Denise Truscello
“RuPaul’s Drag Race Live” stage stars hit the small screen Friday night.
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020 | 2 a.m.
Las Vegas entertainers have lined up some major TV time. VH1’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is expanding this week with a new six-episode docuseries following the cast of spinoff stage show “RuPaul’s Drag Race Live,” which opened at the Flamingo in January. The first episode airs on August 21 at 8 p.m. The cast of the docuseries and the Vegas show is made up of past “Drag Race” competition winners Yvie Oddly, Asia O’Hara, Derrick Barry, Kameron Michaels, Naomi Smalls and Vanessa “Vanjie” Mateo and the series will follow these dynamic performers as they prepare to open in Vegas in the showroom previously occupied by Paula Abdul and Donny & Marie. If you’re like me and you caught the incredible live Vegas production, you’ll be tuning in to catch all the behind-the-scenes action.
And Park Theater superstar headliner Lady Gaga — winner of this month’s Las Vegas Weekly All-Time Best of Vegas award for “Best Resident Musician: Modern Era” — recently announced she’ll perform in the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards airing live on August 30. It will be Gaga’s first proper performance of “Rain On Me” from her new album “Chromatica,” and she’ll be joined on the broadcast by Ariana Grande. The duet garnered seven VMA nominations including Video of the Year and Gaga and Grande are tied in leading the show with nine nominations each.
Cirque du Soleil has been churning out digital content from its various international productions and projects for months now on its CirqueConnect website. On Friday, a new 60-minute special on the new channel will feature three of Cirque’s landmark Vegas shows: “Mystére” from Treasure Island, “KÁ” from MGM Grand and “O” from Bellagio. Viewers will be able to enjoy some of the iconic moments from these Strip spectaculars, sometimes from never-before-seen angles, by streaming the special starting at noon on August 21. You’ll also learn behind-the-scenes facts. Do you know the temperature of the water in the pool at “O?” Of course you do. It’s 88 degrees.
Jimmy Denning and Dai Richards from "Tenors of Rock" at Planet Hollywood, Steve Judkins from Mayfair Supper Club at Bellagio, Cian Coey and Mark Boals from “Raiding the Rock Vault” at the Rio, Stephanie Sanchez from “Fantasy” at Luxor, Paige Overton from local bands the Clydesdale and Whiskey Revival and Jamie Hosmer from Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns are all among the performers lined up for the next Mondays Dark livestream show on August 24 at 8 p.m. Broadcast as always from the Space, the show will benefit local hockey charity Spectrum On Ice and will feature the music of the Eagles.
