Neil Diamond is scheduled to return to sing at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Dec. 27 and 28. Tickets are on sale for $50, $85 and $150, call Ticketmaster at 702-474-4000.

"V - The Ultimate Variety Show" at the Venetian features specialty performers one after another much like "The Ed Sullivan Show" on television used to do. The seven to eight acts are diverse from Chinese pole climbers to the Fusion Riders, three daredevil motorcyclists in a domed-cage.

Some acts like Aerial Expression, a flying adagio team that used to perform in "Storm" when it was at Mandalay Bay, will be in the show most of the time. Others may come and go like prop comedian Joe Trammel who will only appear on Thursday nights when he's off from his regular gig in "Crazy Girls" at the Riviera. One act, Russ Merlin, is a creative comedian who does a very funny audience-participation segment with four masks and four volunteers.

Each of the high-energy acts is used to giving a strong performance in a brief time span of about ten minutes. As a collective unit, the acts provide something for everyone.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. nightly showing of "V" are $22 for children, $49 for general admission, $59 for first level seating and $69 for a VIP ticket which includes a line pass, preferred seating and an autographed poster, call 702-933-4230.

Latin pop / rock legends Los Lobos will play the Stratosphere's Outdoor Events Center on Saturday, Oct. 26. Together since 1973, the group is marking the 25th anniversary of their first recording as well as celebrating the release of their 11th album, "Good Morning Aztlan."

Los Lobos became internationally known for their major breakthrough in 1987 with the smash No. 1 hit of Ritchie Valen's cover of "La Bamba" from the movie of the same name. Tickets are $25 for plaza seats and $30 for floor and premium seats, call 702-380-7711.

The Diamonds will appear at the Top Of The Riv on Saturday, Nov. 2. It has been 40 years since the group released an instant million selling hit called "Little Darlin'," a song to date that has sold approximately 20 million copies. The group is also known for showcasing one of America's first line dances, "The Stroll."

In concert, The Diamonds perform not only their hits from the '50s and '60s, but also pay tribute to the classic four-part groups of the era. Tickets are $14.50 plus tax and fee, call 702-794-9433.

The old showroom at the Plaza downtown reopened recently after being dormant for nearly a year. The Comedy Zone is occupying the room at 9 p.m. daily except Monday. Tickets are $16.45, call 702-386-2110.

This week, "Siegfried & Roy Presents Darren Romeo, the Voice of Magic" closed at The Mirage. Even though 26-year-old Romeo was a protege of the two famous Las Vegas magicians, his $30 matinee show in their showroom struggled. It's not that he didn't put on a good show; it's just hard to compete when you don't have an established name. However, I'm sure we haven't seen the last of Romeo because he is very talented.

The ultimate cultural event, "The Odyssey Lifestyle," is a celebration of the food and wine lifestyle through art, education and inspiration. This year the premiere lifestyle event that is hosted at select ballrooms and restaurants across the city is celebrating its third anniversary, Nov. 14-17.

A married couple, award winning graphics designer, Virginia Thompson, and architectural engineer, Mark V. Martino, produce the event presented by Audi.

The opening affair on Thursday afternoon will be "Wine and The Art of the Motorcycle" with the first ever tasting of fine wines inside the Las Vegas Guggenheim. That night the gourmet dinner, "A Taste of Autumn," will transform Parian at the JW Marriott into a fall fantasy. Two to four festivities are planned each day.

Seating is limited at the events. Individual event prices range from $75 to $300. Participants can also purchase packages that combine, four ($325), seven ($995), and nine ($1,255) events. For information and a detailed list of all the activities, call 1-877-370-9182 or 702-257-2345, or visit www.lasvegasodyssey.com.

The Orleans new 9,000-seat arena is scheduled for completion in May 2003. In anticipation, Coast Casinos, Inc. has announced that the Las Vegas Wranglers Professional Hockey minor league team will play at the new arena in the fall of 2003 as a newly admitted member of the East Coast Hockey League.

The Orleans Arena will feature larger seats, more spacious rows, a prominently displayed LED video screen with a 700-foot LED wraparound video system, over 8,000 free parking spaces and $3 drinks. The arena will be the last leg of an overall $150 million resort expansion.

The Warner Bros. romp "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" is finishing up a two-week location shoot in downtown Las Vegas. Joining the film's animated stars Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are human celebs Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, and Kate Houghton.

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Music icons David Crosby and Judy Collins will perform onstage together at Paris Las Vegas, Oct. 25-27. Over the past four decades, both singers have made their mark in pop culture. Crosby has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice as a founding member of two seminal bands. Once with The Byrds and then again with Crosby, Stills and Nash. Folksinger Collins has recorded 37 albums, many of which hit gold and platinum status. Tickets are $65 with tax included, 1-877-374-7469 or 702-946-4567.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, "Splash" at the Riviera will move its dark day from Friday to Thursday, Nov. 28. Show times on Friday, Nov. 29, will be at 8 and 10:30 p.m. The production show was recently renovated with new dance numbers, costumes and finale.

The Henderson Pavilion at Liberty Pointe is the Las Vegas Valley's newest outdoor amphitheater with fixed seating for 2,500 people and lawn space for up to 5,000. A 40,000-square-foot canopy acts as a roof for the open stage and seating area. There are approximately 3,800 square feet of stage area, an orchestra pit, and a traditional proscenium arch with an adjacent structure housing concessions and rest rooms.

The city has booked 11 performances for the pavilion's official season, which runs from March through June. Tickets will range from $2 for lawn seating to $15 for a front-row fixed seat. The wide range of entertainment will conclude with nine-time Grammy Award winner Asleep at the Wheel on June 28.

The third annual Terry Fox fundraising event hosted by the Four Seasons is scheduled for Nov. 15-16. The weekend festivities will kick off on Friday night with a lavish $250 signature chefs' dinner and a travel silent auction that includes exotic trips to Four Seasons around the world.

On Saturday, serious runners as well as families are invited to participate in the 5K run and fun walk at Sun City Anthem in Henderson. The $20 registration fee that must be received by Nov. 8 includes a commemorative t-shirt and a Four Seasons catered breakfast buffet. Prizes will be awarded during the breakfast meal and massage therapists will be on hand to ease aching muscles.

Every year, each of the 55 Four Seasons hotels and resorts worldwide, in 22 countries, hosts a run in honor of Terry Fox, a young Canadian who lost his leg to cancer when he was 18 years old. In 1980, Fox ran his "Marathon of Hope," a run across Canada using an artificial leg. He ran 26 miles each day for 143 days before cancer claimed his life.

The 15,000-square-foot Alakazam Food Court at the Desert Passage mall that opened in 2000 has closed. The mall intends to replace the food court with an equal or greater selection of quick and reasonably priced food most likely throughout the center instead of in one centralized location. In the interim, the mall has nine full-service restaurants, four are new this year, and two quick-serve eateries.

John Anthony is making his return visit to "Legends In Concert" at the Imperial Palace with his tribute to Rod Stewart. Since his first performance in 1991, he has been back performing the role many times. Anthony resembles Stewart so closely in appearance and voice that Stewart himself has requested videos of Anthony's act for review.

Other tributes in "Legends" currently include Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, The Temptations, Prince and Elvis. Tickets are $34.50 for adults with two drinks, tax and tip included. Children 12 and under are $19.50, call 1-888-777-7664 or 702-794-3261.

Border Grill at Mandalay Bay will celebrate Halloween in the traditional Mexican way with Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The occasion is a remembrance of departed loved ones celebrated with happy thoughts, music and good food. From Oct. 21 through Nov. 3, special menus will feature foods typical of the holiday. For information, call 702-632-7403.

The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, which is a source of information for visitors as well as residents, has upgraded its Web site www.lvchamber.com. The wedding and relocation information sections are also expanded.

Nevada Numbers is a statewide casino keno game owned by Las Vegas Gaming Inc. The future plan is to have a statewide bingo game with a large-than-normal jackpot. State regulators haven't approved the bingo game yet, but the company expects to begin testing the game in casinos by November.

Similar to Nevada Numbers, Nevada Bingo would link dozens of casinos that sign up to offer it. Once a day, each casino would pick the same numbers, based on a random number drawing at the central location. Players would mark their numbers on cards made especially for the game. The bingo game would offer a jackpot of $20,000 and smaller prizes of $1,199, compared to a more typical prize of $100 or less.

Planet Bingo, a company that operates linked bingo games at tribal casinos nationwide, also expects to roll out a statewide bingo game in Nevada this year.

Each of the top 11 largest hotels in Las Vegas has over 3,000 rooms and collectively they provide 39,265 rooms. Where else can you find resorts of this magnitude? For trivia enthusiasts, the hotels rank in the following order according to number of rooms: MGM Grand (5,034), Luxor (4,407), Excalibur (4,008), Circus Circus (3,770), Flamingo (3,565), Mandalay Bay (3,220), Las Vegas Hilton (3,174), The Mirage (3,044), Venetian (3,036), Bellagio (3,005), and Monte Carlo (3,002).

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