Internationally celebrated pop sensation the Backstreet Boys will bring their Black & Blue tour back to the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday, Aug. 17. They will be joined by Jamaican pop star, Shaggy. Tickets are $95.50, $75.50, $55.50 and $35.50, call TicketMaster 702-474-4000.

The Backstreet Boys have been a permanent fixture to the pop charts since 1993. They will roll out a newly designed stage on this leg of the Black & Blue tour with side runways extending ten rows into the audience, extensive pyrotechnics and multiple video screens.

"Black & Blue" is the follow-up to the group's 1999 'Millennium" album, which is already certified 12 times platinum in the U.S. and remained on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart for more than 77 weeks after its release. In addition to receiving gold and platinum awards in 45 countries, "Millennium" was honored with five 1999 Grammy nominations including Album of the Year.

Due to the energy crisis, most of the hotels in Las Vegas are imposing an energy surcharge ranging around $3 per night. The biggest bills the hotels pay are power bills so this step has been deemed necessary.

The Fashion Show Mall while remaining open across the street from Treasure Island on the Strip is currently undergoing a $300-plus million expansion that will double its size to about 1.9 million square feet by fall 2003. Already noticeable is the absence of the Sfuzzi and Dive restaurants that have been demolished on the mall's Strip frontage side.

When the mall is completed, the new eye-catching structure that will give the center a distinct identity will be a 200 feet high and more than 700 feet in length, massive steel canopy "cloud" structure. It will front the mall, give public protection to the sun, and have entertainment and media value with possible graphics and a light show on the underside. Within the mall, the centerpiece will be a massive hall with a more than 100-foot long runway and a 400-square-foot video wall.

The revamped mall has signed on three new anchor tenants. One is Lord & Taylor and another is Bloomingdale's Home and Seattle-based Nordstrom that will open by October 2002 and be the company's first full-line store in Las Vegas. Existing anchors Niemann Marcus, Robinsons-May, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillard's and Macy's are expanding and 200,000 square feet will be added of new small store space.

Reba McEntire and Martina McBride will kick off the summer's only all-female country music tour, "Girls' Night Out" at the 8,700-seat Mandalay Bay Events Center on July 13, along with Sara Evans, Jamie O'Neal and Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Tickets are $35, $50 and $65, call 702-632-7580 or TicketMaster 702-474-4000.

McEntire has been performing more than 20 years and made 26 albums. Most recently, she received high acclaim for her starring role in "Annie Get Your Gun," which just completed a five-month stint on Broadway.

McBride made her debut in 1993. Her second album "Wild Angels" became her first number one selling record followed by the release of "Evolution" which spent over 100 weeks on the Billboard charts.

Evans is currently riding high on the success of "Born to Fly," her third album, which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard charts. This year O'Neal was named the Academy of Country Music's New Female vocalist and her sultry release entitled "All By Myself" can be heard in the blockbuster film "Bridget Jones' Diary." And, Johnson who is a former back-up singer for McBride will open the show with a rare acoustic set.

Comedienne Whoopi Goldberg with her quirky name and defiant dreadlocks will headline at Paris Las Vegas, July 25-29. She was born in 1955 and raised with the name Carlyn Johnson, which she later changed to Whoopi Cushion and finally to Goldberg. Her three-decade career has encompassed films, TV and stage shows. She has also written children's books. Her current stint is on TV's "Hollywood Squares." Tickets to her show are $75, call 1-877-374-7469 or 702-946-4567.

Carmen Electra will be the star in a new show called "Lumiere" that will open at the Aladdin by the end of next January. The showroom will be developed with seats that will disappear into the walls after the show to make room for a nightclub called Vortex with a gigantic dance floor.

Donny Osmond will bring his first solo concert tour in more than a decade to the Broadway Theater at New York-New York, July 10-14. His concert, "This is the Moment_An Evening with Donny Osmond," is backed by a five-piece rhythm section and 14-piece orchestra. He will include music from his recently released CD, "This is the Moment," a contemporary collection of some of Broadway's greatest hits.

In the 1970s, Osmond was one of the most successful pop artists of that decade, earning 18 gold records and several top 10 hits. Tickets are $65 inclusive, call 1-800-693-6763 or 702-740-6815. Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance" returns to the Broadway Theatre stage on Tuesday, July 24.

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Johnny Depp is in negotiations to operate a high-end, very exclusive nightclub spot at the Stirling Club at the new Turnberry Place. Scheduled to open by the end of September, the Stirling Club will include a cigar lounge, piano bar, a one-of-a-kind spa, pool area with private cabanas, tennis courts and a five-star restaurant, complete with $2 million worth of Versace china and Faberge crystal.

Skater Tonya Harding is trying to bring a topless ice spectacular to the Strip.

Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay greeted its one-millionth guest on May 26, and will celebrate the aquarium's first anniversary on June 20. It will be ranked in the nation's top-ten most visited aquarium attractions for the year 2000. Plans are to change exhibits and animals frequently in order to make each visit to the aquarium interesting.

After only one year of operation, Shark Reef will have opened the largest indoor shark exhibit on the West Coast, added three new species of sharks, unveiled the only open (no glass) python exhibit in the country, and expanded the sole golden crocodile exhibit outside of Thailand. The Shark Reef Crocodile Habitat is home to nearly half the world's population of golden crocs.

"Jubilee" at Bally's will celebrate its 20th anniversary on July 30. In September the show will close for 24 days to make technical and lighting upgrades.

Andre Agassi's sixth Grand Slam for Children Benefit is scheduled for Sept. 28, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The star-studded concert and auction already has a couple of names signed on_Elton John and Don Henley.

The 15th annual Ribbon of Life fundraising show held by Golden Rainbow takes place at 1 p.m. on June 16 and 17 at Mandalay Bay. More than 300 performers from the Las Vegas Strip donate their time and appear in the show.

The theme is "Ribbon of Life 2001: Our Show of Shows" featuring a retrospective on previously popular numbers, staged anew by local directors and choreographers. Tickets range from $25 to $175, with a silent auction included call 702-384-2899.

The Big Shot thrill ride at the very top of the Stratosphere Tower was recently named "Best Adrenaline Rush" on "Forbes FYI" lifestyle magazine's annual "50 of America's Best" list. The list is complied by the "Forbes FYI" staff to praise America for its contributions to daily life while recognizing the things that are "quietly, unmistakably American."

The Big Shot is the world's highest thrill ride that carries 12 passengers and launches the riders 160 feet in 2.5 seconds along the 238-foot tower's mast. Riders experience 4 Gs of pressure on the way up and for a split second hang suspended before hitting zero G weightlessness on the way down. Big Shot tickets are $8. The ride opens daily at 10 a.m. and closes at 1 a.m. on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends.

Christopher Titus, the star, executive producer and co-creator of the FOX sitcom, "Titus," the dark comedy based on his one-man show, "Norman Rockwell is Bleeding," will headline at the Top Of The Riv ballroom at the Riviera, on June 29 and 30.

Titus jokes about things most comics find impossible to make funny. Custody battles, family suicides, heart attacks, insanity and fist-fighting his father are all topics he confronts. His show has evolved from the days when he was touring the country as Kenny Loggin's opening act doing what he refers to as his "old happy boy" act. Tickets are $25 plus tax and fee, call 702-794-9433.

The new Wall Walking Duo is climbing the walls at Studio 54 inside the MGM Grand every Tuesday during EDEN, Erotically Delicious Entertainers Night. The Wall Walking Duo, costumed in glossy, body shaping suits stealthily climb their way up two pillars, which serve as framework for the main dance floor. Then they gravitate back down performing acrobatic flips and turns. Studio 54 opened in 1997 and continues to feature distinctive acts as a part of its nightly festivities.

"Resorts & Great Hotels," The Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best has designated two Las Vegas resorts as "Connoisseur's Choice" properties for the year 2001. The two properties are The Regent Las Vegas and Bellagio. Each year the magazine features a selection of the finest hotels and resorts worldwide in its glossy pages and on its web site www.resortsgrethotels.com. The award is given for exceptional commitment to quality, service, and the overall guest experience.

Interesting side note: Steven R. Schirripa, 43, has numerous television shows and movies to his credit such as "Casino," "Chicago Hope" and "The King of Queens." However, he's now a recognizable celebrity because of co-starring as Bobby Baccalieri on the hit HBO drama, "The Sopranos." Schirripa formerly worked at the Riviera as the entertainment director. He continues to juggle his role on the show and work for the Riviera on a consulting basis.

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