained of lower back pain but wasn't hospitalized. No one else was injured, Allison said.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/20625674.html
Cool Events At Wynn’s Blush Boutique Nightclub In July
Blush Boutique Nightclub is located inside Wynn Las Vegas. The 4,500 square-foot club features a lit, onyx dance floor and crème lantern ceiling-sculpture. This central art focal piece creates various hues and images that enhance the vibe and atmosphere as the display literally comes alive nightly.
A rich palette of deep green, chocolate brown, gold and shimmering metallics create an ambience of elegance and a perfect setting for the series of contemporary paintings that add a provocative and edgy feel. Additional seating banquettes feature purse drawers to store belongings and surround the dance floor produce a circular flow to the space. The open-air patio and bar features lighted topiaries and outdoor seating surrounded by lush foliage.
The club which is open daily at 9 p.m. features an eclectic mix of music—rock n’ roll, hip hop and house—from Music Director and Resident DJ Mighty Mi. Blush Tuesdays, is the club’s service industry and locals night. Table reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling 702-770-3633. Free admission for local ladies and service industry professionals nightly; visitors cover is $30.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
King of Clubs – Honoring the gentlemen that move and shake Las Vegas nightlife.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Get Your Tan On– Tan Factory will be on-hand giving away free tans to lucky Blush party-goers right in time to get ready for summer.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Adam Saaks of Ed Hardy – “Garment artist” extraordinaire Adam Saaks will be at Blush to hand-cut custom t-shirts into one-of-a-kind creations for the first 100 lucky ladies.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Dog Tag Sequel – Vegas VIPs will be feted with exclusive Blush dog tags.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Hot Dish – Blush’s dedicated night to the restaurant service industry with hosted bar by Belvedere vodka.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Frank Roessler of The Real World – Join Frank Roessler, of the fan favorite Las Vegas season, as he celebrates his 29th birthday.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Black Violin – Hip-hop violin music group Black Violin gives an intimate performance inside the boutique nightclub venue.
http://www.casinotravelnews.com/Las_Vegas/las_vegas.html#Blush
Top Ten Las Vegas Values from The Las Vegas Advisor: July 2008
1. Room Rates – Palace Station et al – - $19.99 and up
Our annual July-room-rate survey reveals that the casinos are discounting rooms big time. This summer’s rates are the lowest we’ve seen in several years and constitute this month’s top Las Vegas value.
2. Shrimp Cocktail – Golden Gate – 11 am-2 am – 99¢
The Golden Gate shrimp cocktail went up a buck last April after more than 15 years at 99¢. But there’s more to this 100% price rise than meets the eye. First, all you have to do is show a players club card to get the shrimp at the old price. Also, a couple of sign-up bennies mitigate the five-minute inconvenience. More important, the shrimp are bigger and better. So the Golden Gate's cocktail remains high up in the Top Ten.
3. Steak Dinner – Ellis Island – 24 Hours – $6.95
The complete steak dinner at Ellis Island is the best-value meal deal in a city full of good-value meal deals. It’s a 10-ounce filet-cut sirloin, which comes with salad, garlic green beans, choice of potato, and fresh microbrewed beer, all for $6.95. You can’t beat that with a stick.
4. Breakfast Special – Wild Wild West – 24 Hours – $1.49
The $1.49 breakfast special at Wild Wild West is the same one we’ve been touting for the past several months that’s also served at Wildfire, Gold Rush, and Magic Star. However, now it’s available 24 hours at WWW, as opposed to just midnight to 11 am at the others.
5. Sign-Up Promotion – Hooters – Daily – Free
The Hooters promotion for signing up for the players club includes $100 in “free play”; this is a long shot, but worth the attempt. The big draws of the sign-up package, however, are a $25 matchplay and two free tickets to Bobby Slayton or Gerry McCambridge.
6. Magic Show – Greek Isles – Nightly – $2-$19.95
The World’s Greatest Magic Show at the Greek Isles is conducting a grand experiment, reducing the ticket price from $55.95 to $19.95. And that’s not the half of it (literally): Up to the first 100 tickets ordered for each day are free (though some reports say that the allotment has been reduced to 50).
7. Buffet – Mirage – Daily – $13.95-$24.95
The Mirage Cravings buffet is convenient at center Strip, has better hours than most (opening for dinner at 3 pm), and features an expansive choice of gourmet offerings. Tour the large selection first to take in the variety: a half-dozen soups; dim sum, sushi, Chinese appetizers, and salads at the Asian station; antipasto bar; barbecue station; bagel fixin’s; made-to-order salads, extensive desserts; and more. The Mirage is the best-value gourmet superbuffet, with the highest quality and lowest prices, among Las Vegas’ best spreads.
8. Fontana Bar – Bellagio – Daily – $6
The Fontana Lounge at Bellagio is, perhaps, the greatest bargain-entertainment play at center Strip, if not along the entire Great Neon Way. It’s in the middle of one of the swankiest joints in town. The lounge surroundings are plush. The views (of the fountains) are spectacular. The entertainment is always top notch. And—get this—it’s a one-drink minimum to sit there for the evening, with the least expensive drinks in the $6 range. What a deal!
9. The Comedy Stop – Tropicana – Daily – $19.95
The Comedy Stop has been at the Tropicana since 1990. The classic 300-seat showroom has a cool old-time feel to it, all the way down to the surviving maitre ‘d seating system, so $5 a head will probably get you up close (if you want to be in a comedian’s sights). Be forewarned: The comedy tends to be blue, if not just plain raunchy. Don’t go if you’re offended by language or non-politically correct subject matter. The three-comedian show and a drink cost $19.95, with no add-ons. And if you use the coupon that’s easy to find in many of the freebie mags, it’s only $14.95. Beers are $4.50.
10. Lunch Comp – Crown & Anchor – 8 am-2:30 pm – $20 buy-in
The lunch comp at the Crown & Anchor is good for beers and a meal when you buy in for $20 at a video poker machine. The meal can be anything on the menu. The comp is available every day for longer hours than just lunch at either of two C&As, on Tropicana or Spring Mountain Road.
http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/topten.cfm
Posted on June 27th, 2008 by MrVegas98
Filed under: Newsletter
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