The George Strait Chevy Truck Country Music Festival starring Strait, Alan Jackson, Lonestar, Lee Ann Womack, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans and Asleep at the Wheel will take place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on April 1. Tickets for the 12:30 p.m. show are $49.50 and $59.50, call 888-464-2468.

Venetian resort owner Sheldon Adelson has announced plans to break ground on Phase 2 by early 2002. This expansion would include a 3,000-room, $800 million to $900 million second resort hotel that would take no more than two years to build. Architects are working on what the new theme may be.

Meanwhile, Phase 2 will be in addition to the 1,100-room hotel tower being built on top of the Venetian's parking garage. Construction on the $200 million tower called "Phase 1-A" will begin by July and be finished by mid-2002. If all this comes to fruition, the Venetian would become the world's largest hotel by 2004 with 7,200 rooms.

In addition, Adelson is having his measurements taken by the principal sculptor for the Tussaud's Group so the artists can create his lifelike wax figure, which will go into the famous museum located at his Venetian hotel-casino.

Off beat comic/magician Mac King recently celebrated his one-year anniversary performing an afternoon hit show at Harrah's. He takes the stage twice daily, Tuesday through Saturday, at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Comedy Cabaret on the second floor. Tickets are $10.95 plus tax.

King recently added a new finale to his show, a good-natured spoof of Siegfried and Roy, which involves, among other things, the mysterious appearance of a "tiger."

King has the uncanny knack of mixing the obvious with the unknown. He uses common household items in an unpredictable way, such as Corn Flakes, grocery bags, carrots, gold fish, a worm called "Jasper," and even reoccurring Fig Newtons. One of his original creations is his famous "Clock of Invisibility." This is an ordinary yellow raincoat that, according to King, possesses "extraordinary" powers to render him invisible.

Having made many television appearances, King has the distinction of being the only performer to have appeared on all five of NBC's "World Greatest Magic" shows.

Monte Carlo's master magician Lance Burton has two cable specials airing on Fox Family Channel next month. March 17 is when "Lance Burton's Young Magicians Showcase" will air featuring young talent from more than 200 tapes of aspiring novices. "Lance Burton: Master Magician on the Road," will air on March 31. This show takes Burton to Hollywood's famous Magic Caste nightclub and to a Florida beach for a bit with Ali Laundry, the "Doritos Girl."

The Las Vegas Tourist Bureau located at the south end of the Strip on Las Vegas Blvd. near Mandalay Bay and off I-15's Exit 34 offers room and air packages, tours to the Grand Canyon and last minute room availability. Free funbooks are given with every hotel reservation, call 1-800-522-9555 or visit Las Vegas Tourist Bureau online.

Don't forget this is the week "Forever Plaid" closes at the Flamingo following a six-year run. The last show is on Feb. 28, and at this time the show hasn't found a new location.

Patti La Belle will perform at the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday March 9, with special guest David Hollister. Tickets are $35, $50 and $75 through Ticketmaster, 702-474-4000.

The Monkees - starring most of the originals, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork - will perform at the MGM Hollywood Theater March 29-April 4. Tickets are $45.

This coming week is NASCAR race week in Las Vegas. If you're looking to see some of the drivers, check out the NASCAR Cafe at the Sahara Hotel where many of them will being doing signings beginning on Thursday night, March 1. On March 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. defending NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte will be signing in the hotel's ballroom.

On a tremendously sad note, an immediate memorial for Dale Earnhardt began following his tragic death after the Daytona race on Feb. 18. His number 3 car is at the NASCAR Cafe and fans have been depositing flowers, letters, cards and other mementos all around it. A signing wall has been set up and will remain through race weekend. Afterwards, everything but the flowers will be passed on to his family.

The Four Seasons in Las Vegas will celebrate the opening of the 259-room luxury Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin by having a drawing during the week leading up to St. Patrick's Day. The winner will receive a four-night stay at the Georgian-style sanctuary that features the largest guestrooms in Dublin.

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Each guest experiencing dinner in The Verandah from March 11-17, will be eligible for a drawing to win two round trip tickets to Dublin donated by Aer Lingus and four nights accommodations at the sister property. Dinner served nightly from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. will feature traditional Irish fare. The drawing will take place on St. Patrick's Day at the end of the evening and the winners will be contacted by phone. Reservations are recommended, call 702-632-5000.

The afternoon high tea featured daily in The Verandah will also carry an Irish theme and feature Buttermilk Scones, Irish Sugar Shortbread, Whiskey Fruitcake and Irish Clotted Cream. Tea is served from 2 until 5 p.m. with piano accompaniment.

Tim Conway and Harvey Korman famous for their roles on the old Carol Burnett television show will headline in their touring show "Together Again" at the Las Vegas Hilton, March 8-10. Tickets for their 9 p.m. shows are $50, $60 and $70, call 702-732-5755.

The show has come and gone, but what a neat concept. The television show "Inside Edition" filmed a segment called "Switched," where showgirl Janu Tornell traveled to Seattle, Washington and assumed the position of a librarian. In turn, Jennifer Lucas, a librarian from Seattle, came to Las Vegas and appeared in the "Folies Bergere" show at the Tropicana as a showgirl.

Roy Clark, the man who was responsible for country music crossing over onto the pop charts, will take over the Orleans Showroom, March 15-18. While Clark had his first paid performance with his dad's band when he was 15 years old, his major success didn't begin until he was 30. Most people recall him starring in "Hee-Haw," the countrified "Laugh-In"-type show with music that premiered in 1969.

The guitar wizard won a national banjo competition in 1950. Subsequently, he was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, which lead to shows with Red Foley and Ernest Tubb. In 1954, he joined Jimmy Dean and the Texas Wildcats, appearing in clubs and on radio and TV, and even backing up Elvis Presley. His autobiography is "My Life - In Spite of Myself." Tickets for his shows at the Orleans are $29.95, $34.95 and $39.95 plus tax, call 702-365-7075.

Illusionists Siegfried & Roy are making a big splash in Sports Illustrated's famous annual swimsuit issue coming out this month. The famous duo was photographed last fall for this special issue that will also carry an interview with them.

Billy Gardell will headline the Riviera Comedy Club as part of KXTE's XXXtreme Comedy Showcase on Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24. Gardell from a broken home, struggled through his awkward teens as an overweight misfit. Living in central Florida, he took part-time jobs to help his mother support his younger brother and sister, while simultaneously writing, directing and starring in a high school production titled, "Winter Park Live," In the show, he portrayed a Ralph Kramden -type character.

Discovered by Florida audiences, he won over the comedy club circuit before he was legally old enough to drink alcohol. He was the most requested act by regular patrons at the Bonkers Comedy Club in Orlando.

Gardell has since appeared on MTV, A&E and mainstream television. You may have caught him on CBS' "King Of Queens," ABC's "It's Like, You Know_," NBC's short-lived "Battery Park" or HBO's "Best Of The Fest." Tickets for Gardell's 11:45 p.m. late night shows are $14 plus taxes and fees, call 702-794-9433.

A recent newspaper story claims the Fashion Outlet of Las Vegas mall in Primm, Nevada just 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas off I-15 at the California border is among the top five outlet centers in the nation. It generates sales of $426 a square foot. TrizecHahn developed the $75 million, 400,000-square-foot upscale outlet center and opened it in July 1998.

What a thrill! The Las Vegas Hilton's Executive Pastry Chef Stanton Ho as president, lead his Team USA on to win the gold at the recent Coupe Du Monde de la Patisseries, which is the World Pastry Cup in Lyon, France. The competition first took place in 1989.

This international event judges the three professions of pastry cook, chocolate maker and ice cream maker. Within nine hours, in front of 15 international judges, each team had to create pastries that were judged in eight categories.

The Harlem Globetrotters celebrating their 75th anniversary will appear at the Thomas & Mack Friday, March 2. Tickets are $10, $17 and $20 plus a $2 facility fee, call 1-888-464-2468.

Station Casinos will build a 200-room hotel with a 60,000-square-foot casino and 10-screen movie theater. Constuction will begin within two years at the intersection of Craig Road and Commerce Street in North Las Vegas.

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