Columnist Kate Maddox: 'Footloose' brings home the Bacon

Kate Maddox's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Reach her at [email protected].

It was an '80s free-for-all as "Footloose" kicked off its run at the Rio with an official opening party on Thursday night. The musical doesn't do a whole lot for the already shaky storyline -- teenage do-gooder tries to bring dancing to a small conservative town, etc. -- but the young cast was peppy and the new theater at the Rio was impressive.

The real fun started after the show was over. After some cheesy flashback tunes, the Bacon Brothers took the stage and jammed into the wee hours. Actor Kevin Bacon, who starred in the movie "Footloose," with brother Michael, connected with the small crowd and managed to sound pretty decent for two fledgling musicians. Kevin, who should probably not quit his day job, was the main attraction -- all of the women at the party flocked to the stage when he took the mike.

Wednesday night marked the last movie at Caesars Palace's Omnimax Theater. The high-tech domed theater will soon be demolished as part of the changes taking place at the hotel -- which also include the demise of the Circus Maximus and a number of other hotel attractions.

Information about what will take the Omnimax's place is scarce and a hotel spokesman would only say that a "new attraction" is scheduled to open when construction is complete.

Pete Rose just can't stay away from the sports books. Rose was spotted gambling on the horses earlier this week at the Regent Las Vegas in Summerlin.

The former Cincinnati Red was busted for betting on baseball games back in 1989. As a result, he has been indefinitely banned from the game and denied a spot in the Hall of Fame. Hotel insiders said Rose only bet a couple of races and that he was in town for a convention at the hotel and didn't stay long at the sports book. No word on how he did.

While Danny Gans and his company, including his manager Chip Lightman, brace themselves for a lawsuit from a former keyboard player, insiders in the Strip entertainment business steadfastly insist that secrecy agreements are standard for band members working for big-name stars.

Patrick Caddick, who had worked for Gans since 1993, alleges in his suit that he was forced to sign away most of his rights when issued the agreement earlier this year. He also claims that Gans uses songs and musical arrangements that Caddick composed while the two were working together -- and Caddick wants to be compensated.

After refusing to sign the confidentiality agreement and turn over most of his rights to the music, Caddick alleges that he was abruptly fired from the Gans band. Like most lawsuits, the details in this one are many and complicated, but secrecy clauses such as the one Gans distributed to his band members (all of whom signed it except for Caddick) are common for most entertainers. It should be an interesting case, depending on whether the Gans camp admits to the charges leveled against them and whether a judge sympathizes with the now out-of-work keyboardist.

Gans' lawyer issued a statement dismissing the entire suit, saying "We have not received the complaint at this time. The (lawsuit) is ridiculous and without merit."

Comedian Tim Allen will be Diane Ford's special guest at Saturday night's "Martini Madness" show at the Desert Inn. Allen, an old friend of Ford's, is scheduled to take the stage for about 10 to 15 minutes during her shows at 8 and 10:30 p.m

Allen is just one of many celebrity comedians who have supported Ford in her run at the DI.

archive