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| Sunday, September 4, 2005 | PRIOR ISSUE - ARCHIVES |
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| W Hotels Plans Flagship Resort, Tony Award Actors Open 'Hairspray', New Gand Canyon West Experience, Toxic Audio Performs, Dale Earnhardt Close Encounter Unveiled, Hofbräuhaus Taps Oktoberfest, 'Dragapella' Returns, 'American Storm' Debuts Calendar, Forever Plaid CD Released, Eddie Money Headlines, Penn's "The Aristocrats" Opens, Plush Poker Antis In, Belly Dancing Offers Classes, La Cage Celebrated 20, Hooters Transformation Kicks Off, More... | |
Starwood Hotels and Resorts are planning to build a $1.7 billion upscale flagship W hotel property on 21 acres at Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane that will open in 2008. The resort will have a mix of 3,000 hotel and residential units, more than 10 restaurants and nightclubs, a 75,000-square-foot casino, 300,000 square feet of meeting space and a spa and gym.
Scheduled to open in February 2006 at the Luxor, the Broadway hit "Hairspray" has signed two Tony Award winning actors for the first 12-weeks of the show's multi-year engagement. Las Vegas is bringing legendary Broadway stars Harvey Fierstein and Dick Latessa back in the roles they originated - Edna and Wilbur Turnblad.
Fierstein has four Tony Awards, including Best Book of a Musical with "La Cage aux Folles" in 1984, and Best Actor in a Play and Best Play with "Torch Song Trilogy" in 1983. His film credits include "Independence Day," "Mrs. Doubtfire," and "Bullets Over Broadway." He also wrote and starred in HBO's "Tidy Endings," which brought him an ACE Award.
Latessa is a Broadway veteran with over 40 years of stage experience. In addition to his Tony winning turn as Wilbur Turnblad in Broadway's "Hairspray," Latessa has been in the hit Broadway productions of "Cabaret," "Damn Yankees" and "Follies."
"Hairspray," which opened on Broadway in 2002, takes audiences back to 1962 in Baltimore, as 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad sets out to dance her way onto TV's most popular show.
Grand Canyon West is a destination in the phase of building attractions including The Skywalk glass bridge, The Indian Village and The Hualapai Ranch. The Hualapai Tribe, consisting of approximately 2,000 members, is the owner and protector of one million acres of land throughout the Grand Canyon's western rim.
The Skywalk will be the featured attraction when it opens next January. Visitors will be able to walk around the first-ever cantilever shaped glass bridge that will be suspended more than 4,000 feet above the Colorado River and extend over the edge of the Grand Canyon. Located adjacent to The Skywalk visitor's center at Eagle Point, The Skywalk Café will feature outdoor patio seating on the canyon's edge.
The Indian Village, located at Eagle Point adjacent to The Skywalk, will offer walking tours of authentic dwellings of the Hualapai, Havasupai, Navajo, Plains and Hopi Indians. Tribal members using materials from each individual reservation built the dwellings. Additional village attractions will include The Hualapai Market, which will feature handmade crafts and jewelry, and an amphitheatre with scheduled Native American cultural performances throughout the day.
The Hualapai Ranch will be a true western experience with wild-west performances and cookouts on an open fire. Horseback and wagon rides along the Grand Canyon Rim will also be available. There will also be private areas for corporate buyouts, private functions and western-themed weddings.
Guano Point will feature an all-new Hualapai Buffet and views of the Colorado River above the Historical Guano Mine and Tram remnants. Grand Canyon West is located approximately 120 miles East of Las Vegas, Nev., and 72 miles Northwest of Kingman, Ariz.
Toxic Audio, awarded 2005 Contemporary Acappella Artists of the Year, is headlining in the Luxor's Atrium Theater through Nov. 16. The five-member group explores the boundaries for the human voice in a very entertaining and fun-loving manner. Tickets for their 8 p.m. shows are $41.79, call 702-262-4900.
In 1998, Toxic Audio launched its quirky show in an abandoned storefront at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. The show caught the attention of Disney executives who hired them as featured performers at the Disney / MGM Studios. In 2003, Toxic Audio's album, "Chemistry" was named "Album of the Year" by the Contemporary Acappella Society of America and they won the 2004 Drama Desk Award for "Unique Theatrical Experience" for their Off-Broadway Show.
The late Dale Earnhardt, the legendary "Intimidator" of NASCAR and seven-time Winston Cup (now the Nextel Cup) champion, has returned to Victory Lane with Madame Tussauds Las Vegas unveiling "SPEED" as its newest and first interactive attraction dedicated to auto racing.
A meticulously recreated $200,000 life-size wax figure of Earnhardt, dressed in an official driving uniform is standing in a Victory Lane setting with arms raised in triumph just as he had done 76 times in his NASCAR career before the tragic final lap of the 43rd Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. Visitors can be photographed standing next to Earnhardt's wax figure.
Through Sept. 22, the 711-room Hotel San Remo is hosting a Block Party Vacation Giveaway promotion daily from noon - 8 p.m. featuring prize giveaways to promote its evolution into Hooters Casino Hotel, scheduled to open in early 2006.
Patrons checking into the hotel during the promotion hours receive prizes and gifts. Located just south of the front desk, the Block Party Vacation Giveaway allows each guest the opportunity to participate in activities including a prize wheel with every spin being a winner and receiving entry in two $2,500 grand prize drawings for Hooters Dream Vacation packages. Guests can also be a part of history-in-the-making by having their photograph taken posing with a hardhat in front of a mock Hooters Casino Hotel construction site with Hooters Girls dressed in construction attire.
Blending art with exercise, Aquae Sulis Spa at the JW Marriott Resort has added belly dancing classes to their fitness schedule. Guests can take part in this ancient art form every Sunday at 1 p.m. with instructor Deneen Miller, who has been belly dancing for over eight years. Her dance name is Farasha. Class sizes are kept small and belly dancing lessons can be enjoyed complimentary after a treatment purchase or pay the $15 drop-in charge.
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"An Evening at La Cage" celebrated its 20th anniversary last month at the Riviera. The show's producer, Norbert Aleman also produces the long running "Crazy Girls" at the same hotel. In association with Global Media, he will soon launch the first Gambling TV Cable Network in Las Vegas. Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas will kick off a six-week Oktoberfest celebration with a 7 p.m. keg tapping of the traditional Hofbräu Oktoberfest beer on Saturday, Sept. 17. The festivities will continue through Sunday, Oct. 31. At 7 p.m. each Friday, a new keg of the seasonal beer will be tapped. This year's activities include special Bavarian music, stein painting, spaetzle making and cinnamon roasted nuts glazing demonstrations, a book signing and soft sculpture exhibit, and an ice cream giveaway. The Hofbräuhaus has secured two bands. In September, the band Die Heidelberger, which has been a successful band for 20 years in Germany's Heidelberg region, will kick off Oktoberfest. In October, Didi's Hormittel mit Frauke will take the stage inside the "Schwemme" or main beer hall and provide traditional oom-pah music. Master stein painter Friedel Michels will return this year for a week, Sept. 17-25, and demonstrate the art of stein painting inside the gift shop. The German native manages the painting department of the world-famous King-Werk Stein Company in Hoehr-Grenzhausen, the country's stein capital. Michels supervised the production and hand painting of the 1,500 Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas Second Edition Steins, which he will sign and date during his visit. On Oct. 1 and 2, German-born Barbara Petite will exhibit her soft sculptures and sign copies of her book, "The Joy of Creating Soft Sculptures." Between Oct. 6 and 9, guests can have their own custom-made T-shirts produced by having a photo taken that will be printed. Visitors can learn to create traditional German spaetzle between Oct. 12 and 16 with Hannelore Clark. On Sunday, Oct. 23, Meadow Gold Dairy will be scooping free ice cream and pouring flavored milk. From Oct. 24 through 29, Christina Goihl will demonstrate the art of painting traditional Hummel figurines. The artist is a master painter at W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik, a company founded in 1871 that manufactures fine porcelain products including the world-famous M.I. Hummel figurines, named for Maria Innocentia Hummel,. The Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas is a reproduction of the world's most famous beer hall and the first authentic German-Bavarian restaurant in Las Vegas. For information, call 702- 853-BEER (2337). The hit Off-Broadway show, "Dragapella," starring The Kinsey Sicks, will return to the Las Vegas Hilton for one show only on Sunday, Sept. 18, in the Shimmer Cabaret. Tickets for the 10 p.m. show are $30 plus tax, call 702-732-5111.  The show combines award-winning acappella singing, biting wit and over-the-top drag, with four guys providing the action. The Kinsey Sicks have been profiled on national television in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan and recorded four CDs - "Dragapella," "Boyz 2 Girlz," "Sicks in the City," and "I Want To Be A Republican." Las Vegas' sexy newcomers, American Storm, are debuting their 2006 calendar featuring the boys-next-door, who were discovered during the VH1 series "StripSearch" and now perform at the Riviera in the Crazy Girls Showroom. General admission is $39.95 and VIP tickets are $49.95 plus applicable taxes, call 1-877-892-7469. The 16-month calendar showcases the cast away from the glitz of the stage at such locations as the Neon Boneyard, The Old Bottle House and the Las Vegas desert. The American Storm Calendars can be purchased at the Riviera gift shop or via mail by sending a check or money order payable to SPI Entertainment, Inc. for $15.95 plus $7.95 shipping / handling on each calendar to American Storm c/o SPI Entertainment, Inc., 1450 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Suite B-304 - Box 663, Las Vegas, NV 89012. The Las Vegas cast of "Forever Plaid - The Heavenly Musical Hit!" will release a cast album on Sept. 20. The new release was recorded by DRG Records on June 22, and it covers original material from the production with both studio and live contributions. The new release is $17.98 plus tax.  Eddie Money brings his distinct brand of rock and roll to the Silverton's outdoor pool arena with two shows on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets are $30, call 702-914-8557 or 1-866-946-4373. Eddie Money arrived on the music scene in the late 70s. His popularity dipped in the mid-80s, but he made a remarkable comeback in the late 80s with the album, "Can't Hold Back." Money followed up in 1988 with the album, "Nothing to Lose," which featured the Top Ten hit "Walk on Water." Penn Jillette's film "The Aristocrats" that he co-created with Paul Provenza has opened. The star-studded comedy extravaganza was one of the smash hits of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and the 2005 CineVegas Film Festival. The Silverton located three miles south of Mandalay Bay at I-15 and Blue Diamond Rd. has introduced a new, intimate plush poker room with six poker tables and five plasma screen TVs broadcasting various sporting and entertainment programs. The room also features oversized chairs and a non-smoking, climate-controlled environment. The poker room also offers free hour-long poker lessons, Monday - Friday, at 9 a.m. For information, call 702-737-3100. Jim Luv, internationally known street performer, began his 30-day entombment at the Grand Canyon Parkway Mall at 215 / Flamingo and Grand Canyon, without food, water and escape to raise funds for the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth on Aug. 26. He'll be free again on Sept. 24. A Stitch in Time quilt commemorating the Las Vegas Centennial was recently unveiled with 90 photos that span from 1905 to 2005. Located in the center of the quilt is a photo of the historic land auction in 1905 which is surrounded by dozens of other images that radiate outward with the most recent photos positioned on the outer edges. In September, the quilt will be on display at the Clark County Government Center Rotunda, at the Grant Sawyer Building in October, at City Hall in November, and will have a permanent home at the Clark County Museum starting in December.
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