"The sun will come out" in Las Vegas June 14-18, when the Broadway hit musical, "Annie," headlines at the Mandalay Bay Theater. Winner of seven Tony Awards, "Annie" became the third largest running musical of the 1970's with 2,377 performances.

"Annie" based on Harold Gray's cartoon strip "Little Orphan Annie," about the lovable, curly, red-haired girl, will travel to 100 cites in the United States and Canada on this tour. The play places Annie, Daddy Warbucks and Annie's mutt Sandy in New York City in the midst of the Depression.

Tickets for "Annie" are $75, $49, $39 and $19, call 702-474-7000.

Puerto Rican pop star Marc Anthony will take over the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday, June 16. "Marc Anthony" is the first record in English by a singer who has twice sold out Madison Square Garden, starred in a Broadway musical, Paul Simon's "The Capeman," appeared in several movies including Martin Scorsese's soon-to-be-released "Bringing Out the Dead," and sold more records throughout the world than any other salsa singer. Tickets for Anthony's show are $40, $65 and $100, call TicketMaster at 702-474-4000.

Earlier this month, after the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in Los Angeles, Anthony and former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres hopped on a private jet for Las Vegas with 12 friends and family members. The couple were married in a quiet and private early morning ceremony in a grand suite at the Desert Inn.

Another May marriage earlier in the month was Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton taking their nuptials at the Little Church of the West. The couple opted for the most basic wedding package with only seven photos being taken. They managed to dodge the press.

A few weeks ago Las Vegas gained another highly visible outside roller coaster ride called "Speed - The Ride" that is bringing well deserved attention to the Sahara Hotel at the far north end of the Strip. In true Las Vegas style, the ceremonial first trip on the action machine held 24 members of "The Flying Elvi" parachute team.

"Speed" catapults riders out of the casino at speeds up to 70 miles per hour, goes below ground, makes a loop, passes through the hotel's marquee and goes up a 224-foot tower. The catch is the ride stops at the top of the tower, completely reverses itself, and takes the occupants backwards to where they began. It's a short but powerful experience. The ride costs $6 and you enter it through the NASCAR Cafe. A word of advice, eat after you experience "Speed."

A recent Las Vegas red carpet premiere of John Travolta's new sci-fi movie, "Battlefield Earth," brought out his Hollywood pals and fans. The screening was at the Showcase United Artist theater on the Strip next to the MGM Grand. The post-party was held at MGM Grand's Studio 54.

Some of the stars who joined Travolta were his actress wife Kelly Preston, Gina Gershon with former "Northern Exposure" star Rob Morrow, singing sensation Chaka Khan, former "Wings" star Crystal Bernard, and "Veronica's Closet" co-stars Kirstie Alley and Kathy Najimy.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) will make its debut at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in the Grand Garden Arena, June 8-10. More than 40,000 fans are expected to attend the three 8 p.m. performances of the Copenhagen Cup Finale of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour.

Eighty of the best professional rodeo athletes in the world are expected to compete for $470,000 in prize money and bonuses. This championship event will be televised and air in prime time on TNN in two tape-delayed, two-hour shows on June 10 and 11. Tickets prices are $30, $45, $60 and $150 per performance, call TicketMaster at 702-474-4000.

Patti LaBelle will perform at the Hard Rock Hotel on June 4. Tickets are $35, $50 and $75. Ottmar Liebert will bring his flamenco jazz back to the Hard Rock on July 29. Tickets are $17, $27 and $37.

Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., the versatile husband and wife team who have collaborated on eight Grammy Awards and 15 Gold Records, will appear at the Stardust Resort in the 950-seat Wayne Newton Theater, May 30-June 3. They will pay a musical tribute to famous performing couples in a show entitled, "It Takes Two." The headliners will be backed by a company of singers and dancers.

McCoo and Davis have enjoyed success in all areas of the entertainment business since first achieving fame as original members of the 5th Dimension. When the group disbanded, McCoo and Davis joined forces to record a No. 1 single, "You Don't Have To Be A Star" and a Gold Album "Hope We Get To Love In Time." They starred in their own primetime TV variety series on CBS and headlined major nightclubs across America.

Performing on their own, McCoo hosted the "Solid Gold " television series and Davis recorded a best selling gospel album. In the theater, McCoo appeared in "Man of La Mancha," "Showboat," and "Into the Woods;" Davis appeared in "Blues In The Night" and "Dreamgirls."

Tickets are $44.95 per person, including tax, tip and one beverage, call 702-732-6325. Wayne Newton, who headlines at the Stardust 40 weeks a year, will return on June 12.

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James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," will headline at Caesars Palace, June 1-3. Brown has recorded 98 songs that have hit Billboard's top 40 R&B singles charts, a record unsurpassed by any other artist. He's scored 17 records in the No. 1 position including "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "I Got You (I Feel Good)," and "I Got The Feelin'."

Brown's rise from juvenile delinquent to "The Godfather of Soul" is a great American success story and the contents of his autobiography. He was the only child of a poor family and was sent to Augusts, GA at age five to live at an aunt's brothel. He earned money by running errands for soldiers at nearby Camp Gordon, entertaining them and promoting his aunt's establishment. He sang gospel music and played piano, drums and guitar.

In 1952, Brown settled in Georgia and joined the Gospel Starlighter's, a group that began with a raw southern gospel style and evolved into a rhythm and blues band, first called the Avons, then the Flames. The group cut a demo record of an original song, "Please, Please, Please," signed with King Records, and reached No. 5 on Billboard's R&B chart. The rest is history.

Tickets to see Brown are $60, including tax plus a $3 ticket-handling fee, call 1-800-445-4544 or 702-731-7333.

Air Supply will headline at The Orleans Showroom, May 26-28. Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock met during an Australian production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" in 1974. They played apostles in the production, discovered their musical harmony and started their enduring friendship.

The two began singing in local Australia coffee houses, sometimes for their meals before they formed their group and dubbed it "Air Supply." Graham says "the name came to him in a dream...on a billboard." The group toured the United States and Canada with their friend Rod Stewart. During the period, the band got rearranged and in April 1979, released their third album entitled, "Life Support." One song, "Lost In Love" charted in the Top Ten immediately.

Back in America, Arista signed Air Supply to a 1.5 million international deal and released a revised, more "hip" version of "Lost In Love." In February of 1980, the song was No. 3 on Billboard's chart hits. This on was the first of seven consecutive singles to enter the American top 5. The hits for Air Supply have never stopped.

Tickets to see Air Supply at The Orleans are $34.95, $39.95 and $44.95 plus taxes, call 702-365-7075.

The famed "First Couple" of American Popular Music, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme made a special appearance at Planet Hollywood on May 15. The legendary duo had their palm-prints immortalized in a Planet Hollywood handprint ceremony followed by a Las Vegas-style martini party. Steve and Eydie finish up their four-day gig at Caesars Palace tonight.

Jerry Vale, widely known as "The Silver Fox" for his romantic, velvety voice, will return to Boulder Station for concerts on May 26 & 27. At The Railhead, he will perform his signature songs such as "And This Is My Beloved," "Have You Looked Into Your Heart," "Al-Di-La," and "You Don't Know Me."

Tickets are $24.50, $32.50 and $39.50 plus tax. For information, call 702-432-7575. Following Vale's concerts, The Railhead will close for the summer to undergo a $2.5 million expansion that will increase the seating capacity of the venue to 900. The Railhead will reopen in September.

The Mutiny, Las Vegas' premier comedy improv troupe, will perform their fifth anniversary show at 7 p.m., Monday, May 22, at Sunset Station's Club Madrid. The show is free and open to the over-21 crowd only.

The Mutiny was formed in1995 by five local actors. Over the years they have gathered a large following. For this special anniversary show, two former members will perform again with their comrades. For information, call 702-547-7777.

Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers, a premier "blue-collar band," are set to perform two sets, beginning at 9 p.m., Sunday, May 28, at Sunset Station's Club Madrid. Admission is free.

Who is Joe Grushecky? He is a 50-something, critically acclaimed unknown rock `n' roller, who is a special education teacher. Since 1989, the band has recorded six acclaimed albums with the most recent, "Down The Road Apiece - Live," named to Billboard's Critics' Choice list for 1999. Bruce Springsteen performed with the band on-stage during the recording. In 1995, Grushecky quit his teaching job for another chance at stardom when he and Springsteen collaborated on the Houserockers album, "America Babylon." Publicity and a European tour followed, but he's back teaching with no plans to stop playing music.

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