Former teen superstar David Cassidy, who will turn the big "Five-O" this year, is starring in his own show and a new production for the Rio called "At The Copa." He's also the show's producer and chose to mix an uncomplicated Broadway-type plot...boy meets girl love story... with a live nightclub concert. It's a show that Cassidy had been wanting to do for a long time.

When the show first opened in January, it had rough edges which have been worked out. Thus the reason for a recent second visit to the show.

The show is set in the Rio's remodeled, oval-shaped, tiered Copacabana showroom. The nightclub atmosphere and the show are completely enhanced by the presence of Lon Bronson's 18-piece band. An added nightclub touch is robust Stewart Daylida playing a club emcee desperately trying to break into show business. One must add that Daylida's supporting role actually steals the show.

On the Broadway side, the six dancers (four female and two male) are choreographed and costumed similar to the Bob Fosse characters in the play "Chicago." In fact, Rick Pessagno who plays Lefty, a sleazy nightclub owner, is a former "Chicago" cast member.

In the middle linking the theater and nightclub formats are the show's two co-stars David Cassidy and another former teen idol Sheena Easton. He plays Johnny Flamingo, a waiter promoted to showroom star when his predecessor is shot by a jealous dame. Easton is Ruby Bombay, the club's chanteuse that Flamingo falls for big time. The catch is Lefty tells Flamingo "hands off" Bombay if he wants to keep his job.

Cassidy and Easton do two different sets of tunes in the show. Some songs like "That Old Black Magic" and "Fever" carry the plot along. Easton's "For Your Eyes Only" and Cassidy's "I Woke Up In Love This Morning" are among the hit tunes the two stars sing in order to please the audience.

One thing that happens in this show and can't be helped is when Cassidy does his hit songs, you automatically put the "Partridge Family" aura around him which detaches you from his Flamingo character for awhile.

Regardless, audiences are thoroughly enjoying Cassidy and Easton plus a live orchestra "At The Copa." Tickets are $58, call 702-252-7777.

Caesars Palace has numerous changes planned. The 1,000-seat Circus Maximus showroom will close Sept 1. It will either be completely renovated or moved to another location. Headliners may possibly be booked into the ballroom for awhile. There's also talk of closing the Magical Empire and turning the space into something different such as a nightclub.

Restaurant changes at Caesars Palace include enlarging the buffet next to the Magical Empire and closing the famous Bacchanal. The Asian Noodle Shop currently part of the Cafe Roma will take over the Bacchanal's space.

Meanwhile, "Smokey Joe's Cafe" starring Gladys Knight is booked at Caesars Palace through June 11. The musical featuring the songs of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller is hot off a five-year Broadway run with rave reviews.

The show won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Musical and was nominated for seven 1995 Tony Awards. The show captures and celebrates the contagious spirit of the music of Leiber and Stoller, who have been writing songs together for more than 40 years. Elvis recorded more than 20 of their songs including "Hound Dog." The two songwriters have been inducted into the Songwriter's, the Record Producers, and the Rock & Roll Halls of Fame.

Tickets for "Smokey Joe's Cafe" are $50 for most shows plus a $3 ticket-handling fee and the tax is included. The price is$60 for performances on April 29, May 6, and June 10, call 1-800-445-4544 or 702-731-7333.

Billed as "Tim Conway and Harvey Korman: Together Again," the duo will bring their show to the Las Vegas Hilton, April 7 and 8. These irresistible comedians delighted television audiences for a decade, 1967 to 1978, when they appeared on CBS's wildly popular "The Carol Burnett Show."

Conway and Korman will re-create five sketches from the show, with the help of comedian/impressionist Louise DuArt, and also do individual stand-up routines.

How did this pairing that seems so natural finally come about? Agent Marty Klein got a request for the two of them to appear with Burnett, who doesn't do live concerts, at a private performance. Seeing the results, Klein booked the two funnymen first into Foxwoods in Ledyard, Conn. All 1,400 tickets sold out in 90 minutes, and now the men are touring.

Conway has recently found success in the home video market portraying the bumbling character Dorf. He's produced six videos and two have gone on to platinum sales success: "Dorf on Golf" and "Dorf Goes Fishing."

Tickets to see Conway and Korman are $55 and $65, call 1-800-222-5361 or 702-732-5755.

The Desert Inn Resort will celebrate its fiftieth birthday on April 24. This historic landmark was the fifth property to open on the Las Vegas Strip and it comprised 300 hotel rooms (the most in southern Nevada), the largest Nevada casino (80' x 60'), a spa, two restaurants, seven shops and a "figure 8" Olympic size swimming pool. The $3.5 million dollar oasis opened with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy as headliners in the 450-seat Painted Desert Showroom.

Through the years, The Desert Inn has seen many changes and additions. The golf course opened for members in 1952. Howard Hughes acquired the resort in March of 1967 for $13.25 million. From the initial 16-acres, the property increased to 165-acres of luxury by 1978. Over $54 million worth of renovations were completed during this time, including the 14-story Augusta tower, which increased the room count to 825.

In the late 70's, The Desert Inn gained national exposure when it became the main setting for the television detective series "VEGA$" starring Robert Urich as Dan Tanna. In 1997, the resort reemerged as a luxury crown jewel following a two-year, $200 million renovation. To check out The Desert Inn call 702-733-4444 or visit www.thedesertinn.com.

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The new Desert Passage retail complex on the Las Vegas Strip has added nine more retailers to its lists of shops slated to open Aug. 17, 2000. The 500,000-square-foot retail "shopping adventure" center will be adjacent to the new $1.3 billion Aladdin hotel-casino. Desert Passage has 90 percent of its total 130 retail shops and 14 restaurants leased.

Coinless slot machines are being tested at the Fiesta hotel-casino in North Las Vegas. The casino switched 50 video poker machines to an entirely coinless format. The "EZ Play Ticket System" slot machines print a ticket for reimbursement when a player cashes out. The ticket ca neither be used in another "EZ Play" machine or be redeemed at the cashier's cage.

If this test is successful, the Fiesta may soon convert as many as 300 of its 2000 machines to coinless. You will also see most casinos follow suit.

Las Vegas Investment Advisors estimate that a typical slot machine runs up costs of $250 to $500 per month in operating costs associated with coins. The explosion of the nickel slot machines is even more labor intensive.

Boulder Station made the cut this month and it is one of five finalists for the second consecutive year for the Academy of Country Music's "Casino of the Year" award that will be announced May 3, on television's ACM Awards show.

A truly grand toast held at O'Sheas Pub & Casino on Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. will make the 2001 Edition of the "Guinness Book of World Records." On that evening 220 people at O'Sheas were among a nationwide toast. Sponsored by the Flamingo Las Vegas - which owns O'Sheas - and the Guinness Bass Import Company, "The Great Guinness Toast" was finally tallied nationwide at 320,470. That easily broke last year's record of 197,846.

Wayne Newton recently filmed a Miller Lite commercial that was shot at the Stardust where he headlines. It's scheduled to air in mid to late April.

Andrew Dice Clay will perform in The Venetian Ballroom for four nights...March 31, April 1, 14 and 15. Throughout his career, he has released three CD's and hosted his own one-hour HBO special. As an actor, he has had comedic roles in "Pretty In Pink," "Casual Sex?" and "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane." Tickets are $60, call 702-414-2225.

The new Kabuki Lounge, located just inside the front doors of the center-Strip Imperial Palace, features live music nightly beginning at 4:30 p.m. The intimate lounge setting has a video wall and a powerful sound system.

International comedy star Emo Philips will make his Las Vegas debut March 20 at the Riviera's Comedy Club for a seven-day engagement. In the United States, Jay Leno once called Philips "the best joke writer in America," and within comedy circles, he's well known for his unique style and brilliant material.

As an actor, Philips roles include playing a butter-fingered table-saw operator in Weird AL Yankovic's hit cult film, "UHF," and he'll soon be seen in "Desperation Boulevard" with Weird Al and Judy Tenuta. "Universal Studio is also adapting my short film `Meet the Parents' to the big screen starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller" Philips said.

Philips also scripted and starred in three 45-seond television commercials for Sony and has two hit comedy albums including "E=MO 2" that won a New Music Award for Best Comedy Album. Tickets are $14.95 plus taxes at the Riviera Comedy Club and one drink is included. Show times are 8 and 10 p.m. nightly, call 702-794-9433.

Roger Whittaker will make a stop at The Orleans, March 24-26. He extensively tours the world especially Germany and performs songs indifferent languages. As a prolific songwriter, many of his songs have been sung and recorded by some of the world's most renowned stars including Elvis Presley.

Whittaker was born of English parents in Nairobi, Kenya. He has established himself as a humanitarian, earning the B'nai B'rith Humanitarian Award and leading a campaign in his native Kenya to fight poachers.

Tickets are $29.94, $34.95 and $39.95 plus tax to see Whittaker, call 702-365-7075.

Restaurateur Gino Ferraro has opened his third Ferraro's Restaurant in Las Vegas at 1916 Village Center Drive in Summerlin. Like his previous two Ferraro's, the new location is known for serving osso buco, one of their signature dishes. The second location at 2895 N. Green Valley Pkwy, opened a year ago March.

Prices for the Summerlin location range from $3.50 to $11 and average $7 for lunch. Dinner entrees range from $8 to $25 with most selections ranging between $10 to $15, call 702-364-5300. The hours are 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily.

The Venetian was honored with the "Image of he Year" award on March 4, at the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers & Distributors convention in Miami Beach, FL. The resort received top accolades for six of its hotel uniforms including those for VIP service representatives, in-suite dining servers, cocktail waitresses, casino dealers, housekeepers and valet employees.

The "Image of the Year" award is based on the uniforms' image projection, neatness, practicality, use of color, originality and coordination of garments with accessories.

A Singles Expo 2000 will be held at Cashman Center and run from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on April 15, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 16, in Exhibit Hall A. Admission is $7 or $5 with a discount coupon. Booth space is available from 250 to $3,000, call 702-614-0562.

The producer of a local radio show "Along the Way," is hosting at a trip to the historic Amargosa Opera House for Marta Becket's performance of "The Good Cabaret" on March 25. Cost is $40 and includes bus transportation (3 p.m. departure/ 12:30 a.m. return), a dinner buffet at the Longstreet Inn and Casino, the performance, and a Q and A season with Becket following the show.

The Armargosa Opera House was renovated more than 25 years ago by the New York ballerina Becket, who has presented her solo ballet and mime show since 1968. For reservations, call KNPR radio at 702-258-9895.

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