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Clint Holmes
Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020 | 2 a.m.
Local favorites Clint Holmes, Reckless in Vegas, Zowie Bowie, Kelly Clinton, Serena Henry and Elisa Fiorillo will headline charity concert “Rhythm of Hope” on January 12 at new venue Notoriety, which has taken over the former Krave Nightclub space at Neonopolis on Fremont Street. The live entertainment will be accompanied by cocktails, small bites and a silent auction all organized to generate assistance for local children and youth who have been abused, neglected, exploited and homeless by benefitting St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. Sponsors for the event include Best Agency, Lucky’s Lounge, Linchpin Marketing, Doroshow Insurance, Balloons with a Twist and Nevada State College. Tickets start at $50 and more info can be found here.
More show news this week:
As reported earlier in my Weekend Rewind column, “Legends in Concert” has locked down Frank Marino performing as Joan Rivers for the long haul. The extension of a special guest-star hosting run that began in September was announced during the show Saturday night at the Tropicana. Marino, a Strip headliner for 35 years, originally planned to retire his iconic portrayal of Rivers with a two-month gig at the Trop before moving on to create a new version of his “Divas Las Vegas” show. When I saw “Legends” with Marino in mid-September, he was as wicked as whimsical as ever, and his quick blasts of stage time amped up the energy and pace of the show. “’Legends’ is a family show and with me in it, it’s like a dysfunctional family show,” Marino joked Saturday night. “I can be a little risqué.” That’s the truth, but the producers deserve props for making space for a legendary act and fitting the pieces together. “We have the most amazing entertainers in the show, amazing tribute artists, the dancers, the band, and now the greatest headliner in Las Vegas,” said “Legends” Vice President Gina Adams onstage Saturday. “And this is the most lucrative contract that legends has offered.” After a January break, Marino returns to the show next month.
Cherry Boom Boom
In other drag-centric news, “Drag Diva Brunch” returns for its fourth year opening January 11 at the House of Blues restaurant and bar at Mandalay Bay. The show is set for 11 a.m. every Saturday through April 4 with tickets starting at $45 (all-inclusive with an all-you-can-eat brunch menu). The experience changes every weekend with a cast of queens featuring guest stars from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and tributes to Madonna, Britney Spears, “Sex and the City” character Carrie Bradshaw and more. Get more info at houseofblues.com/lasvegas.
Rock-and-roll go-go dance extravaganza “Cherry Boom Boom” has been extended at OYO Hotel & Casino, formerly the Hooters Casino, on Tropicana just east of the Strip. The joint was still called Hooters when the sexy spectacle opened a few months back in the Night Owl Showroom and it’s back January 16 for its 11 p.m. schedule Thursday through Saturday. The all-female cast of five dancers and one host performs more than 15 numbers set to a classic rock soundtrack.
After comic magician Murray SawChuck raised money for Friends for Life Humane Society with his 8th annual “Beggin’ for Magic” charity show at Magic Murray headquarters, the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana, before Christmas, he kept the giving going in downtown Las Vegas. He gathered a group of friends including girlfriend Dani Elizabeth, host of “Crazy Girls” at the Planet Hollywood Resort, and passed out 100 pairs of mittens knitted by his mom, Arlene Sawchuk. You can check out the video on YouTube.
The annual AVN Awards may not be the type of show usually written about in this column, but the 2020 edition on January 25 at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel will feature a longtime Las Vegas Strip resident headliner as special music guest. Diplo, the Grammy-winning DJ and producer who regularly spins at Wynn Nightlife venues XS Nightclub and Encore Beach Club, will be featured at the awards show connected to the annual Adult Entertainment Expo.
