Leah Steiger
Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar perform at the Strat Theater.
Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 | 2 a.m.
The KISS concert residency set to begin on December 29 has become the second holiday-season production at Planet Hollywood’s Zappos Theater to get the ax. The larger-than-life rock band’s 12 performances stretching to February 5 have been canceled, ostensibly due to slow ticket sales. The Backstreet Boys holiday-themed series of shows at Zappos Theater, originally set to launch this month, was also chopped. The KISS shutdown leaves the theater vacant on New Year’s Eve, for now. Gwen Stefani wraps up her residency there Saturday night and Shania Twain returns to her headlining gig on December 2.
Former Zappos Theater headliner Christina Aguilera has been added to the lineup of performers for the 22nd annual Latin Grammy Awards, taking place November 18 at MGM Grand Garden Arena and airing live on Univision. Aguilera will perform with Nicki Nicole, Nathy Peluso and Becky G. Ana Brenda Contreras, Carlos Rivera and Roselyn Sanchez will host the show and other scheduled performers include Paula Arenas, Ruben Blades, Nella, Ozuna, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizarraga, Calibre 50 and many more. There are a limited number of tickets available at axs.com.
You probably caught my take on Sting’s residency opening at Caesars Palace on Friday night, but maybe you missed Sammy Hagar’s sold-out debut at the Strat the same action-packed evening. Hagar’s concerts over the next two weekends have been sold out for months, but due to extraordinary demand, a limited number of spots in the “Party Pit” GA section at the Strat Theater have been released this morning at tickets.thestrat.com/sammyhagar. Those dates are November 5, 6, 12 and 13. The Red Rocker and his supergroup the Circle — Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham and Vic Johnson — thrilled the crowd over opening weekend with favorite tunes from Hagar’s solo career and his days with Van Halen, Montrose and Chickenfoot.
I was at the Strat Theater for the previous week’s grand opening performance and celebration of “iLuminate,” which included a significant surprise at the end of the show when creator Miral Kotb introduced the talented cast and crew. Las Vegan Bailey “Bailrok” Muñoz, winner of season 16 of “So You Think You Can Dance,” joined the show during its brief downtime and renovation. He’s playing the role of Officer Bob, one of three signature characters guiding the audience through the “iLuminate” experience. Muñoz has performed with Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Will Smith and other stars, and now he’s dancing along to a lot of that same music in this must-see show at the Strat, performing at 10 p.m. Wednesday through Monday plus a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday.
Here’s this week’s new Las Vegas concert and show announcements: The Fremont Street Experience New Year’s Eve event this year will be an all-out ’80s and ’90s dance party featuring live performances from Vanilla Ice, the Village People, Bobby Brown, Tone Loc and more, starting at 6 p.m. on December 31; Lionel Richie has extended his residency at Wynn’s Encore Theater with 12 new shows in 2022 starting on January 26 and running through April 9; Up-and-coming rock bands Dirty Honey and Mammoth WVH — the latter of which is led by Wolfgang Van Halen and features Las Vegas-born guitarist Frank Sidoris — will bring their Young Guns Tour to the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on February 25; Heavy metal legend Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden will hit the House of Blues on March 12 for a special storytelling and Q&A presentation; and “The Masked Singer” National Tour comes to town at the Smith Center on July 30.
Clint Holmes and Kenny Rampton will perform a free concert with the Jazz Outreach Initiative orchestra and the Las Vegas Youth Jazz Orchestra on November 10 after a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new JOI office at 3690 W. Tropicana Ave. The event and the organization’s new headquarters are supported by Community Lutheran Church and Pastor Ben Bergren. The Las Vegas Youth Jazz Orchestra, made up of talented middle-school and high-school-aged student musicians from across the valley, was created in February 2020, and the JOI Jazz Orchestra was founded in late 2020. JOI is a nonprofit organization building varied programming that connects music and youth.
Burlesque bombshell and pin-up model Sabina Kelley, once a showgirl in “Jubilee,” will be the guest host in “A Touch of Burlesque” at Centerfolds Cabaret on Paradise Road on November 12 and 13. The show performs every Wednesday through Sunday at 11 p.m.
“Tournament of Kings” at Excalibur will bring back its holiday edition, “Twas the Knight,” for performances on November 24 through December 27. The equestrian arena at the castle will transform into a winter wonderland when Merlin the wizard summons snowfall and the entire cast will be clad in holiday costumes with special seasonal vignettes added to the production.
Meanwhile, across the street, “Legends in Concert” at the Tropicana is going country for the holidays. The Strip debut of “Legends in Country” will pay tribute to some of the biggest stars in country music history with special performances running from November 26 through December 30. Stacey Whitton Summers will perform as Shania Twain, Chad Collins is Luke Bryan, Dean Simmons is Garth Brooks and Karen Hester will pay homage to Dolly Parton.
