"Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance" is extended through Sunday, July 28, when it will end its successful four-year run at New York-New York. After closing, the Las Vegas "Lord of the Dance" troupe will continue performing, along with the other two "Lord of the Dance" troupes, in the United States and throughout the world.

The Las Vegas-based production is celebrating its continuation at the hotel with new dance numbers and costumes affecting about thirty-percent of the show. When it comes to phenomenal dancing and high energy, this show is definitely working overtime.

The show's story told in music and dance by a cast of 40 gifted dancers and musicians is based on old Irish folklore as Don Dorcha and his warriors challenge the Lord of the Dance. The Lord verses the Dark Lord. In the end, goodness triumphs, but the journey includes numerous skirmishes and challenges.

The next Casino Legends Hall of Fame induction ceremony will honor Trini Lopez, Vikki Carr, Mayor Oscar Goodman, Charo, and The Characters. Pat Cooper will be hosting the ceremony that will be held on Friday, April 12, at 1 p.m. The public is always invited to fill the Tiffany Showroom and witness this event that honors individuals whose accomplishments have made a significant impact on the gaming and entertainment industries in Las Vegas.

Two headliners have cancelled their MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre engagements in April. Rodney Dangerfield will not be performing April 4-10, and Paul Anka will miss his April 18-24 dates. New performers will be announced.

Award winning comedy magician Fielding West has opened a new show at Bourbon Street called "The Fielding West Show: Comedy, Tricks and Naked Chicks!" The title says it all. Tickets are $29.95 with two drinks included, call 702-737-7200. Show times are 10:30 p.m., Thursday through Tuesday, in the Big Easy Showroom.

While Fielding is the best known of the trio, his two sidekicks have their own accomplishments. Marcy Parker has danced for four years in the "Melinda, First Lady of Magic" show, appeared at the Shadow Bar in Caesar's Palace, and most recently starred as an XFL Cheerleader for the Las Vegas Outlaws. Natalie Lund is a professional tap dancer who was Miss Minnesota 1999 and competed in the 2000 Miss America Pageant.

Fielding has made many network television appearances, opened for many big name headliners, and written original magic, scripts and illusions for other magicians. He recently worked as a technical director along with The Great Tomsoni Johnny Thompson for world famous magicians Siegfried & Roy on their new 3-D IMAX movie "The Magic Box" released last Sept. 23.

Bellagio has announced plans to hold a series of nine big-money poker tournaments this year. Entry fees for the individual events at each of the tourneys will range between $3,000 and $10,000.

The first tournament is scheduled for April 17-19, and each event will cost $3,000 to enter. The second tournament is slated for the end of May, with those events costing $10,000.

The famous World Series of Poker events at Binion's Horseshoe downtown will begin April 20 and run through May 14. World Series entry fees range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Last year's 25 events at Binion's Horseshoe garnered more than 6,000 entrants and generated almost $18 million in prizes.

The Commodores, who blazed a trail through the 70s and 80s as the largest selling act on the Motown label, have signed a multiple 13-week engagement musical act agreement with the Las Vegas Hilton. The Righteous Brothers and the Smothers Brothers have signed similar deals.

The Commodores were signed by Motown Records in 1974 after touring the United States and Canada as the opening act for the Jackson Five. The Commodores, who performed at the Las Vegas Hilton last month, will headline again March 26- April 7, April 23 - May 9, Sept. 10 - Oct. 6 and Nov. 26 - Dec. 5.

Gilley's Saloon, Dance and Bar-B-Que at the New Frontier on the Strip has a free attraction that few people know about. Adventure seekers might enjoy taking a ride on the wild side by jumping on Beauford the Bull. The nice aspect to this ride is foam mats under the mechanical bull cushion any falls. If you are over 18 or have consent from a parent, you can ride the fake bull.

Beauford was designed especially for Gilley's Saloon. The bull is supported by race-car shocks and operated by two levers. The right lever controls the spin and speed, the left signals the buck. Together these actions create realistic bull-like qualities and the bull's real head adds more realism.

Hotelier Ian Schrager, who also owned the original Studio 54 nightclub in New York, has put a deposit down to buy the 800-room Maxim hotel-casino that is currently closed and boarded up. If he purchases the property, he wants to invest about $200 million and upgrade it for a sophisticated audience to enjoy the well-romanticized Frank Sinatra era of Las Vegas. He would also enlarge the casino and add an entertainment or meeting facility.

TOP OF NEXT COLUMN

Last week we mentioned that "Chippendales: The Show" has opened a two-year gig at the Rio, joining "Thunder From Down Under" at the new Frontier as shows offering spicy entertainment geared towards the ladies. These two shows will soon be joined by yet another male strip show, "The Cast of Playgirl," which will open March 14 at The Beach nightclub.

"Thunder From Down Under" highlights hunks from Australia. It has been playing in town for nearly a year, after having made summer stops at the Stardust for numerous years while they toured.

The Chippendales have been around for decades and made a highly marketable name for themselves.

Playgirl will enter the market featuring guys from all over the world and market to a new generation.

In contrast, there are still more bare-all shows starring the ladies, and another one will soon be added. The Rio is going to open a late-night counterpart to the Chippendales' show. "Showgirl" will be a female topless show that will open in the hotel's Samba Theatre in late March.

"Rockin' USA," a '50s and '60s rock and roll impersonators show, will be the third show to share the Le Bistro Theater with singer Marlene Ricci and Jay White's Neil Diamond tribute.

George Trullinger, who for years played Buddy Holly in "Legends in Concert" at the Imperial Palace, will lead the tribute. He had a similar revue in an afternoon slot at the MGM Grand lounge before Sept. 11, called "The Heroes of Rock & Roll Show."

Ray Anthony as Ritchie Valens and Harry Shahoian doing the younger Elvis Presley will join Trullinger.

If you're looking for a Las Vegas tradition and a slice of its history, make your way downtown to the Golden Gate.

The tradition is the famous 99-cent shrimp cocktail served in a tulip glass. It actually began in 1959 as a 50-cent shrimp cocktail in the same style glass. In 1991, the hotel celebrated the sale of its 25 millionth shrimp cocktail. If you want larger shrimp, you can pay $2.99 for the option.

On the history side, the little hotel opened in 1906 on Fremont Street as the Hotel Nevada with 35 rooms and gambling, including poker and roulette. The state took a break from legalized gambling between 1909 and 1931.

There was a period before 1955 when the property had no gaming and it was called Sal Sagev, which is Las Vegas spelled backwards. New owners from San Francisco took over in 1955 and named it after a famous landmark, the Golden Gate. A couple renovations and remodeling jobs have increased the number of rooms to 106 with 400 gaming machines plus some table games.

The Liberace Museum is currently under construction and the ribbon cutting for the new museum is set for May 30, 2002.

Part of the construction includes the new expanded Museum Store making it three times the size of the previous store. There will be new Liberace related merchandise including a new Lee-Bear-Achee bear in all red sequins and rhinestones with white fuzzy trim. He is modeled after the famous Liberace red icicle costume. Cost will be $19.95 plus shipping.

After construction, there will be a new Liberace Caf‚ with morning and afternoon treats including specialty coffee, muffins, bagels, sandwiches, salads, and fresh baked cookies.

Alicia Keys, who was scheduled to sing at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts on March 8, has cancelled her concert and moved it to July 27. The reason given was scheduling conflicts. Tickets are still $35.50 and $55.50, call 702-785-5000.

MTV's reality series "The Real World" continues to roll along heading into the second month of a five-month stay at the Palms.

Students are getting a break at the Riviera when they see the sexy topless "Splash" show now through April 30. The deal is students 18 years of age or older can show their student identification card and bring a friend along for free. Tickets start at $51.50 plus taxes, call 702-794-9433.

"Splash" features Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Madonna and Cher tribute artists, along with outstanding specialty acts including World Silver Medallist Cindy Landry-Davis and 2006 Olympic hopeful Jered Guzman, Guinness World Record holders Bela Tabak's Riders of the Thunderdome, Argentinean entertainers Los Latin Cowboys and a juggling trio, The Richard Brothers.

The Silverton, located off the Strip and I-15 as you come into town from California, is now booking some name entertainers. Look for Ricky Van Shelton on May 25 and 26, Peter Noone on June 1 and the Bellamy Brothers on July 27.

Off the Strip at 7440 S. Industrial Road, visitors can take in a free tour of the National Vitamin Company's factory and watch how the products are produced and packaged. The tour of the processing plant is self-guided and open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. The production runs on Sunday are limited, but video monitors show films of the machines in action.

At the end of the tour, visitors enter the plant's retail shop that stocks their in-house labels like Nature's Blend and Life-Line. There are also free monthly nutritional supplement lectures. For information, call 702-269-9600.

CONTINUE ON TO...:
>THIS WEEK'S LAUGHLIN SEGMENT
>LAST WEEK'S LAS VEGAS SEGMENT
>VEGAS VIEWS FULL ARCHIVES
>Return to "Heard Around Town"
>Return to Las Vegas Leisure Guide