Published Monday, Oct. 12, 2015 | 12:21 p.m.
Updated Monday, Oct. 12, 2015 | 2:23 p.m.
The Kats Report Bureau at this writing is Wynn Las Vegas sports book on Sunday, where every play seems a circus of emotional devotion blended with short-term financial ruin. That pick 6 by the Broncos’ Chris Harris Jr. — no relation to DJ Calvin Harris, methinks — seems to have excited those in my seating area who believe that Raiders QB Derek Carr is, in fact, blind.
The Raiders never fail to disappoint, entertainment-wise. I once knew a professional sports bettor, about 20 years ago, who held one rule: Never bet on a game involving the Raiders. This theory stemmed from a particularly bad beat in the “holy roller” game in 1978.
Whatever, the competitive spirit of the book is further illuminated by the Democratic presidential debate Tuesday night. The word around here is take Bernie Sanders and the over.
To the cage!
More from the scene:
• Rick Harrison made time for his presidential favorite, Marco Rubio, on Friday evening at the grand opening of Pawn Plaza. But Harrison has had no time for the TV show once hosted by Rubio’s rival, Donald Trump.
When I asked Harrison before Rubio’s arrival for Friday’s ceremony if he’d ever been offered TV or film roles as a result of the success of “Pawn Stars,” he quickly answered, “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Fear of being fired by The Donald?
“No, I have just always been too busy,” he said in the closed-off rear enclave of Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, his jet-black 1968 Ford Mustang fastback parked a few feet away. “They asked me numerous times, too.”
As he mentioned in a conversation in August, Harrison is to work as a bartender on Friday and Saturday nights at Pawn Plaza’s Rick’s Rollin’ Smoke Barbecue & Tavern (at least in the business’s first few weeks). He has earned a TAM card but holds to the rule that any drink he serves must have the ingredients in the title. So, vodka and sodas are in; grasshoppers are out.
• The producers of “For the Record: Baz” are insistent that whatever happens with the show’s reported move to the Venetian, they would not be the reason for the upheaval of Human Nature at Sands Showroom.
If “Baz” winds up in that venue, it is an incidental result, part of the hotel’s hierarchy sweeping out existing shows with a wide broom. “Frank: The Man, The Music” has already been given a final date of Nov. 28, which is reportedly to allow for renovations to Palazzo Theater. Expect the entertainment lineup at the hotel to look a lot different by mid-January than it does today.
The “Baz” crew is further insistent that this Venetian talk is premature, as no contract with the hotel has been signed. But as we are reminded, time and again, just because it’s not official doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. And that rare triple-negative might well lead to a positive for this show.
• You know who was at Criss Angel’s show recently but not in a straitjacket? Nic Cage.
Elsewhere in Angel’s domain …
In what seems an abrupt turn of events, Angel’s touring production, “The Supernaturalists,” is in the process of cutting short its U.S. tour after shows Tuesday and Wednesday at Toledo’s Stranahan Theater. Still to be determined is the status of performances still on the schedule in Upper Darby, Pa.; Washington D.C.; Huntsville, Ala.; Baton Rouge, La.; and Austin and San Antonio, Texas.
“The Supernaturalists” cast member Krystyn Lambert has suffered an Achilles tendon tear and is unable to complete the shows leading to its return to Foxwoods Resort Casino in November. In her absence, Angel himself is appearing in the two shows in Toledo; I had tweeted that those shows were to be canceled, which is not the case. Otherwise, the status of the tour dates after Toledo and before Foxwoods is formally unannounced.
Meantime, Angel was headed to Connecticut again late Sunday evening, after his “Believe” show at Luxor, to take part in the latest public event at Foxwoods as Spencer Horsman of “The Supernaturalists” performs a Water Torture Cell escape. This act has caused problems in previous attempts, as Angel has himself extracted a limp Horsman from the glass box during a rehearsal in June.
Horsman is fine and part of the current tour, and the public performance is to promote the show’s November run.
The Foxwoods bookings represent Angel’s continuing relationship with hotel President Felix Rappaport, who brought Angel to the Strip when Rappaport ran Luxor. “The Supernaturalists” plays 16 dates from Nov. 11-15 and returns Dec. 16-20. Angel had appeared in “The Supernaturalists” touring show in video cut-ins but will be onstage when the show is relaunched at Foxwoods.
That is an important move, as Angel has consistently sold out the hotel’s Fox Theater in previous appearances this year in “Mindfreak Live,” and his presence in “The Supernaturalists” can only boost ticket sales. The status of the remaining tour dates is expected to be sorted out this week.
• “The Real World” is back in VegasVille, with the cast of the show’s Season 31 crawling all around downtown Las Vegas over the weekend. Our friends at the website Vital Vegas, in particular, have been tracking their activities, with the cast taking residence at Gold Spike. The show was staged at the Palms from 2002-2003 and the Hard Rock Hotel in 2011.
So far the cast has caused something of a ruckus in their movements along Fremont Street, which is to be expected, but the return to Las Vegas will be a test of what seems a flagging brand. When I heard “The Real World” was returning to Las Vegas, I thought, “ ‘The Real World’ is still a thing?”
We wish them a great stay anyway, and keep the tab open.
• As Cirque du Soleil overhauls its Beatles collaboration, “Love,” the Mirage is pulling apart Revolution Lounge. The end of the club that opened in June 2006 will be Wednesday. A new theme will be adopted in 2016. The timing of Friday’s announcement, on the 75th birthday of John Lennon, was remarkably coincidental …
With world-class dining, shopping, spas, golf and entertainment, there's no shortage of things to do at Wynn. The resort’s aquatic acrobatic show, “Le Reve—The Dream,” a creation by Cirque Du Soleil veteran Franco Dragone and Steve Wynn, will leave guests wanting more with its breathtaking performances that conjure an imaginary world. The Wynn Esplanade offers a unique shopping experience with stores including Chanel, Manolo Blahnik, Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta and many more. Tryst is its signature nightclub, offering a secluded lagoon inside the club and spacious dance floor. Blush, the Wynn’s ultra lounge, draws swanky party-goers. Tryst, Wynn’s signature nightclub, is situated along a private lagoon under a 90-foot waterfall and plays host to some of the world’s most renown DJs.
In the spirit of Venice, The Venetian is a little piece of romantic Italy right here in Las Vegas. The Venetian is an "all-suite" hotel, with rooms accented with plush linens and Italian marble. The 4,027 suites are divided into two towers: The 36-story Venetian Tower that offers guests a taste of luxurious Las Vegas and the Venezia suites, which guarantee 12 floors of high-end elegance. The top five floors are the hotel's highest level of luxury with its private access, concierge lounge, upgraded features and even a dedicated staff.
Entertainment at the Venetian includes shows such as Tim and Faith - Soul2Soul, featuring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and Rock of Ages.
The flagship of Venetian nightlife is TAO, an ultra-hip nightclub located inside of TAO Asian Bistro. V Bar is The Venetian's super smooth ultra lounge, made by the owners of New York City's club Lotus and Los Angeles' super swank Sunset Room.
The Venetian features 19 restaurants including Thomas Keller's award-winning French restaurant Bouchon, Mario Batali's B&B Ristorante, Aquaknox for fresh seafood and the 42,000 square foot TAO Asian Bistro. There's also the food court inside the Canal Shoppes for those looking for a quick bite.
Guests can float along The Grand Canal Shops in an authentic Italian gondola ride and pass stores like Burberry and Kenneth Cole along the way. And if you haven't caught a real celeb, on the street in Vegas, you can head over to Madame Tussauds to check out a wax version.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.
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