Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

A trickle of notes from The D Las Vegas, Penn Jillette and future of ‘Baz’

More Manneken Pis

Sam Morris / Las Vegas News Bureau

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman points to the Manneken Pis Las Vegas statue at The D Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015, in downtown Las Vegas.

Manneken Pis Las Vegas Unveiled

The Manneken Pis Las Vegas statue is shown after an unveiling ceremony at The D Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015, in downtown Las Vegas. Launch slideshow »

The Kats Report Bureau this week was set up for a time at The D Las Vegas at an event that was a real joke. Not a criticism. It was really a joke: Setup, punch line, the whole nine.

This moment under the searing sun was announced as the unveiling of the new headliner in downtown Las Vegas and the longest contract signed in the city’s history.

The payoff was that the headliner was the statue Manneken Pis Las Vegas, a DTLV version of the famous statue in Brussels, Belgium.

This development was not exactly a surprise; hotel co-owner Derek Stevens leaked (ha) the information 2 1/2 weeks ago after his brother, Greg Stevens, and he announced the purchase of Las Vegas Club.

Derek Stevens was in Brussels at the time making the deal — I mean, signing the record-setting contract — for Manneken Pis.

As Mayor Carolyn Goodman said during Tuesday’s unveiling at the hotel entrance, Manneken Pis should be the most-visited statue in the entire state.

So if you are the Stevens brothers, urine luck. The statue is a great complement to the Long Bar inside the hotel, for one obvious reason …

And, as former Mayor Oscar Goodman said, the cherubic figure bears a great resemblance to Derek Stevens, so much so that we are reminded of the line from “History of the World, Part I,” as Harvey Korman (as Count de Monet) said to Mel Brooks (as King Louis), “You look like the Piss Boy!”

Stevens will always answer, “It’s good to be da king.”

An issue soon to trickle out of this visage is the inevitable stream of visitors who choose to pose next to Manneken Pis while taking a … break. Deal with that later. I’m sure Stevens has a plan at The D Las Vegas, which, at least for a day, was The P Las Vegas.

Let’s zip elsewhere …

Penn Jillette Pitches Ice Cream at Walgreens

Penn Jillette launches his Launch slideshow »

• Penn Jillette is working on a new book, as he has noted on his Facebook page. This tome centers on his remarkable weight loss, which at last count was more than 100 pounds from a high of 330.

This all began last fall. In a recent FB post, Jillette said he’d grown weary of writing the book. “I could play with the children or swim, but maybe I’ll eat something.” That’d make a great epilogue or prequel or something.

Also, Jillette’s weight loss is being dealt with creatively in his upcoming movie, “Director’s Cut,” self-financed largely through Jillette’s FundAnything.com campaign and directed by Adam Rifkin.

Filming was completed before Jillette began his diet; expect some post-production work to explain how the film’s star and creator has slimmed by 100 pounds.

• On the topic of films and the funny people who star in such, the filming schedule for “Dead Serious,” featuring Jerry Lewis, is delayed for an unspecified amount of time.

The movie was supposed to have begun filming scenes in Las Vegas last week, according to Lewis, but is tightening up issues before starting work. Lewis helps narrate the movie and plays a “a rich, wealthy, studious, very aware character.”

‘For the Record: Baz’

Jason Paige and Jason Byous from “Moulin Rouge” in “For the Record: Baz.” Launch slideshow »

• The closing of “For the Record: Baz” on Sunday night was marked by an exuberant standing ovation from a near-capacity audience at Light in Mandalay Bay and a shout from cast member Jason Paige (who portrays Zidler), “ ‘Baz’ will be back!”

Several cast members cried at the end of the performance as the audience stood, and it was indeed a sad moment as the production is looking for a more suitable home.

The official word from “Baz” producers is: “There is active interest from a number of properties, and we feel very encouraged that we’ll be able to announce a terrific new home for ‘Baz’ very soon.”

That announcement can’t come soon enough for supporters of the show. I keep hearing how Las Vegas can’t support a show like “Baz,” given its musical-theater vibe in a city that has not always fully embraced that form of entertainment.

But I do feel that, given ample time and a concise, advance marketing campaign, “Baz” can work here. Closing in such an abrupt fashion can actually work in the show’s favor from a marketing perspective. I can see the “Baz Is Back” signs now. I just hope that members of this cast are featured on those signs.

• Something I’ve learned on the scene over the past couple of weeks: “Jubilee” at Bally’s director Gene Lubas has been given more wide-ranging authority in Caesars Entertainment with the title of director of entertainment.

Lubas, long a director in Cirque du Soleil (lastly with “Viva Elvis” at Aria), was brought in to help redirect “Jubilee” after the truncated Frank Gatson Jr. era from late 2013 and early 2014. Lubas is now part of the Caesars Entertainment corporate-wide entertainment team.

• The Jabbawockeez are reportedly playing to a tighter house at Beacher’s Madhouse, about 350 seats, compared with 830 at the venue built for them at Luxor. The Jabbaz closed at Luxor on Sunday, and the venue across from Atrium Theater is to be the home of Blue Man Group starting on Nov. 11.

Beacher’s Madhouse plays Saturdays (with select Fridays booked); the Jabbaz are to perform two shows a night, five nights a week, but no starting date or formal schedule has yet been posted or distributed.

The theater is being given an extensive overhaul for the production, which debuted at MGM Grand’s Hollywood Theater (now David Copperfield Theater) in the spring of 2010.

• Expected soon is an announcement for the next home for “Alice — A Steampunk Rock Concert,” which continues to have a heartbeat while it seeks a permanent venue in VegasVille. What we would love to know is where highly regarded, veteran Las Vegas acts Mo5aic and The Scintas will wind up.

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

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