Steve and Eileen’s Trip Report is now posted here: http://www.everythinglv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1986

I am heading back to Las Vegas this Tuesday for the media event for the Reba McEntire show atThe Las Vegas Hilton and for the Kentucky Derby Party also at The Hilton.
There will be no newsletter until May 12th.

My itinerary includes: Reba, Forever Plaid, Dragapella-The Members Meeting Show and The Sopranos Last Supper.
I am winging it with dining but I do have The Las Vegas Hilton Steakhouse as a definite and have an invitations to the Harrah’s Dinner Buffet, Aladdin Buffet, Flamingo Buffet and TI Cafe.
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NORM: Gordie Brown lands show at Venetian.

After months of rumors, the deal’s done: Singing impressionist-comedian Gordie Brown is moving into The Venetian’s new 800-seat theater in August.

Brown, who has spent most of the past five years headlining in Lake Tahoe and Reno, and at the Golden Nugget, has landed a multiyear deal “in the pre-eminent hotel in this town at the moment,” said his manager-producer, Bernie Yuman.

Brown’s time has arrived, said Yuman, longtime manager of Siegfried & Roy.

“To be center-Strip in a new theater, with two shows a day, five days a week, 48 weeks a year, and multiyear contract,” said Yuman, who, uncharacteristically, ran out of words.

A Montreal native, Brown was a political cartoonist in Ottawa, Canada, when he was inspired by show business idols and fellow Canadians Paul Anka and Rich Little.

“They were the light bulbs that went off in my head,” he said.

After years of crafting his own style, Brown said he has a special act for the Strip. “I want Hollywood to come to town and say, ‘Wow, this is different.’ ”

One of his “wow” elements involves going into the audience, chatting up the crowd, then, after returning to the stage, singing “My Way,” with the names and information he just gleaned.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-28-Fri-2006/news/7093500.html
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PLAYER’S EDGE: Sahara offering Thursday night drawings.

Every Thursday through the end of June, the Sahara will draw the names of 30 players to pick a number on a 100-number prize board and win cash (up to $500), prizes or free slot play. On Sundays and Thursdays, players will receive one entry for every 20 Club Sahara points ($200 coin-in on slots, $400 on video poker) earned on their cards, for every suited blackjack (minimum bet $5) or for every 30 games of Keno. Five names will be drawn every hour beginning at 2 p.m., and if the winner is not present, another name will not be drawn. Participants may win only once every hour and twice per drawing day.

More PLAYERS EDGE here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-28-Fri-2006/weekly/7052802.html
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Steve’s Las Vegas Quickies:

Every Tuesday through May 30, Terrible’s will draw the names of 25 players to receive $250, $500 or $750 in cash as part of the $100,000 Spring Shower of Cash. Participants have a choice of three tickets they can earn.

We’re hearing rumors that has the ageless Cher signing on to take over the Coliseum stage after Celine Dion ends her run next year. Although she has just completed her (at least) third ‘farewell’ tour, the big payday (rumored to be $60 million) and opportunity to rub shoulders with Sir Elton John has the star contemplating the deal.
http://www.lasvegasfoodservice.com/newsletter.shtml

Last Saturday, Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook Executive Director Jay Kornegay and team members Rosemary Rocco, Mary Padilla, and Charlie Ludlow presented the winners of the Santa Barbara Handicap the trophy for their exciting win at Santa Anita Park in California. Jockey Cory Nakatani rode Sharp Lisa to a close victory in the feature stakes race and joined trainer Doug O’Neil and owner Paul Reddam along with the representatives of the SuperBook in the winners circle. “It was a great opportunity for the Las Vegas Hilton to support our sponsorship with this wonderful facility and these great people in the racing industry,” said Jay. And he wasn’t horsing around.

The Las Vegas Hilton will be starting daily gaming classes in Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, Pai Gow Poker, Mini Baccarat, Three Card Poker, Crazy 4 Poker, and Texas Hold’em Poker some time in May. (Hours: 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). Valerie Thrower will be teaching the classes. Valerie started her career at the Las Vegas Hilton in the Finance Department in 1985. After eight years, she became interested in the gaming side and became a 21 dealer trainee. The rest is history.

It’s official, Mel Brooks’ Broadway masterpiece ‘The Producers’ will be the next Tony-winning musical to hit the Vegas Strip. The Paris Hotel & Casino will open the show this summer and both Brooks and Susan Stroman will be involved with the show. Stroman has served as director and choreographer during The Producers’ five-year New York City run.
http://www.lasvegasfoodservice.com/newsletter.shtml

VH1 is gearing up for their Classic Rock ‘n’ Roll Celebrity Poker Tournament that will take place at the Flamingo Las Vegas in June. Rockers already signed include Ace Frehley of KISS fame, Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos, Sully Erna of Godsmack and Vinnie Paul of Pantera.
http://www.lasvegasfoodservice.com/newsletter.shtml

Rumors have ‘Lord of the Dance’ creator Michael Flatley again eyeing an Irish-themed entertainment complex on the Strip. The 47-year old Irish dancer and choreographer has apparently decided to sink his own money into the deal after finding limited investor interest.
http://www.lasvegasfoodservice.com

Ira David Sternberg talks with female impersonator Frank Marino, Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke, creative director Jeff Kutash, and Steve Harwell from Smash Mouth this Monday at noon (May 1). “Lunchtime with Ira” is a weekly radio show broadcast live from the Las Vegas Hilton on KDWN AM 720 TALK RADIO in Las Vegas, carried nationally on Cable Radio Networks (CRN), streamed live (and archived) on www.lvhilton.com, and aired on the Watchit Television Network (Watchit Media, Inc.) channels on hotel in-room television sets.

Las Vegas Hilton headliner Barry Manilow was terrified about accepting his sin city gig until he was reassured by Coliseum headliners Celine Dion and Sir Elton John, says a new report. “I called them and they were loving it,” the Copacabana star stated. “Las Vegas has turned very young. It’s like a combination of New York City and South Beach in Florida and I
just lucked into this. I’m there for three more years and I love it!”
http://www.lasvegasfoodservice.com/newsletter.shtml

Lon Bronson and his All-Star Band are returning to the Strip on Sunday with a 10:30 p.m. preview show at Margaritaville at the Flamingo Las Vegas. A Las Vegas institution, they return in June, with a regular Sunday night gig.

The Hogs & Heifers Saloon downtown started weekly Hard Hat Fridays earlier this month. The Friday events offer $2 pints of Bud / Bud Light drafts for workers in the construction and maintenance industry from 3 to 6 p.m. Participants must present proof of vocation to receive the discount card and bring in a hard hat to receive a Hogs & Heifers sticker for it.

A happy “Viva Las Vegas” birthday to Ann-Margret, who turns 65 today.

Madame Tussauds is unveiling a wax version of The Beatles on June 3, the week the Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil show opens at The Mirage. On loan from the London museum, The Beatles will be on display until July 4.
reviewjournal.com — News – NORM

It’s not the new math, it’s the menopause math.Menopause The Musical, the show that is a celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived “The Change,” just added an 11th show to their ten-show lineup at the Las Vegas Hilton. Effective May 8, there will be a 7 p.m. show on Mondays. In other words, no rest for the successful. Luckily, the new seven-night a week show has two casts that can share the success.

The “Avenue Q” showroom will be undergoing a $10 million conversion to increase seating from 1,200 to 1,499 for the Broadway show “Spamalot” that will be opening at the Wynn resort. Work on the showroom will begin in June.
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`THE SOPRANOS LAST SUPPER’ HONORS MOTHER’S DAY ON SUNDAY, MAY 14

With each paid admission to “The Sopranos Last Supper” on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 14) you can bring mom for free if she can produce a photograph of her son or daughter at the box-office. No other discounts will be honored and guests must be at least 21 years old. Reservations are suggested by calling (702) SEE TONY or 733-8669. Just valet park at KRAVE Theatre on the south side of the Desert Passage on Harmon east of The Strip and you’re only steps from the far left door where the fun is about to begin. The doors open early and if you arrive early you will be greeted with a glass of wine Old Italy style. There’s a four-course dinner far that so come hungry because it’s all you can eat with renowned Chef Bill Huggins. There will be singing, dancing during this dinner interactive show in a state-of-the-art theatre with posh seating. It’s a spoof on “The Sopranos” – the hit TV series. It’s the newest show in Las Vegas. Trip Sheet Magazine (7,000 circ. for limo and cab drivers) said, “Finally a Las Vegas show opens in Las Vegas.” This is a party type of show with some of the best actors in the business. This two-hour extravaganza party begins at 6 p.m. show and you can be home in time to see “The Sopranos.” Just present a photo of your kids and your in free.
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VegasTalk Radio Show – April 27, 2006

This week’s show for Thursday, April 27, 2006 contains:

An interview conducted at the 2006 National Association of Broadcaster Convention with Sports Talk Radio Show host Ron Gerrard and Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers!

“Show Happenings” with Chuck Rounds – Chuck reviews the events happening this week in Las Vegas. http://www.igoshows.com

The “Vegas Confidential” call with Norm Clarke, Norm is voted “Most Connected” person in town and daily columnist for the Review Journal and author of the best selling “1,000 Naked Truths”. http://www.NormClarke.com

“Fine Dining” with Les Kincaid. http://www.LesKincaid.com

“The Godfather of Las Vegas”, Mark Wayman’s Insider Report http://www.godfatherlv.com

The weekly variety and entertainment show broadcasts LIVE and will be archived online at the VegasTalk Radio website (http://www.vegastalkradio.com/?a=1327) by midnight the same day it plays.
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TABÚ ULTRA LOUNGE TOPS TECHNOLOGY…AGAIN
Excite the Senses With New Interactive Tables.

Las Vegas’ premier ultra lounge continues to break new ground with one-of-a-kind technology that stimulates the senses and livens up the imagination. The first venue to bring interactive tables, Tabú now proudly introduces patrons to the “Human Locator” system.

This new layered interactive technology, exclusively by Realisations, Inc., allows the club to manipulate any image or video projected on the tabletops to become a playful element of the nightlife experience. Using infrared technology, the system reacts to body heat sensitive motion sensors to bring to life the image or video reflected on the tabletops.

“We are excited to be at the forefront of this new advancement in nightlife. Tabú prides itself on being a unique venue and with the recent additions the club will offer guests an experience they can’t get anywhere else in the world,” said Barry Morgan, acting director of nightclubs at MGM Grand.

With the addition of these five new “Human Locator” systems, Tabú now offers a complete row of interactive tabletops on the main lounge floor.

A hotspot since its inception in February 2003 as the city’s first ultra lounge, Tabú has elevated the Las Vegas nightlife scene to a new level of sophistication and style. With its distinctive design and special effects technology, Tabú sparked a nightlife trend capturing attention of people all over the country. The club was recently honored with its third consecutive Club World Awards for “Best Lounge” and continues to be at the forefront of Las Vegas nightlife.
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Doo-wop festival by Jerry Fink
Las Vegas Sun

Vegas will be awash with doo-woppers July 28-29.

Cool Bobby B (Bob Backman, host of the nationally syndicated “Doo Wop Stop”) has announced a national Doo Wop Convention at Sunset Station and the Henderson Pavilion. The radio show, which originates in Cincinnati, airs locally from 9 p.m. until midnight Sundays on Kool 93.1-FM. Cool Bobby B also hosts “Cruisin’?” from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Sundays on Kool.

The doo-wop weekend begins with a reception at 5 p.m. July 28, where fans can meet and mingle with artists. From 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. July 29, at Sunset Station there will be an autograph session, an amateur doo-wop contest and other events. At 7 p.m. July 29 there will be a concert at Henderson Pavilion.

Among the dozen groups scheduled to attend the event are Kenny Vance and the Planotones (”Looking For An Echo”); Jay Seigel and the Tokens (”The Lion Sleeps Tonight”); The Penguins (”Earth Angel”); and The Harptones (”Sunday Kind of Love”).

Early bird tickets are $149 per person. Envelopes must be postmarked by May 10 to take advantage of this special offer. After that, ticket prices will be $179. Send checks to Cool Bobby B Doo Wop Convention, P.O. Box 43461, Cincinnati, Ohio 45243.

Backman said only 1,000 tickets will be sold. For more information call (513) 307-4429.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2006/apr/28/566698194.html
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‘Cats’ By Jerry Fink

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning musical “Cats” will be staged June 7-11 at the Aladdin Theatre for Performing Arts, coinciding with the play’s 25th anniversary.

The production debuted on May 11, 1981, at the New London Theatre in London.

In 1982, “Cats” opened at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City and became the longest-running musical in Broadway history in 1997. Its run there ended in September 2000.
Source: Las Vegas Sun
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Brett’s Vegas Views By Jackie Brett

The new Red Rock Resort in northwest Las Vegas opened last week after two years since its groundbreaking on a 70-acre patch of land near Charleston Blvd. and the Las Vegas Beltway in Summerlin. The plush resort opened with 415 of its planned 850 hotel rooms and suites. A 435-room expansion is expected to open by December.

The 87,000-square-foot casino includes 3,000 slot machines, 62 table games, a poker room, a race and sports book, and a bingo room. In the dining arena, there are nine restaurants and a seven-tenant food court.

Additional amenities include a 16-screen cinema, a three-acre pool area, 94,000 square feet of meeting space, a luxury spa and the Cherry nightclub.

The Broadway musical “Hairspray” at the Luxor is preparing to usher in two new lead stars on May 1. Comic actor and “Mad TV” sketch comedian, Paul Vogt, and veteran theater actor and “Laverne & Shirley” alum, Eddie Mekka will join the star-studded cast as the devoted and thoughtful parents of plus-size trendsetter Tracy Turnblad. Vogt stars in the role of the caring and concerned mother, Edna Turnblad with Mekka by his side as the loveable and quirky Wilbur Turnblad.

Vogt, best known for his recurring role on “MAD TV,” first received Hollywood recognition when he starred on NBC’s “The Rerun Show.” His theater credits include “The Grand Duchess,” “Happy Days The Musical” and “Beanstalk.” His film credits include “Princess Diaries II,” “Raising Helen” and “Lilo & Stitch 2.”

Mekka debuted on Broadway in 1974 starring in “Jumpers” followed by his big break as the lead in “Lieutenant,” earning him a Best Actor nomination from both the Tony Award and Drama Desk committees. His television credits include “24,” “The Guiding Light,” “Happy Days,” and his most memorable role, Carmine “The Big Ragoo” Ragusa, from the hit television series “Laverne & Shirley.”

Las Vegas Helldorado Days will take place this year from May 5-14, with all the action happening at the new South Coast Hotel/Arena. The one constant will be the Western Village Exhibits and continuous entertainment.

Special equestrian events will include: the Silver State Paint Horse Show May 5-7; the Mexican Rodeo May 8-10; and the WRCA Ranch Rodeo May 11-14.

Other featured events include the Whiskerino Contest on May 11 and the Helldorado Days Parade from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 13.

Barry Manilow, who is headlining at the Las Vegas Hilton through 2008, will kick off the NBC “Today Show” Summer Concert Series onboard the world’s largest ship, the Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas, when she debuts in New York Harbor on May 12.
http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/brett/index.htm
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MIKE WEATHERFORD: Make a trip downtown to see a production show at a nice price.
By Mike Weatherford from The Las Vegas Review Journal

Amid all the talk about big-budget Broadway musicals on the Strip, a little production of “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” slipped into the Plaza downtown with a $20 ticket price.

Louis Jarrett’s Jarrett-Martini Productions is backing the rent-the-room venture directed by A.J. Phillinganes, who also is one of the five principal performers.

The show was scheduled to open Wednesday night after a weekend preview for an invited-guest audience that included Gladys Knight. The non-Actors Equity production plans six shows per week, one of them a Sunday matinee.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-27-Thu-2006/living/6928515.html
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“LOVE” Website

Those who just can’t wait to learn more about “Love,” the Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil that opens in June, might be surprised at how much they can find on the show’s Web site (www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/love/about/about.htm). A batch of rehearsal photos and costume sketches give away more of the show than similar advance publicity did for “Zumanity” or “Ka.” More informed Beatles fans might even be able to make educated guesses about some of the songs that will be included.
Source: Mike Weatherford/Las Vegas Review Journal
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-27-Thu-2006/living/6928515.html
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Upcoming Las Vegas Entertaiment From The LVRJ.

Latin pop superstar Shakira will perform at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Aug. 12 with Wyclef Jean. Tickets are $19.50, $55, $75 and $100 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Mandalay Bay box office, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and Ticketmaster outlets.

Reunited blues rock favorites the Black Crowes will shake their money makers at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on June 16. Tickets are $75 and go on sale at noon Saturday at the Hard Rock box office, 4455 Paradise Road, and Ticketmaster outlets.

Platinum popster Ashlee Simpson will play the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on June 10 with the Veronicas. General admission tickets are $35 advance, $37 day of show and reserved tickets are $45. They go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the House of Blues box office, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and Ticketmaster outlets.

Country outlaw Hank Williams III and his band Assjack will tear into the House of Blues on May 30 with the Murder Junkies. General admission tickets are $15 advance, $17 day of show and go on sale at 10 a.m. today at the House of Blues box office and Ticketmaster outlets.

Honky-tonk throwback Dwight Yoakam will stop at Buffalo Bill’s Star of the Desert Arena on June 30. Tickets are $25.95 and $35.95 and are on sale at Buffalo Bill’s box office in Primm, and Ticketmaster outlets.

Pop songstress Olivia Newton-John will get physical at Buffalo Bill’s Star of the Desert Arena on Aug. 5. Tickets are $24.95 and $39.95 and are on sale at Buffalo Bill’s box office and Ticketmaster outlets.

Country chart-topper Trisha Yearwood will play The Club at the Cannery on July 2. Tickets are $49.99 and $59.99 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the ticket sales counter located at the Cannery front desk, 2121 E. Craig Road.

The “Young Guns of Comedy II” tour, headlined by D.L. Hughley, will yuck it up at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts on Sept. 4. Tickets are $40.50, $45.50, $55.50 and $75.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Aladdin box office, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and Ticketmaster outlets.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-28-Fri-2006/weekly/7063433.html
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Slots of Problems
Anyone else getting gouged by the machines?
By Len Butcher/Lenny’s Las Vegas

Is it just me, or are our casinos putting the screws to their slot machines, and I don’t mean in a good way? I’m talking about tightening them up, which means reducing their payout percentage. I see signs in almost every casino touting high payback machines. They scream out “98% return” or “100% return”. I’ve even seen the claim that some machines in a casino pay out more than 100%. The day you see a casino lose money on a slot machine is the day you’ll see tickets to see Celine or Elton, or just about any Strip show, selling tickets for $5.

I was sitting at home the other night, feeling bored, so decided to go and play some video poker. It was a choice between Sunset Station to the south or the Cannery to the north. I decided on Sunset. I parked myself at a poker machine and immediately went 41 hands without a winning hand. I moved to another machine. Much better. Only 34 hands in row without a winner. Thirty minutes after I first sat down, I was out $100. Time to move, but this time right out of the casino and into my car.

Instead of going home, I took the 95 to I-15 and made my way to the Cannery. Found a machine that looked lucky (don’t they all?) and dropped another hundred in less than 20 minutes. I was not a happy camper. In less than an hour playing video poker on quarter machines, mind you, I had lost $200.

By law in Nevada, slot machines, and I imagine this includes video poker machines, have to have a minimum payback of somewhere around 80 percent. I realize that doesn’t mean that every time you sit down to play a machine, the most you can lose is 20% of whatever you put in. But I would like to think that it is impossible to go 41 hands in a row — and more, as I have often done — without getting one winning hand.

From e-mails I get and people I talk to, this complaint is getting louder and angrier. Most of us are smart enough to know we are not going to beat the house, but we do expect to get a fair run for our money. High prices for show tickets or for meals in its restaurants aren’t going to hurt our casinos as much as the gouging that’s going on at the slot machines. More people, both visitors and locals alike, should let their feelings be known to the casinos’ management.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lenny/2006/0426.html
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SHOW REVIEW: Anthony Cools

If It’s Funny, It Isn’t Dirty: Anthony Cools’ adult hypnotism show is outrageously funny, but beware of the chair-cam. By Mike Weatherford.

You know Las Vegas tourism isn’t going back to a family focus anytime soon when Excalibur, a gleaming shrine to that ill-fated era, now hosts the raunchiest show on the Strip.

You won’t see paid showgirls simulate oral sex anywhere on the Strip. I think there’s a statute against that. But you can see a volunteer audience member, a sort of matronly one at that, do that very thing in Anthony Cools’ dirty hypnotism show.

And when the “chair-cam” angle of this amateur performance is replayed immediately after the show at the merch stand? Well, let’s just hope the kiddies are in bed, or at least downstairs playing carnival games, by 10:45 p.m.

More from “The Las Vegas Review Journal here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-28-Fri-2006/weekly/7029534.html
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Vegas Values Report for 4/23/06

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 Monday morning to find out about the best values in Las Vegas.
http://www.americancasinoguide.com/Promotions/VEGAS-VALUES.shtml
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Scintas moving by Jerry Fink From The Las Vegas Sun

After five years at the Rio, the Scintas are headed for the Strip.

The final performance at the present venue by the popular family of entertainers will be May 3. They hope to debut at the Sahara on or around May 23.

“That’s our target date,” said Frankie Scinta, who has been performing with brother Joe and sister Chrissie for more than 30 years. Drummer Peter O’Donnell is an honorary member of the family.

“We loved the Rio,” Scinta said. “What Harrah’s (owner of the Rio) did for us was make us a household name in Vegas. We are extremely grateful to them for that.”

There was some talk of the group possibly going to the Golden Nugget, which is undergoing major renovations – including the showroom.

But the Sahara was more appealing to the Scintas.

“It’s a chance to perform on the Strip, which is something we have always wanted to do,” Scinta said.

“We’re making some changes,” Scinta said. “A little more high-end lighting and sound and overall production.”
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2006/apr/24/566682238.html
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Production brings Fats Waller’s jazz music to life
By Jerry Fink From The Las Vegas Sun

“Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” is a diamond in the rough, but a gem nonetheless.

The revue, featuring the music of jazz legend Fats Waller, debuted last week at the Plaza.

The production is rather large for such a small stage, forcing a curtailment of choreography that should otherwise be a highlight of the evening. With a cast of 17, the performers are cramped for space and must tone down their movements to avoid bumping into one another.

However, spatial issues aside, this production is one worth seeing – and hearing.

More Here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2006/apr/26/566661472.html
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April in Vegas History By Rick Garman

When Red Rock Resort opened last week it became the latest of many Las Vegas hotel/casinos that have made their debut in the month of April: The very first resort on what would eventually become The Strip opened in April of 1941. It was called El Rancho and was located at the corner of what is now The Strip and Sahara Avenue, just across the street from the Sahara hotel (yes, where the big empty lot is now). It was the prototype for a Las Vegas resort complete with a then remarkable 63 rooms, a big pool, a casino, and what may have been the city’s first all-you-can-eat buffet. The hotel burned down in 1960.

The next April debut came in 1950 with the Desert Inn. The place was built by Wilbur Clark, partially through funds he earned when he sold his interest in El Rancho. It was a tremendous success and became a favorite for movie stars and those that liked to be around them. The hotel closed in 2000 and was demolished to make way for Wynn Las Vegas, which opened in…wait for it… April of 2005.

Five years later there were two big April bows, less than 24 hours apart. On April 19, 1955 the Royal Nevada opened and the next day The Riviera cut the proverbial ribbon. Both hotels struggled financially in the beginning with the Royal Nevada folding a few years later. It was incorporated into neighboring resort The Stardust and became part of the convention center.

The Riviera, on the other hand, made it through the difficult early years and grew to become one of the premiere resorts on The Strip. Although it has suffered a major decline in the zeitgeist of the city in the last decade or so, it is still open for business more than 50 years later.

In 1957, April was the chosen month for the birth of The Tropicana, then known as “The Tiffany of The Strip.” Although it never quite gained the stature of some other hotels of the era (think The Sands and The Dunes), the Trop nevertheless has outlasted almost all of them. It is currently being bid upon by several casino companies who will most likely tear it down at some point but for now The Tropicana is still bringing in the tourists and their gambling dollars.

April Fool’s Day of 1966 was no joke for the owners of The Aladdin, the next major hotel to make its debut during that particular month. Most noteworthy as the place where Elvis and Priscilla got married, The Aladdin was imploded in 1998 to make way for a bigger, better Aladdin. Unfortunately that hotel has had its share of problems, sinking into what was the largest bankruptcy in the state’s history. The hotel is still there but is currently getting a makeover to turn it into the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino.

It would be thirty years before another April opening but it was a big one. The Stratosphere opened in April of 1996 with an observation tower soaring over 1,000 feet above the Vegas skyline. Like many Vegas hotels, it faltered at first and also sank into bankruptcy. Billionaire Carl Icahn rescued the place and turned it around, allowing it to celebrate its 10th Anniversary this month.

For more history on Las Vegas hotels, please visit the Vegas4Visitors.com Museum. It’s packed with photos, memorabilia, and more from the city’s past.
http://www.vegas4visitors.com
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How to Play Omaha Poker by Bill Burton

Omaha may resemble Texas Hold’em in the fact that it is a game played with five community cards but the game is quite different. There are two variations of the game, Omaha High only and Omaha Hi/Lo split. It can be played with the betting being a structured Limit game or you can find No Limit and Pot Limit games. I will use the Limit Omaha High game in the explanation about how to play.

More Here:
http://casinogambling.about.com/od/poker/a/omaha.htm
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Doing Las Vegas on the Cheap
By Len Butcher
From The Las Vegas Review Journal

In a recent study, Las Vegas has been named the third most expensive destination in the country, but if you take advantage of the “deals” and coupons offered by our hotels and restaurants, it can be one of the least expensive. Here’s a few that will save you money and allow you contribute more to our slot machines.

The Sopranos Last Supper Show, in the Krave nightclub next to the Aladdin on Harmon Avenue, has a $20 off coupon. This is a fun show.

Another fun show is at O’Shea’s, between the Flamingo and the Imperial Palace. The casino is offering a coupon for free admission to the Vinnie Favorito Show if you buy a Favorito CD or T-shirt for $15. You can save 25 bucks a person on this deal and have a great time as well. Gotta warn you, though, comedian Favorito is another Don Rickles, so beware.

One of the best, if not the best buffets downtown, is at Main Street Station and the hotel is offering a 2 for 1 coupon to the buffet for out-of-state members or new sign-ups to their slot club.

If you’re in the mood for some music, the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay has a coupon for free admission to any of these following shows: Monday & Tuesday nights Rockstar Karaoke; Friday Nights Flashback to the 70’s,80’s and 90’s Dance Party; Saturday Nights Boogie Knights Dance Party; or Sunday nights Purple Reign (Prince Tribute).

Want to wash down a hearty meal with a great beer? Then take advantage of the Hofbrauhaus coupon that gives you a free 10-ounce beer with the purchase of any lunch or dinner entrée. Or you can get a free gift if you make a purchase of $25 or more in the gift shop.

Here’s a good savings and an interesting place to visit, especially if you were a Liberace fan. The Liberace Museum is offering a 2-for-1 coupon to the museum. Tickets are normally $12.50 per person.

If you want a great view of the Strip and beyond, the observation deck on the 50th floor of the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas is the place to be, so you might as well take advantage of a coupon that will give you $2 off the admission for the ride to the top.

The Second City Comedy Club at the Flamingo is offering a 2-for-1 coupon to the very funny show that features some great improvisational comedy.

As the hot weather approaches, what could be better after walking the Strip than a waffle cone, frozen drink or sundae from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream? They’re offering a two-part coupon for these goodies. The first part is a 2 for 1 on any size waffle cone. The second part gives you $1 off any frozen drink or sundae. You can find them in the Aladdin or Casino Royals.

All of these coupons are good for at least the next few months. Who says Las Vegas doesn’t have a heart?
http://www.reviewjournal.com/eNewsletters/eNeon/only/coupons.html
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From: EYE ON VEGAS

Savoy Sneak Peek

When three-star Michelin Chef Guy Savoy announced that he would be opening a secondRestaurant Guy Savoy in Las Vegas, foodies rejoiced. Less than a month before opening, the team behind Savoy has been finalized and is ready to push the boundaries of haute cuisine in the desert. Keeping the continuity and stamping the restaurant with the Savoy name will be the restaurant’s general manager, and Guy’s only son, Franck Savoy. Heading up the kitchen team will be a pair of talented, young chefs in Damian Dulas and Adam Sobel. Dulas, who has spent the last several years refining his skills under Savoy himself, has been handpicked as the outlet’s executive chef. Sobel, who helped win a Best New Restaurant James Bead Award with Bradley Ogden’s, will serve as chef de cuisine and help the transition process for France’s dynamic duo Savoy and Dulas. The beverage team has also come together with the assistance of Caesars Palace’s new director of wine, Stu Roy. We already announced that young-gun sommelier Michael Shearin would be working the dining room as lead sommelier but we have now learned that he will have a heady co-lead Paul Ellis who has plenty of experience having served as the director of wine for theMGM Grand in a past life. Also joining the beverage team will be Blake Gilbert, formerly of Fleur de Lys, who will serve as champagne/cognac/cigar sommelier while Julia Moretti (formerly of Tao Asian Bistro) will serve as mixologist and barista.

The outlet itself is a beautiful space that combines old school elegance with classic Savoy touches (such as the rectangular-laden doorways and walls) and new school technology. Hidden away with a second floor entrance in the new Augustus Tower, the restaurant will allow high-end diners to eat without even entering the casino if they wish. The menu will include Savoy classics like the Artichoke Soup with Truffles but will also have some new dishes better crafted to the American palate. As guests enter they will find a 950-wine-bottle wall indicating the serious 1,200 selection wine list adjacent to the special sommelier-serviced champagne bar. The dining room opens in front of guests as they continue into the restaurant where four-top tables await patrons to give diners more room. The Eiffel Tower is clearly in view from the dining room, a trademark as all Savoy restaurants are near monuments in Paris; ironically none near the real Eiffel Tower. The best view from the eatery might be for those lucky enough to grab a lounge seat during boxing matches that will take place in the outdoor pavilion below.

Proving an ability to cater to all guests, no matter the size of the party, Restaurant Guy Savoy will offer three private dining rooms, one that seats 8, one that seats 12 and a larger one that seats 32. The prime table in the outlet however, doesn’t reside in the dining room. The classic six-person chef’s table signifies a return to roots for Savoy as it sits right in the middle of an amazingly gorgeous kitchen (seriously, the kitchen might win awards in its own right. “Everything we couldn’t do in France, we did here,” Franck Savoy exclaimed during our tour!)

Restaurant Guy Savoy opens on May 17 in the Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace. Be prepared to be blown away, visually and gastronomically! For more on the team behind Restaurant Guy Savoy stay tuned for Bryan Bass’ up-coming article in the next issue of 944 Magazine.

Palms Pool Nears Completion
When The Palms and N9NE Group announced that they would be closing their popular Skin Pool Lounge for some serious renovations it had the collective imagination of pool-hopping regulars swimming with possibilities. With the first opening phase only weeks away, a full opening of the pool won’t happen at least until Memorial Day weekend, insiders can’t stop raving about what to expect from the new pool deck, or should we say pool decks! From what we hear the new Palms pool will actually have three swimming pools that will increase in credit line necessary to enjoy them the deeper you get into the pool grounds. The second pool, which will also be on a second-level, might just be the most intriguing with an alleged glass bottom providing a curious view from the gaming tables that will be located below. Further pushing the boundaries of the pool area will be three, two-story bungalows that will be available for overnight stay. These aren’t to be confused with the two-story penthouse being constructed in the Fantasy Tower for Hugh Hefner. This suite will be available for rent when the Playboy Czar isn’t present, although we strongly recommend changing the sheets.

Independent Eateries Taking it to the Bank
Earlier this month Restaurants and Institutions Magazine released their list of the 100 highest grossing “independent” restaurants in the country in 2005 and several Vegas goliaths finished very near the top of the list. Tao Asian Bistro’s New York outlet ranked in third place behind only Tavern on the Green (NYC) and the original Joe’s Stone Crab Miami outlet. However, Tao topped the list in alcohol sales accounting for a staggering 40 percent of cash flow! Proving the buying power of a city buoyed by tourism, nearly two dozen Las Vegas eateries dominated the list, often with a less meals served rate but at a higher average check. Other Vegas restaurants on the list include: #6 – MIX Las Vegas (Mandalay Bay), #12 – Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Forum Shops), #13 – rumjungle (Mandalay Bay), #14 – Mon Ami Gabi (Paris), #17 – Delmonico Steakhouse (Venetian), #18 – PRIME Steakhouse (Bellagio), #23 – China Grill (Mandalay Bay), #27 – Top of the World (Stratosphere), #36 – Commanders Palace (Aladdin), #58 – Aureole (Mandalay Bay), #60 – Eiffel Tower (Paris), #63 – Spago (Forum Shops), #66 – Harley Davidson Café (Free Standing), #74 – Zeffirino Ristorante (Venetian), #80 – Lutece (Venetian), #81 – N9NE Steakhouse (Palms), #90 – craftsteak (MGM Grand), #93 – America Café (NYNY). To qualify as “independent” the restaurant needed to be an eatery with no more than five locations.

Century Old Eatery Coming to Vegas
One of New York City’s most storied eateries has set its sights on a Las Vegas expansion. The 110-year-old Rao’s Restaurant has signed on to open a second outlet at Caesars Palace in the space that formerly housed another Italian eatery, Terrazza. Rao’s, which has occupied the same East Harlem location since 1896, is believed to be one of the oldest family-owned and run restaurants in the country. One reason for its success is the intimate 10-table setting and “table rights” reservation system that has New York City’s elite fighting to “get” a seat for authentic, Southern Italian fare. “We are delighted to bring Rao’s to the heart of the Roman empire,” said Rao’s owner Frank Pellegrino Jr. “More than anything, Rao’s is about family, and we look forward to welcoming Caesars’ guests into the Rao’s family.” Family attorney Ron Straci also added, “Our New York regulars already have begun to request their tables.” While it would be extremely difficult to fore-see the Caesars outlet operating in the same manner as Rao’s original, we can still expect excellent Italian fare in the classic New York style.
http://www.lasvegasfoodservice.com/newsletter.shtml
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MGM GRAND CASE: Two more held in beating.
Police arrest second teen, juvenile after raid.

Police made two more arrests Friday in the MGM Grand group beating case, after a massive late-night SWAT raid at the home of the first teen charged in the attack.

Demarcus Smith, 18, and a teenager whose name was not released because he is a juvenile were taken into custody shortly after midnight, Las Vegas police said. Smith remained jailed at the Clark County Detention Center late Friday.

Authorities say five other beating and robbery attacks last weekend were committed by many, if not all, of the 10 to 15 young people who pummeled two MGM landscapers about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, an incident that was caught on tape by security cameras.

More from the LVRJ here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-22-Sat-2006/news/6989952.html
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The Enchanting Anatomy Of KÀ Going behind the scenes
By Justin Jimenez

KÀ CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
Where: MGM Grand
When: 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.
Cost: $99, $125, $150
Info: (702) 492-3960 or (866) 80-SHOWS

Cirque du Soleil constructs new universes, letting us forget the perils of our original, guiding with a brilliant panoply of talent and genius. The acrobatics, the unfathomable artistic concept, the mystery — all stimulate inquiring minds. Would seeing under the magician’s table tarnish the trick? Would a glimpse behind the scenes humanize the body of fantasy that KÀ has created?

No, witnessing the backside of the majestic production only elevates the enigma and fuels more praise: There is nothing in the world like this show.

The anxiety of further enlightenment comes on the premise that KÀ stands as one of the most expensive stage shows in history. My backstage pass to the show, which was designed and built for an estimated $165 million, solidified the notion that the technological sorcery detracts none from the intellectual genius. (Such unfettered access has been given to a select few. Only 60 Minutes has had such freedom.)

The elaborate backdrop is merely an atmospheric portal into the amazing group of artistes. The exorbitant performing complex serves as a beautiful complement to the thespians playing in and on it, not a tool to upstage them. KÀ excels … far beyond merely spectacular.

Perhaps half expecting to find people doing back-flips off the walls and handsprings out of the bathroom, the calm sense of peace that echoes throughout the green roombefore the first show is surprising. Most of the noise comes from the clanging of a row of washing machines, imitating a laundromat — but your local coin-op doesn’t wash tens of thousands dollars worth of costumes every day.

Around the 7 p.m. call time, the 160 custom-made safety harnesses hanging in the main corridor start to fly off the racks and around tiny waists of acrobatic artists. Performers scurry in: The 30- to 90-minute makeup session begins in a series of dressing areas that resemble an athletic locker room but with individual mirrors for self-application.

The large multilevel break area comes complete with two prodigious-screen televisions, a kitchen and a pool table. The crew is first to break out the omnipresent dominos. A billiard game is already in progress, and performers in full makeup are surfing the Web, using all five computers in the back of the room. This is artistic bliss: fun and games.

Donning a utility belt Batman would be envious of, each technician has a specialized job and a corresponding group of gadgets. Dangling carabiners clink; gloves, knives, radios and assorted gizmos are visible as the competition at the pool table heats up. The vernacular of a basement poker game starts to build as the puppeteers get more serious about the dotted domino tiles.

Fully dressed performers start to trickle in; the transition from reality to fantasy starts to seize. The mostly local tech crew blends with the performers culled from 17 different countries; it looks like a truck stop that was invaded by Olympians.

This waiting room of theatrical nirvana is almost as fascinating as the public forefront. A closed-circuit camera gives a view of the incoming audience, a waiting tool for performers before their call to places. A smaller TV displays one of 26 closed-circuit live video feeds that monitor the area and makes channel surfing a whole lot more interesting.

Another flash of the amazing international dynamic hits. Hysterical trash talk spills out in different languages as the artists fill in the domino spots vacated by the crew. Performers are lining up to have their makeup airbrushed, their hairpieces glued on. The marriage of technology and art starts to come into focus.

The stage manager sits atop the back of the theater, hidden behind an arch of windows in the control booth. She is OZ, the one pulling the strings from inside the amazing creature. Looking up from the audience, the room resembles the deck of the USS Starship Enterprise, and the interior circuitry lends even more to the sci-fi feel. Two large control boards sit below an eerie big red button — the emergency stop. It has never been pressed.

Making one of her memorized 800-plus cue calls to the staff and the majority of performers wearing wireless earpieces, the stage manager guides the show with precision and grace. “Snake, stop,” she calls mid-show through the internal intercom. The 80-foot-long puppet freezes in midair during the forest scene, the hidden performer controlling it heeds the ubiquitous voice of the manager. Keeping on schedule every night, a stopwatch sits on the table. “Snake, go.” The beast slithers down into the void below.

The view from the booth provides a vantage point where the gargantuan complex can be taken in as a whole. Two moving platforms operate independent of each other, twisting and turning horizontally and vertically, thus creating the most unusual performing space in the world. The Sand Cliff Deck is one of the main platforms. It is manipulated by the gantry crane, which is what allows it to move up and down and rotate 360 degrees — all at the same time. The namesake sand that pours off it is actually granular cork from Portugal.

The Tatami Deck, weighing another 100,000 pounds, resonates like an industrial shipyard from the wings when moving into a new position. The audience never hears the racket as each of the 1,950 seats in the theater have two individual speakers, blaring the voices and the live music coming from several floors down in a separate sound room. A total of 524,150 watts of amplifier power fill the space in 16 different seating zones, allowing for the state-of-the-art sound effects to be targeted and directionally customized.

Not long after the first show comes to a close does the green room erupt into a sea of different scents. In the lull before the 10:30 performance, microwaved Chinese noodles mix with Subway sandwiches, and chopsticks are unwrapped next to sporks. Running upstairs to work out, trampolines bounce and barbells leave the rack in the second-floor gym. Resembling a health club that had a Halloween party, artists in full maquillage break into various exercise routines while passing the time before another physically exhausting show. Specific types of training are offered every night, something as calming as yoga, as complicated as the martial art Capoeira or as dangerous as falling and climbing on the pulley system.

Witnessing the underbelly of KÀ embodies the essence of theater. Any worry that opening the door behind the stage would spoil the artistic bliss is unfounded. Tricks are revealed, and secrets exposed. And through it all … KÀ remains true magic.

Source: Las Vegas Magazine
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MIKE WEATHERFORD: Gangsta rap not big on casino circuit

Isn’t something pretty laughable being overlooked in the recent uproar about banning gangsta rap from casinos?

Clark County Sheriff Bill Young’s recently excavated letter to gaming controllers from last summer, asking “the gaming industry to not book gangster rap here,” has the ACLU and Las Vegas-based hip-hop icon Morey Alexander all riled up.

But when the casino heads caught wind of the request, they must have been rolling on the floor saying, “Please don’t throw us in that briar patch.”

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Mar-05-Sun-2006/living/6143930.html————–
NORM: Plans could leave Strip all shook up.

Details of an Elvis attraction planned opposite MGM Mirage’s $7 billion CityCenter will be announced this month.

New York billionaire Robert F.X. Sillerman, in a Sunday New York Times interview, hinted that an interactive museum and Elvis theme show might be only the beginning, just as “Heartbreak Hotel” in 1956 was the first of 18 No. 1 hits.

That’s the plan for one of Sillerman’s two parcels of land. Suspicious minds envision an Elvis hotel and casino on the other plot.

Sillerman closed a $100 million deal last year with the Presley family for control of The King’s name and likeness, but not his music.
reviewjournal.com — News – NORM: Plans could leave Strip all shook up
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SHOOTING STARS: Poker series moves into final rounds.
By Carol Cling

It’s showdown time as NBC’s second “National Heads-Up Poker Championship” moves into its final rounds today in Caesars Palace’s new poker room.
The 64-member, invitation-only field — each of whom paid $20,000 to enter — represents “the best of the best,” according to Jon Miller, NBC Sports’ senior vice president of programming.

Although the tournament moved to Caesars from the Golden Nugget, Las Vegas was the first and only choice as a location, Miller notes.

“We always felt this is where it should be,” he says, “to do it and do it right,” he says.

The six-part, 10-hour series begins a Sunday-afternoon run April 16 on NBC; prime-time reruns will be shown on NBC’s cable network CNBC.

“Mindfreak” mania: A&E’s “Criss Angel: Mindfreak” returns to Las Vegas this week, launching production on a second season of magical (sur)reality.

Based at the Aladdin, the second season of A&E’s top-rated series is expected to continue production through May.

The Aladdin pool is slated to provide the backdrop for a Friday stunt, but the series will film throughout the casino, as well as on the Strip.
reviewjournal.com — Living – SHOOTING STARS
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Karaoke at Tequila Joe’s Is The Best.
On-The-Strip-Sidewalk Club Wins Top Honor

For the second year in a row, the Imperial Palace Karaoke Club at Tequila Joe’s has been named Best Karaoke Bar in Las Vegas.

Singing its praises is James Bartholet, host of “L.A. Nitelife,” a Los Angeles-based television program carried on cable outlets from coast to coast. TJ’s karaoke club won the distinction based on popularity with clientele and the décor, ambience, staff, sound and lighting of the club.

Tequila Joe’s karaoke host Rusty Varney will accept the plaque from Bartholet at 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 8.

Since the club’s beginning in September 2003, about 60,000 crooners, divas and American Idol wannabes have taken center stage nightly at 8 p.m. to warble and belt out tunes to their hearts’ content – many of them even in key. With more than 15,000 songs from which to choose, there is music for every taste – from acid rock to zydeco and Alabama to ZZ Top.

Varney says the songs most frequently requested are “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, “Viva Las Vegas” by Elvis and Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” He describes these three as “signature crowd pleasers that give karaoke singers a sense of stardom.”

Men also like to sing “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks and “You Never Even Call Me By My Name” by David Allan Coe. Women always request Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” and Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock N Roll.” About 5,000 songsters have purchased a DVD of their performance.

Tourists hoping that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas aren’t the only ones who have sung karaoke at TJ’s. Among the club’s celebrity singers are World Series of Poker champion Scotty Nguyen, pro bowler Liz Johnson, former World Wrestling Entertainment’s hardcore champion Pat Patterson, Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia and actor Ethan Hawke.

The Karaoke Club at Tequila Joe’s also has hosted the quarterly “Be A Legend” Celebrity Impersonator Contest since November 2003. The first-place winner of each contest earned an audition with the Imperial Palace’s “Legends in Concert” celebrity tribute spectacular.

By early summer, Tequila Joe’s will make way for the way-out Beacher’s Rockhouse Bar.

The Imperial Palace is home to the Dealertainers, celebrity impersonators who deal blackjack. The hotel also hosts The Auto Collections, the world’s largest classic car lot with $100 million worth of inventory for sale. Imperial Palace is the most central stop on the Las Vegas Monorail. In addition, the resort is famous for “Five-Star-Friendly Service” and includes a race and sports book, 2,640 rooms and suites, world-class gaming and amenities, a seasonal poolside luau, 40,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, 10 specialty restaurants, 10 bars and lounges, state-of-the-art spa and fitness center, business center, concierge service, medical center, chapel and reception facilities.
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Updated Review: Blue Man Group by Rick Garman

The Blue Man Group has been a phenomenon in this country, going from underground, bizarre, avant-garde, performance art to nationally recognized, bizarre, avant-garde, performance art. Much of that success had to do with their long run in Vegas, first at the Luxor and now in a new space at The Venetian. Whether it was because some of the originality has worn off, what with their omnipresent television commercials and Jay Leno appearances, or the fact that this is the third time I’ve seen the show and it hasn’t changed all that much, but I didn’t get the same heady kick that I did the first time I saw it. Mind you, it’s still fun and an enormously entertaining evening at the theater, but it just doesn’t as fresh.

Just in case you’ve been living in a cage somewhere, the Blue Man Group consists of three men whose bald-shaven heads are painted cobalt-blue, giving them the air of visitors from another planet. Their antics over the course of their show only reinforces this feeling, bringing to mind some sort of bizarre mix of Buster Keaton, Ernie Kovacs, and Mork from Ork.

The show opens with the Blue Men surrounding a pair of tall drums. As one of the guys does the percussion, the other two pour fluorescent paint on top, creating multi-hued sprays that fly up in their faces and cover a conveniently placed canvas. It sounds odd, and it is, but their behavior throughout – as if they are children discovering some bizarre and surprising new toy – is still hilarious.

That’s the through-line for the entire show – these serene and expressionless blue beings that come across as super-intelligent, yet are perplexed and overwhelmed by something as simple as the wrapping on a snack cake.

Other scenes involve catching marshmallows and paintballs in their mouths, a series of messages printed on three different sets of posters that will have you reading faster than you ever have in your life, a symphony done with Cap’n Crunch cereal, a couple of stunts involving unsuspecting audience members (including the aforementioned snack cake bit), and music that they perform on various drums, pipes, and PVC tubing including a brief medley of everything from Gary Newman to Madonna.

It all ends with giant, twisting, neon tubes dropping from the ceiling and the audience buried in paper streamers. The guy sitting next to me asked, “What’s the point of the paper?” and I responded, rightly I believe, that there is no point really. It’s just all part of the nonsensical weirdness that is the Blue Man Group.

The new theater at The Venetian is nowhere near as comfortable as their former digs at Luxor, with the seats tightly packed both to your left and right and front to back. I was getting claustrophobic long before I was buried in paper streamers.

If you’ve never seen the Blue Man Group, you owe it to yourself to experience it at least once. If you have seen them, this new production in a new home is simply not new enough to warrant going back a second (or a third) time unless you are a fanatic about the bald blue guys.

Blue Man Group
The Venetian
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
877-883-6423
website
Price:

$85-110
Showtimes:
Nightly 7:30pm
Additional show Sat at 10:30pm
Vegas4Visitors Grade: B+
http://www.vegas4visitors.com/column/index.htm
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Show Review: Xtreme Magic starring Dirk Arthur by Rick Garman

It’s official: I think I have become too jaded to do this job anymore. Having written extensively about Las Vegas for nearly 10 years, I have stayed at almost every hotel, eaten at a lot of the restaurants, visited all of the major attractions, and seen virtually all of the shows that have played the stages in and around town. Many of those shows have been of the magic variety and this is where I am running into trouble. You see, I just don’t get traditional magic shows anymore, primarily because after having seen every single one of them that ever played in Las Vegas they have become rote and predictable to me.

So my biggest problem with “Xtreme Magic starring Dirk Arthur,” now playing at the Tropicana, is not really with Dirk Arthur, but with myself. I choose to blame Gob Bluth in “Arrested Development.”

Arthur’s show is as traditional magic as they come, from sawing a woman (or two) in half to suddenly appearing and disappearing objects, people, and animals. There are no surprises here and nothing original, at least to my jaded eyes.

Having said all that, Arthur is a capable illusionist most of the time. If I had to assign a percentage to it, I’d say that roughly 75% of the tricks are done well, with all of the attendant smoke and mirrors hiding whatever may be up his proverbial sleeve. The set pieces where a lovely assistant hops in a box and moments later is replaced by a jungle cat of some kind are executed flawlessly and at least one of his big illusions, where a helicopter seems to appear out of nowhere, is impressive.

The other 25% has some issues. The use of look-a-likes for the lead magician is a time-honored tradition but it’s usually a good idea to have the look-a-like actually look like the person they are trying to make you believe they are. Arthur’s body double was wearing a bad wig, looked about 20 years younger, and may have been female. Granted you have to know where to look to see it but that leads me back to my whole jaded thing – I know where to look. In fact one trick was leading to the inevitable resolution where Arthur appears in the middle of the audience and I saw it coming a mile away – I even turned around in my seat to watch him jump up onto the booth behind me long before anyone else noticed he was there.

And then there’s the whirling blades of death. Okay, in Arthur’s case it was more of a giant corkscrew of death, but the concept is the same: the magician is locked in a box and some dangerous looking instrument of medieval torture is lowered toward the box. Will he survive?!

SPOILER ALERT: He survives.

There are very few magic shows left in Las Vegas and Dirk Arthur’s suffers by comparison. He has none of the wit or originality of Penn & Teller, none of the charm or style of Lance Burton, and even though there are “wild” animals, the show lacks the spectacle of Siegfried and Roy’s former extravaganza.

Of course, Arthur’s show also doesn’t have the ticket prices of any of those aforementioned acts (2-for-1 pricing brings it to about $20). Plus, playing twice daily (except Friday) during the afternoon makes this one of the few options for daytime entertainment. And as one of the last traditional magic acts left in Las Vegas, Dirk Arthur seems to represent a dying breed.

So what it comes down to is this: if a magic show featuring women being sawed in half and helicopters appearing out of nowhere sounds like something you’d like to see, Dirk Arthur’s show is the one to go to in Las Vegas. If you’re looking for more originality in your illusions, you’re going to have to look elsewhere.

Vegas4Visitors Grade: B-

Xtreme Magic starring Dirk Arthur
Tropicana Las Vegas
3801 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
800-829-9034

Showtimes:
Sat-Thurs 2 & 4pm
Tickets:
2-for-1 tickets $30-$40
http://www.vegas4visitors.com/column/index.htm
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Thanks for all you wonderful support for the Newsletter and Forums.

Steve

I am hoping to have the American Casino Guide offer in Friday’s newsletter. I will also include it with the notification email.

I also shoud have my Trip Report ready next week.
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LUCKY WINS !!!!!!

“Lucky” has won the Cat Of The Month Contest.
Check out his story here:
http://www.petendipity.com/november2005.htm
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Las Vegas Top Ten Values form the Las Vegas Advisor
December 2005

1. Room Rates – Stardust et al. – December – $0-$40
Every December, Las Vegas gives its faithful a big holiday present in the form of rock-bottom room rates. This year, though prices continue to creep upward, is no exception, as our annual survey turned up 30 options for rooms with rates below $40.

2. Complete Steak Dinner – Ellis Island – 24 hours – $4.95
Now in its sixth year, Ellis Island’s $4.95 complete steak dinner (#2), served round the clock with salad, potato, and green beans, is not only the top dining bargain in Las Vegas, but probably in the country. An LVA staffer recently paid $27 for a similar meal in Reno and it wasn’t as good—at more than five times the price.

3. Shrimp Cocktail – Golden Gate – 11-3 am – 99¢The Ellis Island steak’s longevity in the Top Ten is impressive, but the Golden Gate’s 99¢ shrimp cocktail (#3) has occupied the list roughly three times longer over LVA’s history, having last been left off for a few months in the fall of 1999 due to competition from a huge cocktail at Joker’s Wild (which, of course, didn’t last). A case can be made that this shrimp cocktail is more iconic to downtown than Vegas Vic.

4. Ham & Eggs – Arizona Charlie’s Decatur – 24 hours – $2.49
Arizona Charlie’s $2.49 ham-and-eggs breakfast (#4) is the best breakfast value in town. The ham steak is slightly smaller than Delaware and you can substitute a side of biscuits and gravy—almost a meal in itself—for toast. You can also get a first-rate steak and eggs, as well as a big hamburger and fries, for $2.99. All of these specials, and others, are available 24 hours a day.

5. Souvenir Photo – Imperial Palace – noon-8 pm – Free
For a free photographic keepsake from your trip to Sin City (#5), head to the little studio set-up in front of the Imperial Palace and pose for your snapshot. Walk to the back of the casino to pick up your photo at the slot club booth. It’s fast, fun, free—and forever.

6. Funbook – Stratosphere – Daily – Free
The expected value from the Stratosphere funbook’s (#6) lucky bucks adds up to just under $20, making it the best casino coupon package in Las Vegas. This means that the combined EV for a couple making a single stop at the Strat is more than the cost of an online subscription to the Advisor. And you can get a new book once a week.

7. Casbar Lounge – Sahara – Daily – Free
The Sahara’s old-style Casbar Lounge (#7) hosts a rotating schedule seven days a week. There’s no admission charge, no cover charge, and no drink minimum. Get a line on the current schedule at www.saharalasvegas.com.

8. Buffet – Mirage – Daily – $12.50-$22.50
The Mirage’s Cravings Buffet (#8) retains its best-in-Vegas ranking with a consistently extensive and high-quality selection of cuisines served in a high-tech and aesthetically pleasing environment—not to mention the best prices of the gourmet buffets in its class.

9. Mac King – Harrah’s – Tues.-Sat. – $7.99/$21.95
Mac King’s comedy and magic act, staged in the afternoons at Harrah’s (#9), is a must-see show on any bargain-vacationer’s itinerary. The hard-working King will take only a brief (one-week) vacation during the holidays, but his replacement, Michael Holly, is an adequate substitute.

10. Prime Rib Dinner – California – 5-10 pm daily – $6.99
The top prime rib play in Las Vegas remains the downtown California’s evening special (#10). The big prime, plus potato, veggie, and roll, also comes with a complete salad bar and cherries jubilee for dessert. There’s no way you leave this one hungry, and it’s just $6.99.
http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/topten.cfm
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Vegas Values Report for 12/4/05

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 Monday morning to find out about the best values in Las Vegas. Hello to all! Welcome to “Vegas Values.” Here’s what we found this week:
http://www.americancasinoguide.com/Promotions/VEGAS-VALUES.shtml
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New Year’s Eve at the Imperial Palace
Celebrate With a Variety of Entertainment, Dining Activities.

There’s something for everyone at the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino for New Year’s Eve:

LEGENDS IN CONCERT

7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. shows regularly priced at $39.95, $49.95 and
$59.95.

Dinner and show packages available at $69.95, $79.95 and $89.95

Choose from salmon with dill Chablis, chicken breast Veronique or
roast prime rib of beef entrees.

Dinner will be served in the Plaza Room 90 minutes before each
show.

KABUKI LOUNGE

Linda Angeline will perform 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. – no minimum
SongSmith will perform 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Two-drink minimum starts at 10:30 p.m.

TEQUILA JOE’S

Karaoke from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. – two-drink minimum
Nightclub with DJs from 10:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Admission $20 – tickets sold at Show & Tour Desk

FIFTH FLOOR DINING PLAZA

Ming, Seahouse, Embers and Fireside will open at 4 p.m.

NOMIYA LOUNGE
Greg Bowers plays piano 6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
———–
Las Vegas Hilton Signs Reba McEntire to Multi-Week Engagement in 2006.

The Las Vegas Hilton has signed Reba McEntire to a multi-week engagement in 2006, it was announced today by Las Vegas Hilton executives. The superstar begins the first part of her engagement on Wednesday, May 3, 2006, with tickets going on sale Saturday, December 3, 2005 at 10:00 a.m.

“The Las Vegas Hilton, home of Barry Manilow, now welcomes another legend to our resort, continuing entertainment as a key element for this classic property,” said Ken Ciancimino, executive vice president of the Las Vegas Hilton. “This agreement with Reba McEntire, a superstar with great crossover appeal, enhances our outstanding entertainment lineup for 2006, solidifying the Las Vegas Hilton brand and the Resorts International brand overall.” The formal announcement of the agreement was made today at a news conference at the property featuring McEntire. The concert series, “Key to the Heart” is presented by Whirlpool to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Reba has helped to raise awareness for Habitat on a personal and professional level for some time.

From “Can’t Even Get the Blues” in 1982 to “Somebody” in 2004, Reba has been delivering number one songs for more than 20 years, winning, among other honors, 15 American Music Awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, 7 Country Music Association Awards and 2 Grammy’s. Reba was the first country female artist to sell five million copies of one album since Patsy Cline, and has sold more than 49 million albums in her career. Her self-titled TV show, “REBA,” reigns as the WB’s top rated sitcom in hits fifth season, and has landed Reba a Golden Globe nomination and a People’s Choice Award.

Her new album, Reba #1’s, is a collection of the songs country music fans have known and loved for over two decades. It is currently #3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

Reba will perform Wednesdays through Sundays (over nonconsecutive weeks) at 9 p.m. (Sundays, 8 p.m.) in the legendary Hilton Theater beginning May 3, 2006. Tickets are $138 (plus tax and service charge), $124 (plus tax and service charge) and VIP seating, which includes a meet-and-greet with Reba McEntire, priced at $225 (plus tax and service charge). Tickets can be purchased at the Las Vegas Hilton box office or by visiting http://www.lvhilton.com or calling 702-732-5755 or 1-800-222-5361. Tickets go on sale Saturday, December 3 at 10:00 a.m. The Las Vegas Hilton ranks among the world’s most famous and popular resort destinations, located blocks from the Las Vegas Strip and adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, offering 3,000 luxurious rooms and suites situated on 59 acres. The property is one of the largest hotels in the world and features top-name entertainment, 14 distinctive restaurants, a full-service health club and spa, Star Trek: The ExperienceO and much more.
——————
HYPNOTIST MICHAEL JOHNS’ COMEDY IS HYPNOTIC
By Jerry Fink

These days they’re serving up laughter, not meals, at the Stardust’s new Hypnotic Lounge.

Once a Mexican restaurant and then a dinner theater, the venue is now home to hypnotists Michael Johns, Terry Stokes and Michelle Van Ree.

“It’s a nice, intimate theater that seats about 200,” Johns said.

That’s almost twice the seating capacity of Johns’ former showroom, a cubbyhole at the defunct Bourbon Street.

Johns and Stokes worked at Bourbon Street until it was bought by Harrah’s, which then closed the property a couple of months ago.

It didn’t take long for the hypnotists to find a new location, the Stardust’s former Ba-Da-Bing Theater.

Ree is the star of the theater’s early show, “Hypnolarious,” at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Johns and Stokes rotate as hosts of the adult “Hypnolarious XXX — Hypnosis Gone Wild,” a late show that begins at 10 nightly.

“We switch back and forth,” Johns said. “When one of us is on the road performing, the other does the show at the Stardust. That way we’re open seven nights a week. We never go dark.

“If both of us are in town at the same time, sometimes we’re a two-man tag team with one trying to outdo the other.”

Johns, a native of Bolivar, Mo., started out as a stand-up comic noted for his adult humor.

“It’s always been on the adult side,” he said. “A lot of comedians out there say they need to work clean. I don’t care if it’s clean or dirty, as long as it’s funny.

He’s been in Las Vegas, off-and-on, for 10 years.

“The first time I came here was on vacation,” he said. “I didn’t know what the place was all about — I thought it was just gambling and drinking.

“But then I saw the names of some big headliners on the Strip, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is someplace I’d like to be.’ ”

Fate led him to merging comedy with hypnotism.

“I was doing one-nighters at comedy clubs all over the country, performing as a headliner,” he said. “One night a club overbooked — it had two headliners, myself and a hypnotist.”

He says he opened for the hypnotist.

“I wasn’t happy, I was a headliner too,” Johns said.

Johns watched the hypnotists call for volunteers and put them under and make them do peculiar things.

“I didn’t believe it was real,” he said. “I thought it was all plants.”

Johns joined in the act to try and make it funnier.

“I woke up an hour later with my shoes off and my shirt off,” he said.

Deciding there was something to hypnotism, he searched for someone to teach him the skill.

“I found a guy in Miami, Gerald Kein, one of the best in the world,” Johns said. “He’s brilliant.”

Johns has been a comedic hypnotist for more than five years.

Some have compared him to the raunchy hypnotist Anthony Cools, who is moving his over-the-top act from Paris Las Vegas to the Excalibur in December.

Johns says there are differences.

“I come from a stand-up background, so there’s a lot of comedy in mine, off-the-cuff stuff,” he said. “And in my show, I never try to embarrass anybody — there’s a line I refuse to cross. Nobody is going to walk off my stage and feel ashamed.”
————
Thanksgiving Special Part II: Vegas Things To Be Thankful For.
By Rick Garmen

With Thanksgiving coming up I started thinking about the things I’m thankful for. Of course there’s the obvious – family, friends, health. But what about the smaller things? Those tiny pleasures that on their own may not be worth writing epic novels about but place enough of them side by side and they become a force to be reckoned with. This December I’ll be unveiling the annual Vegas4Visitors.com Top 10 Awards, where I tell you my favorite hotels, restaurants, shows, and more. Those lists are for the big stuff and have no room for the tiny pleasures that often make a Vegas vacation shine.

Marry those two seemingly disparate thoughts and you have this: Things in Vegas to be Thankful For. Last week I gave you my list of 30 things I was thankful for and intended to continue the list this week. But I also put out the call to readers like you to tell me what Vegas things you were thankful for and I got so many e-mails I decided to dedicate the second half of this special report to your responses:

1. Flair bartenders at Carnival Court.
2. Plasma Screen TV’s in the bathroom in the Augustus Tower at Caesars.
3. Being sober enough to pick out the best tattoo.
4. The wheels of your plane touching down at McCarran when you would otherwise be at work!
5. Cheap steak and eggs at 5 am, and realizing it is the first time you have eaten in over 24 hours.
6. $1.00 Michelob at Casino Royale. Nothing like getting drunk on crappy beer for about $5.00!
7. Blackout shades, for those of us that don’t go to bed until the sun is up!
8. That I can see my son, the famous Moon Handbooks Las Vegas writer, more often (that one is from Pauline in Las Vegas, a.k.a.: my mom. Love and a plug for the new book – what more could you ask for?)
9. After walking in 106 degree heat on the strip, walking into an air conditioned casino and getting a nice cold beer.
10. Seeing all the lights ablaze as the plane is nearing Vegas airport at night.
11. Just relaxing and watching the (free) aquariam at the Mirage.
12. No matter how late you stay up there’s always places to go and things to see.
13. Getting all dressed up and having lots of places to go.
14. Doing anything that your heart desires and not have people think you are a little strange.
15. Watching the sun set over The Strip and the neon lights come on from Top of the World at the Stratosphere.
16. The “Welcome to Las Vegas Sign….as it welcomes you to an Adult’s Never Never Land where day is night and night is day and no matter how long you stay you can’t see or do it all.
17. The “Old Vegas” vibe on Fremont Street that brings memories of the Rat Pack.
18. The outdoor misters in July.
Vegas4Visitors Column for November 21, 2005
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Harrah’s Considering Extreme Makeover by Rick Garmen

Word out of the Harrah’s corporate offices seems to indicate the company is considering a massive redevelopment of several of its flagship Las Vegas properties that could wind up being the biggest project in the city’s history. This is all just rumor and conjecture so far based on rather opaque comments from the company’s executives, but what they are apparently considering is taking a wrecking ball to everything between Harrah’s and Flamingo Road all the way back to Audrie Lane and beyond. This would include Harrah’s, the Imperial Palace, The Flamingo, O’Shea’s, the now closed Bourbon Street hotel, and Barbary Coast if they decide to buy it from competitor Boyd. All of this is in addition to consideration being given to revamping or perhaps starting over on the Bally’s property.

Harrah’s is already the biggest casino company in the world in terms of properties and value but they are behind MGM Mirage in the Las Vegas market, which has more hotels and more revenue. Leveling the block would give Harrah’s more than 150 acres to play with, which by way of reference, is about 2 ½ times the size of the lot on which MGM Mirage is building its $5 billion Project CityCenter, a massive development of hotels, a casino, condos, and more between Bellagio and Monte Carlo.

Expect an announcement on the company’s Las Vegas plans in the first half of 2006.

By the way, speaking of big announcements, word on the street is that Boyd Gaming will make an announcement before the end of the year on what they plan to do with their 60 or so acres of land on the north end of The Strip currently home to The Stardust. Whatever the plans it will almost definitely mean the 47-year-old hotel will not make it to its 48th birthday in 2006.
http://www.vegas4visitors.com/column/05_11_28.htm
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Las Vegas Q and A by Rick Garmen

Question: What do I do if I get sick while visiting Las Vegas?

Answer: Yes, I’m asking myself a question this week to give readers like you a little bit of guidance for future Vegas visits. Why? Well, last week while in Las Vegas I wound up in the hospital and even while I was hooked up to machines monitoring my vitals I was thinking of how I could use the experience to help educate the people who read my column. How’s that for devotion?

I’m also hoping it’ll allow me a tax write-off on the portion I have to pay for out of pocket but we’ll just pretend it’s all about you.

Anyway, I’m fine, thanks for asking, but I started having an irregular heartbeat while working from my hotel room during the day and decided, during a lovely dinner at Hank’s restaurant at Green Valley Ranch (review coming soon) that a trip to the emergency room was in order.

Lesson number one is to make sure you are carrying your health insurance information with you at all times. Luckily I had my card in my wallet but I know a lot of people will leave everything but cash, identification, and maybe one credit card back in the room while they are out running around in Las Vegas. One extra card is not that big of deal and could save you some hassles if something comes up.

Lesson number two, to paraphrase a Kenny Rogers song, is to know when to walk away and when to run. I know that this is your vacation and the last thing you want to do is spend it getting poked and prodded by doctors but if you’re not feeling well don’t ignore it. I ignored my situation for most of the day until it got to the point where I couldn’t anymore and while I doubt I would’ve really passed out during the dessert course of my meal it sure felt like it for awhile. It’s easy to get distracted by all the flashing everything in Las Vegas but don’t let it distract you from what’s really important like your health and well-being.

Lesson number three is to know where to go. There are hospitals with emergency rooms all over town and if you’re at any major hotel or casino they can direct you to the nearest ones. For reference sake though, Sunrise Hospital on Maryland Parkway at Desert Inn Road and The Desert Springs Medical Center on Flamingo at Eastern Avenue are the closest to The Strip. If you have a problem that doesn’t quite reach the level of an emergency room visit, there is the Harmon Medical Center, a 24-hour urgent care facility just one block off The Strip behind The Aladdin.

Lesson number four is to not overdo it. Las Vegas is a town built on excess, specifically yours. They do everything they can to get you to eat too much, drink too much, smoke too much, gamble too much, and sleep too little. My problem wasn’t really related to any of those things but remember that no matter how old you are, you aren’t as young as you used to be. Moderation will help you avoid a trip to the emergency room and will probably help you have a better time in general (I can say from experience that plane rides home from Vegas with a hangover are not fun).

The last lesson is a general one, not specifically related to Las Vegas: be an advocate for your own health. It’s easy to get intimidated by the surroundings of a busy hospital, especially when you aren’t feeling well. You think that there are people who are sicker than you, you don’t want to be a bother, you can wait. Forget it. Make sure that the people who are attending to you know what is wrong and know that you’re serious about getting it fixed. While I don’t recommend checking yourself out of the hospital against medical advice like I did (long story, later) it’s important to make sure that your concerns, if you have them, are heard.
http://www.vegas4visitors.com/column/05_11_28.htm

Question: What’s happening in Vegas for New Year’s Eve? By the way, thanks for the nice things you said about New Orleans and encouraging people to visit in 2006 – you’re right, we need the tourist dollars more than Vegas does!!

Answer: My pleasure, Jodi. To reiterate what I said before, for all you folks considering multiple trips to Vegas next year, why not change plans and make at least one trip to New Orleans in 2006. The city is already making great strides toward returning to its former glory and the one thing that will be crucial is getting the tourist trade up and running again.

As far as New Year’s, the annual fireworks show is still the biggest attraction. This year is expected to even bigger than years past, with the pyrotechnics being launched from the roofs of hotels up and down The Strip, under the canopy at Fremont Street, and in locations all over town. They shut down The Strip and by midnight it is packed with hundreds of thousands of revelers so if you’re crowd-phobic, forget it.

All of the hot nightclubs will be having some sort of party that may include some variation on the celebrity host or DJ and will absolutely cost a fortune. Expect cover charges to start around $50 and head up over $200 for the really popular places.

A cheaper alternative is to consider the hotel lounges, most of which will feature live bands and probably more than their fair share of noisemakers and Auld Lang Syne-ing.

Most of the major shows will be having special New Year’s Eve productions that start later so you can ring in 2006 with the Blue Man Group (for instance).

The headliner shows aren’t as plentiful as they have been in years past although there could be more announcements coming after Thanksgiving. So far the only ones worth noting are David Copperfield at the MGM Grand, Dame Edna at Luxor, The Goo Goo Dolls at the House of Blues, Kanye West and Fantasia at The Aladdin, Matchbox Twenty at the Hard Rock, and Hootie and the Blowfish at the Silverton.
http://www.vegas4visitors.com/column/05_11_21.htm
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Men of Chippendales lure the ladies
By Nina King

Chippendales The Show
Where: Rio
When: 8:30 p.m. Sun. – Tues., Thurs.; 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. Fri. – Sat.
Cost: $49.45
Info: (702) 992-7970 or (866) 80-SHOWS

Many people live by that old mantra: Find a need and fill it. And the men of Chippendales: The Show have filled a need very … well.

Designed to excite the imagination of the ladies, the costumes and choreography of the high-energy production, not to mention the nearly perfect bodies of the performers, leave nearly nothing to the imagination. Thongs go popping away right and left (and center, too, if you must know).

Highlights of the hotter-than-hot show include the slightly otherworldly performance by a talented aerialist whose contortions in a large suspended ring call attention to his very worldly charms; “Chipp Shot,” a game show with suggestive questions for the contestants (who are willingly pulled from the audience); and “Tender Torture,” another interactive bit with a medical “examination” taking a twisted turn.

An ensemble number features the classic song “Big Spender,” with the word sex substituted for fun (Sing along!). Men in uniform have always held a special lure for ladies, and it’s even better when the uniforms come off.

The men of Chippendales combine friendly demeanors with fierce sex appeal, and it’s a combination that stay with you well after the show is over.
http://www.lvshowbiz.com/feature2.html
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Group finds new meaning for the holidays
By Thom Wise

Plaid Tidings
Where: Gold Coast
When: 7:30 p.m. Tues. – Sat.; 3 & 7:30 p.m. Sun.
Cost: $29.95, $34.95
Info: (702) 367-7111 or (888) 402-6278

Holy cannoli! Anyone in the mood for mirthful entertainment?

Plaid Tidings gives everyone a healthy dose of holiday cheer. If you’re not quite in the mood yet, there’s also enough “other-than-the-holidays” wit happening so that you might not even notice you’ve just encountered a basketful of December madness.

As with its counterpart, Forever Plaid, this special holiday fare begins with some mumbo-jumbo (fully intended mind-benders, mind you) about a higher need for some heavenly balance after the Plaids meet their untimely demise in 1964. But this show goes deeper when the “auras” start receiving some seasonal static, followed by a few love notes from Rosemary Clooney who insists that the guys must perform their holiday plans. Every show needs a purpose, and this one works as good as any.

A hallmark of the Plaid shows has always been the musical arrangements, and these, by James Raitt, are no exception. The parodies are excellent, and yet the medleys are even more exceptional. How that many tunes can be crammed into one show, I’ll never know.

If you’re worried that this might be an excess of holiday mirth, have no fear. There’s a judicious mix of nonseasonal songs, and much of the remainder has a tongue-in-cheek quality to it so that you don’t even realize you’ve been “holidazed.” Stay alert for the “Rudolph Rap,” however, along with the three-minute Perry Como holiday show and the most clever commercial ever: for “Cheeses of Nazareth.”
http://www.lvshowbiz.com/feature3.html
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HYPNOSIS AT ‘THE DUST’ From Vegas4Locals.com

Hypnolarious, starring Michelle VanRee, and Hypnosis Gone Wild are pleased to announce their new home in the “Hypnotic Lounge” at the Stardust Resort and Casino.

Hypnolrious is a five night per week PG-13 rated show starring Michelle VanRee and Deogee, the hypnotic puppy. Michelle, who is the only female hypnotist in Las Vegas, wows her audiences with her unique perspective and sparkling personality.

The show has tremendous family appeal and has enjoyed a very successful 4-year run at the Bourbon Street Casino. Michelle states, “I am so excited about this change, and am please to call the ‘Hypnotic Lounge’ my new home!”

Hypnosis Gone Wild is an adults-only version of the Terry Stokes touring show. Terry’s career spans over 25 years and is considered the top show in the industry. With the addition of hypnotist Michael Johns (who alternates with Terry) Hypnosis Gone Wild is able to run 7 nights per week. Michael Johns is quickly becoming known as one of the most dynamic stage hypnotists in the country.

Hypnolarious performs at 8:00 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Hypnosis Gone Wild performs at 10:00 pm, 7 nights a week.

Tickets for either show are only $39.95, plus tax. For more information and ticket purchases call (702) 360-5419.
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FREE PRINTABLE COUPONS

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Learning Blackjack Basic Strategy by Bill Burton

Blackjack basic strategy is based on the mathematics of the game. It has been tested and refined through computer simulations. When it is followed correctly it reduces the house edge to the minimum, which is usually about one-half of a percent. Minor adjustments are made to basic strategy depending on certain rule variations that the different casinos can chose to use. For example some casinos will allow you to double down after splitting (DOS) and some do not allow it. There are also some changes made to basic strategy for single and multiple deck games.

More Here:
http://casinogambling.about.com/od/blackjack/a/bjbasic.htm
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Las Vegas On TV from the Las Vegas Advisor

Bravo
Tuesday, 12/6, 2:30 am, Celebrity Poker Showdown
Tuesday, 12/6, 1:30 pm, Celebrity Poker Showdown: Winner’s Round 2
Wednesday, 12/7, 3 am, Celebrity Poker Showdown
Thursday, 12/8, 2 am, Celebrity Poker Showdown
Thursday, 12/8, 1 pm, Celebrity Poker Showdown
Friday, 12/9, 2 am, Celebrity Poker Showdown
Saturday, 12/10, 2 pm, Celebrity Poker Showdown
Monday, 12/12, 1 pm, Celebrity Poker Showdown: Winner’s Round 3

CMT – Country Music Television
Friday, 12/9, 1:30 am, Man vs. Vegas

E! Entertainment Television
Saturday, 12/10, 9:30 pm, Girls Next Door: It’s Vegas Baby!

ESPN
Wednesday, 12/7, 12:30 am, World Series of Poker: 2005 Main Event

ESPN2
Tuesday, 12/6, 2 pm, World Series of Poker: 2005 Main Event
Wednesday, 12/7, 2 pm, World Series of Poker: 2005 Main Event
Sunday, 12/11, 3:30 pm, World Series of Poker: No-Limit Hold’em
Sunday, 12/11, 4:30 pm, World Series of Poker: Pot-Limit Hold’em
Sunday, 12/11, 5:30 pm, World Series of Poker: No-Limit Hold’em
Sunday, 12/11, 6:30 pm, World Series of Poker: Seven Card Stud
Sunday, 12/11, 7:30 pm, World Series of Poker: No-Limit Hold’em
Sunday, 12/11, 8:30 pm, World Series of Poker: Pot-Limit Omaha
Monday, 12/12, 2 pm, World Series of Poker: No-Limit Hold’em

ESPN Classic Sports Network
Tuesday, 12/6, 7 am, World Series of Poker: Main Event
Wednesday, 12/7, 7 am, World Series of Poker: Main Event
Thursday, 12/8, 7 am, World Series of Poker: Main Event
Friday, 12/9, 7 am, World Series of Poker: Main Event
Saturday, 12/10, 12 am, World Series of Poker: Main Event
Saturday, 12/10, 1 am, World Series of Poker: Main Event
Saturday, 12/10, 2 am, World Series of Poker: Main Event
Saturday, 12/10, 8 pm, World Series of Poker: 1993
Saturday, 12/10, 9 pm, World Series of Poker: 1994
Saturday, 12/10, 10 pm, World Series of Poker: 1995
Sunday, 12/11, 12 am, World Series of Poker: 1997
Sunday, 12/11, 1 am, World Series of Poker: 1998
Monday, 12/12, 7 am, World Series of Poker: Main Event

ESPN-HD
Wednesday, 12/7, 12:30 am, World Series of Poker: 2005 Main Event

Food Network
Tuesday, 12/6, 11 am, Top 5: Big Bites

FX
Thursday, 12/8, 2 pm, Fear Factor: Las Vegas Pairs Show

GSN – Game Show Network
Tuesday, 12/6, 1 am, Celebrity BlackJack II

INHD
Tuesday, 12/6, 5 am, Ultimate Poker Challenge
Tuesday, 12/6, 2:30 pm, Ultimate Poker Challenge
Tuesday, 12/6, 11 pm, Ultimate Poker Challenge
Thursday, 12/8, 5 am, Ultimate Poker Challenge
Thursday, 12/8, 2:30 pm, Ultimate Poker Challenge
Friday, 12/9, 1 am, Ultimate Poker Challenge
Friday, 12/9, 11 am, Ultimate Poker Challenge
Friday, 12/9, 11 pm, Ultimate Poker Challenge
Saturday, 12/10, 8:30 am, Ultimate Poker Challenge
Sunday, 12/11, 4 pm, Ultimate Poker Challenge
Sunday, 12/11, 11 pm, Ultimate Poker Challenge

National Geographic Channel
Wednesday, 12/7, 1 pm, Beating Vegas

TLC
Thursday, 12/8, 9 pm, City Cops: Off the Vegas Strip
Thursday, 12/8, 10 pm, City Cops: Vegas Law and Order
Friday, 12/9, 12 am, City Cops: Off the Vegas Strip
Friday, 12/9, 1 am, City Cops: Vegas Law and Order

Travel Channel
Tuesday, 12/6, 5:30 pm, Taste of America with Mark DeCarlo: Las Vegas Extravagant Buffet; Biggest Hamburger; Wedding Cakes
Tuesday, 12/6, 8:30 pm, Taste of America with Mark DeCarlo: Las Vegas Extravagant Buffet; Biggest Hamburger; Wedding Cakes
Wednesday, 12/7, 9:30 am, Great Hotels: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
Wednesday, 12/7, 6 pm, World Poker Tour: Mirage Poker Showdown
Wednesday, 12/7, 9 pm, World Poker Tour: Mirage Poker Showdown
Saturday, 12/10, 2:30 pm, Taste of America with Mark DeCarlo: Las Vegas Extravagant Buffet; Biggest Hamburger; Wedding Cakes
Saturday, 12/10, 3 pm, World Poker Tour: Mirage Poker Showdown
Monday, 12/12, 7 am, Vegas Christmas
Wednesday, 12/7, 5 pm, American Casino: High Limit Expansion
Wednesday, 12/7, 8 pm, American Casino: High Limit Expansion
Saturday, 12/10, 11 pm, American Casino: High Limit Expansion

WGN
Saturday, 12/10, 12 am, Ultimate Poker Challenge
http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/vegastv.cfm
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Brett’s Vegas Views

The irascible monologist Jackie Mason, whose career has spanned nearly five decades, will appear at the Stardust in the 900-seat showroom, Feb. 7-26. Tickets are $49.95, plus tax, call 702-732-6325.

The one-man comedy concert the irreverent humorist will bring to Las Vegas is called, “Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeezed, Direct From Broadway.” Mason’s current tour de force is the latest in a series of celebrated concerts that began in 1984 with a compendium of his classic routines labeled “The World According To Me.” The show ran two-and-a-half years on Broadway and won Mason a Tony Award and Critics Circle Award.

Mason eventually returned to Broadway four times, each time with an entirely new show fashioned from his seemingly limitless storehouse of comedy material. The live performances inspired an HBO special that enabled Mason to add an Emmy to his trophy case.

Mason has authored several best-selling books on comedy and hosted a nationally-syndicated radio show. Two albums based on his Broadway shows have earned Grammy nominations.

“Desperate Housewives” star James Denton, who is best known for his role as Mike Delfino on the hit ABC series, will host the 2006 “Miss America Pageant” live from the Aladdin on Saturday, Jan. 21 on CMT. In addition, Nashville native Denton has signed a first look development deal with cable television CMT, which over the past two years has been America’s most popular country music network.

Renowned restaurateur Chef Joseph Keller plans to preview the menu of his latest dining concept, Bistro Zinc, during a block party to benefit the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. Donations of $20 per person will be accepted at the event. Bistro Zinc is set to officially open January 2006. It will be the cornerstone of Monte Lago Village at Lake Las Vegas with its prime location overlooking the lake and introduce a little bit of Bayou flair and the sounds of Zydeco.

Bistro Zinc will offer breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night menus from 6:30 a.m.-1 a.m., daily. Keller also owns a few other restaurants including Como’s, which is another eatery located within Monte Lago Village at Lake Las Vegas.

Guests will be walking in a “Winter Wonderland” at the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens this holiday season, but not before thousands of hours have been spent on the transformation. More amazing than the display is the story of how 10,000 blooming plants, 500 shrubs and 40 trees come together to create an amazing winter display for millions of visitors to enjoy.

On Nov. 27, the “change-out” process began for the holiday show that opened weekend. With more than 13,500 square feet of display to convert, a staff of 100 horticulture employees work for 24 hours a day for a full seven days to ensure every detail is implemented. Using five cranes located under the landscape, the thousands of flowers, plants and trees needed for the display are assembled like a puzzle. To assist workers in the strategic placement of every flower, plant and tree, a tunnel system under the Conservatory is used. In addition, the Conservatory is brought to life by its sound-system, coordinating lights and cascading fountains, creating mini-shows for guests to enjoy throughout the day.

The holiday show features three Arctic polar bears ranging in height from six to 12 feet frolicking in the “snow banks.” The polar bears white coats are made from more than 25,000 white carnations. Giant ice-crystals reflecting the sunlight are suspended from above, and across the water a spectacular arrangement of giant holiday ornaments and magnificent stars will ignite the sky. The true centerpiece of this amazing display is a majestic holiday tree extending 45-feet tall and decorated with sparkling mirrors and gold and red ornaments.

The Rio’s Holiday Show in the Sky has returned this year with its uplifting seasonal theme. The special shows, which are free to view, will run though Dec. 25. Shows are daily at 4, 6, 8 and 10 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, there’s an extra show at 7 p.m. If you want to ride in an aerial float during the show, the cost is $12.95.

The $650 million Pinnacle twin-tower condominium project will be built on 12 aces on Tropicana Avenue just west of the Strip. Pinnacle’s 410-foot, 36-story towers will have 1,095 units, including 31 separate two-story townhouses that will wrap around the pool deck and five sky-bridge residences suspended between the two towers. Prices start in the high $300,000s for the lower floors and go up to $5 million for the penthouse suites.

The $28 million Onyx will be a 63-unilt luxury low-rise condo going up on two acres on Reno Avenue behind the new Hooters Hotel, formerly the San Remo. It will be on the site of the former Tropicana Inn Hotel and has already sold 57 of its 63 units. Every unit will have 10-foot ceilings, stone floors, granite counters and no upgrades.

Four years, 40 cities and six countries after its world premiere, “Menopause The Musical®” celebrates its international success with a new Las Vegas cast production at the Las Vegas Hilton in the Shimmer Cabaret beginning Feb. 1, 2006.

Inspired by a hot flash and a bottle of wine, writer / producer Jeanie Linders created the show as a celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived “The Change.”

Tickets are $49.50 plus tax and service charge, call 702-732-5755 or 1-800-222-5361. Show times are: Mon.-Tues. and Thurs. at 7 p.m.; Wed. at 2 p.m.; Sat. at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sun. at 2 and 5 p.m.

The Mirage is beginning its dining transformation with the opening of Fin, a high-end Chinese restaurant featuring authentic Chinese dishes in a contemporary setting by award-winning design firm Yabu Pushelberg.

Chef Chi Choi, a master with a Hong Kong-style wok, began his career in Hong Kong at age 14 and moved to the United States in 1993. In 1994, he came to Las Vegas and has worked at Pearl in the MGM Grand, Shanghai Lilly at Mandalay Bay and most recently, Moongate at The Mirage. Fin will feature authentic Chinese dishes, live seafood and a product-driven menu, according to availability.

Creating an edgy yet elegant design with traditional Chinese themes, Pushelberg’s contemporary restaurant design is dominated by color schemes of gold and jade, accented with dark finishes creating a regal and sophisticated aesthetic. Décor is largely centered around elegant glass designs and a water feature gracing the back end of the dining room. The main dining room seats 76 and is divided by floating translucent spheres hanging strategically in sheets from the ceiling. The spheres provide privacy amongst and between the tables in the open dining room.

Two private dining rooms each seating eight guests occupy opposite sides of the main dining area. On the left side, silk screens painted with traditional Chinese imagery veil a chrysanthemum-shaped dining room. On the right side, the area is enclosed by a translucent curtain using three layers of material: laser-cut acrylic, copper wire mesh and a painted mural.

Nevada has a total of three restaurants and three hotels on the travel club AAA Five-Diamond list and all the properties are on the Strip.

Wynn Las Vegas’ Alex, a French restaurant with prix-fixe menus starting at $120 per person, gained the recognition after less than seven months in operation. The other two Five-Diamond restaurants are both at Bellagio, which is the only hotel in the country with two Five-Diamond restaurants. Picasso landed on the list for the fifth time and Le Cirque is now a three-time recipient of the ranking. AAA recognized a total of 48 Five-Diamond restaurants in 20 states.

The three Five-Diamond hotels were all repeat winners. Bellagio made its fifth appearance on the list, while the Four Seasons at Mandalay Bay appeared I the lineup for the seventh time. The Ritz-Carlton at Lake Las Vegas earned the rating for the third time. A total of 77 hotels in 23 states earned the Five-Diamond Award.

http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/brett/index.htm
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Tournament Of Kings At King Arthur’s Arena

One of the last true dinner shows in Las Vegas, Tournament of Kings, is a live production adapted from the tale of King Arthur. Performed in a 900-seat theater-in-the-round arena, the show engages the audience through its tale of valor and treachery. Mighty horses and feats of skill, special effects and pyrotechnics further add to the unique appeal of the production. Throughout the performance, a hearty three-course meal is served in the spirit and tradition of the medieval period – sans utensils.

Performances are daily at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. There will be 6 p.m. shows only on October 26 and October 31. Tickets are $55 (inclusive). Tickets may be purchased at Excalibur’s Ticket Booth, at other participating properties or by phone at
(702) 597-7600.
www.casinotravelnews.com
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“Love Is A Pain” Musical Comedy At Riviera

“Love is a Pain”, a hilarious new musical comedy, headlining at the La Cage Theatre, at the Riviera Hotel & Casino Box premieres December 26. It is produced by New Splash Productions LLC, an East coast conglomerate. The production is a unique, fun and irreverent musical farce poking fun at the life of a divorced couple as they continue to live under the same roof. Show times are 9:30 p.m. Dark on Tuesday. Call the Riviera box office at 794-9433.

“Love is a Pain” is directed by Raymond Homer who has produced and/or directed over 45 movies starring some of the major actors of all time including Orson Wells, Yul Brenner, Anthony Quinn, Ray Milland and Rod Steiger. Homer has been active in the movie business for 50 years, starting as an assistant to the legendary John Ford. Homer began directing features for MGM/UA in his early twenties. He also produced and directed several Broadway and off Broadway plays and musicals.

Shel Shine, a popular actress from China who has starred in many films, has written “Love is a Pain” and will also perform in the musical comedy in the role of Fortune Cookie.

“Love is a Pain” will feature some of the newest cutting edge technology seen in Las Vegas theatre. Showgoers will enjoy a stunning visual treat on stage including “virtual sets” and electronic wizardry developed by the technical crew.
www.casinotravelnews.com
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I hope you enjoyed this issue. Please feel free to post a comment,

Steve

I just want to remind you that I will be in Las Vegas from 11/22-11/28th and I am planning a members get together. If you are going to be in Las Vegas at that time and would like to attend the get together, just email me at mrvegas98@aol.com and include the dates you will be there and the number of people you will be. I will only be making this announcement a few more times as final numbers have to be turned in. As of now, it looks likes the Imperial Palace will open it’s 5th Floor Dining Plaza early to accomondate the get together. They have even offered to bring the bartender in early also!
Deadline is this Tuesday!
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Steve’s Las Vegas Quickies:

We may be seeing a lot more of “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul. There’s buzz that she’s choreographing a show for a new theater at the Silverton. Maybe that recent sighting of Abdul at Club Paradise was research to check out some new moves.
reviewjournal.com — News – NORM

Dame Edna, one of the most celebrated comics in the United Kingdom, has signed a 16-show deal starting Dec. 18 at the Luxor. She’s been appearing on Broadway in her all-new “Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance.”
reviewjournal.com — News – NORM

Street talk is that the four downtown Tamares Group properties are actively being shopped. The Tamares Group, a private, international investment company, in June rescued partner Barrick Gaming with a $10 million bailout for the Plaza, Gold Spike, Las Vegas Club and Western Hotel. Scuttlebutt is that gaming operators have been approached quietly and told a deal can be made if they’re interested. “Everyone who might be interested has been told,” brokers say. So far, few takers and no deals. Operators say no one believes in downtown, not with a downturn on the horizon.
reviewjournal.com — Business – INSIDE GAMING

The Palms is set this week to unveil the world’s only suite with an indoor basketball court. Designed for basketball enthusiasts like the Maloof brothers, who own the Palms, the two-level, 10,000-square-foot “Hardwood Suite” comes with a locker room, scoreboard, pool table, poker table and dance floor. It’s part of the property’s new, 347-room Fantasy Tower, a $600 million expansion that includes a recording studio and a 2,200-seat showroom.
reviewjournal.com — Business – INSIDE GAMING

Executives of the new show “Love is a Pain,” which opens Dec. 26 at the Riviera, FYI, met with drag queen Kenny Kerr last Saturday and offered him a starring role. According to Marvin Lashever, the show’s general manager, Kerr indicated he was in negotiations with another project and could not make a commitment for at least another two weeks. Kerr is reportedly at the top of the list to replace Frank Marino in “An Evening at La Cage” if his feud with “La Cage” producer Norbert Aleman ends in a legal split.

Magic rivals David Copperfield and Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller are trading insults again. This time, Jillette, is hitting below, umm, the belt. Reacting to Copperfield’s plan to make a female audience member pregnant on stage “without sex,” Jillette noted, “The only way Copperfield can reproduce is with a cheesy magic act.” Copperfield countered, “If his reputation were as big as his gut, he wouldn’t need to include me in his press release.” With Jillette soon to host a one-hour live radio show on KSFN-AM 1140, stay tuned.
reviewjournal.com — News – NORM

Menopause The Musical opens February 1 in the Las Vegas Hilton’s Shimmer Cabaret. Inspired by a hot flash and a bottle of wine, Writer/Producer Jeanie Linders created the show as a celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived “The Change.” Since its first performance, the show has evolved as a “grassroots” movement of women who deal with life after 40 and all the challenges that result in the mental, physical and spiritual freedom of the post-World War II baby boomer generation.

The Las Vegas Hilton is in the middle of its multi-million dollar construction and renovation enhancement project for 2005 (scheduled to be completed by the end of December). The lobby is part of that project and visitors to the Hilton can see the changes on a daily basis: stunning 24” x 24” stone floorings, imported from Italy and Spain that sparkle, mixing light colored beige marble and black granite accents; four circular inlaid medallions adding a dramatic touch. The tiles, a mix of crema marfil and black granite ingis, were picked after extensive research and trips to both Italy and Spain.

For an R-rated good time without the raunchiness see hypnotist Michael Johns in the Hypnotic Lounge (an intimate showroom) at the Stardust. Michael Johns never crosses the line but keeps his adult-oriented show fun and full of laughter. It was Art Linkletter who said, “People are funny.” When Johns brings this out in their subconscious mind it’s a big hit. When Michael Johns is on the road don’t be surprised if you see his world-renowned partner Terry Stokes. Show times are 10 p.m. nightly. Admission is $39.95. See twistedcomedy.com. Call 732-6235.

The Monte Carlo’s headlining magician Lance Burton will be riding the 4.5 miles in the Rose Bowl Parade as one million spectators watch him wave and do his magic live on the FTD Float “Your Wish is My Command.” It all begins at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 2nd (check your local TV listings). It will be the most widely broadcast TV appearance that the renowned magician has ever appeared on and for the first time China’s 730 million TV sets will have access to America’s most famous parade with the theme of “It’s Magic” thought up by Sandra Day O’Connor who is the grand marshal for 2006. About 40 million North American viewers will tune in while 89 territories will see his magic worldwide. Art rendering of float attached Lance will be standing in place of the front smaller genie.

The poker world is buzzing about the divorce of whiz-kid Daniel Negreanu and Wynn Las Vegas.

Negreanu, the 2004 Player of the Year, served as the Wynn’s “poker ambassador” since it opened in April. He confirmed the recent split in a poker chat room, saying he wanted to play in big games and “it was important to them that I played exclusively at the Wynn.”
reviewjournal.com — News – NORM: It’s splitsville for Negreanu, Wynn

Harrah’s magician Mac King will have a national presence in Barnes & Noble bookstores during the Christmas shopping season. The book chain will exclusively sell a magic kit based on his syndicated newspaper comic, “Magic in a Minute.” King and the chain connected through the agent who handles his strip.

But the retailer has 673 stores, while fewer than 20 newspapers carry the strip, including the Review-Journal. “They think this is a product that sort of stands by itself,” King says. The $15 kit will include a 64-page book in comic strip format and an instructional DVD filmed at Harrah’s with local youngsters.
reviewjournal.com — Living – MIKE WEATHERFORD

The Rainbow Bar & Grill, 4480 Paradise Road, has quickly emerged as a hot spot for the late-night crowd. Early birds will find a two-for-one special for the rest of the year on all entrees, 5-7 p.m., seven days a week. My pick: Chicken Francaise, $14.95. For more information: 898-3525.

Rumors persist that Clint Holmes and The Scintas won’t be renewed amid rumblings that Harrah’s Entertainment has been contacting a number of high profile comedians about a rotating lineup. Holmes’ contract runs until October 2006. “Just rumors,” said his spokesman, Dave Kirvin. John Milke, the Scintas’ manager, said he expects “clear direction” sometime in January. Their contract ends in April.
reviewjournal.com — News – NORM

Despite rumors of quick development or sales moves in the works, the Tropicana, across from MGM Grand, is proceeding steadily, at its own pace, with development plans. There’s really no reason for the company to rush, Wall Streeters say. It may be getting strong expressions of interest from would-be buyers, but so is everyone on the Strip. However, Tropicana owner Aztar Corp. has a clean balance sheet, strong earnings and deep pockets. Unlike the owners of the Riviera or the Sahara, Aztar is a company with a dated property that can afford the time to write its own ticket.
reviewjournal.com — Business – INSIDE GAMING

Emeril Lagasse’s star chefs’ fundraiser for kids affected by Hurricane Katrina raised $1.5 million at The Venetian on Saturday. A New Orleans businessman paid the most — $150,000 — to appear on Emeril’s Food Network show. Bidding on Andre Agassi’s private tennis clinic with Steffi Graf stalled at $100,000 until Lagasse jump-started it. He offered to cook steaks and mix margaritas. Larry Ruvo, Southern Wines’ Vicar of Liquor, won it with a bid of $140,000. The chef lineup included: Daniel Boulud, Charlie Trotter, Michael Mina, Mario Batali, Nobu Matsuhisa, Julian Serrano, Bradley Ogden and Sam Choy.
reviewjournal.com — News – NORM

Thanksgiving in Las Vegas

Whether you want to get away from the family or bring them along, Vegas is ready! So book your Thanksgiving trip and join in the fun from Nov. 24 – Nov. 27, 2005. For a weekend of gluttony, check out our Thanksgiving dining guide. All information is subject to change without notice. Most prices listed do not include tax or gratuity. Reservations are recommended.
http://www.vegas.com/shows/thanksgiving.html
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New Year’s Eve In Las Vegas

Nobody does it like Vegas
The Strip fills with revelers. Fireworks explode over the hotels. The casinos are body-to-body, the showrooms filled with A-list entertainers and Vegas is more gloriously alive than you’ve ever seen it. New Year’s Eve in Vegas is a world-class celebration, and this guide will help you find your way through it with lists of parties, headliners and more.

http://www.vegas.com/newyears/index.html?vc1=1&vc2=cal_txt_newyear
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NEW RADIO SHOW ‘LUNCHTIME WITH IRA, LIVE FROM THE LAS VEGAS HILTON’ DEBUTS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14 ON KDWN AM 720 TALKRADIO

“Lunchtime With Ira, Live from the Las Vegas Hilton,” a weekly radio show broadcast from the classic property’s Shimmer Cabaret, will debut on KDWN AM 720 TALK RADIO on Monday, November 14 at noon.

The show will feature Ira David Sternberg hosting celebrities, entertainers, tourism executives, writers and others who make Las Vegas the entertainment capital of the world.

“This program will reflect the excitement of Las Vegas, both in its choice of guests and the fact that it will broadcast live from this exciting location,” said Sternberg, whose career includes decades of professional broadcasting as well as public relations, writing and communications. Sternberg was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2000. He previously hosted a long-running weekly talk show on KDWN, “Las Vegas Notebook.”

Prior to joining the Las Vegas Hilton as vice president of communications, Sternberg served as president of IDS Creative Communications and deputy chief of staff to Lt. Governor Loraine Hunt.

The premier show on November 14 will feature Rossi Ralenkotter, president/CEO for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; Norm Clarke, whose man-about-town column, “Vegas Confidential” appears daily in the Las Vegas Review-Journal; and Jay Kornegay, executive director of the Hilton’s race and sports SuperBook.

The broadcast also will be streamed live on www.kdwn.com .
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Shows to Keep Your Heart Pounding

Whether they’re steamy and sexy or tasteful and artsy, Las Vegas adult productions keep popping up. The following is merely a condensed list of productions from the city’s biggest players; they’re also among the best:

• Chippendales: To keep these beefcakes happy, the Rio revamped its space and gave them their own showroom, complete with a posh VIP area and gossip pit-turned bathroom. Sexed-up ladies even get a chance to catch up with the objects of their desire after the show in the aptly-named Flirt lounge.

• “Crazy Girls”: An homage to seven pairs of beautiful buttocks, “Crazy Girls” is a bachelor party on steroids, as the girls turn into biker babes, pole dancers and perform naughty chair routines. If your blood’s not boiling on the way out, there’s something wrong with you.

• “Erocktica”: A hot and sweaty production, courtesy of Greg Thompson Productions (whose other titilating show, “Skintight,” excites guests at Harrah’s). Singer/dancer Gabriella Versace & Co. tear it up to hard rock hits from AC/DC, Aerosmith and more.

• “Fashionistas”: A stage production based on John Stagliano’s adult film of the same name, “Fashionistas” follows the love triangle involving a young fashion designer, her female boss and a world-famous male designer. With fetish fashions, elaborate fashion shows and one of the best production teams in Vegas.

• “Jubilee!”: It’s pure Vegas spectacle: all showgirls, all of the time. Sure, the costumes are among the most lavish we’ve seen, but there’s no kidding that what crowds really want is to see them come off. Watch for the erotic Samson and Delilah scene; you can’t get much hotter than that.

• “La Femme”: Modeled after the famed Crazy Horse in Paris, France, light patterns fuse with the nearly naked body in this sensual, “art-of-the-nude” production. The provocative choreography takes full advantage of the dancers’ ballet training.

• “Splash”: For 20 years, this variety show’s specialty acts — as well as its showgirls — have gotten hotter and hotter, and the production has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, it just underwent yet another update to coincide with Las Vegas’ 100th birthday.

• “Skintight”: From the streets of Rio to the center-Strip, Carnivale has gone wild at Harrah’s, where a bevy of beautiful topless dancers pays homage with brightly colored plumes and barely-there costumes. For the guys, the sultry Shannon O’Keefe will keep your blood racing; gals will enjoy the hot Darryl Ross.

• “Zumanity” — No matter what your persuasion, you’re bound to find something to turn you on here; two female dancers cavorting in a giant fish bowl, a male dance of seduction or a devilish sprite named Jesus are but a few of the options.
http://www.bestreadguide.com/lasvegas/stories/072805/sho_hotshows.shtml
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Las Vegas Historic Museum Opens At The Tropicana Resort & Casino

The newest addition to the Tropicana Resort & Casino is the Las Vegas Historic Museum, an exhibit that allows customers to take a peek into Las Vegas’ underworld, focusing on gaming, mobsters, entertainers and the brothels of Nevada.

Many interesting items can be found in the Gambling & Gangsters section of the museum. At the entrance of the museum, a video focuses on the Las Vegas Mafia and covers the rise and fall of mob influence and involvement. Several giant-size photos of well-known mobsters, such as Bugsy Siegel, Frank Rosenthal, and Al Capone decorate the walls. Bugsy’s death certificate and Los Angeles Times articles with interesting stories about the mob days of Vegas are also on display. A replica of the “black book” can also be found, listing the names of all “bad guys” who have been banned from casinos.

Several entertainers are represented in the museum. Statues of three members of the ‘Rat Pack’ – Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra – are displayed to symbolize their days of performing in the Copa Room at the Sands. Playing on a monitor nearby are scenes from the original “Ocean’s Eleven” movie, starring “Old Blue Eyes.” Memorabilia items of other entertainers, such as Louis Prima, Judy Garland, Wayne Newton, Elvis Presley and Liberace are also on display, including a photo of the Beatles performing at the Sahara.

Another section of the museum focuses on brothels in Nevada, giving customers a look into legalized prostitution. Back in 1950, 35 legal brothels were in operation in Nevada , including Mabel’s Whorehouse, Madam Kitty’s, Sheri’s Ranch, the Green Lantern, the Mustang Ranch, and the Chicken Ranch, all of which are represented in the Las Vegas Historic Museum. Some of the items on display that could be found in a brothel back in their heyday consist of books the girl’s read, liquor decanters from 1960, old calendars, colorful lamps, an old-fashioned pink telephone, and a hairdryer. Brass tokens used to pay the women are also on display.

A variety of items from Las Vegas hotel/casinos, past and present, as well as information on several of the developers, can also be found in the museum. Highly collectible commemorative decanters from the Sahara, Harold’s Club, and Caesars Palace fill one display case. Champaign bottles that were found in the Hacienda and the Landmark are also part of the exhibit. Memorabilia from the El Rancho fire can also be found. Vintage slot machines are set up in several areas of the museum, including one that was housed at the Golden Nugget. Several casino gaming chips and swizzle sticks are also present. Photos and other memorabilia detailing two of Las Vegas most famous developers, Steve Wynn and Howard Hughes, are also available for viewing.

More videos can be seen throughout the museum. One video tells the story of the various casino implosions and fires that have occurred over the past decade in Las Vegas. Another video shows a retrospective of the Las Vegas icon, Showgirls.

The Las Vegas Historic Museum is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p .m. General admission is $6.95 for adults and $5.95 for seniors. Must be 18 years or older or accompanied by an adult to enter museum.
http://www.casinotravelnews.com/Las_Vegas/las_vegas.html
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Rainbow Bar & Grill Announces Two-for-One Early Bird Special
Rainbow Bar & Grill announced today the launch of a two-for-one early bird special. Patrons can enjoy the two-for-one special on all entrees when dining during the times of 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., seven days a week.

When ordering, patrons simply let their server know they would like the two-for-one special and when they purchase an entrée they will receive their second entrée of equal or lesser value for free. This offer is good for both locals and tourists alike. Tax, gratuity and alcohol not included in any discounts; management reserves all rights.

Rainbow Bar & Grill in Las Vegas is open 24-hours serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night meals featuring a similar menu to the original, including its world-famous pizza and homemade chicken soup. Its décor recreates the Hollywood location with red leather booths and rock n’ roll memorabilia adorning the walls. The venue is 7,500 square-feet in size and includes a full-service bar, two dining rooms with plasma television screens, an outside year-round patio and a main lounge for live entertainment. The Rainbow Bar & Grill also offers rooms and menus for private parties and events. Rainbow Bar & Grill is located at 4480 Paradise Road, in the heart of Las Vegas. For more information on the restaurant, please call (702) 898-3525.
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‘LA CAGE’ AU FEUD

Kenny Kerr’s appearance in the audience at “An Evening at La Cage” (Riviera) on Friday has raised some eyebrows.

The sighting of the veteran drag queen comes amid legal wrangling between “La Cage” headliner Frank Marino and the show’s producer Norbert Aleman.

Rumors that Kerr is replacing him are “ridiculous,” Marino said Tuesday. “Our lawyers are trying to work it out. I can’t quit and I can’t be fired, unless the lawyers prove somebody breached the contract.”

Marino, who has five years left on a 10-year contract, has hired local attorney Mark Tratos and is seeking a retraction from Aleman, who spanked Marino in a letter to the media.

Aleman claimed Marino “misrepresented” himself as the producer, co-owner and only star of ‘La Cage’ and, through his self-promotion, caused “many hurt feelings among some very talented performers.”
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-26-Wed-2005/news/4007110.html
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Tommy Lee once again took Vegas by storm, celebrating his (belated) birthday with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady at a table on the dance floor at Tao on Saturday night. The Motley Crue rocker was presented with a cake – complete with sparkler candle – prepared by chef Sam Hazen and was had fed frosting by one of the club’s sexy waitresses. Word around town is that Lee stayed at The Palms hotel (where ex Pam Anderson and Kid Rock also had a room) and made a brief appearance at another birthday bash – for Elton John’s boyfriend.
http://www.celebrityweek.net/Pages/VegasNews/1025Headlines.html
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Celine Dion says she is ready to have another baby – by in vitro fertilization – when her engagement at Caesars Palace ends in 2007. “I am approaching 40 years-old, and I have to tend to that,” she tells French entertainment magazine Tele 7 Jours. “This frozen embryo that is in New York is my child waiting to be brought to life.”
http://www.celebrityweek.net/Pages/VegasNews/1025Headlines.html
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From “Eye On Vegas”

Last week SEVEN nightclub’s owner, Zohar Robin, announced that after five years of operations the freestanding venue would be closing its doors permanently. This move is dictated by the impending construction for the massive CityCenter project that will include the land currently housing SEVEN. “We were fully aware of the new projects on the Strip and the effect it would have on the club location,” stated Robin, “However, it could not have come during a better time. I have been working on a new venue with a whole new concept and design in the Downtown Entertainment District.” Robin’s new venue on the corner of LV Boulevard and Fremont Street is set for an early 2006 opening.

With the winter season approaching, the team behind Diego, the MGM’s excellent Mexican restaurant, has released a new menu to coincide with the cold months ahead. After General Manager Joshua Summers and Executive Chef Chris Palmeri showed off their menu to a connected group of locals a few weeks back, they have now unveiled it to the masses. Our favorites three dishes that will warm your soul and make you smile from ear to ear: Sopa de Elote con Huitlacoche (Roasted sweet corn soup with huitlacoche and roasted corn salsa with stuffed squash blossom), Empanadas de Bison con chile Rojo (Crispy empanadas of braised Aerican Bison with spinach, oaxacan cheese, epazote and three chilies, finished with mole rojo, salsa Mexicana, crema and Costillitas carmelizados) and Con chile Ancho (Ancho braised beef short rib, potato and onion “pastel,” radish and orange salad). “The winter season is a special time and we wanted to introduce some new authentic dishes,” noted Palmeri “We have helped usher in a new era to Mexican cuisine in Las Vegas and these new dishes will only further educate our guests on the great flavors of our neighbors to the south!”

Hustler Magazine Publisher Larry Flynt has set his sights on the Vegas strip as the location for his first casual themed restaurant concept, the Hustler Bar & Grille. “We’ve invited hoteliers and developers to contact us with possible locations” said Hustler Bar & Grille’s President Brad Saltzman.

A new gimmick for the fantastic “Avenue Q” show over at Wynn has parts of Vegas getting covered in orange fuzz. It started last week with a selection of bright orange, fuzz covered taxicabs.
http://www.lasvegasfoodservice.com/newsletter.shtml
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Hairspray Brings The Best Of Broadway To The Luxor

The musical comedy phenomenon, Hairspray, brings the best of Broadway to the Luxor. Tony Award winning actors Harvey Fierstein and Dick Latessa will reprise their original Broadway roles. In true Las Vegas form, Hairspray promises to be larger than life with an ending that will bring audiences to their feet.

Preview performances are February 6-14, 2006. Premiere performances begin February 17, 2006. Regular performances will be Thursday-Tuesday. Dark: Wednesday

Preview show times will be 7 p.m. Monday/Tuesday, Thursday/Friday; 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday/Sunday.
Premiere show time will be 7 p.m. Regular performance times will be 7 p.m. Monday and Friday; 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday/Sunday.

Preview prices will be $50 (not including tax or service charges). Premiere and regular prices will be $85 for the main floor and $65 for mezzanine (not including tax or service charges)

Tickets are now on sale at the Luxor Box Office or by calling (702) 262-4900.
www.casinotravelnews.com
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Ra explores new ground with Exotique
By Martin Stein

Since MGM-Mirage took over Mandalay Bay, Ra’s fate has been a question, not helped by the departures of DJs Warren Peace and Mr. Bob, and recently, its hyper-enthusiastic marketing manager Steven Lockwood. (The DJs are at Curve Fridays and Lockwood is now part of the Jet team at Mirage.)

Part of the answer will emerge this week with the unveiling of a twice-a-week performance spectacle being mounted by the Luxor and Masquerade Inc., a two-man partnership consisting of Douglas Leferovich and Seth Yudof, with help from Joe Trammel, recently seen on Wayne Newton’s’ The Entertainer.

More Here:
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2005/10/13/linepass.html
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Update Hotel Review:The California
By Rick Garman

The California is an easily overlooked Downtown property with a very specific niche market. Despite the name, The Cal, as it is affectionately known has a Hawaiian theme, going back to the days when Sam Boyd ran the joint and brought some of the flair from his favorite state to the Las Vegas desert. A marketing effort was born and today many of the people who stay here are from Hawaii. The overlooked part comes mainly from location. Since it’s not right on the Fremont Street Experience people tend to forget it’s there, which is too bad because walk one block and you’ll find a well-tended, unique property that can provide plenty of bargains in just about every category.

The casino is small but well laid out, with all the latest machines making their arrivals to keep the place up to date – more than 1,100 of them total. They also have all of the standard table games, a keno lounge, and a small sports book. It’s all done in a very bold Hawaiian theme, at least in terms of the colors, but the overall affect is more subtle than you might expect. The atmosphere as a whole is quieter than at many casinos so this may be a good place to keep in mind if you need to gamble without all of the din usually associated with such a space.

There are two towers offering a total of 781 rooms. Those in the so-called “West Tower” have been completely remodeled as of this writing and the rest will be getting a similar makeover soon. The end result is a simple but nice accommodation with cozy furnishings, comfortable beds, and all of the basic amenities you could want (although fancier stuff like robes and high-speed Internet are not offered).

As far as décor it’s more of the tropical motif but very, very subtle here – to the point that you kind of have to strain to see it, but that’s ultimately a good thing as far as I’m concerned. So if what you wind up with is a bit on the bland side, it’s better than garish colors keeping you awake all night. The new plantation shutters on the windows are a nice touch, similar to the very nice rooms at sister property Main Street Station just across the street.

The bathrooms are very small so I hope you’re on good terms with whomever you are sharing your room with. But again, it’s all a matter of proportional comparison. These are no smaller than what you’d expect at most chain motels but when you stack them next to the bathrooms at Strip resorts, which are often nicer than my apartment as a whole, these suffer a bit.

There are several restaurants on site including a 24-hour café, a pasta joint, an upscale (yet inexpensive) steak and seafood type establishment, and a snack bar but no buffet. That’s okay, you can go across the street to Main Street Station for one of the best buffets in town. On your way, you can browse through the small “Bridge Shops,” a handful of boutiques on the elevated walkway between the hotels that offers some Hawaiian food items and the local favorite, Ethel M. Chocolates among others. This is where you’ll also find a small video arcade for the young ones to amuse themselves in.

There are only a few hotels in the Downtown area that have pools and The California is one of them. It’s not much to get excited about – small and simple but adequate if what you need is a quick dip or a bake in the sun.

Service throughout the hotel is exceptionally friendly, a hallmark of most Downtown properties and especially the ones in the Boyd Gaming chain. It’s quite a nice change of pace from the brusque attitude you get at the fancier joints.

The price is where you really start to get excited about staying here. I’ve seen room rates as low as $50 a night here, an almost crazy bargain when you consider that you’re getting newly renovated rooms, a good location with easy access to Downtown and the freeway to The Strip,

Highs: Solid and dependable lodging, unique atmosphere, low cost.
Lows: Not the fanciest place in town.

Location: 6 – Close to all the downtown action
Price: 7 – You can find some bargains here
Value: 6 – When rooms are cheap, you get a good deal
Rooms: 7 – Fairly standard but nice and newly remodeled
Casino: 8 – Not usually too crowded, colorful Hawaiian theme.
Amenities: 7 – Missing a few niceties but not many
Facilities: 6 – No real entertainment offerings, small pool, but still good
Service: 8 – Top notch
Fun: 5 – Amusing but not flat out fun
Bonus: 8 – Additional points for new remodeling

Vegas4Visitors Rating: 67
Vegas4Visitors Column for October 10, 2005
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Vegas4Visitors 2005 Readers’ Poll Results: Hotels!
By Rick Garman

The 4th Annual Vegas4Visitors Readers’ Poll garnered thousands of votes from around the world, offering our readers a chance to vote on their favorites in more than a dozen categories. This week the final results of the voting as our readers pick their favorite hotels around the city:

Best Off-Strip Hotel
#1 – Green Valley Ranch. On one level this is quite a stunning upset as the locals’ favorite steals the crown from The Rio, a hotel that had won the category in years past. But look at what the hotel has to offer and you’ll understand why it garnered 20.3% of the vote for a first place finish.

#2 –Rio Suites. Slipping to number two is nothing to be ashamed of in a category as fiercely competitive as this one. 18.9% of the vote went to the Rio to put it in a solid second place.

#3 – Palms. This compelling hotel has done a good job of mixing two disparate crowds: the tourists who like things exclusive and expensive and the locals’ who like them cheap. 13.8% of our readers’ votes put The Palms at number three.

#4 – Orleans. 12.4% of the vote went to another locals’ favorite a couple of miles west of The Strip. Big rooms, huge casino, good food, and usually affordable… what’s not to like?

#5 – Sam’s Town. On the far east side of town is this longtime neighborhood joint that mainly appeals to folks who like things affordable. Sam’s Town got 7.8% of the vote to make it into the Top 5.

Best Downtown Hotel
#1 – Golden Nugget. It wasn’t really a contest to be honest. Despite some fading glory, the premiere Downtown hotel garnered an astounding 62.7% of the vote for a commanding first place victory.

#2 – Main Street Station. My particular favorite Downtown hotel had its metaphorical butt kicked by the Nugget but with 9.5% of the vote, this charming Downtown gem got a respectable second place finish.

#3 – Binion’s. The Glitter Gulch legend is still making the cut with 6.2% of the votes picking Binion’s as their favorite for a solid number three.

#4 – Fitzgerald’s. Call it the luck of the Irish or just call it a good hotel at decent rates. Whatever the reason, 4.9% of the votes cast went to the Fitz and put it in at number four.

#5 – Four Queens. Congrats to the Queens, which managed to get 4.1% of the vote to scramble into our Top 5.

Best Strip Hotel
#1 – Bellagio. With more than double the votes of the hotel in the number two spot, the Bellagio pulled off a three-peat to win Best Strip Hotel with 18.7% of the votes.

#2 – Caesars Palace. The massive amounts of money thrown at Caesars over the last couple of years have done a lot for the hotel, at least in this poll. They moved up from #5 last year to capture #2 with 8.5% of the vote.

#3 – The Venetian. There’s something to be said for consistency. Last year the Venice-themed masterpiece got 8.4% of the vote and did the exact same thing this year. The only difference is it was only good for a third-place finish this year instead of number two last year.

#4 – The Mirage. It’s important to compare the hotels in this top five in terms of price. The Mirage, while expensive, is usually cheaper than any of the other properties listed here so the fact that you can do well for (a little) less is important, or at least so sayeth our readers who granted 7.9% of their votes to the Polynesian paradise.

#5 – Mandalay Bay. Although its overall votes and percentage didn’t sink much, Mandalay Bay’s 7.2% of the vote was only good for a fifth place finish this year, down from #3 last year.

Best Overall Hotel
#1 – Bellagio. In a city filled with remarkable hotels the fact that Bellagio has won the crown of Best Overall Hotel for four years running is a true testament to the things they continue to do right there. 11.8% of our readers’ vote makes Bellagio a blue-ribbon winner again this year.

#2 – The Mirage. The hotel that changed Las Vegas can still compete with its newer and fancier neighbors, at least according to our readers who cast 6.5% of their votes to The Mirage for a second place finish.

#3 – Caesars Palace. Finish just a few votes behind The Mirage with 6.4% of the total, Caesars has come a long way baby. Back in 2002 when we started the Readers’ Poll, Caesars didn’t even show up on the list much less capture third place.

#4 – Mandalay Bay. It sank a spot from last year but Mandalay Bay’s 6.1% of the total was still good enough for fourth.

#5 – The Venetian. The Venetian managed to ward off some strong competition from hotels like MGM Grand and Luxor to hold onto a spot in the Top 5 with 5.5% of the vote.
Vegas4Visitors Column for October 3, 2005
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Updated Show Review: Second City
By Rick Garman

Before there was “Saturday Night Live” and “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” there was Second City, the Chicago comedy group that spawned “SCTV” and the careers of John Belushi, Mike Myers, Martin Short, Gilda Radner, and a host of others. For a couple of years now Las Vegas has been blessed by its very own Second City company at the Flamingo Las Vegas and I’m happy to report the show, while totally different, is just as good as it was the first time I saw it. For the uninitiated, Second City is not stand-up comedy, with a guy in front of a brick wall with a microphone. Their specialty is sketch comedy and improvisation, a rapid-fire succession of comedic vignettes lasting only a few minutes – sometimes only a few seconds – barely leaving the audience time to catch their breath, but in a good way.

Five performers and a pianist/sound effects person prove their quicksilver comic chops quickly, launching into a dizzying run of sketches, which, on this particular night included a couple being introduced to their friends’ newly adopted “kid,” a thirty-something cigarette smoking, beer-drinking lech; a workout gone awry; and a running gag about woman who simply wants to change her cell phone but has to deal with a customer service department that has been outsourced to another country. I thought the latter was a little xenophobic until I got home and found my computer had crashed and spent the next three weeks with Hewlett Packard customer support, but perhaps that’s a story for another time.

Sprinkled throughout are Vegas specific bits including a bargain basement version of the Bellagio Fountain Show that should become a staple in every show if it isn’t already. Along the way they throw in more improvisation, audience participation, songs, and some wicked social commentary just for kicks. Some of it is R-rated and most of it leans to the left-wing side of things so parents with younger kids, the easily offended, and people who use terms like “the liberal media” may want to look elsewhere.

The genius portions of the program surround the improve sections, where suggestions from the audience are thrown around in order for the cast to create sketches, songs, and even an entire musical tribute to one guy named Mario who delivered mail and like spaghetti. You try finding something to rhyme with spaghetti. I actually would’ve preferred more improve in the show but if that’s your bag you can get entire evening of “Scriptless” improvisation from Second City on Tuesday nights at 10:30.

Unlike your average episode of “Saturday Night Live” there wasn’t one clunker in the bunch. To be certain, some things worked better than others, but that’s like complaining that some of the diamonds you found are smaller than the rest.

And unlike most Vegas shows, this one can always be fresh. With the rotating cast of performers and new material being phased in all the time, the show will be slightly to totally different every time you see it.

You get all of this for the ridiculously low price of $40 with half-price or 2-for-1 coupons often available (check the local papers or free in-room magazines). There isn’t a better entertainment value in all of Las Vegas.

Vegas4Visitors Grade: A

The Second City
Flamingo Las Vegas
3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
888-308-8899
www.flamingolv.com
Shows: Thursday and Sunday through Tuesday at 8pm
Friday and Saturday 8pm and 10:30pm
Tuesdays at 10:30pm, “Scriptless.”
Tickets: $39.95 plus tax
Vegas4Visitors Column for October 3, 2005
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Monorail ridership falls off.

Las Vegas Monorail ridership has tumbled by nearly 12 percent since hitting an all-time high earlier this year, with fewer than 29,000 riders taking the rapid transit system each day last month.

But system officials said this week that they weren’t alarmed by the ridership drop, adding that a seasonal turnstile slip was expected for the $650 million system, which has yet to break even financially.

“That’s normal for Las Vegas,” said Curtis Myles, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Monorail Co. “I’m not surprised by those numbers. I knew we’d be down in August and September. That’s just how this town works.”

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-20-Thu-2005/news/3895405.html
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MIKE WEATHERFORD: Half-price ticket outlets could change the way show tickets are sold.

The quiet rollout of five new same-day, half-price ticket outlets has the potential to reshape the way show tickets are sold on the Strip.

Showtickets.com — formerly Allstate Ticketing — is trying the “if you can’t beat ‘em … ” approach after losing same-day sales to half-price outlets.

It has been very difficult to sell a day-of, full-priced ticket for the producers who sell the two-for-ones,” says Ben Jones, director of operations. “We sat back for a long time, but now we’re trying to recapture some of the same-day sales that we lost.”

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-20-Thu-2005/living/3842622.html
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Hooters gets OK from panel

Hooters, the restaurant chain whose tank top-and-orange-shorts-wearing Hooters Girls have become national icons, won unanimous state Gaming Commission approval Thursday to operate the first Hooters-themed hotel-casino in Las Vegas.

Approval came quickly, although Commissioner Radha Chanderraj questioned whether the 15,000 Hooters Girls employed by the 400-store restaurant chain will receive opportunities to advance into executive positions.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-21-Fri-2005/business/3934916.html
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SHOW REVIEW: Same Songs Say So Much.
Adding a few tunes to Elton John’s ‘Red Piano’ would make for a more complete experience.
By Mike Weatherford.

Most nights, the most amazing sight at Elton John’s Caesars Palace show is going to be the giant inflatable breasts. But on a recent evening, the honors went to something witnessed only by those who kept their eyes on the guy who often takes a backseat to his video and stage trappings.

It was at the beginning of “The Bitch Is Back,” amid the diversion of Pamela Anderson on the giant video screen. The man who created the song planted both of his palms on the top of his red piano and vaulted his portly 58-year-old body a few inches into the air, a faint yet resonant echo of the days when John himself was the focus of his concerts.

OK, it wasn’t much. But fans can only wonder what might happen if the singer put a treadmill and bench press in that big Caesars Palace suite of his. By this time next year he could be kicking over the piano bench again, or even stomping around in the giant “Pinball Wizard” boots from the “Tommy” movie, as one cohort suggested he should do every night to justify a $280 ticket.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-21-Fri-2005/weekly/3898310.html
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Upcoming Las Vegas Entertainment
Gwen Stefani will play the Aladdin Theatre on Dec. 3 with Ciara. Prices are $55, $85 and $97.50. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Aladdin box office, through eveningstar productions.com and through Ticketmaster at 474-4000 or ticketmaster.com.

The newly reconstituted INXS will play the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Jan. 28. Tickets are on sale now for $47.25, $68.25 and $89.25. They’re available through Ticketmaster.

B.J. Thomas will play Boulder Station on Jan. 21. Tickets are $23, $26, $34 and $42 and can be purchased at the hotel’s Boarding Pass Rewards Center, 4111 Boulder Highway, and at area malls. To charge by phone, call 547-5300.
reviewjournal.com — Neon – TICKETS: Stefani coming to the Aladdin
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PLAYER’S EDGE: Harrah’s, Rio offer Set for Life giveaway

Both Harrah’s and the Rio are running a major promotion through Dec. 10 called Set for Life. Like most Harrah’s giveaways, this promotion is creative, generous and a little complicated to explain. You must be a Total Rewards member to participate (new members will receive a special Set for Life travel bag). Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 3-7 p.m., members can swipe their card for a chance to win a variety of gifts including $5 cash, movie rental gift cards, Sharper Image gift cards or a $25,000 Simon Malls Visa Gift Card. (You can swipe your card twice daily once at Harrah’s and once at the Rio.)

The two casinos also have daily drawings every hour during the above prize periods. This week the hourly prize is $50, and that increases $25 every week until it reaches $225 the final week. Members earn two automatic entries for every 50 base Reward Credits ($250 coin-in on slots, $500 video poker) earned that day. Winning names are posted at the Rewards Center, and players have one hour to claim their prizes. Details of the Dec. 10 grand prize drawing have yet to be announced.

More PLAYERS EDGE here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-21-Fri-2005/weekly/3902280.html
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I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. Please leave a comment if you like.

Steve