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| Sunday, July 18, 2004 | PRIOR ISSUE - ARCHIVES |
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| REO Speeds In, Roman Plaza Unveiled, Blood Sweat & Tears Performs, Casino Legends Hall Of Fame Grows, KISS Tribute Rocks, "Phantom" Has Ghost Of A Chance, Society of Seven Comes Back, Kerr's New Drag, "Rockin' & Romancin'" Begins, Brett Butler Tops Riv, Emeril's Gets Facelift, Asparagus Festival Spears Ahead, Conference Center Goes Smoke-free, Tango & Spa, Barbecue Cooks With Live Music, More... | |
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REO Speedwagon is set to perform at Mandalay Beach on Friday, Sept. 4 at 9 p.m. Tickets with tax included are $38.50 in advance and $44 the day of show, call 702-632-7580.
REO Speedwagon took America by road in a rented Chevy station wagon playing bars across America after its first record hit the shelves in 1971. The group has produced 17 critically acclaimed albums, scored 13 top 40 singles and sold over 40 million records.
The long people mover that for years brought patrons into Caesars Palace from the corner of the Strip and Flamingo Avenue has been replaced by an entertainment and retail plaza.
The new $40 million five-acre project includes the first new porte cochére at Caesars since 1979. The south-end Plaza features Viale, a 230-seat Italian indoor-outdoor restaurant; Spanish Steps bar, 250 seats under a permanent umbrella structure; Caesars Amphitheater, an outdoor entertainment venue that seats 1,750, but can be expanded to fit 4,500; 200-seat weddings and events venue; and a number of vendor carts.
Nine stone angels that once played their trumpets along the drive leading to the former Omnimax movie theater now perch atop a row of Corinthian columns near the new outdoor amphitheater.
The new north-end Strip entrance to the Forum Shops is scheduled to open in October and will bring Caesars closer to visitors passing by on the Strip. It's estimated that 35 million pedestrians pass the Plaza corner annually.
The David Clayton-Thomas and Blood Sweat & Tears tour will visit The Club at The Cannery in North Las Vegas on July 31 for a performance that spans over three decades of musical history and includes hits such as "Spinning Wheel," "You Make Me Feel So Very Happy," and "I Love You More than You'll Ever Know." Tickets are $9.95, $19.95 and $29.95 plus tax and applicable fees, call 702-507-5868.
New displays honoring Las Vegas icons such as Elvis, Liberace, Trini Lopez, Nelson Sardelli, De Castro Sisters, Mafalda, and the Coquettes, are now on display in the Casino Legends Hall of Fame inside the Tropicana. The museum, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., is home to the largest collection of Nevada gaming memorabilia ever assembled. General admission is $6.95 for adults and $5.95 for seniors; call 702-739-2222.
A custom made TCB Karate red and white gi worn by Elvis Presley can be seen as part of "The King's" display along with an original guitar, gold records, and other memorabilia. Also behind the glass enclosed Elvis attraction is a collection of photographs taken throughout his career in Las Vegas, including one of him performing on stage at the New Frontier on April 30, 1956.
The display with Liberace's memorabilia has one of his famous candelabras that he carried from concert to concert. There is also a gold framed portrait of Liberace painted in 1978 by a fan of his, artist Ken Mobley. Another item is a costume, the blue jump suit and boots with mink collar and cuffs that was the first suit made for the superstar by Michael Travis.
The display of international singing sensation Trini Lopez, who began his music career at the young age of 11, features a photo of the singer with his first guitar he bought for $12. A favorite costume, complete with the hat that Trini wore for performances at the Riviera and The Desert Inn from 1971-73 as well as a framed Gold Record for his famous hit "If I Had a Hammer," are also part of the exhibit.
Personal items including costumes, photos, and other memorabilia from other Las Vegas Legends, such as Nelson Sardelli, the De Castro Sisters, Mafalda, and The Coquettes, are on show.
Larger Than Life: The Ultimate Tribute to KISS rolls into The Hideaway Showroom at the Silverton for a two-night performance, Aug. 6 and 7 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $9.99, call 1-866-946-4373 or 702-914-8557. The Silverton is located three miles south of the Strip, off I-15 at Blue Diamond Rd.
Larger Than Life celebrates the rock legacy of one of the most popular bands ever. Gary Stevens (as Paul Stanley), Jimmy Newell (as Peter Criss), Val Popovic (as Ace Frehley) and Jim Seda (as Gene Simmons) have come together to bring the music of KISS to a whole new generation of rock lovers. The four seasoned musicians have recreated every detail of the classic KISS shows, from the band's ornate makeup and costumes, to the elaborate stage shows complete with smoking guitars, pyrotechnics and fire breathing antics.
It's a rumor that's been floating around but it's beginning to take on some merit. We may see "The Phantom of the Opera" show up at The Venetian next year.
Look for the Hawaiian variety group Society of Seven to make a Las Vegas comeback on Aug. 7, doing an afternoon show in Bally's 1,160-seat theater that hosts "Jubilee!" at night. Filipino pop singer Lani Misalucha will be joining the show.
Female impersonator Kenny Kerr, known for years as the star of "Boy-lesque," has opened a new drag show at Sunset Station's Club Madrid. "Kenny Kerr and Friends" is playing at 10 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. Joining Kerr is a three-piece band and fellow impersonator Chad Michaels. Tickets are $19.95.
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Magician Dirk Arthur will be joining the "Splash" show at the Riviera tomorrow night. Arthur has had his own show at the Silverton and then at The Plaza downtown. "Rockin' & Romancin'" is the new six-week installment show at the Gold Coast running through Aug. 22. For this show, producer/singer Sharon Haynes is switching from doing Patsy Cline to the role of Mama Cass Elliot. Other characters in the tribute show include Engelbert Humperdinck and Frankie Valli. Cable Ace Award nominee Alan Havey will headline the Improv Comedy Club at Harrah's with Mike Burton and host Ronnie Schell, July 20-25, at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $24.95 plus tax, call 702-369-5222. Havey showcases his various talents on stage by playing off the audiences spontaneously and incorporating them into his act. He starred in two HBO specials; "One Night Stand" and "Command Performance," both of which earned him nominations for the prestigious Cable Ace Award. His resume also includes television programs and film appearances in "Seinfeld," "Viper," "The Louie Anderson Show," "Internal Affairs" and "Checking Out." Celebrating 21 years in comedy, "Grace Under Fire" sitcom star Brett Butler will once again take over the famous Top Of The Riv Ballroom on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 20 and 21. From Montgomery, Alabama, the People's Choice award winner will remind fans of her abusive relationships, her battles with life's demons and the unpredictable tabloids. Tickets are $27.50 plus tax and fee, call 702-794-9433. At an early age Butler observed the abusive relationships her mother endured. Soon she would encounter her own abuse, when she married at the age of 19. Abandoning the situation that accounts for much of her humor, Butler eventually worked as a waitress to earn a living. Her put-down remarks would amuse the customers and as fate would have it, one patron happened to own a comedy club. He convinced Butler to give a comedy a try and the rest, as the clich‚ goes, is show business history. She struck show business gold with when she produced and starred in "Grace Under Fire." Butler is also the author of "The New York Times" bestseller "Knee Deep In Paradise." After nine successful years, Emeril Lagasse's award winning New Orleans Fish House has closed for a month long renovation. The feel will remain the same; however, a wine tower will be added to the dining room and the Chef's Table will get a new look. The new entrance will have a water arch. James Beard Award winner Tom Colicchio opened Wichcraft, his newest outlet in Las Vegas on July 13, in the newly revamped Studio Walk at MGM Grand. This eatery is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The First Summer Asparagus Festival is being held at the Hofbrauhaus through Aug. 31. The tradition is prevalent in German pubs and brew houses and the Hofbrauhaus is featuring a "true spargelkarte asparagus menu" for both lunch and dinner. Treasure Island's Tangerine, the Strip's newest nightclub, has a lakefront Strip patio that overlooks the cove where the "Sirens of TI" pirate show takes place. The club inside has a very sleek sexy South Beach feel to it with a faux brick floor. Also on the nightclub scene, starting on July 26, Drai's After Hours will be open on Monday nights. A few weeks ago, the House of Blues started a Friday night after hours event at Oba named Lust. The MGM Grand Conference Center, a 380,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, has gone smoke-free. The MGM Grand is the first and only conference center in Las Vegas to offer a completely smoke-free environment. Designated outdoor smoking areas with ashtrays and seating are available at the South entrance of the conference center and the first floor patio adjacent to the pre-function area. Like Harrah's and Caesars Entertainment before it, MGM Mirage has introduced its own credit card, in conjunction with Bank One. The MGM credit-card program awards participants comp points for purchases financed by the credit card. Offers will be mailed to Bank One's and MGM Mirage's databases. The drink comping policy for machine players at the Mandalay Bay's bars is now done by slot supervisors or someone with comping authority and not by the bartenders. Argentine Tango Classes are offered at the JW Marriott on Sunday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Principal dancers teach technique and phrasing, followed by a practica and milonga. Couples and singles are welcome. All classes are included with spa passage of $35 per person or complimentary with a spa service. The award-winning Memphis Championship Barbecue is showcasing live entertainment at its Santa Fe Station location. Rocksicle, a local cover band playing power pop and mainstream rock songs from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today, is performing every Saturday night at 10 p.m. For information, call 702-396-6223, This Memphis Championship Barbecue location is home to the Memphis Blues Lounge, a 2,000-square-foot entertainment venue located within the restaurant. Complete with a 28-foot ceiling and brick walls, the restaurant has the look and feel reminiscent of an old building from Beale Street in Memphis.
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