She broke on to the American theatre scene in 1954 when she performed the part of Lucy Brown in the U.S. premiere of "The Threepenny Opera." On Broadway, Arthur originated the role of Yente the matchmaker in the critically acclaimed musical "Fiddler on the Roof." She then took on the character Vera Charles in "Mame," opposite Angela Lansbury, for which she won a 1966 Tony Award and went on to reprise her role in the movie version opposite Lucille Ball.

Arthur launched into film, appearing in the Oscar-nominated "Lovers and Other Strangers" and in Mel Brooks' "History of the World - Part 1." She did several made-for-television films, most notably "My First Love" with Peter Falk. Most recently, Arthur won the Comedy Ace Award for her performance in the FOX television series "Malcolm In The Middle."

Reality television's latest series "StripSearch" featured Australia's Thunder From Down Under creator Billy Cross and VH1's Rachel Perry trekking across America to find a talented group of men who would compete against each other for one of seven coveted spots in the new male dance revue American Storm.

Cross and Perry held auditions in parking lots, restaurants and even inside of a store window and eventually selected 15 contestants who gave up their day jobs and headed to Los Angeles for competitions that narrowed the field to eight men. The show's finale will be performed live at the Las Vegas Hilton and one last man will be cut.

On July 29, seven performers will take to the stage at the Riviera as American Storm. Billed as America's Hottest Male Revue, the company will treat audiences to a thrill-filled journey through America's greatest moments beginning with Columbus' discovery and ending with a patriotic medley. Tickets will be $39.95 plus tax and fee with shows nightly except Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m. and with 11 p.m. shows on Friday and Saturday.

Eight-time Grammy Award winner Natalie Cole will perform on the floating stage at Lake Las Vegas' intimate Reflection Bay on July 30, as part of this year's "Stars on the Lake" concert series. Tickets are $100 plus tax and handling charges for Reserved VIP seating and $49.95 for General Admission, call Ticketmaster at 702- 474-4000.

Cole has been in the music business for almost three decades and sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Her debut effort, "Inseparable" won her a Grammy for "Best New Artist" and spawned a plethora of future gold and platinum selling records including her signature project, "Unforgettable, With Love."

In 1993, Cole teamed up with the legendary Frank Sinatra, recording "They Can't Take That Away From Me," which placed her among the musical elite. In addition, Cole is a best-selling author for her autobiography, "Angel on My Shoulder," as well as an accomplished actor, appearing in various television, film, and stage productions.

Ten sexy female performers from the adult-themed "Zumanity, Another Side of Cirque du Soleil" show at New York-New York unleashed their most erotic and uninhibited selves in a provocative eight-page nude pictorial in the August issue of "Playboy," which is currently on newsstands. The edgy photos were shot on location in the Zumanity Theatre and depict cast members showcasing their respective acts from the show.

TOP OF NEXT COLUMN

The Imperial Palace has opened of a new, fine-dining restaurant - Fireside. Located on the Fifth Floor Dining Plaza, Fireside replaces the hotel's Rib House and features a new look and menu for Strip diners. With its Southwestern flare, Fireside features steak, ribs, chops, chicken and seafood with entrees ranging from $15 - $26.

The comfortable dining atmosphere has a brick wall interior complete with a decorative fireplace as the focal point facing an open room. The décor features a copper ceiling, lantern-style wall sconces and a water wall accented by burnt orange and golden hues with dark blue highlights. There's romantic seating by the fireplace for couples.

Fireside is open Tuesday - Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. For reservations, call 702-794-3261 or toll free 888-777-7664.

The Brothers Garza - guitarist Henry, bassist JoJo and drummer Ringo Garza, Jr. from San Angelo, Texas, make up the hit trio Los Lonely Boys. They will be performing on the Mandalay Beach stage on Friday, July 29 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $38.50 in advance, call 702-632-7580.

The group has been performing together since they were young backup singers for their father, Ringo Garza, Sr. They formed their own group in the '90s and recorded their debut album at Willie Nelson's Pedernales recording studio. Epic picked up the record in March 2004, which led to the group's 2005 Grammy Award.

The brand new 2006 Ford Mustang Convertible will be released to the public in August, but due to high demand will not be readily available to consumers. The Monte Carlo has secured four red Mustang Convertibles and will be giving one away every Saturday in August at 9 p.m. to a lucky Monte Carlo One Club member.

The Monte Carlo is also giving players a chance to win cash prizes in the amounts of $300, $200 and $100 with the remaining tickets in the drum. Directly following the drawing, free admission and live music will be offered at the Monte Carlo Brew Pub.

This promotion runs Aug. 1 - 27. For every 50 points earned on a Monte Carlo One Club card, players will receive a Mustang drawing ticket. Entrants must be present to win.

The $500 million, 64-story Trump International Hotel & Tower has broken ground behind the New Frontier and the $3 million, 8,100-square-foot sales center in front of the resort and directly across from the Fashion Show Mall is now open. Prices for units are ranging from $600,000 to $6 million.

Ironically, the day Trump broke ground on his property, his ex-wife Ivana proposed an 80-story residential high-rise at the corner of the Strip and Sahara Avenue on the site of the former Holy Cow restaurant.

While there's an unbelievable number of high-rise projects on the books, the volatility of this market is apparent especially with the recent cancellation of the Aqua Blue High Rise project that had more than 50 percent of the units pre-sold. The increased cost of construction was the primary reason. The condominium project was suppose to house a Michael Jordan Steakhouse outlet, the more casual Michael Jordan's 23 and an Athletic Center and nightclub.

Producer Jerry Schafer is planning a new 300-seat showroom, formerly a second-floor banquet hall, near the Strip in the Chinatown Mall on Spring Mountain Road. He's also planning a new variety show called "No MSG - A Musical Variety Show in Good Taste" with a six-piece band and Clint Holmes' former backup singer Janien Masse.

Schafer, 71, pioneered the afternoon show on the Strip at the Thunderbird with "Speaking of Girls." His last Las Vegas efforts were revues and events in the early '80s at the Imperial Palace.

Casino Gaming, LLC officially launched a new Blackjack game in May at the Stardust called "Casino Surrender." It is a Blackjack winning option that forces the casino to surrender, making a player an automatic winner against the house.

Casino Surrender does not change the traditional game of Blackjack, but it gives an additional winning option that applies when a player is dealt a two-card 20 and the dealer's up card is a 10-value card and not a Blackjack. The player then has the winning option to force the casino to surrender and automatically win by keeping the original bet and in addition, winning half the amount of the original bet. This new option is similar to the Insurance option currently available, but is a better percentage bet for the player.

"Lance Burton & Friends" fundraiser for the Shriners will highlight performances by magician Lance Burton, comedy-magician Fielding West, magician Nathan Burton, Drew & Angela Dicostanzo - a.k.a. DV8 Reality Magic and puppeteer Anthony Rais with Totolino. The annual benefit will take place at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 31, at The Lance Burton Theatre in the Monte Carlo. Tickets are $27.50 for balcony seats and $35 for the lower level, call 702-382-5554 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.

The paintings of late Cuban artist Carlos Alfonzo, who was born and raised in Havana, will be featured in an exhibition of Latin American artists at the Las Vegas Art Museum (LVAM) located at 9600 West Sahara Avenue from July 30 through Sept. 4. Alfonzo came to the United States as a political refugee. His work is rooted both in abstraction and the representation of the human figure. He died in 1991.

Want to volunteer? Golf enthusiasts over the age of 18 have the opportunity to volunteer to work the 23rd Annual Michelin Championship at the TPC at Summerlin and TPC at The Canyons, Oct. 13-16. All tournament volunteers pay a $25 fee to defray expenses and receive many perks like discounts, free meals and a volunteer party. To sign up, call Michele Morphy at 702-242-3008 or via e-mail at mmorphy@lvfcgolf.com.

Memphis Championship Barbecue's award-winning barbecue sauce and Magic Dust made with 18 secret spices are now available for purchase at local Las Vegas-area Whole Foods Markets for $3.99 each. Memphis Championship Barbecue has four locations in Las Vegas.

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