Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

‘Vegas Nocturne’ still alive — in New York; Mac King faces down Penn & Teller on ‘Fool Us’

Mario Lopez at Rose. Rabbit. Lie.

Jenna Dosch

Mario Lopez attends “Vegas Nocturne” at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. in the Cosmopolitan on Friday, April 11, 2014, in Las Vegas.

Final Cantos of ‘Vegas Nocturne’

The final cantos of “Vegas Nocturne” at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. on Saturday, July 12, 2014, in the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Launch slideshow »

The Kats Report Bureau has yet to set up at Eastside Lounge in Encore Las Vegas, but maybe it’s time to find a station there over the next few weeks.

An explanation follows in this latest raking of the scene:

• The Spiegelworld Production “Vegas Nocturne” lives on, if in a scaled-back form. The show that closed a year ago at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. in the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is set for a one-off Thursday night at the Slipper Room in New York. The production also played, in a reduced capacity, at that club in October.

This is “VN3,” as Spiegelworld founder Ross Mollison describes, and the show is a short series of sketch-comedy-based acts designed to keep the “Vegas Nocturne” production afloat as a show and brand. The difference between now and then, Mollison says, is there will be “41 fewer cast members” in the show in New York.

Penn & Teller on Broadway

Penn Jillette, right, and Teller perform in Launch slideshow »

• Years ago, Teller said that Mac King, in his 15 years as a headliner at Harrah’s, was the only sleight-of-hand magician who could consistently fool him. That quality would seem to give King a good chance to fool Rio headliners Penn & Teller in Monday night’s edition of “Fool Us,” the contest show on the CW. The program airs at 8 p.m.

The trick itself is to be a surprise to viewers and also Penn & Teller. As King said in a statement, “This was such an amazing opportunity to work with Penn & Teller since we have known each other for so long.

“We have seen each other’s shows in Las Vegas a number of times, so choosing a trick that they hadn’t seen before proved to be a challenge. The one that I ended up going with was one that I knew they would get a kick out of trying to figure out.”

• One of the great photos taken down before the closing of the Riviera was a shot of Elvis and Engelbert Humperdinck at the hotel after one of Humperdinck’s shows in 1972. The two were good friends, and Humperdinck was back in town last week to visit Elvis’ old haunt, Westgate Las Vegas (formerly International and Las Vegas Hilton), while filing a documentary about his life and 50-year career.

Humperdinck performed at the Hilton theater for nearly a decade and filmed scenes from the stage in that since-renovated showroom. He also visited “Elvis: The Exhibition” at the Westgate and reportedly enjoyed the traipse down memory lane.

• An act whose heart is in the right place and who has ample rock ’n’ roll chops, Reckless in Vegas, is now set up in Las Vegas, and frontman Michael Shapiro is taking on Cabaret Jazz in the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Shapiro has booked 8 p.m. Aug. 14 for a full-scale production of his rock trio playing such classic ’60s Las Vegas remakes of “Luck Be a Lady Tonight,” “My Way,” “Danke Shoen,” “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime” and “Mr. Bojangles.”

It’s Vintage Vegas, run through a Green Day filter, and, as the band showed in previous appearances at Downtown Grand, a great deal of fun. Those who purchase tickets by Aug. 1 are in line to win a new Apple Watch (as opposed to an antique Apple Watch, I suppose), so hit the Smith Center website at TheSmithCenter.com or call (702) 749-2000.

• Janien Valentine, known for her recent role in Frankie Scinta’s stage show and, previously, as a vocalist in Clint Holmes’ show at Harrah’s, is performing three shows at Eastside Lounge. Her dates are Aug. 3-4. Valentine also has appeared onstage in “Notre Dame de Paris” and “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.”

Great talent, and these shows at Eastside are free for locals.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.

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