Monthly Archives: May 2009

Fleetwood Mac in Las Vegas

Iconic mega-band Fleetwood Mac brougth their “Unleashed” tour to the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, May 30.  

Fleetwood Mac was on the road for the first time in five years and it’s the first time the band has not used a tour to support an album.  While there is a recent CD/DVD version of “Rumours” that has hit the stores which includes unreleased tracks and footage, the tour itself is being promoted as a greatest hits show. 

The musician’s onstage as part of Fleetwood Mac has changed several times since they formed in 1967.  And this time around the line-up included John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood.

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450-pound Drag Queen Voted Best Joan Rivers Look-Alike in Las Vegas

Cher Impersonator Tiny Bubbles, a 450-pound drag queen, was voted best Joan Rivers look-alike at Annie Duke’s Hard Rock poker benefit in Las Vegas last Wednesday. 

The event featured 20 Rivers impersonators.   Frank Marino, who headlined as Rivers in “An Evening at La Cage” for two decades walked the red carpet with Duke, who finished second in “Celebrity Apprentice” to Rivers. 

Rivers previously labeled poker players as “white trash” and “mafia” during “Apprentice,” as written on  May 27  by Las Vegas Backstage Access.

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The Crazy Girls Show in Las Vegas Struts for U.S. Topless Domination

The Crazy Girls is a topless show showing plenty of bottoms at the Riviera Casino in Las Vegas.  But now they also want to spread their sin, taking their wares in a move across America.  While they are still appearing in their topless show atCrazyGirls the Riviera, a new Crazy Girls Cafe could perhaps be coming to a neighborhood near you. 

Producer-owner Norbert Aleman is preparing to unveil the first Crazy Girls Cafe in the French Quarter in New Orleans.  Then he has ambitious plans set for a string of them from as nearby as Reno to as far away as Atlantic City, N.J. 

Dancers will strut their stuff atop the bar and customer tables at each place, and there’ll be a gorgeous female singer who’ll play mistress to oversee the party hijinx. 

“It’s a fun, wild concept that marries fabulous food with delicious drinks and an outrageous party feel,” Norbert said. “It’s priced right so people will want to shake off the economic blues with a real fun night out without feeling pained when the check arrives.” 

Norbert plans to have 10 venues open over the next 12 months under terms of a deal he has made with a Las Vegas gaming entertainment company.

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Rare One-Night Stand for Larry King in Las Vegas

Emmy Award winning CNN broadcast journalist host Larry King will appear in a rare one-night only show in Las Vegas at the Encore in answer to a dare from Encore developer Steve Wynn. LarryKing

With more than 50 years experience in broadcasting, King will bring a wide range of stories and anecdotes to the stage.  As it is on his talk show “Larry King Live”, no subject will be off limits during the Friday, June 19 performance. 

The opening act will be Shawn King, Larry King’s wife, who recently released a new country album titled “In My Own Backyard.”   Proceeds from the June 19 performance will benefit the Larry King Cardiac Foundation.  The foundation assists uninsured individuals obtain the cardiac care that they would otherwise not be able to afford. 

Tickets range from $59 to $79 and are available at the box office, by phone (702-770-9966).

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Hip Hop Living Legends Award to Toni Basil in Las Vegas

Caesars Palace headliner Bette Midler’s multiple-award-winning choreographer, director, producer and performerToni Basil Toni Basil will receive the 2009 Living Legends of Hip Hop Award at the 8th Annual World Hip Hop Dance Championship at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on August 2. Toni has choreographed and directed commercials, TV shows, movies, music videos and world tours for such entertainment icons as David Byrne, David Bowie and Tina Turner. 

She has served as dance director and choreographer for Midler for more than two decades, including her current hit The Showgirl Must Go On at Caesars Palace and returned for Bette’s new run of shows. Her recording and energetic music video for “Mickey” in a Las Vegas High School cheerleading outfit (her alma mater) have left an indelible mark on pop culture and is placed in the collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art. 

At the World Hip Hop Dance Championship, Toni will become the first woman in the event’s history to receive the Living Legends of Hip Hop Award, taking her place alongside such past recipients as MC Hammer, Boogaloo Sam and Don “Campbellock” Campbell.

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O.J. Simpsons ‘Buddy’ Clarence Stewart Files Legal Appeal

Just two days after O.J. Simpson’s legal team launched their appeal of his felony convictions, one of his co-conspirators, Clarence “C.J.” Stewart, has filed his own appeal looking to overturn his Las Vegas conviction on kidnapping and armed robbery. ClarenceStewart

While former NFL great Simpson claimed prosecutorial misconduct, Stewart claims he was not given a fair trial due to “spillover prejudice” because he was not given a separate trial from Simpson. 

Stewart also claims that audio recordings should not have been allowed into evidence but after that, his request coat-tails off of Simpson’s complaint by alleging the same juror and prosecutorial misconduct. 

Clarence Stewart is currently serving 7 1/2 to 27 years in a Lovelock Prison in Nevada. 

The other four original defendants, Michael McClinton, Walter Alexander, Charles Cashmore and Charles Ehrlich, all pleaded guilty to lesser charges in exchange for their testimony regarding Simpson’s September 2007 confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.  All four were given probation.

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Las Vegas CineVegas Film Festival Celebrity Honorees Named

JonVoightJon Voight, left, and Willem Dafoe, right, will be feted at the 11th annual CineVegas film festival starting on June 14 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.  Voight will receive the Marquee Award, and Dafoe, the Vanguard Actor award. Willem Dafoe

The fest will also honor directors George and Mike Kuchar and video game creators Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago. 

The CineVegas film festival will run June 10-15 in Las Vegas.

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Nickelback Brings Dark Horse Tour to Las Vegas

Nickelback is bringing their Dark Horse tour to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, September 6.  Special guests include Hinder, Papa Roach and Saving Abel. Nickelback

Their 32-city tour kicked off in February and they have been selling out arenas all across the country ever since.  The Nashville Scene succinctly said it best:  “…nobody puts on a better show than Nickelback does.” 

Dark Horse, the 2008 release from Nickelback, is their first album since the best selling All The Right Reasons which came out in 2005.  Nickelback currently has the number one rock song in the country with “Something In Your Mouth” and their latest single “If Today Was Your Last Day” has become a radio and video sensation. 

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.mgmgrand.com/entertainment/grand-garden-arena.aspx .  Tickets range in price from $51.50 to $89.50.

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ABC’s “Supernanny” Casting Team is in Las Vegas, Needs Your Help

The casting team of ABC’s parenting series “Supernanny” is in Las Vegas through this Friday, May 29, to meet local mom and dad candidates for the premiere episode of “Super-Manny.”    The new show features child behaviorist Mike Ruggles.  For more information, please call 1-877-626-6984 or visit their Web site, www.supernanny.com

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O.J. Simpson Files Appeal

Yale Galanter and Malcolm LaVergne, lawyers for convicted felon O.J. Simpson, have filed papers with the Nevada Supreme Court claiming, according to the brief, “The District Court committed numerous reversible errors, including, inflicting itself into the trial proceedings, chastising the attorneys in the presence of the jury, making rulings from the bench that were not based in the law and wholly without any authority.” OJSimpsonJail

In October 2008, Simpson and Clarence C.J. Steward were convicted on armed robbery and kidnapping charges in District Judge Jackie Glass’ courtroom.  The charges stemmed from a Palace Station hotel room hold-up where Simpson and several others claimed they were retrieving possessions that had previously been stolen from Simpson. 

District Judge Glass sentenced Simpson to 9 to 33 years in prison; he has been serving his time at the Lovelock Correctional Center northeast of Reno. 

District Attorney David Roger prosectued the case wtih Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Owens.  Roger is confident the guilty verdict will stand.   “Judge Jackie Glass and the members of the jury did a great job with this trial during which the jurors saw Mr. Simpson for the criminal he is,” Roger said. 

Simpson’s legal team claims that Simpson was denied a fair trial because Judge Glass limited questioning of potential jurors regarding personal biases about Simpson’s acquittal on double-murder charges in 1995.  They also claim there were errors in jury instructions, prosecutorial misconduct and that the kidnapping and robbery convictions were redundant. 

It’s not unusual for guilty verdicts to find their way to the appeals process and rather routine to claim misconduct and jury errors.  And from the night the verdict was announced most court watchers have been looking for the Simpson appeal to surface.  It can take 12 months or more to complete the appeals review so for now we will wait for the next chapter in the fallen hero archives of O.J. Simpson.

(Previous Las Vegas Backstage Access articles on February 22 and April 8.)

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Malaysian Gaming Company Courting MGM Mirage in Las Vegas?

Is the pre-eminent Malaysian hotel and gaming company Genting Bhd working out a deal with the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas?  Reports out of Asia indicate that Genting’s Resorts World Bhd bought $100 million of MGM Mirage debt.  This debt had been sold as part of the MGM Mirage balance sheet restructuring. 

There are more questions than answers right now:  How will this impact the MGM Macau casino’s?  With the current MGM partner – Pansy Ho – being deemed unsuitable because of possible organized crime connections, is this move designed to bring in a party that the Nevada regulators would approve?  What would the direct effect be on the MGM Mirage’ Las Vegas business ventures including the MGM Hotel and Casino and City Center? 

Stay pointed to Las Vegas Backstage Access for the latest developments.

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President Obama Visits Nellis Air Force Base today in Las Vegas

Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas hosted President Barack Obama today giving him an up close tour of the 140-acre solar photovoltaic array that has been running since December 2007.  The installation at Nellis is the largest of it’s kind in the United States and an example of how solar energy can be captured and processed in a sun-soaked state. nellis

The Nellis power plant was funded by NV Energy in return for energy credits which may be sold to other utilities.  The Air Force buys their power at reduced rates and rough estimates indicate that the solar array could save the service $1 million per year or $40 million over the 40 year lifespan of the project. 

While at Nellis, President Obama gave a speech at the Thunderbirds’ hanger to 400 airmen and other base personnel about the progress made during the first 100 days of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  

Obama said the expectation is that there will be more than $467 million in stimulus money used “to expand and accelerate the development, deployment and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the United States.” Nevada is in line for more than $1.5 billion dollars in Recovery Act funds. 

Today’s event followed the Tuesday night Caesars Palace fundraiser for Democratic Senator Harry Reid that the President attended. 

President Obama will leave Nevada for Los Angeles later today where he will attend a Democratic National Committee fundraiser.

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Las Vegas Performing Arts Center Breaks Ground

Any cultural and business development in Las Vegas is a good thing in our sputtering economy.    But the Smith CenterSmithCenter Smith Center of the Performing Arts groundbreakingfor the Performing Arts groundbreaking ceremony at the newly named Symphony Park yesterday in Las Vegas wasn’t just any commonplace development- it provides a significant cornerstone to energize the Las Vegas economy, not just when it opens early 2012, but all during the building crescendo. 

“This is being built to be here for the next couple of hundred years and that’s significant in a town that has a tendency to blow things up after 30 to 40 years,” said Don Snyder, the center’s chairman told approximately 150 invited guests, including Fred W. Smith and wife Mary, the namesake for the center. 

The Las Vegas Philharmonic and Nevada Ballet Theatre will be permanent residents of the center. Smith Center of the Performing Arts groundbreaking

The center will be anchored by a 2,050-seat main theater and includes an education facility, a cabaret theater and space for children’s and community events. 

Asked afterward about those skeptical of the money spent on the $485 million center and its cultural mission in a city that struggles to get past of its “Sin City” reputation, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman had some choice words for skeptics:Smith Center of the Performing Arts groundbreaking

“To those people I say, we have a lake out there, they can jump in it.  And I’d put the cement on their feet…This is the equivalent of getting an NFL franchise…We still want to have great entertainment and hotels and food and bring in tourists, but for people who live here, these are things that make a world-class city.”

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Annie Duke Faces Rival Joan Rivers Today at Las Vegas Charity Poker Tournament

Fans of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice may need to do a double take on May 27th after seeing Annie Duke join forces with archrival Joan Rivers at a charity poker tournament today in Las Vegas.  

Online poker site www.UltimateBet.net announced the sponsorship of the “Sucking out on the Rivers” charity poker tournament in support of Refugees International. Annie Duke will be hosting the event alongside Frank Marino, a well-known Joan Rivers impersonator.  Nearly all of the top poker pros in Vegas are already on board to play in the charity tournament. 

“I think that after this poker tournament, the real Joan Rivers will quickly realize that poker players are good-naturedAnnieDuke people – professional people with respected occupations and families – who really want to change the lives of those less fortunate,” stated Annie Duke. “As poker players, we’re all banding together, not just to prove a point to Joan, but to actually change the world.” 

While the charity poker tournament will be co-hosted by a Joan Rivers impersonator, the real Joan Rivers went head-to-head with Annie Duke on the most recent season of Celebrity Apprentice. The often abrasive and brash comedienne told Annie, on camera, that all poker players were white trash and that none of them had last names, suggesting that those who love poker are automatically linked to organized crime.  Rivers’ opinion has drawn the ire of many in the poker world. 

The world’s top poker players and several Hollywood celebrities are slated to play in the charity poker event today to show that there’s a lot of good that comes from poker. Over 20 Joan Rivers impersonators will also be playing in the event and each one will have a bounty on his or her head. Poker fans can secure their spot in the tournament for $200 and the No Limit Texas Hold’em tourney features rebuys and add-ons to help the prize pool grow even higher. 

Although all the prize money will go to the winner, half of the winnings are being voluntarily directed to charity. While Nevada gaming laws prohibit money being given directly from the prize pool to charity, the winner may volunteer to donate half of their winnings to the charity in keeping with what had been done in previous charity events hosted by UltimateBet.net. 

The “Sucking out on the Rivers” Charity Event, sponsored by www.UltimateBet.net, DeepStacks University, Hard Rock Poker Lounge, and WSOP Academy, gets underway today, May 27th at 6 p.m. at the Hard Rock Casino Poker Lounge.

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Liberace’s Legacy Lives On After Death With Monthly Revue

The Liberace Museum has been a part of the Las Vegas Experience since 1979, entertaining tourists and locals while preserving the Liberace star and funding scholarships for more than 2000 students at more than 100 colleges. LiberaceMuseum

“Mr. Showmanship” spent decades entertaining in clubs, theatres and even Carnegie Hall.  While he may be best remembered for his flamboyant style (rumor has it that he introduced Elvis Presley to his first flashy stage costume),  he saw his success as an opportunity to assist others. 

Liberace’s education was funded in large part by scholarships and in his book, ‘The Things I Love’, Liberace wrote, “a lot of good things have happened to me in show business and I want to do what I can to give others just starting out a career boost. I hope The Foundation projects will continue into the future to offer gifted newcomers financial help, and in many cases, artistic exposure as well.” 

As part of the on-going effort to continue the work of the Liberace Foundation and Museum, a new monthly revue will premier at 9p.m. on Wednesday, May 27 at the museum’s theater, 17705 E. Tropicana Avenue. 

“VS. – A Rock Cabaret,” will feature a variety of entertainers and become a regular last Wednesday of the month event in Las Vegas.  The performers on the ticket for this months show include Erich Bergen and Kristofer McNeeley from “Jersey Boys”; and Bobby Black from the Las Vegas Tenors and Melanie Taylor from “Ultimate Manilow: The Hits”. 

Tickets are $20 each.  For more information, 702-798-5595 extension 14 or at http://www.liberace.org/

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Boxing Champ Mike Tyson’s Daughter Dies

The four-year-old daughter of heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson died Tuesday after an accident at home in Phoenix.  Tyson was in Las Vegas at the time and immediately flew back to Arizona. Mike Tyson

Exodus Tyson was playing near a workout treadmill on Monday when she somehow became entangled with a cord hanging from the machine.  Her seven-year-old brother reportedly found Exodus and told his mother who then called 911 and began administering first aid. 

Firefighters performed CPR and Exodus was taken to St Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Centre where she was listed in critical condition.  Tuesday morning Exodus was removed from life support and subsequently died. 

In a statement released Tuesday, the Tyson family said: “There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Exodus. We ask you now to please respect our need at this very difficult time for privacy to grieve and try to help each other heal.” 

Condolences from Las Vegas Backstage Access to the Tyson family on the loss of Exodus Tyson.

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U.S. President Barack Obama Swoops into Las Vegas, Leaves Little Impact

Not long ago outspoken Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was taking to the air waves to voice his dismay at comments that President Barack Obama made.  In the February speech on bank excesses and the economic distress faced by so many, Obama stated “You can’t get corporate jets. You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas, or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers’ dime.  There has got to be some accountability and some responsibility, and that’s something that I intend to impose as President of the United States.” 

Goodman responded with a full-media assault – demanding an apology, even as 340 corporations and business meetings were canceled or worse, moved from Las Vegas to San Francisco, San Diego and Phoenix. 

But it’s always been said that politics make strange bedfellows and now, just months later, the media was on hand when Goodman met Air Force One at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas on Tuesday, shook President Obama’s hand and escorted him to the waiting motorcade. 

After starting his day in Washington with the announcement of  Sonia Sotomayo for the Supreme Court, President Obama ended his day at a Caesar’s Palace fund raiser for Nevada Democratic Senator Harry Reid.    

The Las Vegas fundraiser wasn’t the routine chicken and a handshake event.  The sold-out party of 4,000 at the Colosseum listened to about 15-minutes of Obama speaking about and touting the accomplishments of Reid and his support for issues “that matter not just to Democrats but to middle-class families all across America.” 

Obama didn’t mention anything about the local controversy over his remarks earlier this year condemning lavish Las Vegas junkets by corporations getting federal bailout funds, but did praise Caesars Palace where he spent the night in a lavish 22,000-square-foot suite in the Forum Tower, the first time a sitting president has stayed at Caesars.

In fact, for those that had long hoped to hear some substantial “magic” words from Obama during his visit to help boost the Las Vegas and Nevada economy from the doldrums, they never came.   And while Goodman shared his disappointment from the visit, his prior demands appeared to soften and he expressed much more optimism than Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons, who said the President’s comments “were better than nothing, they were also next to nothing.  I thought he could have done more.”

Hopes and rhetoric were set aside as entertainment ensued with performances by Rita Rudner, Sheryl Crow and even Bette Midler will take to the stage for her milestone 100th performance. 

During it all, about 100 peaceful protestors gathered outside in front of Caesars Palace, chanting “Heave ho!” waiving flags and carrying signs protesting against Harry Reid, criticizing his “tax-and-spend,” “big government” ways.

Today, President Obama will give a federal stimulus package and solar energy speech that primarily will highlights job-creating solar and geothermal energy projects.

Will the Las Vegas crowd expect the President to stand on stage and apologize for his February comments anytime soon?  Not many – if any – are predicted to look for a retraction or softening of his words.  The unfortunate reference cost Vegas in the short run but in a city that plays all the angles, this visit by Barack Obama is guaranteed to become a showman’s golden opportunity.  

So it was lights, cameras and You Tube at Caesar’s Palace with the city of Las Vegas betting on, but not receiving, a Presidential image upgrade, all the while pouring $2 million into Reid’s 2010 campaign coffers.

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Las Vegas Welcoming Sign is One for the History Books

The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign on the south end of the Strip has been greeting motorists entering Las Vegas for a half century.  Now the Strip icon has elevated status, just being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  This designation comes in a year that marks the sign’s 50th anniversary.WelcomeSign

“The sign is one of he most recognizable images associated with Nevada and its tourism industry,” said Ron James, Nevada Historic Preservation officer.

Designed by Betty Willis in 1959, the sign stands in a traffic median on Las Vegas Boulevard, just south of Russell Road.  The Young Electric Sign Company owns the sign and leases it to Clark County.

Much in that area has changed since the sign was first installed.  Mandalay Bay towers above where the Hacienda Hotel once stood. The Signature Executive Terminal has replaced the old McCarran airfield.  And the boulevard is no longer the main route from Southern California.

In December, the county opened a 12-space parking lot and walkway on the median, making it safer for people to snap pictures of the sign.

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Sunflowers in Las Vegas

If you’re looking for a FREE mini visual vacation to clear your senses, Las Vegas Backstage Access recommends going to Sunflowersthe Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens which has unveiled its summer tribute featuring sunflowers, a lemonade stand, a 42-foot-high Ferris wheel and an aviary completed with exotic birds.

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First-Ever Farmer’s Market at The Palazzo in Las Vegas

Celebrating Chef Mario Batali’s restaurants certification by the Green Restaurant Association, Batali brings the first-ever Farmer’s Market to The Palazzo on June 3 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.   Las Vegas farmers will set up the Farmer’s Market at The Palazzo Waterfall Atrium providing fresh produce for guests and restaurant chefs to purchasePalazzo and sample. Additionally, biodynamic wines presented by restaurateur/winemaker Joe Bastianich will be available to taste. Delicious, sustainable products such as tomatoes, cucumbers, honey, organic juices, and artisanal bread will entice guests to indulge in the greener side of Vegas as they walk through the beautiful Palazzo Waterfall atrium. 

Additionally, the Farmer’s Market will celebrate Chef Batali’s three certified -green restaurants by the Green Restaurant Association: Carnevino at The Palazzo, B&B Ristorante and Enoteca San Marco at The Venetian. 

 “I am very excited about being the first restaurant group in the first LEED building on the strip to achieve full on GREEN certified status,” said Mario Batali. “I hope that this will be just the beginning for all of our friends in Las Vegas to help preserve our planet for the generations to come and to participate in long term goal oriented decision making in all of our businesses.” 

The Farmer’s Market will consist of displays dedicated to produce with seven local farmers throughout the space selling items such as local quail, chicken and duck eggs, apricots, peaches, figs, golden tomatoes, local desert honey, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, white peaches, local herbs, tomatoes, asparagus, bread, a variety of lettuces and fresh juice from a local orchard.  The displays will be placed throughout the atrium space in a tasteful fashion so guests may go from one to the next sampling the sustainable produce. 

At 4:30 p.m, Mario Batali will officially announce the Green Certification of his Vegas restaurants. Winemaker Joe Bastianich w.ill also discuss biodynamic wines and their Director of Food Safety and Sustainability Elizabeth Meltz will present a more in-depth look of the actual process of “going green” and the Palazzo’s Certified LEED status and other green aspects of The Palazzo. 

To conclude the festive event, an exclusive “Green” three course, prix fixe dinner menu will be available at Carnevino at The Palazzo. Priced at $45 a person, with dishes such as Emerald Lettuce Steak House Wedge with Sweet Garlic and Carne Cruda with “The Farm” quail egg. To make reservations please call Carnevino directly at 702-789-4141.

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It’s No Bull: Bullfighting Comes to Las Vegas!

Las Vegas constantly is reinventing itself as a city.  So it comes with surprise that bullfights are now coming to Las Vegas, starting on September 14-15 at the South Point Arena.  That follows with the second event on September 27-30. The matador lineup includes Mexico’s Eulalio Lopez, known as “El Zotoluco.” Bullfighting

The bill of faire, though, will be made more palatable, featuring bloodless bullfights. 

 It has been more than 40 years since bullfights were held in Las Vegas.

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Red & Pink Gods Shine Down on Southern Nevada at Indy 500 Race

Victory was sweet today for Indy 500 racer Helio Castroneves.  Earlier in the week he faced down and won against the IRS in court, returned to Indy Car racing in a flash, won the pole position for the 2009 Indianapolis 500, and helped his Roger Penske teamates to a rousing victory in the pitstop competition.  Then, for the ultimate coup de grace, Castroneves went on to win today the 93rd Brickyard race by a 1.9819 second margin over runner-up Dan Wheldon and third-place finisher Danica Patrick on the 2.5-mile oval track. 

Castroneves is no doubt savoring the rare racing air, adding a third Indy 500 victory to his illustrious career, reaching a status that only eight other racers have reached.   And team owner Roger Penske is probably racing to another planet with the win being his fifteenth victory at the Speedway’s premier race. 

But let’s not lose sight of our good Southern Nevada performances in the race. 

Despite the race having five yellow flags and horrendous crashes, thirty-six year old Canadian Alex “Tag” Tagliani, who lives in Las Vegas, officially driving as a rookie for Conquest Racing in All Sport/Big Red car No. 36, achieved the honor of being the best-placing first-year man with his eleventh place finish.   

Tag has a long history of competition in the former CART series and was very fortunate to get the nod by Conquest to race, bumping fellow teammate Bruno Junqueira that really had the best qualifying time, but was not their prime racer. 

Talking at Saturday’s public press conference, Tagliani said, “I was so excited to drive that I didn’t really understand what I was missing by not being in the Indianapolis 500 race. Everything came along last year. Obviously, the two series merged, we have now just one open-wheel series. I finished the season with Conquest. That got me to run with them this year. When we arrived here in Indy, I definitely didn’t realize how big this race was.” 

Not to be outdone, fellow rookie Englishman Alex Lloyd, aka Pink Lloyd, racing the pink car No. 99 sponsored by HER (Healthy Energy Revitalizer, an energy drink for women) started in the middle of the fourth row with an impressive four-lap average qualifying speed of 222.622 mph, and went on to finish the race, finishing 13th. 

Lloyd’s car owner is Sam Schmidt from Henderson, Nevada. 

Only three other rookies finished this year’s Indy 500 race:  Tomas Scheckter, 12th place; Scott Sharp, 14th place; and Ryan Briscoe, 15th place. 

Both Tagliani and Lloyd finished ahead of many veteran race car drivers including A.J. Foyt IV and John Andretti. 

Thankfully, there were no serious injuries among drivers or crew in the race, although racer Vitor Meira was transported alert and awake to Indianapolis Methodist Hospital for further evaluation of back pain and released. 

The Indy Car series takes no break this week before returning to action this weekend at the famous Milwaukee Mile on June 1st.

(Prior Las Vegas Backstage Access articles on the Indy 500 race.)

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Want to meet President Obama in Las Vegas?

How does meeting President Obama sound? Have you ever wanted to create a great campaign slogan? Now is your chance to do both. 

On May 26th, President Obama, Rachel Yamagata, Rita Rudner, Sheryl Crow, and Bette Midler will be honoring Nevada’s Senator Harry Reid at a tribute event at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace.  A limited number of seats are still available for $250, $125, and $50. 

Nevada residents who purchase tickets and submit their idea for a 2010 campaign slogan for Harry Reid by 11:59 PM Saturday, May 23rd (including those who have already purchased tickets) will be automatically eligible to win a pass to a very special backstage reception with President Obama, Senator Reid, and special guests.  Reid’s campaign manager, Brandon Hall, will judge one original campaign slogan submission to receive a pass to the backstage reception. 

Click here to purchase your seats and submit your idea for a 2010 Harry Reid campaign slogan to be automatically entered in the contest for a pass to the special backstage reception. 

To bypass the slogan submission form, and simply purchase tickets to the event, click here.

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Indy 500 Features Las Vegan Alex Tagliani

Alex Tagliani didn’t really officially qualify for the Indianapolis 500 race, with a qualifying time four-hundredths of a second off the pace, being bumped out of the race by a faster car in the last turn of the last qualifying lap of the last qualifying session.  AlexTagliani

Athough Tagliani didn’t make the original field of 33 for the Indy 500, his Conquest Racing team put in a backup car driven by part-time teammate Bruno Junqueira, who joined the team a week ago, and qualified for the field with just a few laps of practice. 

So, since Tagliani is Conquest’s primary driver, he got the starting nod, bumping out Junqueria.  But Tagliani said both he and Junqueira should be in the race.  It was a fluke he didn’t make the field, said Tagliani.  He agreed the team made a bad call in pulling his car out of line. 

Tagliani moved to Las Vegas in 2000, with his Australian wife, Bronte, and own a $1.6 million condominium at One Queensridge Place in Summerlin.  

Tagliani, called ‘Tag’ by racers, has been racing cars since he could see over the steering wheel, but is considered a rookie at Indianapolis and is not predicted to finish in the money.

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Can’t make it to Las Vegas to watch the World Series of Poker?

Can’t make it next week to Las Vegas to watch the World Series of Poker?  That’s not a problem according to WSOP officials. Twenty-four of the final tables for the 40th Annual WSOP will be streamed live via the Internet. 

Click on the following link to view the online poker schedule:

http://www.pokerlistings.com/select-wsop-final-tables-to-stream-live-online-41326

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Top 10 Las Vegas Entertainment Picks for Memorial Day Weekend

With an estimated 230,000 visitors flocking into Las Vegas over the holiday and entertainment options busting from the seams, here’s our Las Vegas Backstage Access Top 10 best picks for prime time Memorial Day weekend fun faire in Las Vegas: 

May 23 – Whoopi Goldberg at Wynn Encore

May 23 – Jermaine Dupri at Body English in Hard Rock

May 23 – Taylor Swift at Mandalay Bay Events Center

May 23, 24 – Beach Boys at Mandalay Bay Beach

May 23, 24 – Free concerts for The Guess Who (23) and Blood, Sweat & Tears (24) at Lake Las Vegas, ‘Summer of 69’ Tour

May 23, 24 – Dane Cook at the Pearl in the Palms, “Isolated Incident Tour”

May 24 – Allman Brothers Band 40th Anniversary Tour at the Sandbar at Red Rock Casino & Hotel

May 24 – Terrell Owens “Athletes & Angels Takeover” at New York-New York Rok Vegas nightclub

May 24 – Tiesto at the Jet nightclub in the Mirage

May 24 – Joel Madden of Good Charlotte does a DJ set at the Bank in the Bellagio

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Carmen Electra to Star in ‘Topless’ Las Vegas Show

CarmenElectraAmerican TV and film personality Carmen Electra is geared up to star in a new ‘topless’ Vegas show, but she will not be going topless.

Though the topless cabaret show at MGM Grand has signed Electra, she will not baring all for the show.

“She’s not going topless, but she will be wearing very little. She’s going to wear whatever she is comfortable with,” People magazine quoted a source as saying.

Meanwhile, Carmen is thrilled to be part of the much-anticipated forthcoming show.

“It is such an iconic show and I was in awe after seeing it for the first time. The dancers and the performances are so sensual and sexy,” she said.

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Nevada Cops Issue Tickets Like Crazy

If you’re travel plans call for driving to Nevada over this holiday weekend, be careful- be very careful. Nevada sheriffs handed out thousands of tickets on Nevada highways last weekend, mostly for speeding.   One can only imagine how many tickets will be issued over the three-day Memorial Day weekend.

Between last Friday and Monday, the Nevada Sheriff Highway Patrol issued 4,074 tickets, as well as helping remove 21 suspected impaired drivers from the road and arrested 31 people for outstanding arrest warrants.

The tickets handed out included:

* 3,020 speeding violations.
* 113 seatbelt infractions.
* 17 child restraint infractions.
* 154 Gaming and Liquor Act violations.
* 47 failing to stop at a stop sign infractions.
* 134 other hazardous violations such as careless driving, stunting.
* 589 non-hazardous violations such as no insurance, suspended drivers.

The Nevada Sheriff Highway Patrol, launched in 2006, conducts traffic enforcement on the state’s highways. When asked whether or not many of the speeding tickets could have been avoided, the NSHP responded:  “There are plenty of online resources available for people to use. Programs such as www.TrafficTicketInformation.com offer tons of good advice on how to go about dealing with a traffic ticket.”

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Phantom of the Opera Fanatics Invited to “Fans Week” in Las Vegas

Famed Broadway director Harold Prince will give the keynote address and share his experience of putting together The Phantom of the Opera at a “Phantom Fans Week” Sept. 16 through 20 in Las Vegas. PhantomoftheOpera

Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular — Prince’s 95-minute environmental adaptation of the smash by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Venetian Resort — will host the week-long celebration of all things Phantom. 

That week, according to producers, fans will get exclusive access to the show at special ‘Insider Sessions’ and hear from the biggest names in the Phantom world.  With different registration levels available, ranging from $250 to $450 ticket prices, fans can spend a full week or a short weekend. 

All registration levels include admission to all six “Insider Sessions,” including the keynote address by multiple Tony Award-winning director Prince, the chance to attend up to four performances of the 90-minute, uniquely-tailored Vegas Phantom and “exclusive access into a grand Masquerade Ball with the cast of Phantom.” 

A special dinner with executive producer Scott Zeiger at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio Restaurant or a Farewell Brunch at Bouchon Restaurant are also offered. 

“Insider Sessions” include a Q&A with Tony Award winner Anthony Crivello, who plays The Phantom; meetings with Phantom’s production designer Paul Kelly, associate costume designer Sam Fleming and other personnel who will share their secrets of success. 

Phantom was adapted for the sitdown Vegas run in a venue that re-creates the Paris Opera like no other production of the Lloyd Webber musical. 

“We’re proud to host the first ever Phantom Fans Week and offer this kind of exclusive access,” said Scott Zeiger, co-CEO of BASE Entertainment and executive producer of Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular. “In addition to hosting this extraordinary affair, we’re also thrilled to have Harold Prince, our illustrious director, return to Las Vegas.” 

Packages start at $250 a person with special discounts for those who register early. 

Phantom at The Venetian is produced by The Really Useful Theatre Company Inc. and BASE Entertainment. 

Phantom performs at The Venetian Resort on Monday and Saturday at 7 and 9:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday at 7  p.m. (dark Sunday). 

For more information or to register for Phantom Fans Week: http://www.phantomvegasoffers.com/newsletters/fansweek/full/index2.html 

For more information on Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular:

http://www.phantomlasvegas.com

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Millionaire Fights Back Against Las Vegas Casinos

The former owner of Oriental Trading Company in Omaha, Nebraska is fighting back against two Las Vegas casinos. 

A grand jury has indicted millionaire Terrence “Terry” Watanabe, 52, on felony charges of owing more than $15 million in gambling debt.TerryWatnabe   He pleaded not guilty on May 29 in Las Vegas; his trial is scheduled for November 16.

Watanabe claims the management at Caesars Palace and The Rio casinos in Las Vegas kept him in a constant state of intoxication and gave him prescription drugs. He claims that those actions caused his losses to increase through no fault of his own. 

Las Vegas casino operating policies prohibit serving intoxicated patrons.

The properties are declining comment.

Watanabe could face probation or up to 16 years in prison if convicted of the two felony theft and two bad check charges.

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Onex to take Control of Tropicana in Las Vegas

Onex Corporation has acquired some of Tropicana Entertainment LLC’s debt at a discounted rate, which will give the private equity firm control of the company’s prized Las Vegas Strip property after it emerges from bankruptcy. Tropicana

Tropicana’s reorganization plan, which was approved by a Delaware bankruptcy court earlier this month, eliminates more than $2.4 billion in debt and more than $125 million in annual interest payments from the books. 

Onex leveraged Tropicana’s depressed economic condition and bought more than $200 million of the privately held company’s $440 million term loan, which is secured by the 51-year-old Tropicana Resort & Casino. Toronto-based Onex will pay for the debt with a credit agreement specifically set up for the purchases, according to a recent securities filing.

Onex partner and former MGM Mirage President Alex Yemenidjian will become chief executive of the Las Vegas casino under terms of Tropicana’s restructuring plan. 

Tropicana Resort & Casino rests on 34 acres in Las Vegas and includes more than 1,850 hotel rooms, a casino of about 61,000 square feet, five restaurants and an 850-seat showroom. 

Tropicana Entertainment’s reorganization also includes an exit financing commitment from Icahn Capital, a company owned by billionaire investor Carl Icahn.  Icahn has been interested in the company’s Atlantic City, N.J., casino, which will be sold in a bankruptcy court auction.

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Plenty of Lights, Camera and Action in Nevada

Lights, camera, action! Producers for feature films, reality shows, commercials, and other film projects are flocking to Nevada in droves, despite the sluggish economy. 

One reason that Nevada continues to draw film crews from around the world is that the locations are nearly impossible to economically replicate. 

“It’s hard to recreate the Las Vegas Strip in front of a green screen,” says Dannette Tull of the Nevada Film Office. “And the gaming – we’re obviously known for that. And we have unique locations, which is what makes Nevada so special.” 

The Nevada Film Office’s slogan is “Your Imagination, Our Locations.”  Nevada continues to be an industry leader in attracting film projects – despite the failure of a recent tax incentive bill to get out of the state legislature. 

Film projects in Nevada have accounted for more than $100 million in revenue for the past nine years in a row.

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Danny Gans Memorial Service Today in Las Vegas

The Danny Gans memorial service will be at 3 p.m. today, May 21, in the 1,600-seat Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas, the former showroom for the celebrity vocal impressionist.

Expected to attend are Steve and Elaine Wynn, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, entertainers Donny and Marie Osmond a throng of other celebrities, friends and guests. Originally announced as an invitation-only wake, the memorial will include some fans, firefighters and police who were offered complimentary tickets this week from showtickets4locals.com

Gans died in his home of unknown causes on May 1. He was 52.  His death is currently being investigated, perhaps for a couple more weeks.

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Paris Hilton to Stand Trial for Breach of Contract

Socialite extraordinaire and frequent Las Vegas partier Paris Hilton is like no other.  She just slipped up and didn’t honor a deal to promote herself as part of the film Pledge This!, according to its producers. ParisHilton3

A Miami judge ruled that he will not throw out a breach-of-contract lawsuit brought against the filthy rich ho-tel heiress by the distributors of the 2006 drivel. 

Investors claim Paris’ failure to abide by her contractual obligation to adequately plug the straight-to-DVD sorority flick resulted in a loss of $8.3 million. 

Ironically, she’s now indirectly doing more to promote it – testifying how she has to Google herself daily to remember what she said or did, rather than keep records, and so on – more than marketing managers could have possibly dreamed of. 

Her attorney recently claimed Hilton to be “the single busiest person on the planet,” but still the logic escaped the  judge that didn’t throw out the case, telling her she must stand trial June 8. 

As for her other projects less likely to result in lawsuits, she’s now soaking up the sun in Europe, with beau Doug Reinhardt, promoting the upcoming documentary Paris, Not France appearing this week at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Hilton is also already hyping the forthcoming Season 2 of My New BFF that kicks off on June 2 on MTV, something that seems to hearken back to her Pledge This! days. 

“It was basically Paris’ sorority house,” Hilton tells E! News.  “It’s about sisterhood – there’s pledging, there’s crazy challenges. We had the best time. We started out in Las Vegas, and these kids really were up for anything.”

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Legalizing Internet Gambling in Top 10 of President Obama’s Citizen Briefing Book

Poker players simply passively sit, blow wispy smoke designs in the air and look at their cards from behind their stealth disguise of dark sunglasses and ball caps all day long, hoping to just cash in on a good payday.Gambling

Wrong.

Rather, many members of the one-million strong Poker Players Alliance saw fit to actively make their voices heard on the issue of legalizing Internet gambling by flooding the Obama Web site, suggesting online gambling should be made legal.

Their efforts paid off. Poker playing made the top 10 list of subjects sent to the White House when President Barack Obama – a self-proclaimed poker player -asked Americans to send him their policy priorities. Poker playing also ranked as the No. 1 issue in the technology category.

The citizen requested priorities were unveiled last week in a Citizens Briefing Book, made public just days after legislation was introduced in Congress to repeal the 2006 ban on Internet gambling.

In all, more than 125,000 users suggested 44,000 ideas to help the administration properly prioritize their agenda. They cast 1.4 million votes for their favorite ideas, with each supportive vote earning 10 points.

Legalizing poker was suggested by an online player from Washington, D.C., under the heading: “Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker.” It earned 46,890 points.

Poker players beat out a suggestion for increasing automotive fuel efficiency standards (46,120 points), but didn’t outscore “the permanent closure of all torture facilities” (61,250 points).

An American Gaming Association study released Monday shows that 2 percent of adult respondents gamble online. The Poker Players group estimates between 10 million and 15 million Americans regularly gamble on the Internet. They also estimate $3 billion annually could be generated from legitimizing the online gambling business.

This month, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., introduced legislation that would essentially repeal the Internet gaming ban by instituting a framework for licensing and regulating online games.

Religious groups have vowed to maintain the online gambling ban, saying Internet gaming is a threat to home life and family finances.

This year Harrah’s Entertainment became the first major gaming bricks-and-mortar operations to back the online legislation. Nevada Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley signed on as a co-sponsor.

Franks spokesman Steve Adamske said support for the bill depend on the extent to which backers contact their lawmakers, adding that actions like the briefing book onslaught are “hugely helpful.”

In some ways Obama’s briefing book reads like a to-do list he has already started – closing Guantanamo Bay detention facility, developing clean energy sources, supporting investment in high-speed rail.

In others it is purely the voice of the people.

The top 10 issues also include: “Revoke the George W. Bush tax cuts on the top 1 percent,” “Commit to becoming the ‘greenest’ country in the world,” “No more wars on abstract concepts” and “ending marijuana prohibition.”

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British Press Speaks Out on Las Vegas’ World Record Bikini Parade Love In

“The publicity stunt, which saw around 300 bikini-clad women parade down The Strip, will do little to improve the city’s reputation for a lack of political correctness (women were asked to send in a photo along with their hip, waist and bust measurements, before participations could be approved) but plenty to publicise the city’s famous pool party scene.”

Charles Starmer-Smith, writing in the Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom about last week’s bikini parade in Las Vegas.

“The mayor of America’s entertainment city also joined in the festivities, although he remained fully clothed at all times. He opened the event by issuing an official proclamation declaring its summer in Vegas, one month ahead of the rest of the northern hemisphere.”

Sarah Gordon, writing in the Daily Mail of the United Kingdom about the same event.

Las Vegas Backstage Access wrote on the event on May 15.

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Brits Love to Fly to Las Vegas

British Airways will start flying from London’s Heathrow Airport to Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport in October. 

With planning for this in the works for years, Heathrow, the busiest international airport will begin daily service on October 25, with a flight arriving in Las Vegas at 5:10 p.m.  The return trip to London will depart at 7 p.m. 

The airline will use a Boeing 777, photo at right, configured with 274 seats, 24 of which will be “world traveler plus,” 36 business-class, with seats that recline fully to 180 degrees, and 214 economy class seats. BritishAirways

 Fares will begin at $461 round trip, plus taxes and fuel surcharges. 

British Airways will be the second United Kingdom carrier providing direct, daily service to Las Vegas.   Although Virgin Atlantic already makes the trip it flies from the much smaller Gatwick Airport.

The new Heathrow connection will put Las Vegas within one stop of cities around the world, making it that much easier for people to travel to Las Vegas and, hopefully, boost Las Vegas’ sagging tourism.  

Based on top overseas source markets for Las Vegas visitation compiled in 2007 (latest available figures), United Kingdom passengers already account for 409,000 annual visitors, 11.5 percent of the total international tourism, second only to Canada that brings 1.5 million visitors, 41.4 percent of the total. 

Las Vegas will be the 19th American city with British Airways service.

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Former Binion’s Horseshoe Boss Seeks to Buy Las Vegas Casino

Jack Binion, former Binion’s Horshoe CEO, is very cash rich and very interested in owning a Las Vegas casino. JackBinion

But the deal isn’t inked quite yet. 

“It’s a tough market right now,” said Binion, who sold his Horseshoe casinos in Indiana, Mississippi, and Louisiana to Harrah’s Entertainment in 2004 for $1 billion.

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Carlos Santana, Ganja & Bogeymen

Carlos Santana under hypnosis must feel he’s died, gone to heaven, then was  lucky enough to have been mysteriously reincarnated smack dab in Sin City.  To be honored and appear in a Las Vegas concert series no less, with ticket prices hovering in the rare ionosphere air, most likely exudes an unsurpassed nirvana feeling for the music icon that’s managed to live out his 1960s in 2009.  CarlosSantanaUSE

“Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits” is Santana’s new 72-show residency at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas that launches May 27, with 36 concerts planned for this year and 36 in 2010. 

With Santana anything is possible- and usually you can bank on it.  Talking and singing about love, light, and spirituality, you never know quite how to read him. 

What drives this man of superhuman music talent?  Some might arguably say it’s money and really his last stand to go for the gusto, with ticket prices for his new Las Vegas shows ranging from $79 up to $299 — which is a lot of money for many people in this economy. 

But their apparently all wrong; Santana says it hogwash:  “I have no clue about that. I’m more with, ‘This finger goes onto this note and it makes juicy sounds, and I’m going to make people dance and laugh.’  It’s not like I don’t care or I’m ignorant. It’s just that I’m not wired to have that insignificance on me other than what I’m going to get to give back to other people. 

His viewpoint on drugs, on the other hand, is a totally different matter. “I think that the solution to all of this stuff would be to legalize it, decriminalize it, reinvest all that money into teachers in schools.” says Sanatana. 

“If we would teach in schools the incredible sensation of climax that it feels to be of service to other people — like Mother Teresa, or Desmond Tutu or the Dalai Lama — smoking pot, and drinking tequila, and watching porno or whatever people do, it pales in comparison when you actually wake up to be of service to people.” 

I think we should legalize marijuana. I think Barack Obama should bring the brothers and sisters home — the soldiers. If I was to see him, I would go, ‘Listen to Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ and John Coltrane, and bring the boys home from the war now, like we did with Vietnam.’ They’re not going to come here. People in Vietnam did not come here to attack us after we left them alone. So let’s get rid of that fear, that fantasy, that stuff. Let’s get rid of the bogeyman, because the bogeyman is us looking in the mirror of each other.” 

So just maybe his residency in Las Vegas might also be his ticket for euphoric happiness, proving to offer a symbiotic relationship with his favored ganja.  Where Las Vegas is not really Amersterdam where anything does go, it’s somewhat friendly to marijuana smokers.  “Medicinal use” of course. 

After all, Nevada’s voters legalized marijuana for medical purposes in 2000. Patients diagnosed with a “qualifying condition” are allowed to possess small amounts of the drug.  They also are allowed to grow it for their own use. 

They are not allowed to grow it for lots and lots of other people and sell it to them.  But any licensed doctor can prescribe marijuana in Nevada. 

But regardless of Santana’s passion and love for good vibes, cannabis and dislike of bogeyman, his upcoming Las Vegas concert series will surely test the mettle of our local entertainment-based economy in these challenging times.

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Actress Teri Hatcher Teaches Daughter How to Gamble

Teri Hatcher may have just caught the gaming bug while staying at the Bellagio in Las Vegas during the “KeepTeriHatcher Memory Alive” charity fundraiser for the new Lou Ruvo Brain Institute back in March (Las Vegas Backstage Access March 7 article). 

Now word is that Hatcher is teaching her 11-year-old daughter how to gamble- so the youngster can hone her math skills. 

The Desperate Housewives actress, also an avid horse racing fan, candidly admits she has started taking her kid Emerson to meetings, so she can challenge her with betting equations. 

Hatcher insists the sport is helping her daughter learn how to add and subtract. 

She says, “I do use the opportunity to make her understand math and what you’re betting and what you get back… so we work on math. It’s fun.”

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Las Vegas Tourism Industry Faces Tough Times

The $231.2 million budget for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority – the group charged with the responsibility for attracting visitors to Las Vegas – will be punctuated by 12 months of spending cuts, a hiring freeze and ban on employee overtime. 

“We’ve had to adjust in ways we’d never dreamed of,” said board member and MGMG Mirage executive Chuck Bowling, in a board of directors meeting last week. 

The loss of $65 million from room tax is creating challenging budget choices, which is 11 percent smaller than the budget for the 2009 fiscal year. 

The authority will save $23 million in the upcoming year as a result of a decision to suspend work on a proposed $890 million renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center.   

It will save an additional $2.4 million on salaries, wages and benefits across all departments, thanks in large part to a current hiring freeze that covers 50 open positions and tight overtime restrictions. 

Their advertising budget is not immune from the axe, as the authority shaved $3.3 million, leaving a budget of $86.5 million to advertise Las Vegas to the world. 

Declines are expected to become less steep in September, which will be one year since the Las Vegas economy went into a nose dive.

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Indy 500 in the Pink, Features Las Vegas Owner

SamSchmidtPink is the new red at the Indy 500 this year for an Indy race car owned by Sam Schmidt, right, of Henderson, Nevada. 

AlexLloydSchmidt’s driver for the pink car is an Englishman named Alex Lloyd, left, – aka Pink Lloyd – and the No. 99 HER car will start in the middle of the fourth row of the starting  grid with an impressive four-lap average qualifying speed of 222.622 mph. 

Pink isn’t a new to the venerable Brickyard.  In 1955 Bob Sweikert drove a pink car into victory lane.  Thirty years later, Emerson Fittipaldi, the two-time Indy winner, made his 599 debut in a pink car.  Recently, Jeff Ward drove an Aerosmith-sponsored car that was painted pink mostly to call attention to the rock band’s song of the same name. 

Schmidt, who has been coming to Indianapolis as a driver and car owner since 1996, said he never envisioned that Lloyd would qualify for the first day.  Nor did he anticipate the torrent of publicity the pink car would receive. 

The care was painted pink at the request of sponsor HER – Healthy Energy Revitalizer, an energy drink for women.  On race day, HER models will be strutting around the Gasoline Alley pits in skimpy pink uniforms in classic Las Vegas tradition that will make Lloyd’s look pale by comparison. 

Think Pink when watching the Indy 500.

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Bravo for Wynn Las Vegas Encore

Travel and Leisure Magazine named the Wynn Las Vegas Encore to its “It List:  45 Best New Hotels in 2009” in its June issue.  The “It List” is an annual list compiled by the magazine. Encore

Travel and Leisure editors said while there are touches of opulence and luxury around every corner, “we fell for the natural touches:  sunlight inside casino and a botanical backdrop of sculpted flower beds, laurel tree, and spotted palms that make the 2.3 million square feet of public space feel downright cozy.” 

The $2.3 billion Encore, Steve Wynn’s latest creation, opened last December in Las Vegas.  It has 2,034 rooms and suites, 72,000 square feet of gaming space, five restaurants and 11 high-end retail stores.

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Las Vegas Room Occupancy Rates Bounce Back

roomsLas Vegas is not going back to their heyday of charging $500 per night room rates.   With ever increasing competition and the growing room inventory, those days are probably gone forever.  

But visitors are now at least starting to return to the bright neon of Las Vegas, lured by the lower relative room rates and successful direct marketing drives by Las Vegas hotels that are filling the weekday void left by conventiongoers whose budgets have dwindled. 

Las Vegas vigorous room marketing efforts are at last starting to pay off.  

With Las Vegas hotel demand and occupancy rates inching upwards, Las Vegas resort executives are rethinking their room strategies and are considering increasing room rates, a move that could contribute to improving their sagging profit margins and contribute to the start of a healthy Las Vegas business rebound in 2010. 

“The weekends are consistently solid now,” MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren said during a conference call last week to discuss first-quarter earnings.  “Even when we don’t have a major event we are able to occupy rooms at a solid level.” 

In January, MGM Mirage’s hotels had an occupancy rate in the 70s- a respectable statistic for many major cities but ranked poor for Las Vegas, where hotels have historically operated at higher than 90 percent occupancy.  That figures has risen each month this year, reaching 95 percent in March and 97 percent in April, in line with a year ago before business worsened. 

Las Vegas room rates although increasing, are still depressed, according to official figures from earnings reports and tourism officials.  MGM Mirage’s revenue per available room was $102, or 34 percent lower in the first quarter than the year-earlier period. 

Undaunted, Phil Ruffin, who bought Treasure Island from MGM Mirage in March, plans to raise their room rates.  “I’m not going to give rooms away.  That’s a heads-in-beds philosophy,” Ruffin said.  “I don’t want the $50 customer.” 

You can still make money – more money, in fact – by running at 70 to 90 percent occupancy and charging more for rooms, according to Ruffin.

Whether this strategy and others like it continues to work depends on the ongoing reaction of recession-battered tourists that have now tasted sweet vintage hotel price deals in Las Vegas.  

Las Vegas tourism growth, analysts say, will only continue if tourists believe they’re getting a bargain and a good combination deal- not just a good room rate, but meals, shows and drinks as well.

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Looking Youthful Will Cost ‘Ya – – $12 Billion!

BotoxAmericans spent nearly $12 billion on cosmetic procedures to look good good last year – much of it on breast implants, surgical face-lifts and Botox injections – a medical practice feeding frenzy that has touched everyone from young professionals to aging baby-boomers. 

Saving face doesn’t mean one has to go under the knife.  From hyaluronic acid injections to fractional resurfacing, nonsurgical options are an essential part of facial rejuvenation techniques. 

What started with Botox now includes a host of Restylane, Puragen, Sculptra and Evolence remedies. 

Dr. Paul Lorenc of New York believes cosmetic surgery has become more popular today because it’s much easier to perform, there’s less downtime for recovery and it’s more exposed in the media, saying, “What we are doing 10 years ago was archaic. We have progressed tremendously in the name of patient benefits and safety.” 

The No. 1 surgical procedure nationwide in 2008, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, was breast augmentation.  The average cost is $3,885 for silicone gel implants and $3,603 for saline implants. 

The top nonsurgical procedure in the nation was Botox injections ($2.46 million) at an average cost of $443 each. 

Face-lifts are still the main component of cosmetic treatments, with 132,000 procedures performed in 2008 at an average cost of $6,728. 

Since 1997, the number of cosmetic procedures nationally has increased 457 percent to 11.7 million surgical and nonsurgical procedures annually.  Women have 10.6 million, or 91 percent, of the procedures.

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Bikini-Clad Sirens Bare Skin in Hot Las Vegas, Start Summer Early, Set World Record

Las Vegas is everything kitchy. 

Las Vegas needs tourism money- lots of it. bikini

Yesterday, proving both tenets, a parade of 281  bikini-clad women seductively strutted their wares in the hot Las Vegas sun, setting a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest bikini parade. 

Parading on the Las Vegas Strip, from Wynn resort to the Fashion Show mall, the entourage of beauties was led by Playboy plaything personality and former No. 1 Hugh Hefner flame Holly Madison, flanked by two Jublilee! bedecked dancers, decreeing that “summer in paradise” in Las Vegas has started a month earlier. 

“Only in Las Vegas could this take place,” said Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who was joined in proclaiming the beginning of summer by Clark County Commisioner Larry Brown at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign – the 50th anniversary of the sign – on the south end of the Strip. 

 Participants were paid $100 and got to keep their bikinis, which were provided by various Las Vegas retailers at the mall.  The women also got a pass to one of several Strip pool parties. 

The “Summer in Paradise” branded parade, which coincided with the beginning of the Las Vegas pool scene season and National Tourism Week, cost the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority about $100,000.   The parade might become an annual event. 

Hopefully, the sizzling event will help to boost sagging Las Vegas tourism.   In March, visitor volume was down 6.5 percent compared to the previous year.  The average daily room rate was down 31.6 percent, and convention attendance was down 30 percent.  Gaming revenue dropped 12.3 percent on the Strip and 9.8 percent in the county overall.

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George Clooney Films in Las Vegas

Iconic actor George Clooney was reportedly spotted yesterday shooting film scenes and reacting to fans outsideGeorgeClooney Bally’s in Las Vegas for Paramount’s “Up in the Air.”   Later, Clooney shot scenes at a vacant hotel across from Mandalay Bay.  When filming completed, he was seen hugging everyone he worked with.

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Holly Madison to Star on ‘Peepshow’?

Hugh Hefner’s former No. 1 squeeze, who now provides almost daily eye-candy photo ops in Las Vegas, will reportedly co-star opposite former Spice Girl Mel B in the adult cabaret “Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas.    TheHollyMadison2 show has recently converted its format and is largely topless.

Madison is replacing Kelly Monaco, who never planned to go beyond her three-month contract. 

Yesterday, Madison lead the pack in the world’s largest bikini parade in Las Vegas – 281 bikini-clad women set a world record, according to a Guiness World Records represenataive, parading on the Strip from the Wynn resort to Fashion Show mall.

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Las Vegas Goes to Hell for Fun of it

Many believe that Las Vegas already provides the best ‘Hell on Earth’- but it’s all good clean Old West fun when the Helldorado Days celebration comes to the middle of downtown Las Vegas this weekend in Las Vegas.

Things come and go in Las Vegas, however, Helldorado Days, sponsored by the Las Vegas Elks Lodge, has been a local tradition and favorite since 1934.   A parade, rodeo, carnival and Whiskerino contest – competitors are judged for the best and largest beards and mustaches – are featured events.

A variety of entertainment will be ongoing today through Sunday at the Fremont Street Experience throughout Helldorado Days.

The PRCA sanctioned professional rodeo, which started in 1944, but has been on hiatus for the last 12 years, will be centerpiece anchor of this year’s event. Local companies donated 2,700 tons of dirt for a temporary rodeo arena that holds 5,300 people.

Hopefully, the rodeo and many other activities will provide paydirt for the Elks Lodge, which uses the proceeds from Helldorado Days to fund local nonprofit organizations. The Elks hope to bugle if they raise their goal of $100,000 to give out college scholarships, support for nonprofits and a summer Santa program for children at Child Haven.

Carnival – 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, noon to 11 p.m. on Sunday. Carnival tickets cost $, but free with purchase of rodeo ticket.

PRCA Rodeo – 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Sunday; 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $12.50 for adults, $6.50 for children 12 and younger.

Whiserkino contest – 4:45 p.m. on Friday at the Third Streeet stage at Fremont Streeet Experience.

Helldorado parade – 7 p.m to 9 p.m. Saturday, travels north on Fourth Street from Charleston Boulevard to Ogden Avenue.

For more info, www.elkshelldorado.com

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Crazy Pool Parties in Las Vegas

It’s that time of the year to temporarily cast worries and responsibilities aside and have some fun in the sun in Las Vegas.   Here’s a listing of major Las Vegas pool parties: poolparties

Rehab at the Hard Rock Hotel.  Every Sunday through September from 11 a.m. to sunset at 4455 Paradise Road.  DJs and celebs galore perform and mingle with ordinary folk.  Cover costs could vary depending on special events, but generally $20 for women, $40 for men.  Local women get in free.  Cabanas by reservation, 702-693-5555 

Ditch Fridays at the Palms.  On Friday from noon to 7 p.m. plan to skip work and really have fun at 4321 W. Flamingo Road.  In addition to offering cabanas and daybeds, a variety of special events are on tap through the season, including concert and DJs.  Admission is $25 for men.  All women get in free.  Cabanas by reservation, 702-938-9999 

Sapphire Pool at the Rio.  This pool is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 3700 W. Flamingo Road.  Admission for men is $30 Sunday through Thursday, $50 Fridays and Saturdays, and $60 on holidays.  Local women receive free admission and local men receive half-off admission with valid ID.  Cabanas by reservation.  702-777-7709 

Bare at The Mirage.  Bare is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.  It’s a European-style sunbathing venue, featuring the typical pool party amenities and music.   Asset Thursdays are for locals, targeting workers in the hospitality industry.  On Sunday, they host a backyard barbecue with local guests receiving complimentary grilled faire.  Admission Monday through Thursdays is $10 for women, $20 for men.  On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, admission is $20 for women and $40 for men.  Local women receive free admission with valid ID; local men receive complimentary admission on Sundays through Thursday.  Cabana reservations, 702-791-7442 

Daydream at M Resort.  Daydream is open form 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays at 12300 Las Vegas Blvd. South (actually in Henderson, not Las Vegas.)  Local women receive free admission with valid ID; all other women pay $10, while all men pay $20.   Mondays and Thursdays are Daydream’s industry days.  Themes vary, from free facials to free gift bag giveaways.  www.daydreamlv.com

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‘Porn Nostalgia’ Cult Industry Sizzles in Sin City

The little-known “porn nostalgia” industry has been quietly operating for years in Las Vegas. Now it’s attracting national attention with two Las Vegas companies battling over which has the rights to distribute classic X-rated movies from the 1970s and 1980s. 

Information about the cottage industry emerged last week in a lawsuit filed by Arrow Productions Inc. of Las Vegasdeepthroat against VCX Ltd. of North Las Vegas. Arrow claims VCX is infringing on its “Deep Throat” trademark by selling copies of that production. 

David Sutton, president of VCX, responded to the allegations saying he started distributing “Deep Throat” last fall because Arrow had refused his repeated requests that it stop distributing two other classic films VCX says it has the rights to: “Debbie Does Dallas” and “The Devil in Miss Jones.” 

If Arrow would give up those two titles, he’ll give up “Deep Throat,” he said.  Now, he said, the best thing for both parties to do is sit down and negotiate. Because if the lawsuit isn’t dismissed, a judge could find “Deep Throat” to be in the public domain — meaning anyone could legally copy and use it for free. 

And that, he said, is why he didn’t sue Arrow over Arrow’s marketing of “Debbie Does Dallas” and “The Devil in Miss Jones.” The last thing anyone in the porn industry wants is for a judge to rule that any of these films are in the public domain, he said. 

Sutton is claiming rights to the old films under an interesting legal theory. He said the predecessor companies of both VCX and Arrow originated during an era when the mob controlled the pornography industry, and that today VCX has a “mob provenance” claim of ownership over the old films. 

That may sound far-fetched. But it’s well established that the Colombo crime family produced “Deep Throat” for $25,000 and made a fortune off the production; and that the mob controlled the industry in the 1970s and into the 1980s. The organized crime section of the 1986 Meese Commission report on pornography even includes several references to VCX founder Norm Arno.

In his Las Vegas Trademark Attorney blog, Ryan Gile highlighted an important point about the case. He said that because pre-1989 copyright law required all works to be published with a copyright notice, one issue is whether “Deep Throat” was published without a copyright notice because, if it failed to do so, then the movie might be in the public domain. 

“Of course, despite the morass of causes of actions relating to trademark infringement in Arrow’s complaint, this case is really about copyright infringement, and more particularly, whether the film ‘Deep Throat’ is in the public domain. After all, if the movie is in the public domain and all that VCX is doing is distributing that single work under that single title, then VCX is not using the term ‘Deep Throat’ as a mark to identify the source of goods and services, but merely as the genuine title of the work,” Gile wrote. 

Separately, Arrow suffered a setback in another case involving “Deep Throat.” Vivid Entertainment said March 10 that a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge denied Arrow’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have barred Vivid from distributing “Throat,” a movie loosely based on “Deep Throat.” 

Sutton, in the meantime, said that despite the overwhelming amount of new porn available for purchase and for free on the Internet, the classic porn industry continues to do well in its niche, with the top five titles probably grossing $5 million per year industrywide. 

“We’re reaching a second and even a third-generation viewer. Some (movies) have a cult following,” Sutton added.

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Las Vegas Nightclub Kingpin Plans New York City Nightclub

Steve Davidovici, an original partner in Pure Management Group (PMG) in Las Vegas, raised in New York, is telling friends he’s opening a new club in New York City.   SteveDavidovici

Davidovici has been flying und the radar since the IRS raided Pure nightclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas a year ago in February.  The probe is part of an investigation into PMG. 

Davidovici’s new club is called The Griffin, located near the Hotel Gansevoort.

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Isle of Capri President Virginia McDowell Tapped as 2009 Gaming Executive of the Year

Isle of Capri President Virginia McDowell has been named Casino Journal magazine’s 2009 Gaming Executive of the Year.  

Running with distinguished company, past recipients include Steve Wynn, Boyd Gaming Corporation founder Bill Boyd and Harrah’s CEO Gary Loveman.

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Eliminating Tobacco from Las Vegas Casinos?

A new Health Hazard Evaluation report from NIOSH gives ammunition to anti-smoking groups because it’s their first recommendation that tobacco be eliminated at Las Vegas’ casinos. Smoking ban

The recommendation is based on 2005 on-site evaluations at Bally’s, Paris, and Caesars Palace casinos in Las Vegas, confidential medical interviews, and a questionnaire, with non-poker (NP) casino dealers compared with a group of casino employees in administrative and engineering jobs. The HHE says 124 NP dealers out of a total working population of 1,188 NP and poker casino dealers participated in the environmental and/or biological assessment. 

Establishment owners frequently battle anti-smoking efforts by claiming they will hurt business, and the casinos already are reporting sharply lower revenues in Las Vegas for the first quarter of this year. Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., which owns Bally’s Las Vegas and Caesars Palace, said its Las Vegas Region’s revenues in the first three months of 2009 were down 20.5 percent, to $686.4 million, from the same period a year earlier, and income from operations was off by 36.4 percent. 

Titled “Environmental and Biological Assessment of Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure Among Casino Dealers” and written by five NIOSH employees, the HHE says NNAL in the dealers’ urine (NNAL is an environmental tobacco smoke biomarker) increased significantly during their eight-hour work shifts, both adjusting for and not adjusting for creatinine clearance. The dealers also reported more respiratory problems than did the non-dealers, but differences in the prevalence between the two groups weren’t significant, according to the report. The investigators found secondhand smoke components in the casinos’ air, including nicotine, respirable dust, benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde. 

“We recommend eliminating tobacco from the casinos and implementing a smoking cessation program,” the authors wrote. “The casinos should also eliminate smoking near building entrances and air intakes to protect employees from involuntary exposure to ETS. A physician should evaluate employees with respiratory symptoms, especially symptoms related to asthma that are associated with workplace exposures. 

A group named Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights hailed the report, saying  “Casino workers deserve the same rights as other workers, including the right to a healthy, safe workplace, free from toxic secondhand smoke. After the release of this report, we hope to see casino workers protected by strong smoke-free workplace laws throughout the country.” 

Executive Director Cynthia Hallett added that Nevada’s current workplace law does not cover the gaming areas of casinos and state legislators are considering rolling back the smoke-free workplace law further. “If anything, these results should convince Nevada lawmakers to strengthen their state law to include the gaming floors of casinos, not roll it back to expose more workers to toxic secondhand smoke.”

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No Doubt Headlines Tiger Jam XII This Weekend in Las Vegas

Pop rockers No Doubt will kick off their first tour in five years when they headline Tiger Jam XII presented by AT&T on May 15 and 16 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. NoDoubt

Formed in Anaheim, California, No Doubt reached international success with their 1995 release Tragic Kingdom. That album, including the mega hit “Don’t Speak” among many others, has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. Their follow up, Return of Saturn, was nominated for the Best Rock Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards and granted a four star review by Rolling Stone Magazine. The band went on to win two Grammy Awards for 2001’s multi-platinum Rock Steady and performed at the Superbowl XXXVII Halftime Show in 2003 alongside Sting. 

After the double platinum success of No Doubt’s Singles Collection, featuring the hit “It’s My Life,” and a subsequent tour with Blink-182, lead singer Gwen Stefani released two successful solo albums in 2004 and 2006 respectively. 

TigerWoods“I’m thrilled No Doubt is kicking off their tour at Tiger Jam XII,” event host and professional golfer Eldrick (Tiger) Woods, 33, said. “They are amazing performers, and I’m honored they are helping raise funds and awareness for the millions of young people my Foundation supports.”

Saturday evening’s highlights will include top-notch epicurean fare and exclusive live and silent auctions featuring one-of-a-kind luxury items. Following the dinner and auctions, the celebration will progress to the Mandalay Bay Events Center stage, where Woods will introduce Grammy Award winners Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young for a rocking concert.

“Playing this show is going to be really fun for all of us.  Tiger’s foundation empowers kids to achieve their dreams and we’re excited to help support that,” No Doubt’s singer Gwen Stefani said.

Paramore and The Sounds will join No Doubt as special guests on the Tiger Jam stage. 

Tiger Jam has garnered a reputation as being one of the premiere fundraising events benefiting children for past 11 years. Each year, the concert event hosted by Tiger Woods raises millions of dollars for the Tiger Woods Foundation and youth-driven charities in Las Vegas, as well as the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, and the GRAMMY in the Schools program.

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Girl-on-Girl Kissing Contest Tonight in Las Vegas

In Las Vegas almost anything happens- and usually does.  Tonight is no exception.  The Palazzo’s Lavo nightclub is hosting a “I Kissed a Girl II, the bondage edition.”  The winner gets a whopping $5,000 and, of course, lots of kisses.

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Nick Lachey Hooks Sexy Las Vegas Reporter

EmilyGimmelLas Vegas nightlife reporter Emily Gimmel is linked to Nick Lachey in the latest Star Magazine.

NickLacheyGimmel, 24, and Lachey, 34, “flirted up a storm” reportedly at the recent Kentucky Derby, according to the tabloid. Gimmel acknowledged that she ran into Lachey and chatted him up several times.

Gimmel, a native of Lousiville, is the entertainment reporter for 702.tv, which is part of the Greenspun Media Group. She is also cast in the upcoming reality show “Southern Belles,” on SOAPNet channel. The show premieres on May 21 at 10 p.m.

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Britney Spears’ Camp Slams Las Vegas College Kid

It’s never a dull day in ol’ Britneyland– always a circus, concert tour or not.

Jordan Miller, right, a 21-year-old University of Nevada, Las Vegas college student majoring in communicationsJordanMiller launched his breatheheavy.com Web site all about the pop star, literally out of a labor of love and admiration for the star, from his Summerlin, Nevada bedroom while being in high school in 2004. 

Now, his Web site gets a half-million visits a day. 

JamieSpearsMiller’s world started to turn upside down-last fall after he received an angry phone call from the Britney’s dad, Jamie Spears, left, accusing him of copyright infringement.

Miller is fighting back.  “I’m working my ass off to report on this girl,” Miller said from his attorney’s office.  “I just think [Britney] is a really cool artist; I feel inspired by her. It’s a healthy hobby.  It takes a lot of work and dedication, but it’s self-fulfilling.” 

Miller said father Jamie Spears replied, telling him:  “I am going to destroy your ass.” 

“I was really freaking out for a good three, four weeks,” Miller said, adding,  “Lately, I’ve been doing my own thing.  I just kind of want to keep going.” 

Each day, Miller scans the Internet for stories about Britney Spears, posting them on his Webs Site and adds his comments.  He also encourages her fans to send him concert photos and messages about her worldwide “Circus” tour.

Henderson, Nevada attorney Clarke Walton, who represents Miller pro bono, has been battling the Spears legal team tooth and nail. 

Spears’ New-York based attorney Brad Rose says the use of the star’s recordings, images, copyrighted works and trademarks constitutes actionable infringement under the law. 

Miller and Walton are puzzled that Team Spears would leave oodles of other fan sites alone and yet see fit to sic legal hounds on a kid who is simply a huge admirer of the singer.  Miller believes Jamie Spears is “trying to shut me down” simply because of Web site posted comments about the father’s control over his daughter.  Miller believe Jamie is keeping Britney a prisoner. 

And it’s not like Miller has an Internet goldmine- Miller pays $300 a month to keep the site going and receives an average of $100 each month from advertisers.  Miller is also not using images or lyrics for commercial purposes, like selling merchandise. 

“If they want to fight, I’d love this fight,” Walton said. “I feel confident we would win on the merits of this case.”

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One Up, One Down in Las Vegas Recession Game

The recession has slowed much of the recent growth in downtown Las Vegas, but Mayor Oscar Goodman’s dream of a downtown renaissance is still alive.  Goodman cut the ribbon at last Thursday’s opening of the El Cortez Cabana Suites, a boutique hotel adjacent to the longtime downtown property. 

The Cabana Suites, developed on the site of the 100-room Ogden House, is located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and 6th Street.  Billed as the “sassy younger sister” to the El Cortez, owners hope the aqua-blue exterior and posh lobby make the property stand out in a neighborhood that has seen stunted growth in recent years. 

Word also came last Friday that another Las Vegas downtown business, the Galaxy Theaters at Neonopolis, closed its doors. The move leaves the once promising entertainment complex without an anchor tenant.

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Danny Gans’ Memorial Service in Las Vegas

A memorial service for very popular Las Vegas entertainer Danny Gans will be May 21 in Wynn Encore Theater in Las Vegas where he had performed since February. 

The memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be by invitation only because of the seating limitations and “the many people who crossed Danny’s path,” said Gans’ manager, Chip Lightman. 

Gan, who was found dead at his Henderson, Nevada home May 1, was buried May 5 in Las Vegas after a private funeral.

The family is asking that cards be sent to Danny Gans Family, c/o Encore Hotel, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109.  In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations be made to Gans’ favorite charities, the Junior Golf Academy and the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation.

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Nevada Travel & Tourism Sales Blitz This Week

Some may still not feel promoting Nevada travel and tourism benefits is a good idea in our stagnating economy, especially following President Obama’s February comments about frivolous travel in Las Vegas by corporations that accepted federal bailout money.  

But don’t tell that to Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman or casino mogul Steve Wynn.  Both want to bend the ear – and more – of President Obama when he vists Las Vegas on May 26 and headlines a fundraiser for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.  (Las Vegas Backstage Access April 1 article.) 

Wynn wants Obama to specifically address Nevada tourism.  “The people that voted in the Democratic Party, for the main part, work in the tourism and travel industry as cooks and waiters and housekeeping,” Wynn said. “They are being hit very hard not only by the recession but by federal policy that has discouraged travel.” 

Providing added fuel to boost Nevada’s flailing tourism industry, six Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT) staffers have taken to the road early today for a western sales “blitz” during National Travel and Tourism Week to promote special travel deals designed to boost Nevada visitor numbers, according to NCOT chairperson and Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian K. Krolicki. 

The sales team will visit travel agents, tour operators, AAA offices and other influential tourism industry representatives in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle. Several tourism industry partners from around the state will accompany the staff members from NCOT’s Sales and Industry Partners department. 

“There’s no better time for fun in Nevada than now, because of the special travel deals at hotels, golf courses, shops, spas and entertainment venues throughout the state. It’s a productive way for NCOT to observe this year’s National Travel and Tourism Week and a great way to attract more visitors in this current economy,” says Krolicki.   

The team will visit AAA offices that advise consumers about travel destinations, tour operators that bring groups of customers to Nevada and receptive operators who help with arrangements in the state. At each stop they will distribute USB flash drives that contain the new NCOT Industry Partners Newsletter, Nevada Magazine’s Events and Shows publication, a listing called What’s New in Nevada and an introduction to the new Web site, NV.Mobi, which makes travel information accessible by mobile phones and devices, a consumer newsletter and special spring travel packages. They also will hand out the Visitor Guide and fliers with information about special events and attractions. 

The team will also visit six different tribes to exchange ideas and generate interest in attending American Indian events in Nevada throughout the year and meet with a Japanese credit card company in Los Angeles to promote special Nevada travel deals for the company’s cardholders. 

Nevada’s attractions and deals with tour operators and motorcoach companies will be promoted in Salt Lake City, a strong market for travel to Elko County and other points in eastern and southern Nevada including Las Vegas. 

“Tourism is a highly competitive industry, and we need to be aggressive and never let up in our sales and marketing efforts,” Krolicki said. “Nevada is a destination that allows consumers to maximize the value of their dollars, and we must do all we can to boost awareness, attract more business and maintain our place as a leading destination.” 

The sales blitz is NCOT’s second since December 2008, when economic challenges were escalating and the commission stepped up its already vigorous sales efforts. 

National Travel and Tourism Week on May 9-17 is an annual observance by the U.S. Travel Association in Washington, D.C., that focuses on the industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy, which is worth more than $700 billion.

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Magician Lance Burton ‘Vanishes’ from 19 Las Vegas Shows

Monte Carlo headliner Lance Burton will miss 19 shows after breaking his foot during his May 7 show in Las Vegas.Lance Burton 

Burton is undergoing surgery in Las Vegas on Monday on his right foot, according to his publicist, Wayne Bernath. 

The accident occurred 15 minutes into the show as Burton was preparing to do the floating bird cage act with Elvis the bird.  When Elvis flew into the audience, Burton left the stage and retrieved the bird.  The injury occurred when the entertainer twisted his right foot on the way up the steps.  Burton finished the show despite considerable pain.

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Brothel Job for Suspected Killer Cop?

Drew Peterson, 55, a brash, mustachioed former Illinois police sergeant who found tabloid fame after his fourthDrewPeterson wife’s disappearance, said he’s considering a tempting brothel job offer he has received from the HBO reality show “Cathouse,” filmed at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch near Reno.                      

Brothel owner Dennis Hoff said he invited Peterson recently to spend the weekend at the Bunny Ranch and discussed working there, saying he wants to hire Peterson to head the brothel’s security detail. 

Those plans, however, are apparently on the backburner as Peterson was indicted May 7 and held on a $20 million bond for two-counts of first-degree murder in the drowning death of Kathleen Savio, his third wife, who was found dead in a dry bathtub in 2004. 

Drew Peterson seems to relish being under the media microscope since Stacy Peterson, his fourth wife, disappeared 1 ½ years ago.  He has appeared in People magazine and on multiple national talk shows– most recently to tout his new engagement to a 24-year-old woman.

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Mother’s Day Ala Las Vegas Style

There are some holidays that go hand-in-hand with the fabulous glitz and glitter that is Las Vegas.  New Years Eve, any three-day weekend, any day that let’s you blow off fireworks from the top of the parking garages, just to name a few.  But there’s one day that may not be what you consider a natural fit with the Las Vegas economy – and it really, truly, is the most natural of all holiday destination matches – Mother’s Day in Las Vegas. mothersday

Looking to give Mom a few days off the clock?  Perhaps a room with a (Strip) view, room service and sunshine by the pool may give her the chance to dial down the stress and forget her carpool duties for a while. 

Want to spoil Mom and give her a pamper-by-numbers opportunity?  How about a luxury suite at the Trump Hotel along with the Mother’s Day Spa Package at The Spa at Trump?  This package includes a facial, pedicure and spa robe for $179.  

But if you would like your mom’s spa day to do more than celebrate your special lady – how about the Trump Gold Package?  Donate $25 or more to the American Heart Association (via the Trump Hotel) and receive a Gold Body Scrub, Gold Facial, Trump Massage and Gold Bar Box Set for $189. 

Restaurants in Las Vegas will be offering many unique luncheon and dining opportunities that will work for any budget.  

At $50 or more per person, the Paris Hotel and Casino’s premier restaurant, the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, will offer open early on Sunday, May 10 for a Mother’s Day lunch brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  Reservations required. 

Or for a few dollars less, about $35 per person (special pricing for children), ENVY the Steakhouse at the Renaissance Las Vegas will also offer a brunch for Mom’s on May 10 complete with mimosa’s and Wes Winters at the piano. 

With options ranging from Rumjungle to Pamplemousse, it will be possible to wine and dine Mom regardless of what type of meal she may be interested in and the budget available for the celebration. 

So give Mom a chance to break away from the every day routine and have a very grand Vegas Mother’s Day.

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Celebrity Impersonator Frank Marino to Star in Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding in Las Vegas

Las Vegas celebrity impersonator Frank Marino’s, the star of the Riviera’s now-defunct “An Evening at La Cage,” inFrankMarino2 which he hosted the show as a Joan Rivers impersonator for more than 20 years, has packed his bags and on May 8 he’ll be performing in the role of the “special guest” in the dinner and comedy show Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding at the Planet Hollywood Resort Casino in Las Vegas. 

Marino will be bringing all his Bob Mackie gowns, glittering Manolo Blahnik stilettos and makeup bags with him in his role that is planned to run through the end of May. 

Marino is also the local ABC affiliate’s “Dancing With the Stars” correspondent, on which he critiques who was great, who was awful and whose costume sparkled the brightest on the hit program, now in its seventh season.

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Mob, Celebrities are Supreme Toppings for Las Vegas Pizza Biz

joe-pesciActor Joe Pesci, right, who won an Oscar for his supporting role in the 1990 mob classic “Goodfellas,” is apparently going into refined cahoots with Las Vegas convicted racketeer Rick Rizzolo, left, planning to rick-rizzoloslice up the payola coming from opening up several pizza joints called “Pesci’s Pizza Parlors” in Las Vegas, with several others in a foreign country.

Tough-guy actor Pesci is keeping the business dealings close to the cuff, though, disavowing any connection with Rizzolo, simply saying his longtime friend and personal assistant Tommy DeVito – and story source – “was confused.”

Pesci quickly switched gears,  saying  he is partnering with Las Vegas businessmen Sig Rogich, Sig Rogicha prominent public relations that advised the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, and Elias Ghanem II,  who works for Wynn Resorts in the executive training program.  Ghanem’s dad, Dr. Elias Ghanem, was known as the “physican to the stars,” serving celebrities including Elvis Presley, Liberace, Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Ann-Margret, and Wayne Newton.

Currently finalizing the new business paperwork, they plan to be in business in four or five months, according to longtime Pesci associate Tommy DeVito, who has lived in Las Vegas since 1970. 

DeVito, 80, and Pesci, 66, have been guitar-playing pals since they were 11-years-old and living in New Jersery.  DeVito, center, went on to form the Frankie Valli-led Four Seasons and was the group’s leading guitarist until a falling out with the group over his mounting gambling debts. tommy-devito

Pesci is a producer of the “Jersey Boys,” a musical based on the lives of the Four Seasons.  A spinoff of the Broadway hit has been playing in Las Vegas for a year at The Palazzo. 

Pesci and DeVito are such close friends that Pesci called DeVito a couple of months before the filming began on Martin Scorcese’s “Casino” to say he was taking the name Tom DeVito for his character, a mob thug based on Las Vegas hit man Anthony “The Ant” Spilotro. 

Rick Rizzolo, 50, received notoriety during the Las Vegas “G-Sting” federal trial, causing former Justice Department Organized Strike Force prosecutor Stan Hunteroton to exclaim to the court:  “Not since the reign of Anthony Spilotro and his associates has there been a more infamous hoodlum than Rick Rizzolo.” 

Rizzolo was among 17 defendants, including Las Vegas city officials, later found guilty on a related charge.  He served 11 months of a sentence of one year and one day before his release last year.   Rizzolo was also ordered to sell the Las Vegas topless cabaret Crazy Horse Too business and placed under three years of supervised release and fined $250,000. 

‘Dying’ to taste their pizza?   Maybe they could open up a pizza parlor in the planned Las Vegas Mob Museum?

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Marie Osmond ‘Very Supportive’ of Gay Rights

Las Vegas performer Marie Osmond has come out in favor of gay rights. marieosmond2

In an interview with Los Angeles radio station KOST 103.5, the Flamingo headline said it was “not a sensitive issue” for her.

Osmond said she supports gay couples having civil rights. 

“I think it’s important to look that at the commandment love thy neighbor as thyself,” said Osmond, who has eight children.  Her oldest daughter, Jessica, 21, has been in a gay relationship for three years.

Please see prior Feb. 24 and April 20, 2009 Las Vegas Backstage Access articles.

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Boxer ‘King’ Floyd Mayweather Jr. Announces Ring Comeback

Unbeaten welterweight pro boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., once considered boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighterfloydmayweather when he retired in December 2007 after knocking out Ricky Hatton, said he’s coming back to take on Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18 at the MGM Grand Arena. 

Mayweather, a Las Vegas resident,  is undefeated at 39-0 with 25 knockouts. 

“The king is back!” Mayweather said.  “I’m here to fight and reclaim what is mine.” 

The scheduled 12-round slugfest will be held at the welterweight level with a 143-pound weight limit.

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Las Vegas Gets Cultural Boost: Smith Center to Break Ground

It’s been an especially rough and tumble time for new Las Vegas art and culture developments.   A major boost, though, came on May 6, when the Las Vegas City Council approved the necessary agreements and funding for the long awaited $245 million Smith Center for the Performing Arts. smithcenter

Dreams, with planning, apparently do come true.  The groundbreaking that has been 15 years in the making has been tentatively scheduled for May 26.  The construction on the concert hall and theatre building is expected to be complete by early 2012. 

The Smith Center is to be the anchor facility of the new Las Vegas crown jewel- Union Park, a 61-acre development in downtown Las Vegas on what used to be a Union Pacific railroad yard.   Plans for the center include a 2,050-seat multipurpose main hall; an education building that will house a 300-seat cabaret theatre; and a 200-seat flexible studio theater for rehearsals, children’s theater and community events. 

Projected to create 1,000 new construction jobs, the completed center in Las Vegas will provide a permanent home to the Nevada Ballet Theatre and the Las Vegas Philharmonic. 

Project construction funding is coming from multiple sources: $105 million from city bonds backed by a tax on rental cars; $68 million in bond money from Las Vegas’ redevelopment agency; and $75 million for the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, which is also providing money for an operating endowment. 

No concern was voiced in the Las Vegas City Council meeting about taking on such a large project in the midst of a recession, although the economic slump was mentioned. 

(Please see related Dec. 30, Jan. 14, March 13, and March 20 Las Vegas Backstage Access articles.)

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Danny Gans’ Private Las Vegas Funeral

Danny Gans’ family and friends gathered early and discretely this Tuesday for a small, private funeral at an undisclosed Palm cemetery in Southern Nevada. 

Gans, 52, was found dead at his home early last Friday. 

The cause of death did not show up in the autopsy, according to the Clark County coroner’s office.  Results from toxicology tests typically take weeks. 

Two pastor who have been associated with Gans and his family spoke at the funeral. 

The family has asked for donations to two of Gans’ favorite charities- the Junior Golf Academy and the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation – in lieu of flowers.  Information can be found at www.DannyGans.com 

A memorial service is being planned, possibly in Gans’ theater at Wynn’s Encore. 

CNN talk show host Larry King said that he will do two shows at Gans’ theater June 19-20, with his wife, Shawn King. 

Gans’ autobiography, “My Remarkable Journey,” which was completed just two days before his death, comes out May 19.

Comedian Whoopi Goldberg has been booked in the theater for later this month.

Please read prior Feb 28, May 1, and May 4, 2009 Las Vegas Backstage Access articles.

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Imprisoned Las Vegas Celebrity Trina Johnson-Finn’s Faces Trial in Suriname

Las Vegas celebrity impersonator Trina Johnson-Finn has been incarcerated since March in a Suriname jail, location of Finn’s Feb. 28 concert.    

She was denied release on Tuesday and now faces a May 26 trial date on charges of impersonating Las Vegas entertainer Toni Braxton.  

Her attorney had reportedly filed an appeal to have released based on the arrest of the concert promoter, Angel Ventura, last Saturday, who was captured in a harbor bar in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname.  

The judge denied the motion. 

Please see prior April 25 Las Vegas Backstage Access article.

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Live Dangerously- Be a Paisan for a Week

Trash that McDonalds’ burger and head out today for some unsurpassed carbo loading, feast on healthy Italian sauces, and, at no extra up charge, experience an enlightened cultural Italian infusion to your life. italianfood

The San Gennaro Feast will celebrate 30 years of Italian food, music, and hospitality in the Las Vegas Valley on May 6 through 10.  The biannual feed and cultural event has more than 200 vendors and draws thousands of people.  

The feast is always packed, coming a long way from its fledging start in the parking lot of the Italian-American Supper Club with just a handful of vendors and people.  

The event’s namesake – the feast – will be provided by 80 food vendors, not just Las Vegas restaurants but some as distant as Boston and New York.  

The business brains behind the event are partners Hank Squartino and Vincent “Jimmy” Palmisano.   The business was started by Squarino and Palmisano’s great uncle to celebrate Italian food and culture. They now fly in from Florida to Las Vegas eight weeks before each San Gennaro Feast to prepare for what they refer to as a massive block party.  Even so, planning for the event is a nearly a year-round job.  They sample all the cuisine before it is booked and prepared for the feast.  Only the best, most authentic Italian cuisine is accepted through the gates. 

The five-day San Gennaro Feastwill kick off with a fireworks show at 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 6.  Hours are from 4 to 11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; from 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday at the Grand Canyon Shopping Center, near Flamingo road and the Las Vegas Beltway in Spring Valley.  General admission is $7; seniors are $6 and children less than 54 inches tall (with no spaghetti in belly) get in free.  For information, please visit www.SangennaroFeast.org

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The Shade Tree’s Pre-Mother’s Day Walk to Aid Las Vegas Homeless

Las Vegas is not known for its universal kind, caring and compassionate ways in dealing with its growing homeless population.  Quite the contrary.  So, anytime there is a local fundraising event that helps, Las Vegas Backstage Access likes to lend a helping hand.  

This Saturday, May 9, when The Shade Tree will host a pre-Mother’s Day Walk of Hope to raise funds for their downtown shelter for homeless women and children. 

Proceeds go to The Shade Tree, which provides shelter, food and clothing to more than 3,000 homeless women and 1,000 homeless children each year. 

The “family fun walk” will begin at 9 a.m. at Children’s Memorial Park, 6601 W. Gowan Road, near Rainbow Boulevard in Las Vegas. 

Registration is $25 for adults and $15 for children under 12.  For more information and to register, please visit http://www.TheShadeTree.org

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Improv Theater in Las Vegas Packs ‘Em In

Whether you are a fan of watching improvisational theater or just maybe would like to try your hand at acting, there are some opportunities for you in Las Vegas.    improv

Although, Second City has closed up after eight years at the Flamingo, the Improv Vegas recently debuted their Sunday 7 p.m. show at the Bonkerz Comedy Club inside Palace Station.   For a $9.95 ticket you can have the time of your life. 

Improv Vegas also produces their SET show at the Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-732-7725, at 8 p.m. on Mondays, $7 a ticket.  The show features improve plus standup comedy, juggling and other disciplines and is a showcase for students at the company’s training center, also at the Onyx. 

Improv Vegas classes are limited to 10 people and last six weeks, with six or seven classes going at any given time.

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World Series of Poker Prepares to Shuffle Up & Deal in Las Vegas

Despite the sour economy and Nevada gaming revenues being down almost 10 percent in 2008 and more than 16 percent down over the first two months of 2009, is apparently not an overriding concern for officials for the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas who remain optimistic and confident that the variety and depth of the best poker playerspetereastgate in the world will be the draw needed for the 57-event WSOP tournament that begins its six-week run May 26 at The Rio, the host casino for the event. 

To sweeten the pot, a $40,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event on May 28 is expected to draw poker’s most elite players.  Then, two days later, the tournament will host a $1,000 buy-in no-limit event that is expected to attract another approximate 6,000 players. 

If that’s not enough draw, on May 31, a special two-day Champions Invitational will take place with the 27 living previous World Series of Poker world champions being invited to participate in a no-limit hold’em event. 

The 2009 World Series of Poker event will include 10 World Championship $10,000 buy-in events and seven $1,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournaments.  The $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. event, which mixes five different poker games, will take place on June 26.  The $10,000 buy-in World Championship No-Limit Hold’em Main Event will being on July 3 and reach its final table of nine players on July 15. 

For the second straight year, players will then wait four months before returning to the Rio on November 7 to play for the championship, which ESPN will televise on a same-day taped delay.

Last year’s World Series of Poker event in Las Vegas drew 58,720 entries from 124 countries and awarded a prize pool of more than $180.7 million.  The winner in November was 22-year-old Peter Eastgate of Denmark, who became the tournament’s youngest-ever word champion, taking away $9.15 million in a four-hour heads-up final table with Russian Ivan Demidov.

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Playboy’s Playmate of the Year Announced in Las Vegas

Ida Ljungqvist, 27, from Tanzania was named Playmate of the Year on Saturday at the Palms in Las Vegas.   Ljungqvistidaljungqvist is the first African-born playmate and the magazine’s 50th Playmate of the Year.   She came to the United States five years ago from Dar es Saluam, Tanzania, to study fashion design, and is featured in the June issue.

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Danny Gans’ Autobiography & Music Video Release

Danny Gans, 52, a leading Las Vegas headliner since 1966, both at The Mirage for 8 ½ years and most recently performing at Steve Wynn’s Encore hotel, died unexpectedly early last Friday in his Las Vegas home.   (May 2 Las Vegas Backstage Access article.) 

Now it has been learned that two days before his death he completed his autobiography that was in the works for about a year.  The manuscript, according to this his manager, Chip Lightman, is now being edited and a meeting with the publisher today. 

Gans also had a music video in the works with Hollywood director Brett Ratner, performing “What a Wonderful World” in 10 voices.  It is planned to be a part of a CD that’s being released in a month by Hi-Fi Records.

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Down – and Out – Goes Boxer Ricky Hatton

Last night Filipino boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, a minus-290 favorite, delivered spot-on devastating left and right hooks to overwhelm and eventually TKO Britan’s Ricky Hatton with onemannypacquiaowin second remaining in Round 2 of their scheduled 12-round junior welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas before a sellout, bellowing, frothing-at-the-mouth crowd of 16,262. 

Pacquiao retained his pound-for-pound best boxer claim and improved his record to 49-3-2 with 37 knockouts.  Dominating the fight from the opening bell, Pacquiao established the right hook in the first 30 seconds, hammering away at Hatton, whose only answer was to hold and hit until finally succumbing to Pacquiao’s left hook to the chin knockout blow that reeled and crashed Hatton flat on his back to the canvas. 

Pacquiao earned $12 million for his smashing good looks and hooks;  Hatton got $8 million for his whooping.

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Grammy Winner Toni Braxton Sues Lloyd’s of London

Former Flamingo headliner and Las Vegas resident Toni Braxton is suing insurance giant specialist Lloyd’s of Londontonibraxton for refusing to pay her for the months of work she missed entertaining in Las Vegas because of her alleged heart condition. 

The six-time Grammy winner is suing for undisclosed damages, claiming she bought “non-appearance” and “cancellation” insurance which protects entertainers in case of cancellations. 

Published reports indicate Braxton discovered she had pericarditis, an inflammation of the sack surrounding the heart, after the birth of her second son, Diezel, on March 31, 2003. 

However, not long after leaving the Flamingo – still having nine months on her entertainment contract – Braxton competed on ABC TVs “Dancing with the Stars.”

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Boxing Match of the Year Moments Away in Las Vegas

The long-anticipated and sold out boxing match promoted as “The Battle of East and West,” pitting Filipino Mannyhattonpacquiao Pacquiao (48-3-2,  36 KOs) against Brit Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) will start at approximately 8 p.m. (PT) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. 

With the betting line Pacquiao minus 270, over/under 9 ½ rounds and tickets priced at $150 to $1,000, the slugfest royale will undoubtedly be one for the record books.  Hatton’s IBO and The Ring magazine junior welterweight championships will be at stake.  Some contend Hatton is one the best British fighters ever, comparing  him to Ted “Kid” Lewis, who won nine titles in multiple weight divisions after turning pro.  For Pacquiao, at stake is the claim to be boxing’s pound-for-pound title, having already won three major fights in three weight divisions last year. 

Closed-circuit viewing for $50 is available at Mandalay Bay, Mirage, TI, Monte Carlo, Circus Circus, Luxor, and New York-New York.  HBO is offering on Pay-Per-View for $49.95.

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Woodstock Las Vegas

Forty years ago the Woodstock music festival featured tie-dyed bedecked hippies that espoused peace, love, happiness, fused with lots of freebies – speech, sex and pot – and a plethora of equally mind-blowing music.  Now Las Vegas plans to vicariously relive those groovy days and, hopefully, provide a much needed boost to Las Vegas’ sagging economy as well, reeling in more visitors that spend more money on food, entertainment and gambling.  woodstock

That’s the hope. 

And the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas (three miles north of the end of the Las Vegas Strip) is banking on it, spending about $1.7 million on the promotional campaign between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends- $500,000 more than it normally would during the season.   

They’ll be paying tribute to 1969 all summer long with free rock concerts and seasonal themes that feature the likes of yesterday’s music heavy hitters Blood, Sweat and Tears; Three Dog Night; the 5th Dimension; Rare Earth; the Grass Roots and Canned Heat. 

John Van Hamersveld – artist known for his artwork for “The Endless Summer” in 1966 and for making the cover of the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” album in 1967 – will be painting two buses, one to be used as a stage. 

Special videos shows are being planned for a giant screen hanging over the street that include rolling credits memorial for the 58,000 Americans killed or missing in action from the Vietnam War. 

Each of the 10 casinos on the Fremont Street Experience are also making plans to tie to the 1969 theme.

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Playmates, Playboys Lust for Playmate of the Year Honors in Las Vegas

Tonight fur of the fluffy white kind is going to fly in Las Vegas:  Playboy is announcing their Playmate of the Year atBrande Roderick Simon Restaurant at Palms Place.  The guy with the most Viagra in the world, Hugh Hefner, will be there, along with his Playmates from the past 55 years- a total of 68 beauties. 

Leading Las Vegas Backstage Access to question if Hef can clearly remember what happened that far back?   Is a bunny tail by any other name, still a bunny? 

The host of the sensual foray is Brande Roderick (pictured) of “Celebrity Apprentice” and 2001’s Playmate of the Year at the invitation-only event. 

It’s quite an honor for the City of Excess, as it marks the first time the event has been held outside the Playboy Mansion.

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Las Vegas Entertainment Icon Danny Gans Dies

The Danny Gans Theatre at the Encore will be silent tonight.  Long-time Las Vegas entertainer, dubbed The Man of Many Voices, Danny Gans has died at the age of 52, silently in his sleep last night. dannygans

Singer, actor and impressionist Danny Gans, named Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year for 11 years in a row, began his Las Vegas career in 1996 at the Stratosphere Hotel before moving to the Rio, the Mirage and, most recently, the Wynn Encore. 

Steve Wynn, chief executive of Wynn Resorts, called Gan’s death “a profoundly tragic event that leaves us all sad and speechless.” 

Danny Gans left behind his wife, Julie and their three children.

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Las Vegas Air Traffic Down, Bird-Aircraft Strikes Lead Nation

The Federal Aviation Administration says hundreds of airplanes collided with birds at Nevada airports between 1990 and 2008, but, thankfully, few of the incidents resulted in substantial damage to aircraft. birdstrikes

Although McCarran International Airport visitor traffic is down in Las Vegas, it led the nation with 244 bird strikes, five of those incidents resulting in substantial aircraft damage. 

Following the Las Vegas record, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport followed with 176 strikes, four involving substantial damage. 

Elko Municipal Airport reported eight strikes, one involving substantial damage. 

The reports follow January’s ditching in the Hudson River in New York of a US Airways jet after being struck by a flock of geese after takeoff.

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