Brad Garrett remembers ‘vibrant’ Doris Roberts; Jimmy and Robin Slonina ‘a Las Vegas weirdo power couple’

By John Katsilometes

Tuesday, April 19, 2016 | 12:32 p.m.

The Kats Report Bureau at this writing is the sports book at South Point, where it seems to be a pro-Dubs crowd based on the caterwauling at every Golden State field goal.

Later, it’s “The Healing,” with Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns, in the hotel showroom. During this writing session, I have figured out the Moreno/Holmes/Santa Fe compendium. This is the afore-reported conflict of Saturday night, when Frankie Moreno’s first performance of “Under the Influence” clashes with Clint Holmes’ reunion with Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns at the M Resort.

I felt it was an either-or choice, but it isn’t necessarily. Holmes and Santa Fe start at 7 p.m. Moreno is at 9 p.m., and I’d wager that show is going off a little late — around 9:13 or so. It’s possible to scramble from Clint-a-Fe at the M to P.H. and make both shows. I will make them both.

Let’s knock down a few treys elsewhere:

• Brad Garrett is in a bittersweet mood this week, celebrating the fourth anniversary of his club at MGM Grand Underground while feeling the loss of his friend and “Everybody Loves Raymond” co-star Doris Roberts.

Roberts played the mother of Garrett and Ray Romano in the long-running CBS sitcom. She died Monday at age 90.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Doris Roberts, an amazing lady and brilliant actor,” Garrett said in a text message (he is protecting his voice for a case of laryngitis but is still onstage at his club this week). “Doris was vibrant and full of life both on and off the stage, and I am so grateful we shared so many wonderful memories.

“I will miss her greatly and will always remember her incredible kindness, humor, talent and heart.”

Roberts won four Emmy Awards in playing the role of Marie Barone. Peter Boyle, who played the father, Frank Barone, died in 2006.

Garrett’s next TV role is as a corrupt corrections officer in the season finale of “Law & Order.” He appears in the two final two episodes of Season 17 of the crime-drama series. The episodes air on NBC on May 18 and 25.

• A prominent Las Vegas weirdo power couple (as they describe themselves): Jimmy and Robin Slonina.

He’s a holdover performer from “Vegas Nocturne” who is now closing out Cirque du Soleil’s “Zarkana” at Aria as one of the production’s great clown characters (the show closes April 30 to make way for a lavish, multimillion-dollar convention center expansion). Slonina also is subbing for Brian Dewhurst on Wednesdays in “Mystere.”

Robin is owner of Skin City Body Painting in the Arts District and even more famously a judge on GSN’s “Skin Wars.” Rebecca Romijn hosts the series with a judging panel that features RuPaul Charles (as he is out of drag) and body painter Craig Tracy.

Season 3 of “Skin Wars” is to premiere at 10 p.m. Wednesday. Naturally, a viewing party has been dialed up at that haven of body canvasses: Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club. The event begins at 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

If you’re seeking a fun fact about bodypainting, Slonina (Robin) tells me that it typically takes about five hours for an artist and one or two assistants to paint a body. Not sure if that is how long it would take to paint the other Slonina (Jimmy).

• Wayne Newton’s backing band has undergone a major change as Don Vincent, his longtime musical director and pianist, is not part of Newton’s band for the upcoming “Up Close & Personal” residency at Windows Showroom at Bally’s. Vincent has taken leave after the recent death of his wife and is not scheduled to be part of the Newton residency.

Newton has selected drummer Marc Atkinson as his music director. The pianist, for now, is Becky Priest, a backing musician and singer for Newton’s friend and country artist Neal McCoy. A permanent pianist will be selected during Newton’s run.

• In my perfect world, Louis Prima Jr. would be a regular stop each week on my sprint through VegasVille. LPJ and The Witnesses threw it down for about two hours late Saturday night at Lounge at the Palms mixing standards from the original Louis Prima and a few contemporary gems. We had “Just a Gigolo” / “I Ain’t Got Nobody” and “Jump, Jive an’ Wail” alongside such nifty selections as Adam Ant’s “Goody Two Shoes.” The room was nearly full, with ticket prices set at $38.50. Many guests and friends of Prima’s were in that audience.

Ideally, a show like Prima’s would be subsidized by the hotel, same as when Keely Smith and his father performed at Casbah Lounge at the Sahara. Those days of hotels paying for top-flight entertainment have been waning for a long spell, but I would still love to see Prima and The Witnesses at select dates at the Sayers Club (about where Casbah once stood at the old Sahara).

Or Brooklyn Bowl at the Linq Promenade (where the similarly styled Trombone Shorty has headlined) and even Cabaret Jazz (Lon Bronson’s All-Star Band, David Perrico’s Pop Evolution and Pop Strings and Santa Fe & the Fat City Horns have used that room to great response).

With that great name equity and a fiery live presentation, Prima would be a welcome fit in any of those haunts. I’d love to see him here more frequently.

• On the topic of classic artists famous in Las Vegas, Neil Diamond is the central icon being celebrated in “DiamondFest” at Suncoast from Thursday through Saturday. This event is to honor Diamond’s career as a chart-topping contemporary artist, which dates 50 years to 1966. The principal tribute artist is column friend Rob Garrett, who has performed his Diamond production at various Las Vegas venues for more than two decades.

Garrett is performing at 7 p.m. Friday at Suncoast Showroom, followed by Curt DiDomizio’s Real Diamond Band at 10. Saturday at 7 p.m., it’s Kenny LaBelle's Diamond Collection Band.

Folded into the event is a new film by event promoter and “Diamondhead” Steve Tatone, titled “Diamond Mountain,” to be screened at 7 p.m. Thursday at Century 16 Suncoast Movie Theaters. The documentary follows the lives and career of 13 Diamond impressionists. As Garrett himself promises of this event: “This is going to be bigger than you think.” For information on tickets and scheduling, go DiamondFest2016.com.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow Kats on Instagram at Instagram.com/JohnnyKats1.