Fox TV's summer hit "American Idol" will hold a two-hour "American Idol in Las Vegas" special that will air on Sept. 23, after a concert at the MGM Grand.

The foot-stomping spectacular, "Spirit of the Dance" has opened in the Golden Nugget's 400-seat Theatre Ballroom downtown for a limited engagement. Winner of nine Global Awards, including "Best Choreography" and "Best International Production," there are now six award-winning "Spirit of the Dance" troupes touring the world. The show is exhilarating and even more exciting in an intimate showroom.

The Irish International Dance Company was formed in the spring of 1996 when the dream of "Spirit of the Dance" was conceived. It debuted in England that September with 30 Irish dancers and the rest is history.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. nightly with an additional performance at 9:30 p.m. on Mondays. Tickets are $45 inclusive, call 1-866-946-5336 or 702-386-8100. Children under 12 will receive $10 off.

Magician Rick Thomas is celebrating his fifth year at the Tropicana while heading into his sixth year. He is constantly updating his highly successful one-hour afternoon show. In the latest version, "The Art of Dreaming," Thomas has incorporate a new illusion called "The Incredible Shrinking Tiger," where he shrinks his 500 pound royal Bengal tiger Samson into an adorable cub. He came up with the idea for the new illusion during a recent trip to Japan when he discovered that it cost $15,000 for a round-trip ticket to transport a full-size tiger.

Thomas is a very personable tall illusionist with sensational good looks and an engaging personality. He moves exceedingly well onstage and credits his smoothness to growing up ballroom dancing with his sister, Tamara. They competed and earned the title of Amateur United States Ballroom Dancing Champions while in their teens.

Thomas has also created a high-glossy 44-page coffee table souvenir book that is being sold after his show along with a videotape. Tickets for "The Magic of Rick Thomas" 2 and 4 p.m. daily, except Friday, shows in the Tiffany Theatre are $16.95 for table seating and $21.95 for a booth, call 702-739-2411.

Singing magician, Darren Romeo has released his first CD featuring songs from his matinee show at The Mirage. The locally produced self-titled CD, Siegfried & Roy Present Darren Romeo, "The Voice of Magic," includes two songs written by Romeo, "Dreamscape" and "SARMOTI," which is a word that symbolizes the inner essence in all of us.

The CD is priced at $15 and available for purchase following Romeo's performance outside the Siegfried & Roy Theatre, at select Las Vegas music stores and at his Web site: www.DarrenRomeo.com.

"Beats of Passion" is out at the Showroom at the Venetian and Producer David Saxe's new show "V - The Ultimate Variety Show" is in. "V" is suppose to be featuring about seven specialty acts.

The Rolling Stones will perform a show on Nov. 29 at The Joint at the Hard Rock. Tickets are priced at $505.50 $755.50 and $1,005.50. Call 702-693-5066 for information.

The Stones are also performing a concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 30. Tickets for this show are $125-$350.

The Orleans located on West Tropicana off The Strip has opened a newly constructed 600-room hotel tower. The tower is part of a $150 million property expansion.

Conrad's Steakhouse at the Flamingo Las Vegas is now serving a new menu nightly from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The impressive, softly lit restaurant features rich oak paneling, marble and mosaic floors and carpet, fine art, antiques and elegant furnishings. The main dining room seats 156 and there is a salon that can accommodate private parties of up to 32 people. The 36-seat bar offers appetizers. Call 702-733-3333 for information.

Attention golfers, the new Durango Hills Golf Course & Park is expected to open in late October. The 64-acre facility is located at Cheyenne and Durango. It is a par-58, with 14 par-3 holes and four par-4s and will play just under 3,800 yards from the back tees. Two lakes come into play on holes 9 and 10. The best part is it is anticipated that green fees may be between $30 and $40.

The course was designed by the Arizona firm of Schmidt-Curley, which designed Siena Golf Club in southwest Las Vegas and Bali Hai Golf Club on The Strip near Mandalay Bay.

The creator of Drai's after-hours club has opened another weekend party atmosphere deal at Seven on The Strip across from the Aladdin. Alesium After-hours runs from midnight to 8 a.m.

The final Mandalay Beach Bash outdoor concert will have guest stars Hall & Oates on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 the day of show.

The last summer outdoor Bay Rock concert at Mandalay Bay will headline George Thorogood & The Destroyers on Friday, Sept. 20, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance and $38.50 day of show, call 702-632-7580

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A local writer, George Toole, has had a 200-page Las Vegas handbook published by Johnston Associates International. The $14.95 easy-to-read guide is called "Las Vegas on the Dime: An Insider's Guide to Great Values." It is chock-full of tidbits from inexpensive hotels to affordable medical services. The idea is to unearth the city's best bargains.

In the first of a series of five new food and beverage outlets to be added to the Rio, Rosemary's At the Rio opened on Sept. 6. Rosemary's, a Las Vegas local favorite dining experience serving American cuisine with a French influence, has opened its second location within the space previously known as Napa Restaurant, within the Rio's Masquerade Village.

The 6,000-square-foot restaurant comfortably seats 200 guests, and features a kitchen with a "Chefs Table." Kitchen showcase seating is also available.

The decor features light colored woods, warm coloring, rich carpets and walls adorned with the works of local artist, Wendy Kveck. The restaurant is open nightly, from 5-11 p.m., and the bar is open 4 -11 p.m. For reservations, call 702-777-2300.

Magician Dirk Arthur, who starred in "Jubilee!" at Bally's for six years as a specialty act has opened his own 70-minute all magic show with three assistants at the Silverton. Called "The New Art of Magic," Arthur's show is full of illusions including making a Lamborghini levitate and then disappear.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sundays. Tickets are very reasonable at $22.45 with two coupons included. One coupon is for two-for-one drinks at the cash bar inside the showroom, and the other is for a free buffet. Call 702-914-8556 for information.

Yesterday, "Splash" at the Riviera unveiled an all-new version of the production show with new dance numbers, new costumes, and an all-new finale called "Tribute to America - America Remembers."

The new dance numbers in the adult revue center around the music of American pop-icons Janet and Michael Jackson. Madonna's blonde ambition "Vogue" has been completely rechoreographed and restaged.

The first "Meatball Award Show" will be held at the Greek Isles on Sept. 18 and honor lounge performers and entertainers who have played prominent roles in Las Vegas. Among the many who will be honored are Sam Butera, Sonny King, Blackie Hunt, Bob Anderson, the Checkmates and the Treniers. Tickets are $49.95 for the 7 p.m. show. Call 702-952-8000 for information.

Singer Charley Pride has been booked at Texas Station on Oct. 4. Tickets are $19.95, $27.50, $37.50 and $42.50, call 702-547-5300 for tickets.

"Push, Nevada" is a new show that will air on ABC on Thursday and have an early premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The story has Derek Cecil playing Jim Prufrock, a meek IRS agent, who discovers that $1 million is missing and heads to a bizarre town called Push to investigate.

Sean Bailey and Ben Affleck have created this series that will allow viewers a chance to gather clues from both the show and online and win $1 million.

George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones were in town recently shooting a dark comedy film, "Intolerable Cruelty." Filming was primarily at Caesar Palace. Clooney is playing an ace divorce attorney Miles Massey and Zeta-Jones portrays serial bride Marylin Rexroth. The Wee Kirk O' the Heather Wedding Chapel downtown also got in on the action as a film site.

The former Lizard Lounge at Santa Fe Station in the northwest part of the valley has been redesigned and renamed the new Green Room sporting a retro feel.

If you would like to take a really different tour, put the Nevada Test Site on your list. One of the stops on the free general-interest tour is the Sedan Crater. A 104-kiloton thermonuclear bomb created the crater, 1,280 feet in diameter and 320 feet deep, in 1962.

The tours are only offered once a month and because the Test Site is a restricted-access government reservation, visitors must apply well in advance for a tour. Prospective visitors need to supply background information including full name as it appears on driver's license, social security number, date of birth, home and business addresses and phone numbers with name of employer. Foreign citizens will be asked for additional information.

Visitors are not permitted to bring cameras, binoculars, telescopes or tape recorders on the tour.

Groups and individuals wishing to tour the approximately 1,375-square-mile Test Site should write, call, or e-mail the Nevada Operations Office's, Office of Public Affairs and Information, Visit Coordination Staff. The mail address is U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Operations Office, Office of Public Affairs and Information, Visit Coordination Staff, P.O. Box 98518, Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518. The phone number is 702-295-0944 and the e-mail is carterbm@nv.doe.gov.

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