The Aladdin, future home of Planet Hollywood, will host 70's light rock bands America and Little River Band on Saturday, Nov. 26, in the 7,000-seat Aladdin Theatre for Performing Arts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $49.50 plus service charges and tax, call Ticketmaster at 702-474-4000.
America is best known for their No. 1 hits "Horse With No Name" and "Sister Golden Hair." The trio, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek, attended London Central High in the mid-sixties where they met and formed the rock band America. When their first album "America" went platinum, they moved to the United States and released three more chart topping albums. Peek left the group in 1977 and the remaining duo produced many more albums.
Column Continues Below Advertisement
The Little River Band is an American rock band that started in Australia. Within eight months of forming, Little River Band had scored three Australian Top 20 singles and two Top 10 albums. Their self-titled debut album was quickly released in the United States and they began headlining their own major shows. In 1982, they became the only act in the world to have a Top 10 U.S. single for six consecutive years while also achieving 16 hit singles by 1985, as well as gold, platinum, and multi-platinum album sales awards that eclipsed the 25 million mark.
"Earth To America!" will be a two-hour comedy extravaganza that will be taped during The Comedy Festival at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Nov. 17, and will air on TBS on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). The show will feature top Hollywood talent in an evening of comedy to raise awareness of issues concerning the environment.
The lineup includes Tim McGraw, Jack Black, Larry David, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Ferrell, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Martin, Ray Romano, Martin Short, Ben Stiller, Cedric The Entertainer, Stephen Colbert, Rob Corddry, Al Franken, Christopher Guest, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kevin Nealon, Wanda Sykes, Robin Williams, the cast of Avenue Q and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
"Earth to America!" will feature stand-up comedy, videotaped vignettes and comedy sketches as well as musical performances. In addition to the comedy, the show will highlight environmental heroes including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Senator John McCain and a special appearance by mayors from across America.
The show will be part of The Comedy Festival being presented by HBO and AEG Live that will be taking place Nov. 17-19. This major comedy event will promote more than 50 performances, events and screenings.
Turn Blue, the new Blue Man Group experience at Madame Tussauds, is a highly interactive, themed attraction featuring impressive wax figures of the three co-founding Blue Man members, Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink. The exhibit opened last month.
In addition to the authentic stage setting, Turn Blue features video monitors on either side of the stage showcasing highlights from some of the Blue Man Group's most exciting performances. As always, guests are encouraged to get up close and personal with the figures, touch them, and take photographs.
Dr. Scott Lewis, chiropractor, medical hypnotist and smoking cessation specialist, will present his "Complete Quit" Program at the Riviera on Nov. 17, the same day as the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout. Lewis will conduct the sessions at 2 and 7 p.m. in the Riviera Hotel's Grande Ballroom D. He will dispel myths and misconceptions about hypnosis before hypnotizing everybody in attendance to quit smoking.
Lewis believes most smokers fail to quit because they're not prepared to deal with the mental aspects of quitting smoking. He has hypnotized several 30 year, 3-pack-a-day smokers who were able to stop.
In addition to his live seminars, Lewis is a popular stage performer, who has been headlining at the Riviera in the Le Bistro Lounge for more than three years.
Opportunity Village will attempt to break the world record for the largest Santa gathering with the Great Santa Run on Dec. 3. The Great Santa Run serves as a fundraising effort to benefit Opportunity Village, an attempt to break the current world record for the largest Santa gathering and to provide a light spirited warm-up run for participants in the new Las Vegas Marathon the following day.
The race will begin at 8 a.m. with registration fees of $30 prior to Nov. 4, $35 prior to Nov. 30 and $75 on race day. The first 4,500 participants will receive a five-piece Santa costume complete with hat, belt and beard during registration. Participants may choose from the 5K Race or the Kris Kringle Jingle one-mile fun run for the casual walker or jogger.
The event will take place in and around the Fremont Street Experience. For information, call 702-880-4081.
The current world record was set in December 2004 with 4,260 participants in the Newton and District Dial-A-Ride in the United Kingdom.
The Guinness Book of World Records will be present to witness and document the historic event. The head Santa and honorary event chairman is Mayor Oscar Goodman. Magicians Siegfried & Roy are also honorary chairmen.
Clubs throughout Europe are renowned for offering performance art as part of the nightclub experience. With the introduction of EXOTIQUE, RA is bringing that trend to Las Vegas. The ongoing performances from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. are a combination of performance art, titillating circus acts and a pulsating nightclub experience.
Internationally renowned performance artist, Flava, is a regular performer and serve as ringmaster / ring mistress of ceremonies. EXOTIQUE opened on Oct. 12 for a special four-week run.
You'll see such acts as an aerialist swinging on a chandelier and a large martini glass filled with enticing bodies. This theatrical experience includes 25 performers and choreography by Gary Thomas.
Blue Man Group has opened an updated version of their show in a custom-built, 1760-seat theatre at The Venetian. The premiere of Blue Man Group marks the first time The Venetian is playing host to a permanent entertainment production. Tickets for the nightly 7 and/or 10 p.m. shows are $110, $95 and $75 plus tax and service fees, call 866-641-SHOW.
Comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay will do a 20-show engagement at the Luxor starting on Oct. 18. He'll do five shows a week for four weeks in the showroom vacated by Blue Man Group.
"Hairspray" will open in the showroom in mid-February, but meanwhile, the drag character Dame Edna Everage, aka Barry Humphries, will headline Dec. 17-31.
A month-long Centennial art exhibit is mounted at S2 Art Center at One East Charleston in the Arts District downtown with a display of 50 or more selected photographic works by Bill Hannapple. The images both document and illuminate five decades of neon spectaculars. Utilizing digital ink transfer methods, these archival "giclee" fine art prints will be produced in limited editions, numbered and signed by the actual designers and/or photographer, Bill Hannapple. The exhibition runs through Nov. 11.
TOP OF NEXT COLUMN
|
"La Femme" at the MGM Grand will be dark, Dec. 9 - 23, and will perform two shows during its regularly scheduled dark day on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at and 10:30 p.m. Special show times for New Year's Eve, on Dec. 31, will be 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
Master magician Lance Burton, who headlines his own show at the Monte Carlo, has numerous things happening. Earlier this month, he did a cameo appearance as himself for the primetime NBC show "Las Vegas" starring James Caan. Burton will be hosting a two-hour special "Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery" on Halloween night on The History Channel.
In addition, he was voted "Best Magic Show" again in the Globetrotting column of the Deseret Morning News on Sunday, Sept. 4 out of Salt Lake City.
Burton's show at the Monte Carlo will be closed from Dec. 11 -25, and will reopen on Dec. 26 for a seven-night run at 7 p.m. nightly.
For more than one year, Lon Bronson and the All-Star Band have provided great late-night entertainment at the Golden Nugget twice a week. After a successful run in the downtown property, the All-Star Band made their final appearance Oct. 15.
Sal Richards is an actor, comedian, singing impressionist, writer and director, who has played all the major hotels in the country for the past 45 years. The Riviera Comedy Club has booked him for seven nights, beginning Oct. 24, along with his actor/comedian son, Guy Richards, and funnyman Steve Mazan.
Richards was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. At age 18, he formed a group called The Royalaires. Eventually, Lee Clark, owner of Gallo Records, heard them on a street corner and signed them to a record deal. A year later, Richards ventured out on his own and added comedy to his budding singing career. Since then, he's made many television and movie appearances.
The second Haunted Corn Maze in Glendale located 25 minutes north of North Las Vegas features a singing likeness of Elvis in celebration of the Las Vegas' Centennial - "Viva Las Vegas 100 Years." The maze is open from 7 to 10 p.m. through Saturday, Oct. 29. Saturdays will be free from noon 'til 7 p.m. when the haunting begins. General admission is $8 for ages 12 and older, $6 for children 5-11 and under age 5 is free. Costumes are not required.
Here are some tips: wear outdoors shoes; bring a flashlight; don't bring munchies because there's a restaurant on site; and plan on spending one hour in the maze. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. For further information, call Beverly at 702-864-2277.
Harrah's afternoon headlining comedy magician Mac King is partnering with Barnes & Noble to create the official "Mac King's Magic in a Minute Suitcase O' Magic," due in stores nationwide in November.
"Mac King's Magic in a Minute Suitcase O' Magic" features the look of Mac King's real on-stage magic suitcase along with characters from his nationally syndicated comic strip, Mac King's Magic in a Minute. His suitcase offers more than 50 amazing magic tricks, a 64-page book and a one-hour instructional DVD that features Mac King demonstrating and explaining many of the tricks. Intended for kids eight and older, the magic kit will sell for $14.95.
Jax restaurant at the Riviera is featuring karaoke from 8 p.m. to midnight every Friday and Saturday night. The first Jax restaurant specializing in European country food opened in Seillams, France, in 1970.
At the Riviera, the independently owned venue is located next to the Splash Bar in the casino with a portion of the eatery opening onto a slot area. Jax operates from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Lawry's The Prime Rib restaurant has themed dinner parties planned around Halloween. The murder mystery dinner comedy "The Reunion" will be held on Oct. 27 and 28 at 7 p.m. This is a costume party. For reservations, call 702-497-7936.
On Oct. 30 and 31, the 7 p.m. dinner show will be "Transylvania Beauty Pageant." For reservations, call 702-893-4968.
JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa has appointed Thomas Ryan as Executive Chef. He joins the resort team with over 19 years of culinary experience. Ryan has the prestige of being invited to cook at two James Beard House events and apprenticing twice at the Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany. Ryan is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York.
Celebrity, which opened as a female impersonator cabaret last July next to the Triple George restaurant and Hogs & Heifers bar, has closed already. Look for many changes as the new owners Frederick Apcar and Evan Glusman take over.
Apcar's father of the same name produced "Casino de Paris" and "Vive Les Girls" at the Dunes in the '60s and '70s, and Glusman's family runs Piero's restaurant.
Rande Gerber operates the very hip and popular Whiskey Bar nightclub at Green Valley Ranch and his upcoming venture will be Cherry at the Red Rock Station property currently under construction in the northwest part of the valley.
Station Casinos has been talking about plans to redevelop their Wild, Wild West Hotel & Casino property on Tropicana Avenue on the west side of I-15. Now they have purchased a total of 67 acres of land including the Wild, Wild West property and big plans may be forthcoming.
Plans are underway to open the Empire Ballroom that used to be Club Utopia on Oct. 22. It will be a weekend after-hours party spot.
The First Friday event has taken off with enormous success in the downtown art district. Now, there is Second Saturday, an art, history and cultural program. Cultural Corridor sites include the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Lied Discovery Children's Museum, Las Vegas Library, Neon Museum Boneyard, Old Mormon Fort State Park, Reed Whipple Cultural Center and Cashman Center.
During Second Saturday, admission to all museums is free for children accompanied by a paying adult. Visit the welcome tent outside the library for information.
SKYSPA is a new private spa and fitness suite exclusively for the guests staying on the private floor of SKYLOFTS at the MGM Grand. Open 24 hours a day, SKYSPA features separate spa treatment and fitness suites with a Bang & Olufsen sound system, select exercise equipment and custom-designed spa tubs.
The tubs are styled after traditional Japanese soaking tubs, plus they fill from the ceiling and are deep enough to surround the entire body. The massage table in the spa treatment room is wrapped in a cashmere blanket. The color scheme is a tranquil mix of white, cream and beige hues. The fitness area affords guests views of Las Vegas.
Shoe designer to the stars, Giuseppe Zanotti, and Catholic Charities Meals on Wheels have partnered up to sponsor the 2nd Annual "Heels for Meals." The event will be held on Friday, Oct. 21 inside the Giuseppe Zanotti boutique at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Twenty percent of every purchase that day will be donated to Catholic Charities Meals on Wheels of Southern Nevada. Zanotti will be making a personal appearance from 1- 3 p.m. to introduce his spring 2006 collection.
CONTINUE ON TO...:
>THIS WEEK'S LAUGHLIN SEGMENT
>LAST WEEK'S LAS VEGAS SEGMENT
>VEGAS VIEWS FULL ARCHIVES
>Return to "Heard Around Town"
>Return to Las Vegas Leisure Guide
|