Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

‘Twisted Vegas’ halted at Westgate; Lionel Richie marks ‘crazy’ start at Axis

‘Twisted Vegas’ Cast Arrives at Westgate

Denise Truscello / WireImage / DeniseTruscello.net

Alex Goude and his “Twisted Vegas” cast arrive Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, at Westgate Las Vegas.

‘Twisted Vegas’ Arrives at Westgate

Alex Goude and his “Twisted Vegas” cast arrive Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, at Westgate Las Vegas. Launch slideshow »

‘Twisted Vegas’ Rehearsal

Rehearsal of Launch slideshow »

The Kats Report Bureau has been comparably latent the past few days, as its helmsman has been working on cover stories for upcoming issues of sister pubs The Sunday and Las Vegas Magazine. I’ll tease by saying the former addresses outdoor entertainment, the latter an entertainer who plies his craft inside.

Most intriguing this week was the formal news that “Twisted Vegas” is closing at International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas. As I tweeted some time ago, Monday specifically, the show’s final performance was Sunday. The production opened Feb. 18 and had a 12-week run.

By comparison, “Duck Commander Musical” ran four weeks at the Rio and “Surf the Musical” lasted six weeks at Planet Hollywood. Those are two ill-fated shows that “Twisted” brought to mind when it opened.

The closing was announced less than a month after a news release authorized by the show’s producers said: “With attendance growing weekly and glowing audience reviews, ‘Twisted Vegas’ at the famed International Room at Westgate Las Vegas is an official success …. experiencing one of the best openings in the recent history of the renowned theater and is enjoying audience numbers on pace with when Barry Manilow performed in the same theater.”

In a show that attempted Las Vegas satire, that statement was the most laughable moment produced by “Twisted Vegas.” Maybe it’ll be back in the fall, which has been hinted. If so, I’ll say the same thing about that notion as I said when Dirk Arthur said he is in talks to return to Westgate in June: If you’re there, I’m there.

Onward:

• On Sunday, Lionel Richie was justifiably impressed by audience reaction to a show on the Strip — his own.

Lionel Richie Opening Night at Axis

Opening night of Lionel Richie’s residency “All the Hits” on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, at Axis at Planet Hollywood. Launch slideshow »

“The crowd, last night, was crazy,” Richie said before taking the stage to close his opening weekend. “I didn’t know whether I was supposed to be singing, or the crowd was. It was nuts,” Richie later told the Sunday crowd, which included his daughter Nicole Richie, Good Charlotte brothers Benji and Joel Madden and Cameron Diaz.

As expected, Richie is burning up the 4,200-seat venue built for grooving with its open pits near the stage — that’s where Richie et al were spotted. The residency drew well over the weekend despite competition from Sir Elton John at the Colosseum, Billy Joel at T-Mobile and Rihanna at Mandalay Bay. He could add to the remaining 17 dates, ending with a run in October, no problem.

• Blue Man Group, which has enjoyed verifiable success in Las Vegas for more than 15 years, is taking on a number of peripheral projects in and out of its Luxor home. The Blue crew released its third album, appropriately titled “Three,” on April 25.

The collection of 14 instrumental tracks has been issued on Rhino Records available on CD, digital platforms and — at least at my desk — blue-vinyl EP. An offshoot of the production is on a world tour with a set to begin May 24 in Auckland, New Zealand.

For its production at Luxor, BMG is again performing its “sensory-friendly” show June 12 at 4 p.m. Tickets to the performance are $36 and benefit the Grant a Gift Autism Foundation. The modifications to the show include dialing back the sound and video elements and providing earplugs to any guests upon request.

Blue Man Group Returns to Luxor

Blue Man Group returns to the Luxor on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, on the Las Vegas Strip. Launch slideshow »

Also, the Blue Men will limit the audience-participation moments in the one-off show. A year ago, 858 guests watched the performance, with more than $11,000 in tickets and sponsorships raised for Grant a Gift.

• Linked to the closing of “Twisted Vegas” is the new residency of Xavier Mortimer at Planet Hollywood’s Sin City Theater. He is embarking on a new production in the 7 p.m. slot (something I also tweeted a few weeks ago) and represents the first Cirque du Soleil artist to break from the company to headline his own Strip show.

“Xavier Mortimer’s Magical Dream” is a project of “Twisted Vegas” frontman Alex Goude, who is temporarily returning to France to work on a musical titled “Timeo.”

Mortimer’s show is to open this summer and, at the moment, shares Sin City Theater with Murray Sawchuck’s 4 p.m. comedy/magic show. I’ve caught Mortimer at Wassa Coulibaly’s midnight burlesque shows at Baobab Stage at Town Square and one of Jeff McBride’s Wonderground showcases at the Olive.

Mortimer performs a great number where he makes cash appear from between a pair of crashing cymbals, but Goude and he both told me during Human Nature’s grand-opening night of “Jukebox” that this show is going to be far more inventive than that type of act.

• Zowie Bowie is on the move!

But staying in Las Vegas!

The tireless headliner is opening a Friday-night residency at Citrus pool (formerly Picnic) at Downtown Grand. The 10 p.m. shows open May 13. His Thursday performances on Third Street Stage on Fremont Street will continue, and both of these shows are the same flavor of dance-track, Top-40 material Z.B. founder Chris Phillips has played throughout his run in Las Vegas, particularly in the act’s nearly 10-year run at Rocks Lounge at Red Rock Resort.

More in line with Phillips’ vision of performing a more structured show is the upcoming series at South Point Showroom. Phillips is to be backed by a 10-piece band and perform standards while tuxedoed, or at least suited. This is the type of production Phillips has long longed to perform in Las Vegas and actually made a heartfelt run with his “Vintage Vegas” shows at Monte Carlo in 2009.

Phillips, vocalist Nieve Malandra and his cracking rhythm section can always be counted on to bring the party. But the big-band show is where he wants to land, eventually, in Las Vegas.

• On the topic of Las Vegas-fashioned live acts, Michael Shapiro’s Reckless in Vegas hard rock/Vintage-Vegas act is celebrating its first anniversary of gigging in town with a show at Italian American Club on May 13 (tickets are $25 and available at (702) 457-3866 and the club’s website at IACVegas.com).

Shapiro, a Las Vegas native who fronted this act in the Bay Area before returning to town last year, has fused rocking cover versions of classics performed by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis, Sonny & Cher, Frankie Valli, Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash and Bobby Darin. The Rat Pack meets Green Day has been the shorthand description.

For May 13, Kelly Clinton-Holmes joins the act as guest host. The show is being recorded for an upcoming video for “Luck Be a Lady,” so expect that song to be performed at least once.

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

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