Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Weekend Rewind: Criss Angel wraps at Luxor, Catch catches all the stars and more

Catch

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Casamigos

Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford and George Clooney make the scene at the Casamigos Halloween party at Catch on October 27.

Sunday, October 28, marked the final show for Criss Angel at Luxor, the conclusion of a decade-long collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. It began on Halloween night in 2008 with “Criss Angel Believe,” which the illusionist and TV star re-conceptualized into a new show, “Mindfreak Live,” in 2016. The next evolution, “Criss Angel: Mindfreak,” is set to open December 19 at Planet Hollywood, but Sunday’s emotional finale was all about Angel’s accomplishments so far on the Strip. He took some time to greet magical peer Siegfried Fischbacher during the show, and as has been the case many times in recent months, Angel’s 4-year-old son Johnny Crisstopher made an appearance, this time thanking the audience “for loving my dad.” Angel wasn’t the only one in tears.

Aria’s new restaurant made quite the splashy debut over the weekend. Catch, an Asian-influenced sushi, seafood and steak destination known for attracting celebs in Los Angeles, New York City and Playa Del Carmen, got started with a grand opening party Friday night featuring visits from The Chainsmokers, Floyd Mayweather, Jermaine Dupri, Tyson Beckford and Vegas Golden Knights faves William Karlsson, Alex Tuch and Malcolm Subban. The scene was elevated Saturday as the infamous Casamigos Halloween party took over, starring the tequila brand’s co-founders George Clooney and Rande Gerber dressed as airline pilots and iconic supermodel (and Gerber’s wife) Cindy Crawford complementing, costumed as a flight attendant. Kendall Jenner was also in the running for the best costume of the night as a fembot from the Austin Powers movies. Other stars making the scene: Joey Fatone, Jermaine Dupri making it two nights in a row, J.B. Smoove, Gelila and Wolfgang Puck, Karolina Kurkova, Marlon Wayans, Steve Aoki and sister Devon Aoki and rapper Nas, who grabbed the mic for a surprise performance.

Salt-N-Pepa Open Vegas Residency

Salt-N-Pepa performs during the premier of Salt-N-Pepa's Launch slideshow »

The newest concert residency on the Strip celebrated its grand opening Thursday night at the Paris Theater and it was clear the performers onstage had as much fun as the celebrities in the audience. “Salt-N-Pepa’s I Love the ’90s: The Vegas Show” featured the harmonious quartet All-4-One and rousing rapper Rob Base along with the titular hip-hop superheroes for its initial run through Saturday; the high-energy show returns November 8-12 with En Vogue and Kid ‘n Play joining Base. Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton) and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper) electrified the theater Thursday while musical pals SWV, Al B. Sure and Mark McGrath danced along from their seldom-used seats, along with other supportive Vegas entertainers David Goldrake, Sabina Kelley, Jeff Leibow, John Caparulo and others.

Earlier Thursday, the Grant a Gift Autism Foundation hosted its ninth annual Fashion for Autism Gala, the first-ever charity event held on the ice at T-Mobile Arena. Dubbed “A Golden Night,” the gala included a “gold carpet” visited by Austin “Chumlee” Russell, Backstreet Boys Nick Carter, AJ McLean and Howie Dorough and Las Vegas Aces center Carolyn Swords and performances by the Vegas Golden Knights’ drumline, dancers from the Rock Dance Company and a fashion show presented by Stitched and Michael Andolsek.

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"Absinthe" celebrates 4,000 shows.

The addictive “Absinthe” celebrated its 4,000th show at Caesars Palace Friday night, culminating in a parade of the “stars of the Strip” — those questionably costumed buskers you know so well from Las Vegas Boulevard — through the aisles of the big white Spiegeltent. As if that wasn’t celebration enough, Freed’s Bakery rolled out a three-tiered cake to mark the occasion.

Mike Tyson was making the rounds this weekend, checking out “I Love the ’90s” at Paris on Friday night (and going backstage to hang with Salt-N-Pepa after the show) and hitting Drai’s Nightclub at the Cromwell Sunday for a live set from Fabolous.

Beloved local coffeehouse Sambalatte is now serving the valley’s theatergoers with a new location, its fourth in Las Vegas, at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in downtown’s Symphony Park. Specialty brews are on the menu like the Hakuna Ma-Latte in honor of the upcoming run of “The Lion King.” The store will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with a flexible schedule during show days.