International opera star Placido Domingo will perform at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on March 16 to help celebrate the resort's third anniversary. This will mark the second occasion on which Domingo has headlined for a Mandalay Bay anniversary. In 2000 for the resort's first anniversary celebration, he joined Maestros Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras, performing as the Three Tenors for a sold-out house. Tickets to see Domingo range from $60 up to $300, call 702-632-7580.

Domingo has performed on stage in more than 115 different roles, more than any other Tenor in the annals of music. He was the first classical artist to give a public performance in Manhattan's Central Park, drawing more than 400,000 people eager to hear him sing.

His appeal extends beyond his live performances. Seven of Domingo's recordings have appeared simultaneously on the Billboard Classical and Crossover charts. He has earned nine Grammy awards in his distinguished career. Most recently, Domingo was appointed Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Opera, which he founded.

Tony Orlando, who has been one of Las Vegas' most popular draws since the mid-1970s, has signed a 13-week engagement to headline in the 400-seat Theatre Ballroom at the Golden Nugget downtown. He'll perform 8 p.m. shows Saturday through Thursday. Tickets are $40, call 1-866-946-5336 or 702-386-8100.

On New Year's Day and more than a decade after its initial release, Walt Disney Pictures' "Beauty and the Beast," began playing in the eight-story large-screen-format Luxor's IMAX Theater. The enchanting fairy tale movie will remain there through May 20, 2002. The G-rated movie that runs 94 minutes was essentially re-assembled frame by frame and note by note to get it to fit the IMAX screen.

The animated classic to this day is still the only animated feature to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. It lost out to "Silence of the Lambs." This "Special Edition" reissue includes a newly animated number, "Human Again," that was cut from the initial release but reinstated when "Beauty and the Beast" went to Broadway.

Las Vegan Paige O'Hara plays Belle the female star of the movie. When O'Hara auditioned for the role, she was among 500 other hopefuls that included Kathie Lee Gifford.

The Riviera will once again hold an incredible Super Bowl XXXVI party in the Royale Pavilion. A sell-out every year, the Riviera offers a "Super Buffet" with open bars, wide screen TV's, autographed memorabilia and surprise commemorative gifts.

This year guests will be able to mix and mingle with professional football greats: Gale Sayers, former Chicago Bear Hall of Fame Running Back; Jim Hart, former St. Louis Cardinal Quarterback great; Isaac Curtis, former Cincinnati Bengal Outstanding Wide Receiver; and Floyd Little, former Denver Bronco Great Running Back.

There will also be professional cheerleaders, a marching band, and a raffle for sports memorabilia including autographed helmets, jerseys and footballs. Admission to the Riviera's party is $125 inclusive, call 702-794-9280.

Earth, Wind & Fire (EWF) will unleash its funky sound at the Paris Theater des Arts, Jan. 19-22. Tickets are $75, call 1-877-374-7469 or 702-946-4567.

Testifying to the group's enduring popularity, they have 50 gold and platinum albums, six Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards and a 1993 NAACP Hall of Fame Image Award.

"Cheval" the $6 million horse show with a cast of 30 horses representing 17 breeds and 27 artists from around the world has been held over until at least Jan. 13. The hand-painted canvas castle-inspired big top housing the show is located between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo resorts and behind the Seven restaurant on the Strip. Tickets range from $30 to $56, call 702-693-7722.

Excavations have delayed construction of Steve Wynn's Le Reve mega-resort. The highly anticipated project is now slated to break ground in late March or early April 2002 and open by mid-2004.

Le Reve, which means "the dream" in French, will cost around $1.6 to $1.8 billion. The resort will include a four-acre man-made lake, a 120,000-square-foot casino, 132,000 square feet of convention space, two theaters - once of which will seat 1,500 people, 70,000 square feet of retail, 15 restaurants, two wedding chapels, a three-acre pool deck and a spa.

Crews are continuing to work on the $350 million Fashion Show mall expansion. When it is completed in the fall of 2003, the expansion will more than double the mall's size to 1.9 million square feet and add three new anchors: Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor and Bloomingdale's Home Store.

Also expanding is Arizona Charlie's East located on Boulder Highway. The additions will include a 24-hour bingo hall and several other attractions.

TOP OF NEXT COLUMN

The new show "Tease" at the Blue Note jazz club is a truly fun bawdy musical production based around a night's events at a strip joint. Unlike some of the sexy revues, this one has a simple plot line where you get to know the girls as individual personalities. In addition, Steve Connolly is part of the cast playing Vinny, a brash East Coast busboy, who in the end is transformed into Elvis. Connolly has been playing The King for over six years and does it well.

Two of Las Vegas newest poker rooms have closed. The Regent Las Vegas in the southwest part of town, under new ownership has been turned into the JW Marriott and its high-stakes poker room has been closed. Also the three-table room at downtown's Las Vegas Club closed before the New Year.

The last official casino to open in the Las Vegas Valley in 2001 was the $11 million Wildfire Casino in North Las Vegas. The 20,000-square-foot building is taking the place of Ernie's, a neighborhood bar and casino that will close and be demolished. The Wildfire Casino has no hotel rooms and it is like an old Chicago warehouse converted into a fun place.

Tommy Blaze will headline along with two fellow comedians at The Comedy Stop at the Tropicana this week, Jan. 7-13. Tickets are $17.50 per person, with tax, gratuity and two drinks included, call 702-739-2714.

Blaze was a guest performer on the NBC season finale of the hit show "Friends." After making a great impression, he began meetings with Warner Brothers and "Friends" producer Kevin Bright for a regular role on an upcoming series.

Blaze graduated from college with three degrees. An introduction to Eddie Murphy before he was discovered played prominently in his career. He later met Murphy again and was hired to write two feature films. He went on to make television appearances including "Star Search," MTV's "Half Hour Comedy Hour,"ABC's "Morning Show," "Comic Strip Live," and Showtime's "Comedy Club All-Stars." He's now under contract with Warner Brothers and FOX television.

This week, the Improv Comedy Club at Harrah's is featuring Latino comic Willie Barcena, Jan. 8-13. Tickets are $24.95 plus tax.

Barcena was born in Mexico and raised in East Los Angeles. He began his career more than six years ago and is now a regular at the Improv and other prominent comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area. Barcena writes his own material and has appeared on television shows such as "The Wayan's Brothers" and "The Tonight Show."

Las Vegas over the past couple of years has introduced many new club-type nightspots such as the Ghostbar at the new Palms, Venus Lounge at the Venetian, Light at Bellagio and Coyote Ugly at New York-New York. Some people like to club-hop, but they don't want to hassle with parking, wait in line and, if you're a guy, pay all those cover charges.

The solution is a new business called Club A Go Go. For $40, adults 21 and older meet at the Carnaval Court at Harrah's, Wednesday through Friday, and catch a 50-passenger bus. From there, riders are entertained by tour guide Cleveland while being chauffeured to three nightclubs around Las Vegas. Club A Go Go customers receive VIP treatment at the clubs.

The idea is a spin-off of a successful San Francisco venture, Three Babes and a Bus, that began in 1990.

So far, the list of nightclubs considered for the tours includes rumjungle at Mandalay Bay, Studio 54 at the MGM Grand, Club Utopia, the Beach and C2K at The Venetian. But there are plans to expand the list. For information, call 1-800-258-2218.

Recently discovered a horseback riding opportunity provided by the Sagebrush Ranch. There are all sorts of riding excursions from morning to night and they cater to groups with riding, wagon and BBQ packages. The ranch is nestled at the foot of a mountain about 40-miles from the Strip. For information, call 702-645-9422 or 702-646-9948.

Southern Nevada's eighth Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store has opened at the Venetian. The 3,500-square-foot store is located in the Grand Canal Shoppes food court. It is the second to open on the Strip, joining an outlet at the Excalibur.

Clark County's Hispanic population is about 22 percent and 37.6 percent of the residents in North Las Vegas are of Hispanic origin. Thus it makes sense that a $12 million Hispanic-theme shopping and events center is being planned for a 12-acre vacant lot at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard North and Belmont Street. The 100,000-square-foot complex with a main plaza included may be called El Centro de Las Vegas. It would be a place to shop, visit professional services, and hold festivals.

Neonopolis, the entertainment project under construction on Fremont Street downtown is suppose to open in May 2002. The project that has suffered numerous delays will be home to a movie theatre complex, restaurants and other entertainment.

The Venetian plans on launching in January a computer game branded after the Las Vegas property. The Venetian-branded computer game will featuref 35 casino games, including blackjack, roulette, craps, slots and video poker. The game will be sold in the Venetian's Grand Canal Shoppes and over its Internet site. The product has nothing to do with for-cash Internet gaming.

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