As fashion statements go, George Knapp's 1982 Halloween costume was definitely smoking hot.

He has Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal to thank for the inspiration. Their paths had crossed three years earlier.

Knapp, new in town and driving a cab to make ends meet, often stopped in to see his girlfriend, who served cocktails at Fred Glusman's Oz. "The hottest nightclub in town," Knapp recalled.

Glusman, who went on to own the at-times-infamous Piero's Italian Cuisine, "knew all the wiseguys since he had a clothing store in the Stardust," said Knapp, who months earlier had left the Bay Area and his position as a debate coach at UC Berkeley.

Knapp and his girlfriend were ready to move. After meeting some Las Vegas bartenders in East Bay, they decided to flip a coin — heads Hawaii, tails Las Vegas.

They headed for Sin City.

More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/33628154.html

“Phantom” musical director Jack Gaughan arrived in Las Vegas at the right time.

He came to town as conductor with a touring company of “Chicago” in 1999 and never left.

Broadway, or at least overtures to Broadway, was beginning to blossom in the desert.

“The whole idea of Broadway West. I don’t know where it started. I think it started in New York because a spate of Broadway shows were coming west,” Gaughan says. “Well, we aren’t Broadway West. What we are is a town that has a lot of entertainment that competes for Broadway shows.

“I think those shows are successful here when they fit a certain demographic — and also have brand recognition, like “Mamma Mia!” with Abba music. ‘Phantom’ of course has its own recognition.”

More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/oct/22/direct-broadway/

The buyer was identified as Peter Carlino, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming, Inc., which includes casinos, racetracks and resorts.

Steve Wynn, who built the Bellagio in the late 1990s for $1.6 billion, said Carlino confirmed he "wanted to buy Bellagio but Terry Lanni said it was not for sale. That was three weeks ago."

Alan Feldman, vice president of communications for MGM Mirage, said, "These rumors fly around all the time." He added, "we're not in position to rule it out, if somebody had the money, but who has the money in this economy?"

Wynn's comment came during an interview in which he was asked whether he had an interest in buying back the Bellagio.

Wynn sold the Bellagio in June 2000 as part of his $6.6 billion deal that put his Mirage Resorts properties under the MGM Grand Inc. umbrella. He turned around and purchased the Desert Inn and built Wynn Las Vegas on the site.

If the MGM Mirage sells off any properties, Wynn predicts it probably would be the 50 percent it owns in the Borgata in Atlantic City with Boyd Gaming.

Wynn said his focus is on his own backyard.

"Don't look for me to buy anything on the cheap," Wynn said. He has big plans to develop the golf course land at Wynn Las Vegas, where he has a convention center project planned on the 150-acre site.

With a deep recession being forecast, "2009 will separate the men from the boys," Wynn said.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/33208269.html

Donny and Marie's pearly whites are putting smiles on management at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

A 67,500-square-foot building wrap that features their famous smiles is creating a lot of attention.

It's not only quickly become one of most photographed sites on the Strip, but many fans are requesting room assignments that match Donny and Marie's teeth and eyes, according to president Don Marrandino.

Marie's toothy smile is 8 feet high and five windows wide. Skytag, the company that made the wrap, estimates that if the size of Donny's head was true to life, he would be more than 1,000 feet tall.

To their right is a 20,000-square-foot image of comedy magician Nathan Burton.

Burton, who has the 4 p.m. show at the Flamingo, is convinced the wrap, and sharing the showroom with Donny and Marie, has made a major difference in sales.

"Of all the marketing I do, my ticket sales went up 30 percent overnight once the wrap went up. I did a record 550 people on Sunday.

"The economy's hurting everybody else, but I think it's helping me because people with families can't afford a Cirque show."

It helps, he said, that Donny and Marie, "appeal to everyone. They have superfans who come in 10-15 times. They're successful on their own, but together they're a powerhouse. With this economy, you're getting two for one."

Donny and Marie fans clearly agree. They're packing the 700-seat showroom.

Marrandino said an extension is coming "any day now."
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/33208124.html

Time has not been the enemy of "O." Success? Maybe.

But if you haven't seen "Le Reve," or other Cirque du Soleils that recycled too many of the red waistcoats from the 10-year-old aqua-spectacular, jump in. The water's still fine.

"O" is still that perfect junction between Cirque's early life as a classy circus and the broad-ranging theatrical entity it's now trying to become. The acrobats are the stars, but the staging makes it memorable.

The playing area morphs from deep lake to (almost) dry land in a few moments, creating one-of-a-kind visuals such as carousel horses circling over the water.

More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/33208129.html

By STEPHEN MICHAEL SHEARER SPECIAL TO THE REVIEW-JOURNAL

Most people probably remember Rose Marie as the wisecracking Sally Rogers from "The Dick Van Dyke Show" of the 1960s, but the performer with the trademark bow in her hair also played an important role in Las Vegas' storied past.

Rose Marie co-headlined with Jimmy Durante, Xavier Cugat and others on the opening night of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel's Flamingo Las Vegas Dec. 26, 1946.

It was an easy decision to accept the job offer from Billy Wilkerson once she knew the lineup, Rose Marie told me during an interview this summer at her colonial-style home in Southern California.

More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/living/33323819.html

Criss Angel sat down to have his likeness made for the Vegas Tussauds. His waxiness will show up in February in a revamped room called Viva Vegas, which will include the current waxy likeness of the Blue Man Group, Lance Burton and the Rat Pack.

Tussauds also is bringing in another new wax of a Las Vegas local. Chapman refuses to tell me which Vegas legend is coming to Tussauds. I looked at her and guessed Oscar Goodman because Oscar isn't waxed there yet, but she wouldn't spill the beans.

Coming to Tussauds on Nov. 10: Alvin and the Chipmunks, 18 inches tall. Coming Nov. 13: Daniel Craig as James Bond. (Admission runs $15-$25 for, variously, kids 7 and up; students, Nevada residents and seniors. For groups, 862-7805.)
http://www.lvrj.com/news/33433114.html

Single-handedly, since opening Spago in Caesars Palace back in 1991, superstar celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has revolutionized the Vegas fine- dining scene. As the first starchef to arrive in town, he led the invasion of other big-name culinary kings who followed him slowly to Sin City. He opened follow-up restaurants all over the Strip, including Chinois, also at Caesars Palace; his bar and grill at MGM Grand; Lupo at Mandalay Bay; the Puck Café at Springs Preserve; and the newest, Cut steak house at Palazzo.

I haven’t forgotten Postrio at the Venetian — because its one of my all time favorite dining spots. It opened back in 2000, when movie superstar Sophia Loren first cut the red ribbon at The Venetian -– and its been a hangout for stars ever since. Wolf opened it after the success of the same-named restaurant he ran in San Francisco -– but decided earlier this year to give it a top-to-bottom makeover.

A few days ago, he came to town to officially reopen it after a monthlong closing — and it is spectacular. He even managed to have the bar free-flow right out of the restaurant into the main St. Mark’s Square, and its large enough to enjoy a meal there, too. Just behind, is a large chef’s table to seat 12 guests in one grouping or 12 single diners who want to make new friends over a magnificent meal. His menu that marries Mediterranean influences with seasonal American fare also got a new look and the restaurant design and decorations are all new, modern, upgraded and hip.

Bankrolling a major Strip spectacular is a major financial undertaking -– not just in these uncertain economic times but any time! Meet Luxor President Felix Rappaport, who made the ultimate $100 million bet on Cirque du Soleil and Mindfreak magician Criss Angel to underwrite their new partnership — and his 15-year-dream to bring Believe to fruition.

Now, just four days away from the glittering and glamorous first night gala, the MGM corporate executive is cool and calm about the mega-million dollar commitment he made the final “go-no-go” solo decision on. He told me: “I’ve been through this before. I understand how the creation process works -– and all that it takes to go from idea to final execution. I was at our other MGM hotels when Cirque launched Mystere and Zumanity along with their other Vegas shows. I have never met a more disciplined hard working star than Criss to ensure this works as a huge winner. I have absolute belief in Guy Laliberte and his Cirque team of creators and that they are 100 percent behind this being a total success.

“I know neither of them will rest until it is the best. The audiences will tell us what they like and want and I feel comfortable with all the progress the process has made since the first day of previews a month ago. Criss and Cirque will go on tweaking — that’s the way it is but I can tell you it is a spectacular entrance for the audience and just as spectacular a finale for them to remember.”

Rappaport acknowledged that some people who saw the first preview showcase were unhappy about certain aspects of the show. “It’s come a mighty long way — 10 times better — since then. There were so many construction and permit difficulties making a new showroom specially for this show. It’s turned out to be an incredibly marvelous and beautiful theater. Once previews got underway all the additional new illusions could be worked in -– and now they are all working incredibly well in Believe. Some members of the initial audiences didn’t even notice the other cast illusions because they focused everything on Criss but now people are understanding the show they see all of its other aspects of creativity. There are over 20 magical elements in this production -– not as stand-alones but as an integral part of the storytelling -– and that’s a real first.

“Like all Cirque shows this is a tremendous evolution process but it will be the best show possible -– and it will continue evolving even five or six months after this week — so that it will be a solid 10-year hit and beyond even that. Our faith has been borne out already with four fully sold out preview weeks. The gross was $5 million and in terms of daily sales

Believe is averaging higher or equal to all the other Cirque shows here. Cirque never leaves a show alone even when it’s up and running — they go on always improving it for the better and the same will be true here.”

The casino resort president told me that he and Criss are expecting a full turnout of stars — including numerous Vegas-based magicians and Strip entertainers -– for Friday’s celebrity gala on the “black carpet” and at the Halloween-themed pool party after the premiere performance. “It will be a fabulous night -– the best that show-business can be,” he promised.

It's an interesting story, I think, but one that is not fully explored in the hit musical "The Jersey Boys," now playing at the Palazzo in Las Vegas.

Audiences adore this show and it's easy to see why. It's a veritable walk down musical memory lane, packed full with almost every song the group ever did before, during, and after the peak of their fame. Combine great songs with an amazing cast that almost perfectly matches the original's energy and talent and you have the makings of a great revue.

But this is not a revue it's a full-on musical that attempts to tell the group's stories, both professional and personal. We see how they came together, how they fought to get noticed, and the inspiration for many of their hits. "Big Girls Don't Cry" came from a scene in a John Wayne movie, for instance. We see them getting married, getting divorced, fighting, making up, getting involved with the mob, breaking up, continuing on, recording music, performing music, dreaming up music, touring, fighting some more, and on it goes.

What we don't get, unfortunately, is any kind of true grasp of who these people were. Yes, we get that Tommy was the fast-talking, street wise hustler who essentially created the group. We understand that Frankie was a naive teenager with a talent he didn't know how to fully exploit. We see that Bob was the real genius behind the music, writing most of their hit songs. And we know that Nick was the relatively drama-free one. But we know all this through snippets of dialogue; brief, rushed scenes that seem mostly designed to set up the next song than to delve into an exploration of these characters and their motivations beyond fame and money. Everybody comes off as one-note caricatures instead of multi-layered human beings.

The only reason this is a problem is because in the second act, when the going gets tough as it always does in second acts, they seem to be expecting the audience to connect on some level to their struggles. When a family tragedy strikes Frankie, it is constructed as if it is supposed to be the emotional climax of the show. But the person at the heart of the tragedy is only glimpsed once for about 30 seconds and Frankie's relationship with that person comprises about two minutes of material throughout the entire two hour production.

What happens is heart-breaking but it doesn't actually break your heart because you don't know the players involved well enough to be that emotionally invested in what happens to them.

I'm spending a lot of time talking about this because this is musical theater, not just music. I think it’s important to understand that while "The Jersey Boys" is a terrific night of musical entertainment it isn't a terrific piece of legitimate theater, which it clearly aspires to be.

One other word of caution: Jersey boys from the '50s and '60s, were not, as a general rule, genteel creatures. This is not a family friendly show from a language and content perspective.

But who cares, right? You're going for the music and that's where the show shines. The audience I saw the show with was mostly made up of people of an age that meant they probably grew up listening to these songs and their enthusiastic response rattled the rafters. I grew up about a decade behind The Four Seasons' zenith but even I know great music when I hear it. Heck, I still have "She-hare-hare-air-air-air-ree bay-yay-bee" stuck in my head. There are worse things.

If you're a fan of their music, or of music in general, and your primary goal is to walk away (like a man, perhaps) having had a toe-tapping good time then this is the show for you. If, however, you want more theater in your musical theater experience, this one is going to disappoint, I think. I usually want the latter and while I was disappointed, the sheer strength of the songs and how well they were performed are what wound up mattering the most.
http://www.vegas4visitors.com

Okay, I'm done complaining because once I get over those nostalgia pains Caesars is one of the most beautiful hotels in town. Inside and out you'll find ornate columns, colonnades, statuary, paintings, and toga-clad models walking around to give you that perfect photo opportunity (okay, so they didn't get rid of all the tacky stuff… Thank God!).

If you’re driving in, you’ll have plenty of time to admire the Caesars scenery as you hike from the parking garage to the registration desk. The fact that they don’t have sherpas standing by to help you make the ridiculously long trek through the casino laden down with luggage seems like a missed opportunity.

The lobby is huge and gorgeous, a rotunda with gleaming statuary and frescos. Even better, they have a single line check-in queue, eschewing the multi-line check-in that has become increasingly more popular for reasons that escape me.

The older rooms in the Forum Tower have gotten a rehab, turning them into simple but sleek charmers. Rooms in the Palace Tower (completed in '97) are more palatial - many have his and her baths connected by a dual shower stall. All are generously appointed and larger than average.

If you can, though, you should try to get a room in the Augustus Tower (completed in 2005). These giant 600 square-feet digs feature plush couches, a table and chairs, a writing desk, a sleek dark wood wall unit with a mini-bar, a flat panel television, and a bathroom big enough for the Gods complete with a whirlpool tub, separate shower, and plenty of marble. The beds are silly comfortable and the entire room gives you a feeling that you are staying someplace special.

And one other request you might want to ask for as you are checking in: try to get a room on the south side of the Augustus Tower so you can have an unparalleled view of the Fountains at Bellagio.

By the way, the rooms in the older Roman and Centurian Towers are pretty basic and you can find better accommodations for less money.

The casino and the rest of the public areas encompass what seems like more square-footage than it actually does. The years of adding on to the property have made this one of the most rambling, most confusing gaming areas in town – I can’t tell you how many times I was sure I was heading for the room only to find myself going in the complete opposite direction. Watch the signs is all I’m saying.

The good news about that rambling layout is that there are lots of options for gaming spaces. The main table area is under a dome that dates back to the very early days of the hotel. Adjacent on both sides are some slots and video poker.

Then you’re off to another land through the Pussycat Dolls casino area which features tables and pole dancers (fully, albeit skimpily clothed). It had to happen.

Next is the big sports book and then more casino with more table games and slots and video poker. You want choices, you got choices.

Of course, I'd be remiss in not mentioning the Colosseum - a 4,000-seat showroom currently featuring Bette Midler, Cher, and Elton John doing regular stands and other big stars popping up occasionally. It's a nice room but not quite like being in Rome.

There are nightclubs, the adjacent Roman Themed "shopping experience" The Forum Shops, and about a bazillion restaurants. Check the related reviews section of the Caesars page for more things to see, do, and eat there.

The pool area is among the most beautiful in town. Lush gardens surround the four pools, one of which has a covered colonnade in the center for cooling off. Adjacent to this is a spa, which among the usual suspects like massages and workout equipment, has a full-service salon, Zen meditation garden, and a rock-climbing wall.

Caesars Palace of yore and of recent is truly a glorious place but what price glory? A lot. I suppose the planets may align themselves in such a way that you might be able to swing a room here for around $120 a night on a very slow weekday but only if they are truly desperate (and they usually aren't). Normally you'll be forking over at least $150 a night on weekdays (often over $200) and a minimum of $200 on the weekends (often well over $300).

In keeping with the political season, Bette Midler held a rally for the Obama campaign at Krave nightclub at Planet Hollywood.  Frank Marino made disparaging remarks about the Republican candidate, Sarah Palin, before introducing Bette Midler to the Obama  supporters.  I can only add,  "watch your step Frank, it's not good to be bad to Sarah".

Sarah Palin was in Las Vegas this week where the crowd started gathering some five hours before her arrival.  Before arriving in Nevada to make the Reno and Las Vegas scenes she appeared on Saturday Night Live, and was delicious.  The ratings for SNL were the best in the last thirty years.  Someone out there likes her, that's for sure.  
 
Seems like both of the major parties keep trying to dig up dirt and quite frankly, I'm over it.  I even turned off television's The View because there's just too much political nonsense.  With only a few days left you have to wonder what more there is to discuss.  One thing for sure, history will be made in November.   
 
For the last few months I've been talking and writing about the opening of Criss Angel's show Believe at the Luxor which will be another Cirque Du Soleil creation.  It's finally time for the opening but I will be out of town doing my own comeback, or maybe it's another comeback,  at the Taj Majal in Atlantic City.  Not to worry, I'll catch the show when I return but through all the delays and hype surrounding Believe, we still have to give Criss the benefit of the doubt.  After all, he does have television credentials and creation of this show cost over 100 million dollars.  Without benefit of seeing the show, and in my opinion, I think Las Vegas has reached its max on Cirque Du Soleil.  Too much Cirque!  

Cirque Du Soleil productions are featured all over Las Vegas such as Love at The Mirage, Ka at the MGM, Zumanity at New York New York, Mystere at TI, which was the first to hit Las Vegas, but the winner of the Las Vegas Cirque scene is "O" at Bellagio.  I'm not even sure if that's all the Cirque shows in town but you get the picture.  
 
This trend holds true for the magic shows.  Las Vegas has a way of going from theme to theme.  Just a few short years ago Las Vegas was touted as the perfect family vacation destination.  That theme only lasted a few seasons.  Even the addition of roller coasters on the strip couldn't seem to manifest the ideal scene for the entire family.  The idea was an amusement park with gaming.  What I'm trying to see or feel as a columnist is something new, something innovative, something creative.  Are we themed out?  

Enjoyed the opening of a fabulous new restaurant Via Brasil Steakhouse at Charleston and Ft. Apache.  I say fabulous because it's another one of those dining experiences with an outstanding wine collection. and impeccable service.  Of course the menu and presentation is important but I was also taken by the decor.  Some might consider an evening at Via Brasil a bit on the pricey side for an off-strip restaurant, but you can be the judge of that. The menu is price-fixed" -with 3 different tiers. -all of which include exceptional food.
 
My wonderful friend Dick Finney received his star on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame.  Dick and yours truly have shared a rather long history and I'll always remember how kind he was when I arrived in Las Vegas more than ten years ago.  Dick  is one of those rare mainstays in Las Vegas and is known as a co-producer of La Cage at the Riviera as well as Viva Las Vegas and the Rat Pack is Back both showing at the Plaza downtown.  We all love Dick Finney and he deserves his star. Speaking of downtown, The Plaza (name change coming up??) is fast becomng the entertainment capital of this area., what with The Rat Pack, The Dome, their own R&B vocal group, and Viva Las Vegas.
http://thevegaseye.com/montella/