January 22nd, 2009

THE STRIP: Gaming giant Harrah’s to take over Planet Hollywood Resort hotel.
Changes will not affect current employees.

By ARNOLD M. KNIGHTLY
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Harrah’s Entertainment will take over management of Planet Hollywood Resort’s hotel operations at midnight tonight while the gaming giant continues to work on buying the property.

Harrah’s will replace Sheraton Operating Corp., a subsidiary of Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide, which signed a 20-year management contract for the hotel in 2004.

Harrah’s will operate the 2,496-room hotel tower as well and take over some of the property’s food and beverage operations. The management agreement does not include the newly opened 1,201-room PH Tower, which is owned by Westgate.

Planet Hollywood’s rooms will not be offered in Harrah’s customer reward system, Total Rewards, at this time.

More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/business/gaming-giant-harrahs-to-take-over-planet-hollywood-resort-hotel-81865247.html

NORM: Headliners join Haiti relief efforts.

Las Vegas headliners Carrot Top and Bette Midler on Saturday joined relief efforts for the victims of Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake.

Carrot Top, the prop comic who headlines at the Luxor, announced he was donating all proceeds from his merchandise sales for the remainder of January to the earthquake victims.

Midler’s Saturday audience was informed that she would match monetary donations made after her show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Their support came amid growing concerns that more than 200,000 people may have died in Tuesday’s quake.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/headliners-join-haiti-relief-efforts-81916047.html

MIKE WEATHERFORD: Midler ponders talent, tickets.

Bette Midler was braggin’ on her showgirls.

Last summer, the star recalled recently, she went to the Gipsy club to watch “Rouge.” It’s a cabaret show directed by one of her dancers, Lisa Eaton, who performs it with 13 other “Caesars Salad Girls.”

“It was completely fabulous. They made their own costumes and picked their own music and choreographed it themselves, and it was hot, hot, hot.”

Then she pondered the eternal question. “I think there’s like a glitch somewhere … because there’s a lot of talent and the rooms are not booked the way they ought to be.”

More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/living/midler-ponders-talent-tickets-81915942.html

Birth of a new Family Friendly Las Vegas show means fun for All ages/

Starting February 1st 2010, there’s a new comedy show in Las Vegas with an old twist.

What makes this show so different from most Las Vegas comedy shows is that ‘all ages’ are allowed and as an exception to the rule of live comedy shows there are no four letter words or insinuations to embarrass parents, kids, or even grandma. The show ‘Brian Hoffman’s Remembering Red – A Tribute to Red Skelton’ is a Tribute to comedy legend, Red Skelton, whose career spanned over forty years of stage, screen, radio, and television. The star of this one man production is Brian Hoffman who not only looks like Red Skelton, but has mastered the voices, characters, movements, comedy material, and impersonations of the man who for many years was known as ‘America’s Funniest Clown.’ Showtime is at 2pm every Monday afternoon at the Royal Resort hotel (on the Las Vegas strip next to Steve Wynn’s Encore Casino). There are several all ages, family friendly shows at the Royal Resort, including Dixie Dooley’s ‘Magic Mystifier’ show and Larry G Jones’ multi-award winning singing impressionist comedy show.

In fact, Brian’s Red Skelton tribute show is a spin-off another Las Vegas kid friendly show, Larry G Jones – ‘The Man of 1002 Voices.’ After over eight years of impersonating the voices and likenesses of Las Vegas’ biggest headliners Larry’s opening act and emcee for the last year and a half has been Brian Hoffman. Larry’s show (which is similar to Terry Fator but without puppets) utilizes his multi-impersonations to mimic, pay homage to, and parody many of Las Vegas’ top comedy shows that often have age restrictions on being a kid friendly show. Some of these shows include Cher, Carrot Top, and Cirque Du Soliel’s newest shows, Criss Angel Believe at the Luxor and Viva Elvis at the new City Center.

With so many Las Vegas shows how do you find the right one for the whole family? A few of the Las Vegas comedy shows that may have age restrictions include Frank Caliendo at the Monte Carlo, Terry Fator at the Mirage, George Wallace at the Flamingo, Louie Anderson at Excalibur, Bette Midler at Caesars Palace, Rita Rudner and Mac King are in Harrah’s and they are amongst the biggest names on the Las Vegas strip. But which one of these shows is right for the entire family? Most of these shows have age restrictions, not allowing children less than 18 years of age to attend.

Due to the overwhelming response of Red Skelton fans that saw Brian opening up for Larry G Jones, Brian is starting his own afternoon comedy show. It took years of reviewing old Red Skelton comedy shows, researching his skits and comedy routines, compiling them on paper, and after dozens of rewrites, an intimate Las Vegas showroom finally gave birth to “Brian Hoffman’s Remembering Red – A Tribute to Red Skelton”.

Packed with hilarious jokes and routines that Red performed in his variety show, one of Red’s most loved characters, Freddie the Freeloader, closes the show with a heart touching routine that audiences are sure to remember for years to come. As a kid friendly show, all the jokes and comedy bits hold true to Red Skelton’s belief that you don’t have to use four letter words to be funny.

Brian Hoffman’s Remembering Red – A Tribute to Red Skelton opens Monday Feb 1st 2010 at the Royal Resort Hotel, (99 Convention Center Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89109) in the same room you find Dixie Dooley’s Master Mystifier show and Larry G Jones Man of 1002 Voices show.

Every Monday at 2pm, Brian takes the stage performing as Red Skelton along with some of his characters, for a fun filled, family friendly comedy show for ALL ages. The 90 minute comedy show will have you rolling with laughter as you remember Red.

“Brian is really funny as Red Skelton. Go to this show if you love to laugh!” – Vegas4Locals.com

SHOW TIME: 2 PM
SHOW LOCATION: Royal Resort Hotel 99 Convention Center Drive (corner of Las Vegas Blvd & Convention Center Drive)

Tickets are a bargain starting at $10.95 for children ages 10 to 17 (kids under 10 are free with ticketed adult) just $29.95 for General Admission and only $34.95 for VIP Preferred Seating and autographed photo.

RESERVE NOW call 1-800-595-4849 or go to http://www.RedSkeltonComedyShow.com

‘The Hangover’ wins Golden Globe award.

The Las Vegas bachelor bash “The Hangover” won at the Golden Globes for best musical or comedy on Sunday, bringing uncharacteristic awards attention for broad comedy, a genre that often gets overlooked at Hollywood honors.

“I just want to thank my mom, who supported my decision to become a director when she realized I wasn’t as smart as my two sisters,” said “Hangover” director Todd Phillips.

More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/17/hangover-wins-golden-globe-best-musical-or-comedy/

Beauty Bar hopes interior makeover works.
Recent renovations made in hopes of keeping music fans around after concerts.

BY: April Corbin/Las Vegas Sun

What is Beauty Bar?

For most locals the answer is a venue to see local, regional and sometimes national acts live — and not much else. Beauty Bar owner Paul Devitt knows this and is taking steps toward changing that perception.

Following the departure of general manager Joe Garcia, Devitt has been paying special attention to the Vegas outpost of the hipster bar chain, which has locations in six other cities, including San Francisco, New York City and L.A. Devitt has been running the bar and brainstorming ways to increase retention after concerts, which typically take place in the bar’s outdoor patio area.

Devitt says Vegas’ Beauty Bar has shot itself in the foot by becoming known as just a venue.

More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/14/beauty-bar-hopes-interior-makeover-works/

Krave nightclub, Harmon Theater file for bankruptcy
BY: Steve Green/Las Vegas Sun

The owner of the Krave nightclub and Harmon Theater in Las Vegas filed for bankruptcy reorganization Monday, saying it’s behind on rent and tax payments but that its financial situation should improve because CityCenter has revitalized the area.

Krave Entertainment LLC President Sia Amiri said in court papers that the businesses at the Miracle Mile Shops at the Planet Hollywood resort on the Las Vegas Strip suffered last year because of the recession and construction on Harmon Avenue and CityCenter. When it opened in 2004, the 17,000-square-foot Krave billed itself as the first gay/lesbian/alternate lifestyle club on the Strip.

Because construction limited access to the venues last year, the Harmon Theater lost three of its variety shows. The venue now has two shows and another is set to begin, Amiri said in the bankruptcy filing.

More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/19/krave-nightclub-harmon-theater-file-bankruptcy/

CityCenter Water Features. BY Rick Garman

The same company that created the famous Bellagio Fountains, WET Design, has created four water features for CityCenter. Lumina is the name given to the fountain in the main Porte Corchere of Aria. Although certainly not as grand as the one at Bellagio, it is still nevertheless impressive, with intricately timed bursts of water lit with neon colors that are visible even during the day. Of course nighttime really brings out the splendor here, with the dancing waters and colors looking like brightly colored fountains of paint arcing, colliding, and exploding.

Lining the curved wall of Aria is Focus, a 270 foot long waterfall of sorts that flows down into a shallow reflecting pool. The water can be timed to go in sheets, at angles, or in other designs.

In the Crystals mall two additional features take water in new directions.

Halo, located in the center of the mall on the first level, is a series of crystal tubes, each with its own vortex of water lit in various bright colors. The tubes sit at angles, which forces the mini water-spouts to twist and turn as they naturally want to right themselves. WET bills this as their first water feature that guests can actually go inside of with walking space between and above the tubes.

Glacia is located at the front of the Crystals at the entrance from The Strip. This one features 15 columns of solid water, otherwise known as ice. Each is formed overnight and then rise up out of a shallow pool and are randomly carved on the way up. Then they melt. It doesn’t sound like much, but the endless combinations of shapes, sizes, and textures (the ice can be clear, cloudy, or opaque) and the unpredictable ways in which they melt make this an ever changing icy sculpture garden of sorts. Note the background music: it was composed by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart.

All of the water features are accessible to the general public (mall operating hours only for Glacia and Halo) and there is no charge to view them.

Cloud 9 Review By Rick Garman

Have I mentioned how much of a wuss I am? I am terrified of heights. Seriously terrified. And it goes beyond just irrational (or rational depending upon your viewpoint) fear, I also get vertigo. So in addition to being afraid I get that nauseous, about to fall feeling that is just so much fun. So when I went to go check out the Cloud 9 Balloon in Las Vegas, my intention was to do it from a clinical perspective with my feet firmly on the ground. I figured I’d check out the facility, find out about the balloon, meet the people who run it, and maybe watch other people go up, up, and away. I think you can see where this is going.

Cloud 9 is located at a very nice facility directly across the street from Mandalay Bay. This is not a random helium balloon tethered in a parking lot. Instead, it is a permanent installation with a welcome center, a park, and a fully developed tether system built, reassuringly, firmly into the ground. This is no fly-by-night operation, pun intended.

The park is the first thing you get to if you walk in from The Strip. It contains stanchions around a wide walkway that cover the history of ballooning, from the first known flight in 1782 all the way up to present day. No, Balloon Boy was not featured, sorry. With a few seating areas and some landscaping, it’s a nice little spot to either wait for your ride or watch other people do theirs. Which was going to be my intention, you’ll remember.

The balloon itself is billed as the largest tethered helium balloon in the world and can rise at more than 50 feet per second propelled by over 6 tons of lift. A circular gondola of sorts rests at the bottom of the balloon and can accommodate 25-30 people depending on their size.

Another reassurance for the wusses among us is that the balloon is not flown by some pimply faced teenager like you’d find at a county fair. Instead, the folks who fly Cloud 9 are real pilots, with specific training and licensing required before they can take passengers skyward. The whole operation is overseen by the FAA and balloons come complete with their own black boxes. Not that they’ve ever needed to access one. In over 17 years of operation of these types of balloons there has not been one serious safety incident.

As they were showing me the facility, I got on board the Earth-bound balloon and the next thing I knew they were firing it up and closing the gondola gate. I asked, “Uh, what are you doing?” There may have been hysterical screaming involved, but that was the message.

I explained my fear of heights, vertigo, and general wussiness to the pilot but he said he wanted to just show me how it felt to lift off. With his hand firmly over the “Stop” button, he assured me that we could go up as high as I wanted to and stop at any moment.

I took a deep breath, took hold of the side rails with a death grip that probably would’ve needed the Jaws of Life to pry apart, and we went up.

There’s a bit of a disconcerting bump as the metal cable tether starts to unspool from underneath and the balloon begins to rise. After that it’s pretty smooth sailing as you start to rise.

A full flight takes the Cloud 9 up over 500 feet, roughly even with the top of Mandalay Bay right across the street. The views of The Strip and the surrounding valley are reportedly spectacular from up there.

I managed to make it about 60 feet before I said “Okay, I think that’s high enough, thank you very much.” Again, there may have been whimpering involved. But hey, 60 feet is about 59 feet more than I had intended to go so I feel that I deserve some sort of credit for that. The things I do for you people.

The main facility on the ground (oh blessed ground) has the check-in desk, a gift shop, and a pre-flight photo opportunity. As mentioned, the whole thing feels slick, professional, and very well done. In addition to taking walk-ins, they also arrange group events, weddings, and more so maybe you have a new option for your next bachelorette party. The people who worked at the facility couldn’t have been nicer to the big wuss that was there to check them out.

At $25 per ride, which lasts about 15 minutes, it isn’t cheap, but you get a heck of a thrill ride experience with Cloud 9 if you’re into that sort of thing. Even though it wasn’t my personal cup of tea, I highly recommend it for non-wuss Vegas visitors.

Note that the balloon does not fly in inclement weather, which includes the often gusty winds that Las Vegas experiences, so call ahead to make sure you can take a ride.

Alter Egos.
Terry Fator keeps things fresh.

By Matt Kelemen/Las Vegas Magazine

Terry Fator has become a Strip superstar beyond a reasonable doubt. His shows at The Mirage sell out regularly, and he holds audiences in the palm of his hand when he performs. He has some help: a handful of co-stars emulate singing legends from Garth Brooks to Aaron Neville to Elvis Presley, as a live band, complete with a horn section, backs them up. Fator himself is no slouch in the vocals department, donning a wig for his Michael Jackson tribute and taking the spotlight for “White Christmas” during his holiday shows.

Even though there have been some signs of trouble onstage – Winston the Impersonating Turtle recently expressed dismay that Fator’s name continues to be the only one up in lights – the impressionist-ventriloquist has yet to take his success for granted. That includes never letting his show grow stale. “When I first started performing on America’s Got Talent I had over three hours worth of material,” he said. “It was more difficult for me to try to figure out what not to do. I’ve combed it down to just the best of the best of the best, but my show will always evolve and I’ll constantly be doing new and innovative things.”

But there’s also a surprise in store to mark a milestone for Fator’s residency at The Mirage. “We’re creating a whole brand new character for the March 14 one-year anniversary that I’m very excited about,” he said. “We’ve come up with an extremely original creation that is just going to be amazing. I think it’s going to be a very likable character that people will love.”

Fator was first attracted to very likable characters people loved as a child, when ventriloquist legends such as Edgar Bergen were still popular. Although performer-puppet duos mostly faded away after the ’70s, Fator followed his passion. He found he had a knack for impressions, and vigilantly practiced singing without making his lips move.

Then he struggled for years. At age 39, on the verge of giving up, he found a new determination and the right combination of his singing, ventriloquism talents and ability to do impressions. His technique perfected, he rocketed into the national consciousness by winning America’s Got Talent in 2007. Now, the 44-year-old Dallas native considers Las Vegas his new home, and the current community of fellow entertainers as responsible for the perception of Vegas as an entertainment capital. “I feel that Vegas, for a long, long time, got very stale from the entertainment perspective,” he said. “That’s something we need to make sure that we keep a vigilant watch on so we don’t let it happen again. We as entertainers need to constantly reinvent ourselves and keep things fresh to keep the people coming.”

Terry Fator
Where: The Mirage
When: 7:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.
Cost: $59 and up
http://lvshowbiz.com

Signed, Sealed, Delivered.
Australian pop group pays homage to Motown.

BY: Kiko Miyasato/Las Vegas Magazine

On the heels of celebrating its 50th anniversary, the music of Motown is still alive and well… and living in the Imperial Palace showroom via the Australian musical import, Human Nature. But let’s backtrack just a bit.

Its history begins in 1959 in Detroit with a group of African-American singers, musicians and producers. Names such as Berry Gordy, The Miracles, The Four Tops and The Supremes are synonymous with the musical movement. African-American artists crossed over to the mainstream and conquered the Billboard charts for more than a decade. Fast forward 50 years and the sound of Detroit emanates from the mouths of four white mates from Sydney, known as Human Nature. How can this be? Well, it’s a testament to not only the sheer talent of the group but the power and relevance of the music itself.

Twenty years ago, high-school classmates Andrew Tierney and Michael Tierney, Toby Allen and Phil Burton started a doo-wop group, the 4Trax. The boys eventually signed to Sony Music Australia and changed their name to Human Nature. In 1996, the group released their first album, Telling Everybody, which has since been certified triple platinum. More than a decade later, Human Nature has nine albums under its belt, 17 top-40 hits and fi ve top-10 hits, making them one of the best-selling groups in Australia.

Taking a step back from their own music, they decided to pay tribute to the music that influenced them in the very beginning – Motown. “We grew up on soul music,” Allen said. “When we first got together as a group, all the people we were listening to – like The Four Tops and the Temptations – helped us get a great sense of our sound together as a group.” In 2005 they released Reach Out, an album that peaked at No. 1 on the Australian charts and covered all the Motown favorites. Then Smokey Robinson heard of them.

After meeting Robinson at a studio in the U.S., the group blew him away with their a cappella skills. “It was an instant gratification, an instant joy for me to see and hear them, because you don’t hear that all the time,” Robinson said. And now the world can share in the magic as Robinson presents Human Nature singing the hits of Motown during their resident show at Imperial Palace.

“We’re channeling the energy that made Motown so incredible,” said Andrew Tierney. Adds Robinson, “A lot of people can sing, but they can’t entertain you. A lot of people can dance, but they can’t entertain you. These guys can sing and dance and they are entertainers, and that’s what you can expect.”

Human Nature
Where:Imperial Palace
Cost: $49.95 and up
When: 7:30 p.m. Sat.-Thurs.
http://lvshowbiz.com/

Getting The Edge
Variations in blackjack rules, and how they affect your chances of winning.

BY: Henry Tamburin/ Casino Player Magazine.

“If all else is equal, a single-deck game is a better game than a two-deck game, which is likewise better than a four-deck game, and so on. However, ‘all else is equal’ is often not the case in the casino, which is why we need to also look at the effect that playing rules (and payoffs) have on the house edge.”

Let’s say you’re browsing the blackjack tables in one of your favorite casinos, and you notice they offer a double-deck game as well as a six-deck game. Each has different rules, which are:

More here:
http://www.casinocenter.com/archive/1109cp/blackjack.htm

Slot Posture
They left us out when they handed out ergonomics.

BY: Frank Legato/Strictly Slots Magazine

I’ve been playing slot machines for 25 years, which puts me in the category of Crusty Old Man of the Slot Machine. That doesn’t mean I win a lot at slot machines. It doesn’t even mean I win a little. It does mean that I’m over 50 (just by a smidge), and that fact alone gives me the right to complain about stuff.

I think I found something to complain about: The slot-makers treat the younger players better than they treated us when we were in our 20s.

Here’s how I arrived at that conclusion. I’ll keep it short. (They only give me one page, anyway.)

More here:
http://www.casinocenter.com/archive/1109ss/slotposture.htm

Steve’s Las Vegas Quickies:

Matt Goss’ four-month run at the Palms is in its final week. Michael Greco, vice president of entertainment at the Palms, announced Friday that the British import’s lounge show ends Friday. “The concept of The Lounge has been to feature various forms of entertainment and with the Playboy Comedy partnership we can continue that mix for our customers,” Greco said.

Madonna impersonator Melissa Totten, now living in Britain after six years with “Legends in Concert” at the Imperial Palace, is competing for the “Britain’s Got Talent” crown. She’s made it to the auditions, which will be held in early February in front of Simon Cowell and fellow judges.

The 2010 Miss America contestants arrive Thursday in front of Planet Hollywood Resort for the pageant’s annual welcoming ceremony. It starts at 4 p.m. and is open to the public. The Jan. 30 pageant is being held at Planet Hollywood for the fifth consecutive year. The pageant broadcast starts at 5 p.m. on The Learning Channel, with an 8 p.m. tape-delayed airing locally.

Congratulations to Donny Osmond on today’s start of his radio show. The Flamingo headliner records the show either backstage in his dressing room on the Strip or at his Utah home, where he has a full recording facility.

You can get the entire list of radio stations from as far east as Boston to as far west as Anchorage on Donny’s Web site Donny.com. Surprisingly, it’s not playing on a Las Vegas radio station yet, but that oversight should change very soon.

Magician Lance Burton is featured in author Nikki Stone’s new book When Turtles Fly: The Secrets of Successful People Who Know How to Stick Their Necks Out to be released Jan. 26. Nikki is an Olympic gold medalist in skiing, and her book features more than 40 notables, including our beloved Monte Carlo headliner.

The Stratosphere is rebranding its “Romance Lounge” to “Level 107 Lounge.” The new name celebrates the lounge’s unique location with an unparalleled view. In addition, a new group Afterglow, led by Mark Speights (formerly of the Billy Moran Trio), will be featured performing a variety of jazz, pop and contemporary songs four nights a week: Wednesday through Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Bette Midler’s Haitian relief offer to match donations from the last 10 shows of her two-year run at Caesars Palace saw the total soar past $100,000 on Wednesday night.

Crowd donations entering the fourth night of the offer were just over $46,000, or about $93,000 with Midler’s matching sum. Donations will be taken through the final show on Jan. 31 at the Colosseum. All proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, the international medical organization operating in Haiti.

Caña Latin Kitchen & Bar has opened at Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Specializing in small plates including ceviche, (scallop ceviche with mango, mint and pomegranate seeds; mushroom ceviche with lemon, orange and truffle oil) plus sugar-cane-based spirits and South American wines and beers, it’s open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Call 722-6060 or visit www.CanaLasVegas.com.

Origin India, 4480 Paradise Road, now offers a lunch buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. It’s $14.95 per person (half-off for kids) and 20 percent off for locals.

Jasmine at Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, has introduced Fountains Brunch, which includes a tableside bakery trio on arrival, a lakeside shellfish bar, organic egg station, carving station (including Peking-style duck), a cold table, hot table, sushi, noodle-soup station and desserts including chocolate fondue and chocolate-dipped strawberries. It’s $55 per person plus tax. For reservations, call 693-7223

The Rio is celebrating its 20th anniversary through Feb. 4. During that period, all new Total Rewards sign-ups receive $20 in free slot play. (There are several other 20th anniversary discounts and premiums, but this was the only one we found that was gaming related.)

Fitzgeralds is running a daily drawing to Spin the Wheel, and all entries are entered into the grand prize drawing on May 9 for a convertible car. Winners must be present for the daily 6 p.m. drawing, but not for the grand prize drawing.

The Renaissance by Marriott hotel is running a special Twitter promotion for Valentine’s Day. Now through February 4, Tweet your most romantic story — in 140 characters or less — and you and your Tweetheart could win a romantic Valentine’s Day hotel package. Follow the Renaissance on Twitter at @RenaissanceLV to see if your Tweet wins. The prize package includes overnight accommodation in a deluxe standard room, complimentary champagne, chocolate strawberries, and a choice of breakfast for two at ENVY The Steakhouse or in-room dining.

The winning Tweet will be announced via Twitter on February 5. To qualify, Tweets must be received by February 4 at 5 p.m. PST and must be tagged with #RLV.

CBS’ “48 Hours Mystery” show will revisit the Ted Binion story this Saturday, including an interview with headliner Wayne Newton, who new Binion well and told correspondent Peter Van Sant that while he believes Ted’s destructive lifestyle contributed to his death, “someone got away with murder.”

In an attempt to put to rest some of the unanswered questions in the case, “48 Hours” retained ground sonar experts to search the Binion estate for Ted’s missing millions. You can find out what they found this Sat., Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. For more on this story, check out Quicksilver, a pictorial chronicle of the courtroom drama surrounding the notorious Tabish/Murphy murder trial.

You win some, you lose some. In this instance, the “win” is the return of the Gospel Brunch at House of Blues, which is back after having been on hiatus for awhile; but gone is a long-running LVA favorite, namely the Broiler Brunch at Boulder Station, which served up its last Sunday offering on Jan. 3. No word as yet as to what might take its place.

Beginning Jan. 26, M Resort will host Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini, a 60-minute live-audience presentation by local Chef Tina in M’s custom-built cooking studio. The audience will apparently be treated to entertaining and educational demonstrations, complimentary food/beverage sampling, and a special “handy hints” and “tasty tips” handout. The five-day-a-week show will focus on healthy living topics, including nutrition and fitness. Ticket prices have yet to be determined, but we’ll keep you posted.

The Xotic and Xciting X Burlesque Girls are rumored to be spreading their scantily clad wings as they fly off to Atlantic City to perform for a Valentine’s Day Heart Gala at The Foundation Room of the Showboat there on the Boardwalk. But I’m hearing that there’s bigger news afoot — and it’s likely it will be announced while the curvy creatures are on the East Coast.

29TH ANNUAL BEST OF LAS VEGAS POLL: Decisions, Decisions.

Now that you’ve whet your appetite on the first part of our 29th annual Best of Las Vegas poll, here’s a fresh batch of topics to consider.

This week we’re talking about the best in hotels and entertainment.

For those of you who can’t keep your mind off of food, we have more tasty categories in Best Hotels, such as Best Breakfast Special, Best Buffet, Best Brunch and Best Coffee Shop.

This is the week for gamblers to have their say with Best Bingo, Best Blackjack, Best Paying Slots, Best Sports Book and Best Poker Room, among others.

There are 40 categories in all listed under Best Hotels.

More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/living/Decisions-Decisions-82215682.html

MIKE WEATHERFORD: Rock tributes find homes on Strip.

So now we’re going to have two costumed rock “Legends”-type shows, with one of them moving back into the Harmon Theater, which filed for bankruptcy protection this week.

Just another wacky week in Vegas showbiz.

A previous tenant, “Rockstar, The Tribute,” plans to move back into the Harmon Jan. 27, after a stint at the Riviera. Jay Basinger, who co-produces with Paul Christen and plays Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, says their Riviera landlord “tried to gouge us for more rent,” and one of his fellow tribute artists staged “a coup.”

More from The LVRJ here:
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/rock-tributes-find-homes-on-strip-82236552.html

McCarran traffic tumbles in 2009.
Las Vegas still absorbing hotel rooms.

By HOWARD STUTZ
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

The number of passengers using McCarran International Airport in 2009 fell 8.2 percent compared with 2008 — the single-largest one-year percentage drop.

Almost 40.5 million passengers came through the airport in 2009, down from the more than 44 million reported in 2008, according to figures released Thursday by the Clark County Department of Aviation.

The percentage decrease continued a two-year dip in McCarran’s passenger counts.

More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/business/mccarran-traffic-tumbles-in-2009-82352407.html

Heidi’s Picks. BY: Heidi Knapp Rinella.

ELLA EM’S SOUL FOOD
775 W. Craig Road; 823-4444

Soul food is the ultimate comfort cuisine and what Ella Em’s delivers is indeed comforting for the soul. The fried chicken (we chose the all-white meat) was crisp, juicy and otherwise a fine example of a classic, the pork chop well flavored but not as meaty as we expected. Corn bread was so moist we ate it with a fork and the side dishes shone — the black-eyed peas, mixed vegetables, sauteed cabbage, rice and gravy, mashed yams and collards. (1/11/10)
Overall: B+ $$

GOLDEN STEER STEAK HOUSE
308 W. Sahara Ave.; 384-4470

This icon of Old Las Vegas turned 50 in 2008 but it hasn’t faded a bit, with red-leather U-shaped booths and other decor clearly refreshed without losing any of its period charm. We stuck to the classics with a gin martini, shrimp cocktail, tomato salad, cream of corn, Chicken of the Angels, filet mignon and tableside Cherries Jubilee and were pleased with it all. (1/25/08)
Overall: A- $$$$

SWITCH
Encore, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 248-3463

The unique interiors of this restaurant — yes, interiors in the plural, because the walls and ceilings periodically switch among three permutations, which is very cool — are spectacular, but don’t overshadow superlative food and flawless service. We happily recommend the risotto with champagne and Parmesan, oysters on the half shell (three from the West, three from the East), seared Arctic char, organic free-range chicken, gratin Dauphinois, creamed spinach and chocolate crunch bar. (4/10/09)
Overall: A $$$$

VIA BRASIL STEAKHOUSE
1225 S. Fort Apache Road; 804-1400

We have several Brazilian steakhouses/churrascarias in Las Vegas, most of them on the Strip. And while we’re big fans of dining on the Strip — there are, after all, a lot of world-class restaurants there — for this genre we’d suggest you head to the suburbs. That’s because Via Brasil does it up right with an extensive, high-quality buffet/salad bar, great side dishes and excellent meats (18) that keep on coming, such as truly moist bacon-wrapped turkey, salmon with an optional mango sauce and garlicky garlic picanha (top sirloin). (6/26/09)
Overall: A $$$
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/eats-of-the-week-82352457.html

SHOW REVIEW: Society of Seven featuring Jasmine Trias.
Society of Seven puts a lot of heart behind its members’ big voices.

BY: Mike Weatherford/LVRJ

Michael Laygo, in a gleaming white blazer, sings “The Impossible Dream” and stretches “the un-r-e-a-c-h-able star” until the audience can hold its breath no more

.It’s a showstopper. But so is the next one: a little ditty from “Dreamgirls” called “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” the music stopping cold behind Jasmine Trias when she belts the grand finale.

And both these came only a few minutes after Laygo and Trias had teamed for “The Prayer,” the dramatic duet made ubiquitous by Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, The Scintas, etc.

If all these peaks and very few valleys remind you of the musical high drama of “American Idol,” that’s a good thing. Maybe Trias — a third-place finisher from the third season of “Idol” — will connect the dots and steer some business to her new co-stars, Society of Seven.

More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/society-of-seven-featuring-jasmine-trias-82352462.html

Tiffany Theatre is venerable, historic … and not long of this world.
BY: John Katsliomentes/Las Vegas Sun

When the most positive assessment you can make for a showroom is that it looks good when the lights are low, maybe it’s time to gut and renovate that showroom.

That’s the prevailing thought at Tropicana. New hotel president Tom McCartney said Monday night that Tiffany Theater, in its current throwback design of table seating and rounded crimson booths, is about to go bye-bye birdie. This is some old Tiffany; the theater dates to 1975, when it replaced the Sammy Davis Jr. Superstar Theater. The showroom was the site of one of the more mind-boggling bookings ever in Las Vegas when Beck performed there in May 1999 (and read the esteemed Geoff Carter’s review of that show here). It is most famously known as the home of “Folies Bergere,” which closed in March. At the time, the showroom reflected the same signs of aging as the stage production, with the dusted-over purple curtain closing a show that itself was pretty tattered.

More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2010/jan/20/tiffany-theatre-venerable-historic-and-not-long-wo/

Posted on January 22nd, 2010 by MrVegas98
Filed under: Newsletter