Barry Manilow's successful, exclusive long-term engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton, has been extended into 2007. He opened his full scale "Music and Passion" production show with a cast and band of 14 and interesting "on-stage" seating earlier this year on Feb. 23.
Manilow has completed 50 shows in the 1,700-seat theater and signed on for another 150.
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The show and the Las Vegas Hilton has been a perfect next step for Manilow after his sold-out 2004 "One Night Live! One Last Time!" tour was thought to signal the end of his concert career. "One Last Time" played to more than 250,000 fans in 23 arenas throughout the U.S. and the U.K.
Tickets for the newly added shows go on sale Aug. 13. Shows are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 9 p.m. and 7:30 and 10 p.m. on Saturday. Ticket prices don't include tax and service charge and range from $225 for special "on-stage" seating to $85 for the balcony. Prices will be rising next year, call 702-732-5755 or 1-800-222-5361.
The Mirage, a AAA Four Diamond Polynesian paradise that opened in November 1989, has announced details of a transformation intended to maintain its preeminent position on the Strip. The Mirage's new amenities will include restaurants, a nightclub, a lounge, a modern gaming area and a new Cirque du Soleil production celebrating The Beatles. Additionally next summer, the resort's volcano, the iconic Mirage feature recognized around the world, will undergo a fiery enhancement by Wet Design that will include fire explosions blasting taller, lava appearing hotter, and sounds booming louder.
Last month a new High-Limit Lounge and Baccarat area opened with a contemporary look and renowned glass sculptor Dale Chihuly's commissioned work throughout the lounge's three separate, semi-private gaming areas, private buffet and dining rooms.
In December, STACK Restaurant & Bar, which is replacing the Chinese restaurant Moongate, will open and be the Light Group's second restaurant venture. Fix at Bellagio is the first. The menu will reflect American cuisine with Chef Brian Massie focusing on grilled top quality fish, meat and poultry.
Fin will open in December and replace Renoir. Chef Chi Choi, a master with a Hong Kong-style wok, will lead the menu innovation for this high-end, contemporary Chinese eatery. The décor will center on elegant glass designs and showcase a water feature at one end of the room. Walking a fine line between edgy and elegant, the project's award-winning designer, Yabu Pushelberg of Toronto, will artfully reconcile opposites.
Jet Nightclub will open in December and be the latest evolution of nightlife artistry developed by the Light Group. Previous Light Group creations include Light Nightclub, Caramel Bar & Lounge, and Fix restaurant at Bellagio, and Mist Lounge at TI. Acclaimed designer Jeffrey Beers will transform 15,000 square feet of space into the new nightclub.
Mink Bar & Lounge will open the first quarter of 2006 and be located at the center of The Mirage with a full view of the casino action. It will be developed by The Light Group.
The successful steakhouse Kokomo's will be updated this fall when internationally acclaimed designer Adam Tihany puts a contemporary face on it. Once hidden behind a tropical rainforest, Kokomo's will be revealed in December with a new bar lounge overlooking the entrance lobby of the hotel.
Japonais will take the space currently occupied by Mikado and the Ava lounge and open in April/May 2006. Japonais will be the first extension of the successful Chicago restaurant that features new Asian cuisine. This dining experience will be the marriage of modern day Japan with old-style European elegance.
Cirque du Soleil will celebrate the musical legacy and extraordinary experience of The Beatles in an unprecedented live theatre production set to open next summer.
Clint Holmes has put together a new show at Harrah's where he headlines. Holmes new venture includes eight original songs and two new background vocalists. He pays homage to his predecessors and opens the show with his inspirational new song "Put Me On Your Shoulders."
In its latest version, Holmes brings a handful of different musical genres to life such as a newly arranged opera medley, the salsa influenced "Conta Con Migo," and "1944" an autobiographical piece telling the tale of his parents courtship and marriage as a bi-racial couple in a segregated world. In addition, he performs what has become a citywide anthem, his hit "L.V." that was played to kick-off 2005 at the Strip's New Year's Eve fireworks show.
Holmes is joined on stage by two new voices. Vocalist Natalie Caprano rejoins the show after a five-year hiatus and helps with a medley from the 1964 Broadway musical, "Golden Boy." The other singer is Holmes' sister, veteran performer Gayle Thompson-Steele, who was the first African-American female singer in the U.S. Navy Band.
Holmes closes the show with "If Not Now, When?," which he penned following his recent defeat of Colon Cancer. Holmes performs nightly except Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $65.95 plus tax.
Latin Grammy Award-winner, Marco Antonio Solis will bring his live show to the 7,000-seat Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Sept. 3. Tickets to see the romantic crooner are $125, $85, $65, and $55 plus service charges and tax, call 877-333-9474.
Solis was the founder, composer, arranger, producer and creative soul of one of the most popular Mexican music of all time, Los Bukis. After the group broke up, Solis established himself as a soloist. Now, with countless awards and sold out tours worldwide, Solis is one of the most important figures in the rise of Mexican and Latin music. Solis won the 2004 Latin Grammy Award for "Song of the Year" and was honored at the 2005 Billboard Music Awards with a "Lifetime Achievement Award." Last February, Solis headlined and sold out Madison Square Garden and the Miami Arena two days later.
The Riviera has released the following limited edition chips: a $5 chip dedicated to the Chip Connoisseur and the $5 Lionel 2005 chip commemorating the first Toy Train Operating Society convention at the Riviera.
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George Carlin has returned to the Stardust's 900-seat showroom through Aug. 24. The ever-edgy comedian has appeared on the Las Vegas Strip for more than three decades.
Carlin's ability to find the funny side of the most fundamental aspects of human behavior has enabled him to survive and thrive through seemingly endless comedy trends. His fearless approach has plunged him into controversy, yet he invariably emerges as a humorist ahead of his time.
In 1972, he took popular comedy into previously forbidden territory with the release of an album that contained his monologue on "Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV." The resulting controversy led to a Supreme Court decision that prompted the FCC to ban the words from TV and radio during certain hours. In 1975, he hosted the first broadcast of "Saturday Night Live."
As a prolific author, his latest book, "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" is earning widespread critical acclaim. Carlin's previous books were the New York Times Best Sellers "Brain Droppings" and "Napalm & Silly Putty."
Carlin received Grammy Awards for his albums "FM & AM" and "Jammin' In New York." He was elected to the Comedy Hall of Fame and last year, he was ranked No. 2 in Comedy Central's list of "The 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All-Time," His eleventh film was co-starring in the Kevin Smith movie, "Jersey Girl."
The Cannery in North Las Vegas will present Cannerystock featuring three original Woodstock bands; Mountain, Canned Heat, and The Family Stone Experience, on Saturday, Aug. 20. This hippie festival will include '60's themed food and beverage specials and vendors selling tie-dyed items, candles, and incense. Jimi's Image, a tribute to Jimi Hendrix, will open the festival. Tickets are $29.95, $19.95 and $9.95 plus tax and fees, call 617-5585 or 866-287-4643.
Mountain is a rock band formed in 1969 that played their fourth live performance at Woodstock. Their hit single, "Mississippi Queen" helped boost their debut album, "Climbing!" to gold. The band re-united in 2002 releasing "Mystic Fire."
Canned Heat gained international attention at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival alongside Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Who. This earned them a headlining slot at Woodstock.
Sly & The Family Stone were comprised of black and white men and women making it the first fully integrated group in rock's history. The group's wild, brilliant fusion of soul, rock, R&B, psychedelia, and funk were filled with political and social messages. The Family Stone's Woodstock performance is hailed as one of the best of the festival.
Music's successful band Kool & the Gang will hold two outdoor poolside concerts at the Silverton, located off I-15 just three miles south of Mandalay Bay, on Aug. 19 and 20 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $40, call 702-914-8557 or 1-866-946-4373.
Kool & the Gang, the group with a sound that has influenced the music of three generations, has sold over 70 million albums worldwide during their illustrious career. Songs like "Celebration," "Cherish," "Jungle Boogie" and "Ladies' Night" have won two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten pop hits and 31 Gold and Platinum albums.
Blending master DJ P will hold residency at all three MGM Grand nightclubs, Studio 54, Tabú Ultra Lounge and Teatro Euro Bar, showcasing his skills in three distinctly different settings and solidifying the MGM Grand as the place in Las Vegas for progressive music.
Studio 54 served this week as host for his official MGM debut. DJ P's initial schedule has him slated to spin every Tuesday at Studio 54, Friday at Teatro Euro Bar and Sunday at TabŁ Ultra Lounge.
DJP has toured the country with DJ legends DJ Jazzy Jeff and DJ Premier, released seven mix CDs, and produced a smash hit record, "Uneasy Listening Vol. 1," with Z-Trip. DJP's is known for his blending style that consists of combining two complete opposite beats. He's won the DMC Midwest Championship and been named one of URB magazine's "Next 100." DJ P calls himself a party-rocker.
Funnyman Bobby Slayton returns to the Riviera's Comedy Club with his brazen and abusive humor, Aug. 19-21. Comedians Mike Schmidt and Gary Cannon will appear with him. Tickets for the 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. shows are $17.95 plus tax and fee, call 702-794-9433.
Slayton a native New Yorker is heralded for his portrayal of Joey Bishop in HBO's "The Rat Pack," and had many critically acclaimed television appearances. His many movie credits include appearances in "Get Shorty" starring John Travolta, Disney's "Shaggy Dog," "Ed Wood," "Wayne's World 2," "To The Moon, Alice" and "Martians Go Home." "The Pit Bull Of Comedy" has paid his dues and just released his debut CD entitled "Raging Bully."
On Sept. 7, the Las Vegas Music Associate (LVMA) and the American Museum of Music and Entertainment will honor Sarann Knight Preddy, who was the first woman of color to receive a non-restricted gaming license from the State of Nevada and former owner operator of the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino, with a show at the New Orleans Arena. "The Las Vegas Centennial Jam Session" tribute will feature more than 20 of Las Vegas' top performers. Some of the acts will include the Whispers, The Dramatics, The Manhattans, Dennis Edwards and the Temptation Revue, and the Ink Spots, to name a few. Tickets are $25. The LVMA was founded in 1988 by Lou Ragland of the world famous Ink Spots.
Once again, the local live segments of the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon will be broadcast from the Las Vegas Hilton. The MDA also will promote a weekend slot tournament at the Hilton.
The Mexican independence celebration at the Las Vegas Hilton will include numerous elements. Players at slots and table games Sept. 5-17 may win a new Honda Accord EX, a new Honda Odyssey EX or roundtrip airline tickets on Mexicana Airlines. The more they play; the more entries they earn. The grand prize drawing will be held Saturday, Sept. 17 at midnight. The $30,000 Mexican Fiesta Slot Tournament will take place Sept. 16-17 and the Mariachi Jalisco is scheduled Sept. 14-17.
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