Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Holly Madison has photographic memories of life with Hef; SLS Las Vegas is feeling funny

2015 KMA Gala: Arrivals

Tom Donoghue / DonoghuePhotography.com

Holly Madison and Claire Sinclair attend the 2015 Keep Memory Alive “Power of Love” gala Saturday, June 13, 2015, at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Click to enlarge photo

Holly Madison's new book is due out on June 23.

The Kats Report Bureau at this writing is anticipating another spin through SLS Las Vegas for an interview of some import with casino President Scott Kreeger.

One SLS moment from over the past few days, on Friday, was running into Las Vegas comic Kathleen Dunbar at the counter for the Code, the hotel’s customer rewards’ program. She was signing up for a card before her standup show at the Sayers Club.

And that’s the news: SLS Las Vegas is presenting standup comedy at the Sayers Club. Dunbar, a veteran of most Las Vegas comedy clubs in operation and a few that have closed, headlined the first shows from Thursday through Saturday. Up next this week in the club’s Thursday-through-Friday schedule is Erik Myers, followed by Ian Gutoskie, Michael “Wheels” Parise and J.C. Currais. Doors open at 7 p.m. and shows start at 8; tickets are $10 and available at TheSayersClubLV.com.

The new comedy showcase is a partnership between the hotel and Bonkerz Comedy Club, under the operation of Joe Sanfelippo. The club has pinballed around town over the past several years, with stints at Palace Station about six years ago and, most recently, at the Plaza. The shows mark the first open-ended, ticketed and live-entertainment programming at the hotel.

The room is beautiful, fine for live music or standup comedy (Dunbar, who has seen all variety of clubs, raved about the place). Performers in town often are asking about how to get into the Sayers Club to showcase their side projects. The comedy shows might lead to some further, and needed, animation in that room.

Onward:

• Upcoming in this week’s Las Vegas Weekly is my latest interview with Holly Madison conducted July 1 at Barnes & Noble at the Rainbow Promenade shopping enter. The back-and-forth was focused on her new book, “Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny.” This tome has made Madison a bestselling scribe: This week, the book tops The New York Times bestseller list in the combined print & e-book nonfiction, e-book nonfiction and celebrities categories and is No. 2 in hardcover nonfiction.

Holly Madison Rides the High Roller

Holly Madison rides the High Roller on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014, at the Linq Promenade. Launch slideshow »

I talked with Madison as she was signing a stack of books in an office before meeting the throngs lined up in the store. Among other topics, she owned that Angel Porrino and she have reconciled, as the former sub in “Peepshow” and co-star in the TV show “Holly’s World” has been hanging with Madison in town. The process of writing the book and the passing of time have led her to re-evaluate the friendship. “It was just time,” Madison said. “

More telling, Madison elaborated on her decision to open up about her time living at the Playboy Mansion, depicted as a tawdry and unpleasant existence. She noted that Hugh Hefner had nude photos taken of the women living at the mansion and who frequented the property, with the plan to catalog those photos and donate the material to a public library.

“Hef always had the chance to tell his story, and he thinks it’s OK to take his private moments and put them in a book that’s going to go public one day while all of us women are still around,” Madison said. “I don’t think he respected our privacy, and I think it’s fair game. He has always said his life is an open book, so …”

So we now have a bestselling book from a celebrity who still commands huge crowds for personal appearances. Madison will write again, too. Her next idea is to write a fictional account of her single life in Las Vegas. It’s sort of a “Sex In Sin City”-type of idea coming from a woman who is now a bestselling author.

Mo5aic at Shimmer Cabaret

Vocal group Mo5aic rehearses at their new home inside Shimmer Cabaret at LVH on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2013. Launch slideshow »

Recycled Percussion

Launch slideshow »

• Sighting that bears a double take: Members of the great vocal group Mo5aic walking Monday afternoon through Sin City Theater at Planet Hollywood. The group bolted Windows at Bally’s a couple of weeks ago in a dispute between the act’s management and room operator and is looking for a venue in the space that is now under the management of “Crazy Girls” producer Norbert Aleman, whose show also has moved into the space after the closing of Riviera.

Elsewhere, we are still waiting for a formal opening of Recycled Percussion at Saxe Theater at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. That show was supposed to return to the stage in March, but producer David Saxe and R.P. founder Justin Spencer have been busy overhauling the production. Look for a return to the stage by August is what I am hearing. Meantime, the act is performing 5- and 10-minute sets in “V — The Ultimate Variety Show” down the mall hall at V Theater.

• A man who loves his jewels: UFC star Conor McGregor, who on Monday night stopped into David Yurman bauble haven at the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace. McGregor takes on Chad Mendes on Saturday in UFC 189 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. McGregor checked out most of the inventory in the store (no word on if he made a purchase) and drew a healthy crowd of onlookers outside the boutique.

One of the sport’s great showmen, McGregor told Conan O’Brien last week that he’d been preparing for the bout by “having as much sex as possible,” which is remarkable if only because McGregor is not known as a grappler …

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

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy