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A Strip doubleheader in New York with ‘Vegas Nocturne’ and Cirque’s ‘Paramour’: Monday, Aug. 1, 2016; The Kats Report Bureau this weekend touched down in New York on a trip that was brisk for its pace and humid for its climate. …
On its birthday, innumerable reasons to love Caesars Palace: Monday, Aug. 1, 2016; Caesars Palace celebrates its 50th birthday on Aug. 6, marking its rich history as the Strip’s first truly “themed” hotel. To ably celebrate that milestone, we offer this list of 50 reasons to love Caesars Palace. There are doubtless many more than 50, but we’ll wait to ...
Chris Isaak no stranger to performing in Las Vegas — or admiring its icons: Friday, July 29, 2016; Singer Chris Isaak’s embrace of the Vegas vibe was inspired by some of the city’s real superstars. He recalls seeing Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. during their …
The scene: Sweets’ raging band, Anderson’s odd Emmy nod, and a Vault-ian memory: Thursday, July 28, 2016; The Kats Report Bureau at this writing is MDV Entertainment rehearsal studios off West Oquendo Road in VegasVille. The moment caught is indeed a rehearsal, for the band to work it out in advance of …
Travis Cloer’s terrific 'With a Twist' proves there can be life after a closure: Wednesday, July 27, 2016; The entertainer performs in Jersey Boys, one of a handful of production shows with impending closings.
Tony Bennett, Wayne Newton to help trumpet Caesars’ 50th anniversary: Tuesday, July 26, 2016; Fireworks, food and fame — led by singing legend Tony Bennett — will be the order of the weekend as Caesars Palace celebrates its 50th anniversary Aug. 5 and 6.
Announced today is ...
Monday By the Numbers: ONJ, ‘Laverne & Shirley’ and Reba’s Twitter feed: Monday, July 25, 2016; This week, Monday By the Numbers tilts nostalgically to Flamingo Las Vegas headliner Olivia Newton-John and Cindy Williams.
Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds joins the parody-protest anthem, ‘Don’t Use Our Song’: Monday, July 25, 2016; As the frontman for the superstar rock band formed in Las Vegas, Reynolds appears with such stars as Josh Groban, Michael Bolton, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Usher, Cyndi Lauper, Sheryl Crow and John Mellencamp. Lyrically, Reynolds states, “Don’t use your song; it just seems wrong,” “Why would Reagan be playing…
‘Bathtub Boy’ makes a splash for Reba; Cab Jazz is freshened up: Sunday, July 24, 2016; During Friday night’s Reba and Brooks & Dunn show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Reba McEntire talked of bathing. Not herself, but a specific act she had just seen involving a boy and his tub. “You’re cute!” she called to Kix Brooks early in the show. “But you ain’t no Bathtub Boy in ‘Absinthe!’” She was referring to David O’Mer, who performs the aerial bathtub routine in the show, which she saw Thursday night ...
Here are 21 things to love about the Hard Rock Hotel as it turns 21: Sunday, July 24, 2016; The Hard Rock Hotel has come of age. In March, the purple-hued landmark on Paradise Road and Harmon Avenue turned 21. And we’re still celebrating. Here are 21 Things We Love about HRH. As they say, let’s …
Review: Clint Holmes turns Palazzo Theater into a playground for grown-ups: Friday, July 22, 2016; Early this week, Clint Holmes made the off-handed remark, “Everyone’s shows are closing while mine is opening.”
Deepak Chopra set to headline Reynolds Hall; Cabaret Jazz stocks lineup: Thursday, July 21, 2016; Deepak Chopra is playing the big room at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 28.
Bourne, ready: Matt Damon talks movies and politics at his Vegas premiere: Wednesday, July 20, 2016; "I have been making these movies most of my adult life. I’m really proud of them and was really thrilled to come back and play him again.”
Seeking a new ‘backyard,’ Santa Fe closes out run at South Point: Wednesday, July 20, 2016; The Monday night performance was the band’s final show at South Point after opening in the showroom Labor Day weekend. The reason for leaving is simple: Fan support for the band was not strong enough …
Monday By the Numbers: J.Lo’s dates, a legendarily rich magician … and puppets: Monday, July 18, 2016; This week, Monday By the Numbers hits on Jennifer Lopez (wait, that came out wrong) and her added added dates at Planet Hollywood, David Copperfield and his untrammeled wealth and some puppet action at …
Life after the Strip: Where do performers go when their time on the boulevard is complete?: Monday, July 18, 2016; There’s no stage quite like the Las Vegas Strip. And for the performers lucky enough to spend time in its glow, leaving can be emotional. It can also be an opportunity to grow and creatively let loose, exemplified by this collection of veteran artists doing everything from sound engineering to nonprofit leadership.
Hot-selling ‘Absinthe’ plotting a move out of Caesars Palace: Sunday, July 17, 2016; The future of one of the Strip’s most successful and celebrated productions has spun into uncertainty.
I spied a rarity: An original stage show: Sunday, July 17, 2016; “Spy Escape” mixes the components of a convention seminar — which can be sort of boring — with live re-enactments and demos of famous spy tactics. These include how-to segments on escaping rope, duct tape, zip ties and handcuffs in 30 seconds or less; how to pick locks; how to hotwire a car (yes, that is still a thing in spy culture); and my favorite, “tactical pen techniques.”
'Steve Wynn's Showstoppers' to end run Sept. 30: Saturday, July 16, 2016; A project inspired by the great numbers of some of Broadway's legendary musicals, "Steve Wynn's Showstoppers" has abruptly set a closing date of Sept. 30.
Downtown Las Vegas takes on a Boston hue in rockin’ DLV show: Saturday, July 16, 2016; The night was a celebration of Boston’s 40th anniversary and DeYoung’s remarkable verve even as he is now DeOld — 69, as he happily told the crowd early in the evening.
In ‘Love’ celebration, Cirque plans for tomorrow and revamps ‘Yesterday’: Friday, July 15, 2016; Cirque’s stage shows opened 20 years ago with “Mystere” at Treasure Island, and with the most recent activity on the Strip completed, there is a feeling the company has finally settled on the right amount of “content” (or, shows) in Vegas.
Giles Martin reshapes, and protects, the Beatles’ legacy: Thursday, July 14, 2016; Giles Martin was seated on a director’s chair onstage at the Love Theater at the Mirage when he was unexpectedly upstaged by an underdressed interloper.
Review: ‘Baz’ opens with a little party — and now the real fun begins: Wednesday, July 13, 2016; Stop me, or not, if you have heard this one: A terrifically talented show boasting an innovative concept and fueled by generous investment has opened on the Strip.
Strip entertainment notes: Matt Goss' show times out, Penn Jillette's new book and more: Wednesday, July 13, 2016; The VegasVille scene is once more a veritable cornucopia of news nuggets. It is time to impart.
Review: ‘Idaho! The Comedy Musical’ ain’t no rectangle: Tuesday, July 12, 2016; The musical production of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts has formally opened at Reynolds Hall and plows ahead to a Sunday closing.
Mark Shunock makes The Space for 'Mondays Dark': Tuesday, July 12, 2016; Mark Shunock is ready for the next phase of "Mondays Dark," at least in terms of the “where” of it all. He has secured space at a place he’ll call The Space, a 9,000-square-foot multipurpose events center off Polaris and Harmon avenues …
Drai’s officials tell Chris Brown: We need to talk: Monday, July 11, 2016; In the face of published reports that Chris Brown has been ousted from Drai’s, officials representing the club say that first, they need a conversation with the oft-troubled ...
The Gossy run is set to end at Caesars Palace: Monday, July 11, 2016; Matt Goss is set to close out his Caesars Palace run in September. Rumblings around the scene are that the Gossy Room is to be redesigned and reopened under a famous nightclub brand specializing in live music.
More buzz about our new NHL team, and the end of a downtown era: Sunday, July 10, 2016; Principal owner Bill Foley is busy assembling his front-office staff for Las Vegas’ NHL team, which could be called the Black Knights. One focus of speculation around the scene happens to be a former …
‘Idaho!’ at Smith Center rooted in Teller’s ‘Tempest’: Saturday, July 9, 2016; The tent at Symphony Park that staged “The Tempest” didn’t much resemble a potato cellar, but what grew out of that enclave was a production centered on spuds ...
‘Sewer pipe’ virtuosity has made Chicago’s Jimmy Pankow a Rock Hall of Famer: Saturday, July 9, 2016; Jimmy Pankow remembers when he was a kid, his head filled with dreams of being a great musician. His instrument of choice? ...
Melody Sweets’ ‘Call of the Wild! Jungle Burlesque’ swings into Caesars on July 30: Friday, July 8, 2016; Having embarked on thematic treks through the Old West, a turn-of-the-century circus and Coney Island, Melody Sweets is taking to the wilderness for her next solo show.
Review: ‘Mindfreak Live!’ is Criss Angel saying, ‘Watch me now!’: Thursday, July 7, 2016; Criss Angel wants it. He wants it so badly. He wants to be the biggest, baddest, greatest magician in the history of recorded time, space and dimension.
He wants that so bad he can ...
The medley musical 'Baz' returns to the Strip—and hopes to stay there: Wednesday, July 6, 2016; Baz celebrates its second Las Vegas premiere in 13 months, opening in a fancifully renovated Palazzo Theatre on July 9.
Linking Vegas, Idaho and ‘Idaho!’ with a gem of a road trip: Wednesday, July 6, 2016; The idea was not to spoof Idaho itself, but to parody the concept of theatrical convention. But it didn’t hurt to match some of the references in Idaho with “Idaho! The Comedy Musical.”
Steven Tyler’s life-and-limb show a great fit for Vegas: Sunday, July 3, 2016; As Saturday’s one-off performance of “Out on a Limb” opened, the appeal of Steven Tyler as a Strip headliner was evident in about seven seconds, as he arrived onstage with a showgirl on his arm. “This is how you do it in Vegas, right?” he said. I was half-expecting an Elvis impersonator to show up to duet on “Walk This Way,” but Tyler did invoke just enough Vegas flair. He should be recruited for a quick-shot run, if he hasn’t been already ...
Dividing line: Why Las Vegas city leaders aren't invited to ceremonies on the Strip: Sunday, July 3, 2016; The Strip’s location is unincorporated Clark County. Calling it the Clark County Strip would be accurate but not nearly as sexy. This is common knowledge for locals, an issue that’s not particularly pertinent until …
Moreno’s great audition ends its run at Planet Hollywood: Saturday, July 2, 2016; In his penultimate sendoff show at Planet Hollywood Showroom on Friday night, Frankie Moreno clasped a glass of Crown Royal over ice and said, “This is a new Las Vegas show …” Ooof. There was hearty laughter, loud and somewhat sarcastic, from …
VIP list at Criss Angel’s opening-night ‘Mindfreak Live!’ has eclectic Flavor: Saturday, July 2, 2016; To the right was Tony Orlando. Behind him, Andrew Dice Clay. A few rows below, actor Gary Oldman. This was the partial list of celebs who turned out for Criss Angel’s premiere of “Mindfreak Live!” at Luxor. Angel certainly …
Brad Garrett lets the cards fly at MGM Grand: Thursday, June 30, 2016; Brad Garrett’s annual Maximum Hope Foundation poker tournament is set for Saturday at MGM Grand, in the open area adjacent to the “Ka” theater and at the entrance of Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill.
Angel’s retooled ‘Mindfreak Live!’ bows at Luxor: Thursday, June 30, 2016; We are set to experience the formal unveiling of Criss Angel’s "Mindfreak Live!” This is the magic extravaganza supplanting the long-running “Believe” at the Criss Angel Theater.
Steven Tyler opts for intimacy in 'Out On a Limb' tour launch: Thursday, June 30, 2016; Steven Tyler has lived a life, no question, a genuine rock ’n’ roll survivor who has quite a tale to tell. Tyler is letting it fly this weekend on the Strip. Adopting a format at once intriguing and ...
Frankie Moreno’s ‘Under the Influence’ set to close at Planet Hollywood: Tuesday, June 28, 2016; At once explosive and short-lived, Frankie Moreno’s “Under the Influence” production at Planet Hollywood Showroom is set to end after Saturday’s performance. Moreno himself said Tuesday night an end to the run is in the offing.
Siegfried & Roy ready to tell their story on the big screen: Tuesday, June 28, 2016; Many years ago, Siegfried & Roy were the focus of the animated series, “Father of the Pride.” The problem with the series was ...
Monday By the Numbers: A Palatial anniversary, Garth and Trisha’s T-Mobile run and more from Iron Mike: Monday, June 27, 2016; Monday By the Numbers opens with a nod to Palace Station, which is celebrating a significant anniversary on Friday as a trendsetter among Las Vegas locals' casinos.
New gaming spaces, restaurants underline Cosmopolitan's ongoing transformation: Sunday, June 26, 2016; At this moment in his career, Bill McBeath at once looks up to Steve Wynn and down on his famous designs. “I think he is the modern-day Walt Disney,” McBeath says of Wynn from his perch in that Cosmopolitan office. So it’s a case of the pupil ascending to compete with the master …
NHL betting at T-Mobile is possible (there’s an app for it); no shakin’ in Elvis’ old theater: Saturday, June 25, 2016; The Kats Report Bureau at this writing is Sully’s Bar at Bally’s, just off the hotel’s Flamingo Road entrance. A great place to hang for a bit before hustling across the street to Cromwell, because if your destination …
Review: Brooks brings the spectacle in Las Vegas return: Saturday, June 25, 2016; What happened to the guy who used to play Encore Theater a few years ago? The guitar-packing cowpoke who stood and strummed between a pair of potted plants? The guy who was music's version of “Between Two Ferns,” who laughed and sang and told his life story …
Plans for high-energy 'Cherry Boom Boom' come into focus: Saturday, June 25, 2016; The opening date has been set for “Cherry Boom Boom,” the new production targeted for Tropicana Theater in the hotel of the same name. The show is to perform nightly at ...
Tyson keeps slugging it out as ‘Undisputed Truth’ extended through October: Friday, June 24, 2016; In his fighting career, Mike Tyson was known for the quick KO — ask Michael Spinks, who was “entertained” by Tyson for 91 seconds in 1988. But as a stage performer, Tyson is built to go the distance, as his stage show at the MGM has proven.