by Jackie Brett Send Me E-mail

Yanni will return to Las Vegas on Nov. 6 with a performance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Tickets are $65 and $100 with tax included, call 702-632-7580.

An interesting fact is that Yanni's first appearance in the United States was as a champion swimmer for the Greek National Swimming Team at age 14.

Now his music is a success in the realm of adult-alternative radio. His scores also have a place in the world of television, commercial and film and have been used on the "Wide World of Sports" and Olympic Games.

His second album, "Yanni: Live At The Acropolis" debuted in 1994 and has remained on the charts and sold more than seven million copies worldwide. It has also earned more than 35 platinum and gold albums, and become one of the best-selling music videos of all time.

Yanni has been the first major Western Artist to perform and record at India's Taj Mahal and China's Forbidden City, which resulted in "Tribute," a multi-platinum album.

The Las Vegas Broadway series is moving from the Aladdin to Cashman Theatre with special engagements planned at the Mandalay Bay and the Orleans Arenas. The series runs from October 2004 through April 2005 and season packages are available.

"Peter Pan" starts the series, Oct. 19-24, at Cashman Theatre. Two-time Olympian and Tony Award Nominee Cathy Rigby is playing the lead on her farewell tour as Peter. Tickets run from $51.70 to $73.70, call 702-798-5090.

"Les Miserables" will follow, Nov. 2-7, at Cashman Theatre. "Mannheim Steamroller" will bring their Christmas Spectacular to the Mandalay Bay Arena on Dec. 12 and the Andy William Christmas Show will be presented at the Orleans Arena on Dec. 18.

"Contact" will play at Cashman Theatre, Dec. 30-Jan. 2, followed by "Jekyll & Hyde," Feb. 8-13. "The Graduate" will close the season, April 19-24.

The 17th annual Las Vegas Harvest Festival will once again transform Cashman Center into an arts and crafts shopping paradise with more than 250 exhibitors including 100 of them being new. The event runs Aug. 27-29. Hours are 10 a.m. daily until 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and until 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The show will feature a special New Product Showcase area, many artists demonstrating the making of their crafts, homemade food gifts, and a panorama of performers, plus special activities just for kids.

The Harvest Festival offers $1 off general admission for attendees bringing a can of food, baby food or formula or paper products. The donations go directly to the non-profit Safe Nest. You can also get a $1 off coupon off the event's Web site at www.harvestfestival.com. Admission is $7.50, $6.50 for seniors 62 and over, and $4.50 for children 6 to 12.

The First Friday 2nd Anniversary in the Arts District located downtown will be celebrated on Oct. 1 from 6 to 10 p.m. with a street festival featuring bands, poets, dancers and painters of the Pacific Art Collective. The Arts District's 40-plus galleries, studios and eclectic shops will be open for the evening to welcome the public and food and beverages will be for sale in the area.

The entertainers will travel from Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose, California, to perform on the main stage, to be located on Colorado Avenue between 3rd Street and Main. The street festival will feature San Jose musical groups Life With Jonas, Delta Activity and Day One Symphony, poets Mike McGee and Paradox, and dancer Tiffany Glen. Artists Damon Soule, Sue Averell, Chris Cowan and Llane will paint at easels adjacent to the seating areas, enabling visitors to watch them work.

The city of Las Vegas Arts Buses will offer free rides to all First Friday stops. Colorado Street between Main and 3rd streets will be closed to traffic. Limited valet parking will be available at the corner of Main Street and Boulder Avenue. For more information on First Friday and a map of the Arts District, call Richard Hooker at the city of Las Vegas at 702-229-5431, or go online and visit www.firstfriday-lasvegas.org.

The Silverton, located three miles south of the Strip off I-15 at Blue Diamond Rd., will host legendary twister Chubby Checker and his band The Wildcats on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $19.99, call 1-866-946-4373 or 702-914-8557.

Chubby Checker, whose real name is Ernest Evans, started out as a teenager in the mid-1950s doing singing impressions of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry in a South Philadelphia poultry market. Within three years, he landed a record deal and introduced a revolutionary dance to the world.

In November 1959 on "American Bandstand," Chubby unveiled the Twist and the concept of "dancing apart to the beat" to the mass teenage audience.

The dance craze quickly swept the nation and garnered extreme worldwide controversy and was even banned in parts of Florida and New York.

"The Twist" was a hugely successful record and became the only record in pop music history to reach No. 1 in two different years by the same artist. Accordingly, Chubby Checker was awarded the first-ever platinum album in recognition for record sales. By October 1963, Chubby introduced several other dances, like the Pony, Fly and Shake. Most recently, Checker's hit has been valuable to such advertisers as Nabisco, Hershey, Hyundai and Tropicana.

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