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| Sunday, April 25, 2004 | PRIOR ISSUE - ARCHIVES |
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| Thrills On The Edge, Amazing Johnathan Moves, Jeff Hobson Throws Money, Psychic Schear Sees Return, CMA In Vegas Country, "V" and "Lord of the Dance" Close, "Las Vegas Sings for America", Grand Canal Shoppes Sold, Station Casinos Breaks Ground, Drag-themed Nightclub Dresses Downtown, Church Goes Caffine, Benedict's Eclectic Dining, Ellis Island To Run Tuscany Casino, Race for Atlantis Sinks, Golf Courses Hit The Rough, Las Vegas Bowl Moves Date, More... | |
The Stratosphere has received regulatory approval from the Las Vegas Planning Commission for the fourth -- and last -- thrill ride at the top of the tower. The as-yet-unnamed ride will dangle riders over the edge of the observation deck, allowing them to look straight down to the ground, and twirl them 866 feet above the Las Vegas Strip at a maximum speed of 40 mph.
Up to 10 riders will be loaded on the ride. Five arms of a centrifuge with two riders per arm will be extended over the edge. The ride is expected to be completed in spring or summer 2005.
Madman comic magician Amazing Johnathan opened at the Riviera last Friday, performing in the 650-seat La Cage Theater where Frank Marino became a legend. Tickets for the nightly except Thursday 10 p.m. show are $49.95 plus taxes and fees, call 702-794-9433.
Amazing Johnathan also has added some new material and his wacky assistant of more than three years, Psychic Tanya, has stayed with him. The uproarious blonde supports his act with silly banter and spontaneous hilarity that adds to the off-the-wall production.
The Amazing Johnathan Show has adult themes and language. Those under the age of 18 will not be admitted without a parent or legal guardian.
"Jeff Hobson's Money and Madness Show" at the Excalibur is a one-man show mixing two things audiences love... comedy and money. Throughout the evening's performance, Hobson randomly disperses real bills to audience members baiting them with the idea that it pays to see his show. So far, it's a novel idea that hasn't been done in a Las Vegas revue before.
Tickets are $32.20, call 702-597-7600.
Mixing this alluring approach with Hobson's highly polished comedy / sleight of hand abilities and his clever weird flamboyant sexually ambiguous character makes the show fun. Over the years, Hobson has perfected his stage persona, which fuses the manic outrageous traits of Liberace and Paul Lynde. He hosted "Spellbound" at Harrah's for years and more recently
emceed two other variety productions, "V" at the Venetian and "The World's Greatest Magic Show" at the Sahara.
His over-the-top character models a variety of sequined blazers and smoking jackets while delivering many hysterically suggestive lines. With perfect timing, Hobson chooses the burly guys with tattoos at the very start of his show and says, "I know what you're thinking" and waits for the laugh.
Hobson continues, "But I'm not." He repeats, "I'm not!" as everyone laughs. "I was... but I'm not anymore." Then he looks at the tough guy and delivers his line that sets the tone of the show, "But I could be again." From the start of his act, he draws in his audience and keeps them laughing.
After making her Las Vegas debut at the beginning of this month, Internationally known psychic and author, Dayle Schear will return and connect with live audiences again in the David Brenner Theater at the new Westin Casuarina, April 26-May 2. Tickets are $40.00 plus tax, call 702-836-9775.
Schear's special "Crossing Over" presentation allows audience members to interact with her gift of connecting them with their past, present and future.
She focuses her unique abilities to "read" audience members, utilizing a natural-born gift for Psychometry - the art of holding onto personal items. Schear likes people to bring personal objects such as photos of loved ones, watches, or other jewelry that are closely associated with the person they want to find out about or themselves.
Schear is credited with solving numerous cases. She has appeared on many network television shows and written an autobiography, "Dare To Be Different;" "The Psychic Within;" "Believe," which is a inspirational fable; and "Tarot for the Beginners."
The 39th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 26. The lineup already includes Toby Keith, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Montgomery Gentry and Lonestar.
Linda Ronstadt, whose career now spans more than 25 years, will be accompanied by a symphony orchestra and headline at the Aladdin on Saturday, July 17. Tickets range from $36.85 to $78.85, call 702-785-5077.
"V" and "Lord of the Dance" will both close at the Venetian on April 30.
Will Roya will open and star in his own variety show "Applause," on May 29 at Bourbon Street. Tickets will be $39.95 plus tax and include one drink, call 702-737-7200.
Tony Sacca, the producer and singing host of the weekly television show, "Entertainment Las Vegas Style," will present the first "Las Vegas Sings for America" benefit performance. The live patriotic show will be taped for local and national television, on Sunday, June 6, in the Theatre of the Stars at the Stratosphere at 1 p.m. The show will be open to the public and a
$25 donation is requested, call 702-889-3587.
The Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian has found a buyer, General Growth Properties (GGP), a Chicago-based real-estate company and the nation's second-largest shopping center owner. They are also purchasing space inside the Palazzo, the Venetian's new resort next door.
GGP will pay approximately $766 million for the existing 500,000-square-foot mall and at least $250 million for the right to build at the Palazzo.
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The District at Green Valley Ranch off I-215 in Henderson has opened and it's billed as a "Metropolitan Lifestyle Center." The $80 million 400,000-square-foot District, next to Green Valley Ranch Station Casino, is a mixed-use mall, with retail, dining, entertainment, and office space, as well as a residential component of 88 luxury lofts and flats above the stores. Some of the District's 40 shops include REI (the first in southern Nevada), Anthropologie (international clothing and decorator items), Coldwater Creek (women's fashions), Williams-Sonoma, Sharper Image, Ann Taylor, and a Fidelity Investments storefront. Some of the restaurants include Al's Garage (pub with gambling machines), King's Fishhouse, Elephant Bar, La Salsa, and others. Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que and P.F. Chang's occupy stand-alone buildings next to the mall. Station Casinos broke ground this month for its new 400-room Summerlin resort project, Red Rock Station Resort and Casino scheduled to open in early 2006. The resort will cost between $450 to $475 million and feature 87,000 square feet of casino space, six bars, a movie theater, arcade, child-care center, lounge, salon and spa, 10 restaurants and meeting space. It will sit on an approximately 70-acre site. Ohio Businessman Donald Troxel will be leasing space inside the former Trolley Stop casino downtown at Third Street and Ogden Avenue. He plans to take over 10,000 square feet of the approximately 24,000-square-foot building and open a drag-themed nightclub in November. His deal will include a showroom, lounge, outdoor patio area and gift shop. Downtown Las Vegas is beginning to undergo some serious redevelopment and two local businessmen have purchased Las Vegas' first church, the First United Methodist Church at Third and Bridger streets near the Clark County Courthouse, for $1.1 million. The church that was built in the 1930s has been closed since last summer and has a historical marker from when it was founded on the old Las Vegas town site in 1905. The plans are to renovate the 2,500-square-foot chapel, add stain glass and open the Downtown Coffee Co. The building is expected to begin reconstruction on July 1. Office space will be leased out on the second floor and the ground floor will also house the Copy Center at Manpower. Wynn Las Vegas has announced its top culinary leaders. Grant MacPherson, former executive chef at Bellagio and most recently Wynn Macau, will be the new resort's executive chef. Frederic Robert, who for the last 13 years has overseen all pastry-making operations for restaurants in the Alain Ducasse chain, will serve as executive pastry chef. MacPherson, Robert and management, will work to recruit the world's best culinary talent to operate the resort's 19 planned restaurants. Sookie's Hawaiian BBQ has opened at the Las Vegas Club. Operating hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. It's new and off the Strip's beaten path, but it's a gem. Benedict's Garden Bistro & Terrace is an independently owned restaurant and lounge in the Summerlin community owned by Executive Chef Pat J. Marcy. The new eatery is open daily and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. There's also a large outside terrace area that seats up to 65 patrons and features a large wood burning barbeque area. An especially interesting aspect to the décor is the daytime interior design is bright, fun and spirited with famous quotes and colorful murals painted on the walls. In the evenings, the main dining room is transformed into a jazz-infused eatery offering a darker color palette with self-controlled mood lighting. The walls become covered with a warm earth-toned drapery that hides all the bright murals and creates a classy lounge feel. For information, call 702-869-2121. The Rio Pavilion and Convention Center will be celebrating the one-year anniversary of its Kosher kitchen on April 27. STUDIO 54 at the MGM Grand will be open to the public on Memorial Day Sunday, May 30, at 10 p.m. There's an admission fee for men and the ladies entry is always complimentary. Ellis Island on Koval Lane behind Bally's / Paris has announced that it is taking over management of the Tuscany Casino on Flamingo Road, pending regulatory approval. Race for Atlantis and the Motion Rides have closed at the Forum Shops at Caesars. The Mysteries of Egypt has closed at the Luxor. The Four Seasons on the Strip is one of the 10 most wired hotels in the United States, according to "Mobile PC" magazine. In-room wireless connections cost around $10 for a 24-hour period. Two Stallion Mountain golf courses - Man O' War and Citation - have closed and will not reopen. Stallion Mountain Secretariat will remain open. After three years of playing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, the Las Vegas Bowl football game at Sam Boyd Stadium will move to Dec. 23 at 6:45 p.m.
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