The Material Girl Madonna, now 42, will headline at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sept. 1, as part of her Drowned World Tour. This will be her first world tour since 1993. It will begin June 5 in Cologne, Germany and end Sept. 9 in Los Angeles. Her latest album is "Music," and it's a throwback musically to the days of disco.

The untamed Madonna's most recent video, "What It Feels Like For A Girl," was directed by her new British director-husband Guy Ritchie, 32, and it was banned from VH1 and limited to one airing on MTV because of excessive violence.

"Viva Las Vegas," the longest continuously running afternoon show in Las Vegas, recently celebrated its ten-year anniversary at the Stratosphere. The show originally opened as a slot machine promotion at the Sands in the 460-seat Copa Room in 1991. Following the implosion of the Sands, the 18-member cast moved to the 711-seat Stratosphere Broadway Showroom on Oct. 28, 1996.

The show is very entertaining especially for the price $11.95 plus tax or $5.95 with a coupon. Comedian Bruce Mickelson is the featured act and he alone is worth the price of admission. His act revolves around the persona of Big John, a good ol' boy just trying to restore males to their status as master of the house. He contends the one area that still dictates manhood is the outdoor barbecue and makes sure everyone is rolling in the aisles from laughter as he builds his outlandish scenario.

Other talented people in "Viva" include "Golden Joe" Baker, a 65-year-old Elvis impersonator who neither looks nor sings anything like the King, comedians Dave Swan and Tom Wallek, principal singers and the Viva Las Vegas Dancers.

Dave Swan, "Viva's" comic emcee from Wales has been with the show since it opened and he continues to work as King Arthur at night in the Excalibur's "Tournament of Kings."

Congratulations to "Viva Las Vegas" for its tremendous success. It will be no surprise if the show sticks around for another ten years. It has a winning formula, lots of entertainment at an incredibly reasonable price. Shows are at 2 and 4 p.m. daily except Sunday.

"Storm" opened at Mandalay Bay earlier this month with the red carpet treatment. In fact the festivities were designed around Ricky Martin's availability because the show came about as a result of director Jamie King doing Martin's "La Vida Loca" tour. Other celebs included Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Robin Leach and "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" author John Gray.

The show has a heavy Latin and calypso orientation while using a weather theme with four principal singers representing Earth, Wind, Fire and Water, the forces of nature. Music and dance occupy most of the show except for one aerial segment that could be considered a specialty act. Tickets for "Storm" are $55 and $65, call 702-632-7580.

Paul Anka, now in his sixties has more than 900 songs to his credit. He recently set a milestone by being the only artist to have a record on Billboard's Top 50 charts for five consecutive decades. Anka is enjoying success with his 125th album "Anka Live 2000." He'll headline in the 740-seat Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand, June 21-July 4. Tickets are $60, call 1-800-929-1111 or 702-891-7777.

Anka has penned such classics as "My Way" for Frank Sinatra, "She's a Lady" for Tom Jones and the theme from "The Tonight Show" for Johnny Carson. At age 16, he had his first hit song, "Diana." Before he turned 18, Anka had five Top-20 hits including "Put Your Head On My Shoulder," "You Are My Destiny," "Lonely Boy" and "Puppy Love."

Country singing sensation Jo Dee Messina will make her very first appearance in the Las Vegas Hilton Theater May 12-13. Tickets are $35, call 702-723-5575.

Messina just completed the Judds' Power To Change Reunion Tour. Last year, she headlined concerts and also made special guest appearances on both Vince Gill's and George Strait's Country Festival Stadium Tour.

Her latest release is "Burn," offering hope and encouragement, as well as acknowledgement that life can be difficult but should be celebrated in all moments. She became the first woman in the history of Billboard's Country Singles Chart to have three consecutive multiple week number one hits with "Bye Bye," "I'm Alright" and "Stand Beside Me."

Messina made her acting debut on television's "Nash Bridges" and landed a role as a candy factory worker with a crisis of faith on "Touched By An Angel."

The Nevada Ballet Theatre will perform "Peter Pan" on May 12 at 7 p.m. and May 13 at 2 p.m. in the Samba Theatre at the Rio. Tickets range from $25 up to $55, call 702-252-7776.

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Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham and his three charismatic puppet sidekicks - Peanut, Walter and Jose Jalapeno On A Stick, will headline at the Top of the Riv, May 26 and 27. Tickets are $25 plus tax and fee, call 702-794-9433.

Dunham is the only person to win "Ventriloquist of the Year" twice and was nominated as "Comedian of the Year" for the 29th TNN Music City News Country Awards. He toured with the Broadway musical, "Sugar Babies" and has opened for dozens of major concert stars including Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker, Bob Hope and Gloria Estefan.

Singer Earl Turner entered into a two-year contract in September 1999 with the Rio to play in the RioBamba Cabaret. His success has had him playing to turn away crowds. Now the lounge has been enclosed and a $21.95 ticket price has been added. Turner performs two shows at 9 and 11 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

The Hard Rock Hotel will host the Improv All-Stars for six performances, May 24-27. The show will feature cast members from the TV show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and others including Ryan Stiles, Chip Esten, Colin Mochrie, Kathy Kinney, Brad Sherwood, Greg Proops, Julie Larson, Sean Masterson and Laura Hall. Tickets are $36, $56 and $66, call the box office 702-693-5066 or Ticketmaster at 702-474-4000.

Tickets are on sale for Junefest on June 2 at the Silver Bowl Park. The daylong event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will end with a huge fireworks display after the show. Throughout the day, the headliners will be Journey, Styx, Bad Company, Billy Squier, Nightranger and Molly Hatchet. Tickets are $19.96 with discount through May 3, call 1-800-225-2277.

The 32nd Annual World Series of Poker tournament is underway at Binion's Horseshoe downtown and will run 29 days. This is the granddaddy of all tournaments and the world's biggest poker tournament. The 2000 World Series paid about $15 million in prizes to winners and top finishers.

Spyro Gyra will invade the House of Blues on May 18. Tickets are $28 and $38.

Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesnev play the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 23. Tickets are $35, $55 and $85, call 702-632-7580.

"Blue Man Group" will hold an open audition on May 14, from noon to 5 p.m. in the Luxor Theatre. The open call is part of an international search for performers uniquely qualified to join the "Blue Man Group" experience and the requirements for the male and female performers applying are quite interesting.

Performers must be between 5'10" and 6'1" tall, have excellent drumming and acting skills, posess the emotional range to communicate great joy, wonder, and depth, be willing to relocate, and have the ability to catch things in their mouth. Interested parties should call Deb Burton at 212-225-6366, ext. 282 or log on to www.blueman.com.

In March, the non-gaming 424-room Four Seasons Hotel launched The Spa, a $1.8 million expansion of the original facility to three times its size. The Spa now includes 16 treatment rooms, a Hydrotone Thermal Capsule, a Relaxation Room, larger Eucalyptus steam rooms, and men's and women's locker rooms reflecting a club-like setting with sitting rooms.

The symbol of The Spa is the Kuan Yin, the goddess of compassion, and it exists as a sculpture greeting guests. The Spa at Four Seasons is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and treatments are scheduled from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is open to non-hotel guests Monday through Thursday and includes complimentary use of the state-of-the-art fitness center and hotel pool with any 50-minute treatment.

The California Hotel & Casino downtown will present the fourth annual Lei Day Celebration on May 5 and 6 beginning at 10 a.m. in the parking lot next door to the Cal. The event is free to the public. There will be approximately 90 vendors with food, clothing, jewelry, sweet treats, origami, magic, handcrafted goods, leis, ceramics, boutique items, gifts, and a wide variety of Hawaii-related items.

The festival will include a grand prize drawing that will be a roundtrip vacation for two to Hawaii with airfare and lodging included. You can enter the drawing now at the California's Players Gold Center and the winner doesn't need to be present to win. Other festival prizes include complimentary dining, t-shirts, and misc. gifts.

Two separate concerts are scheduled for Lei Day. On May 5, Marty Dread will be featured and tickets are $10. The second concert at 4 p.m. on May 6 stars Lim Family, Bradda Smitty and Richard Ho'opi'i. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate and available at the Players Club booth.

The off-Strip Fiesta has reopened Roxy's, formerly Roxy's Pipe Organ Pizzeria, as a nightclub/pizza joint with the famous 74-year-old organ, which is three-stories tall and has nearly 3,000 pipes. Station Casinos bought the Fiesta last year and closed the eatery last December due to construction and remodeling. At the time no one knew what would happen to the organ.

Fiesta management said many calls, letters and email messages were received about the popular organ. The old Kimball organ once stood in the Roxy Theater in New Your City. When the theater was torn down in the 1950s, the organ was rescued by the American Theater Organ Society. Former Fiesta owner Phil Maloof bought the organ in the 1970s and put it in the pizzeria two years ago. Organist David Wickerham is playing the organ from 5-9 p.m., Sundays through Wednesdays.

Station Casinos spent nearly $500,000 on new sound and lighting equipment. Roxy's stage was enlarged and other improvements were made to make the room more multi-purpose.

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