Archive for February, 2010

Remember a few weeks back, I mentioned that the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, in conjunction with Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino and FOX 5 TV, were staging a contest to discover a singer to sing our National Anthem for the NASCAR Nationwide Sam’s Town 300 this Saturday (Feb. 27) at noon? Well the search is over.

Ashlie Jones will make her national television debut at the speedway as the winner of the search. Jones, a Las Vegas resident and an aspiring singer, will sing the anthem a few minutes prior to the start of the race.

“I’m really looking forward to just being a part of the NASCAR weekend and am grateful for the opportunity,” Jones said. “This will be my first time to see and attend a live race, and I’m really looking forward to performing before such a big crowd.”

Jones is a 25-year-old employee of Earth Limos & Buses, and has been singing locally for several years, but she will experience her first national television exposure for the first time this weekend. Race sponsors, Sam’s Town and FOX 5 TV, staged an open audition to find a talent to sing the national anthem, chose Jones out of more than 170 contestants.

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According to Fred Crespi of the Palms Casino Resort, four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmy Johnson, has been selected as the odds-on favorite to win Sunday’s (Feb. 28) Shelby American race at the speedway. According to Crespi, who is responsible for the odds going up on the betting board, he was heavily influenced by Johnson’s three consecutive victories at the speedway, and his recent win last Sunday in California. The Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver will start the 400-mile race at 4/1 ahead of local hero (and last year’s winner) Kyle Busch at 7/1, and the 2010 Daytona 500 winner, Jamie McMurray at 35/1. Other notables are Mark Martin 13/2; Jeff Gordon 9/1; Tony Stewart 11/1 and Kurt Busch 15/1. This writer is going with my hero, Martin,to capture the checkered flag.

Legendary comedian Carrot Top will be the honorary Crew Manager for Mike Wallace in the Monster Diesel #01 Chevrolet Saturday, during the Nationwide race. In his duties as Crew Manager, Carrot Top will hold the #01 pit sign during the entire race and will also give the real Wallace pit crew a pep talk prior to the noon race.  Carrot Top is a lifelong fan of stock car racing and is really up for this chance to be on pit row. Wallace finished 12th in the Nationwide race in California last weekend. Carrot Top appears nightly in the showroom at the Luxor Hotel and has been a resident of our little village for a number of years.

NASCAR stock car racing legend (and one heck of a nice guy), and broadcasting legend, Ned Jarrett, will join fellow golden-era superstar, Junior Johnson, to greet fans in the Neon Garage during the weekend festivities at the speedway. Both men will be accompanied by one of their restored race cars in the Neon Garage. Jarrett will be reunited with his familiar blue #11 Ford, while Johnson will sit next to his #3 Holly Farms Chevrolet. Ned is the father of the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Dale Jarrett. Dale has not only followed his father as a driver, and winning a championship, but now works as a television analyst.  Ned Jarrett was named one of NASCAR’s Greatest Drivers in 1998. He retired from racing at the relatively-young age of 34 in 1966. Neon Garage tickets are available by calling the LVMS ticket office at (800) 644-4444. Tickets for both races are still available.

The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series has relocated the first event of its 2010 season, scheduled for March 6-7, to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The first and second rounds of the Lucas series will be held on a brand-new, purpose-built one-mile track. The new track will feature the highest banked turn on the Lucas circuit. With its 10 turns and giant “Table Top,” this technical track brings the high-flying door-to-door exhilaration of Lucas off road racing to the track for the first time. SCORE, a California based off-road promotion group (who promotes the famous Baja races) gave it their best for a couple of years and gave up the battle. The first Las Vegas closed course race was held at the old Las Vegas Speedway in 1976, and was sponsored by the Silver Bird Hotel & Casino (which has been imploded like a number of the older hotels on the Strip).

Well, gang, hope the rain stays away and that everyone gets home from the speedway safe and sound. I’m outa here!

Don Rickles is coming to town this weekend (Feb. 20-21), and will be performing in The Orleans Showroom on West Tropicana. What’s new this time? Rickles is bringing along singer George Bugatti as his opening act.

Working in front of big crowds and for headliners like Rickles, is nothing new for Bugatti. See, this is a guy who performed in the Lounge at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, where rooms start at more than $500 a night, for seven years. Some of the stars who would stop by to listen to George sing were Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Milton Berle. Others included Ashley Judd, Chevy Chase and the great one Tony Bennett.

Bugatti has been a resident of our little village since 1998, when Steve Wynn made him an offer he couldn’t refuse: To open in the Fontana Room at the new Bellagio Hotel & Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, where he alternated with Michael Feinstein. George then moved into the Allegro Lounge where he stayed for another two years. I often stopped by the Casa di Amore restaurant on east Tropicana to listen to him sing songs from the Great American Songbook and other classics.

I think you’ll be well entertained by Mr. Rickles and Mr. Bugatti. For reservations and ticket information call The Orleans box office (702) 365-7075.

Sticking to the subject of The Orleans, while you are making those plans to attend the Rickles performance, why not take a break from the ordinary and make reservations for dinner in the Canal Street restaurant?

If you’re an old timer to Las Vegas, and perhaps went to the Stardust Hotel to see a show or two in its magnificent showroom, you may remember a gentleman by the name of John Messana. John was always at the entrance to the showroom, ready to help those who needed assistance, and to greet the hundreds of VIPs who would attend a show. When the Boyd Gaming Group imploded the Stardust, Messana was moved over to The Orleans as Canal Streets new Maitre d.’  Boyd Gaming paid for his education (many trips out of town) to become a Sommelier (and eventually a Master Sommelier). They couldn’t have picked a better person to fill the position.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, a group of us media folks were invited to a very special afternoon food tasting event inside the restaurant. Our hosts were Jasen Woehrle, Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing for The Firm, and Kristy Alward, Public Relations for the Boyd Gaming Group. On hand to explain the fantastic food, as dish after dish was presented, were Rene Warner, director of food and beverage, and executive chef, Phillip J. Bonanno, along with the man who prepares the goodies, chef Anthony Oliva and Messana. With each course we were offered a different wine by Messana, who explained how it was produced and where. You would be surprised at what you can learn from a sommelier if you ask and listen!

Unfortunately, because of my allergy to shell fish and iodine, I was forced to pass up some of the special items, but my fellow scribes couldn’t say enough nice things about every item. I personally enjoyed the beef short rib ravioli and the citrus harvest salad with sliced chicken. Some of the entrees I dug into were the chili cured, cilantro crusted lamb lollipop, filet mignon, and of course the desserts: raspberry soufflé macerated berries over ice cream in a praline cup, and a flourless chocolate cake. The presentation alone is worth the trip to Canal Street, believe me. Most of the writers left the establishment with doggie bags in tow. Hours of operation are: Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 5 to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m. For reservations call (702) 365-7111.

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I can remember when a little show, starring a friend of mine, arrived in town and settled in to the Shimmer showroom at the Hilton Hotel. It was not given much of a chance to last through the summer of 2006. But it did! Oh, the show and the friend: “Menopause, the Musical,” and Paige O’Hara. The show, now at the Luxor Hotel/Casino, just performed its 1,800 performance as it entered its fifth year in our little village.

Ms. O’Hara has been with the show from its arrival. Prior to that, Paige starred as the voice of Belle in Disney’s film, “Beauty and the Beast.” The 53-year-old Broadway singing star, who is one of Jerry Herman’s favorite singers, is also a painter of fine art. Her portraits of “Belle” have been approved by the Disney Corporation, and are being sold in all the Disney stores, as “Belle by Belle,” which I’ve been told is very rare. This writer first met Paige when she was the special guest star in the “Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular” with the Radio City Rockettes at the Flamingo Hotel. We maintained a friendship over the years, and her performance with my buddy, Robert Goulet, at the Venetian Hotel & Resort was solid Gold.

Zero Gravity is something only astronauts have had the privilege to experience, up to now. On Thursday, Feb. 27, G-Force One will take off from our local airport offering its passengers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to defy the laws of gravity. Fliers will have the very unique chance to float freely in a complete weightless atmosphere during Zero-G’s flight. Zero-G is the first and only FAA-approved provider of commercial weightless flight. This is the same type of flight used by NASA to train its astronauts, and was used by film director Ron Howard for the movie, “Apollo-13” starring Tom Hanks. Oh, you might be interested in the cost of this “A-Ride” ticket–$4,950.00 per seat. For more information call (703) 894-2195.

Well, gang, that’s about it for this week. It’s now only six days until those NASCAR Haulers roar down the Las Vegas Strip, and eight days till the Nationwide race, and nine till the Sprint Cup event. I’m outa here!

Well, gang, two biggies happened over the past weekend. Number one, the New Orleans Saints football team won the NFL Championship game in Florida. I personally proclaim them to be the new “America’s Team,” replacing the Dallas Cowboys. Let’s hear it for the team all America wanted to see win. And do those New Orleans people know how to party? Yeah oh yeah!

I personally played a three-team parlay, taking the Saints plus six points (winner), took the more than three field goals (there were four: winner) and then I goofed by taking the over 57 points (loser). Darn, but I did win a square at a little private party. A friend of mine (might make him a former friend) was the only one rooting against me when I needed anyone to score (especially the Colts) to get close to the total. He will forever be on my bad list!

Then the second biggie also happened in Florida. It was at the Daytona Speedway in the third tier NASCAR sanctioned series, ARCA, where a young lady, Danica Patrick, proved to everyone that she can drive a race car. We all knew Danica had the guts and had proven that in the Indy Car Series. Patrick came within a hair of almost winning the Indy 500, and eventually won an open wheel race in Japan.

Now Danica is entering the “Boys of Thunder” area, where men are men, and women are proving they have the cajones to compete, right up there with the best. Patrick had a spirited ride, spinning out once and careening into the monster grass area. The lady with a beautiful smile, maintained complete control of the car, re-entering the speedway at the back of the pack. She drove her butt off to finish an extremely gut proving sixth place. Danica said, during a live interview, that she had a lot of fun and enjoyed the competition.

I’m predicting, right now, that this lady will win at least one Nationwide race this season, and will move full-time into the Cup Series in 2011, where she’ll also win a race in the first season.

Danica will compete this Saturday in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (second tier in sanctioning), again in California next week. Then she’ll be right here at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 27, where she will compete in the Sam’s Town 300. Yep, gang, the NASCAR season is underway and it’s now only 13 days before those beautiful haulers unload at the speedway.

Oh, yeah, speaking of haulers. There will be a very special parade of these beauties of the highway on Thursday, Feb. 25 on the Las Vegas Strip. Yep, you read it right. On the Las Vegas Strip! But, this time, it’ll happen under the bright lights of the Neon Jungle, beginning at 6 p.m. In previous trips down the Strip the haulers did it in the afternoon.

The colorful 18-wheelers carry the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series race cars and equipment from track to track during the 36 week schedule. It truly is a beautiful thing to watch and it should be even more spectacular after dark.

There will probably be a total of nearly 100 haulers coming to the speedway, and, I’d venture to say, 60-70 will take part in the parade, which will start at Russell Road and Las Vegas Blvd., and then head north down the Strip to Sahara Avenue, where they will make a left turn and jump on Interstate 15, for the ride to the speedway.

Practice for the Sam’s Town 300, and qualifying for the Shelby American Cup Race, will take place on Friday, Feb. 26. The 200-lap Sam’s Town race will get the green flag at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, with the Shelby American taking the green at noon on Sunday, Feb. 28^th. There are still tickets remaining for both NASCAR events. Call (702) 644-4444 for more information.

Bob Kephart, producer of the award winning Comedy Stop at the Sahara Hotel/Casino, has assembled three of the top comedians in the country for the week of Feb. 15 through Feb. 21. Headlining the week will be comic/magician Fielding West, along with Jim Carroll and Patrick O’Donnell.

West is not only a magician’s magician, but Fielding possesses that very rare and impeccable sense of comedic timing that has landed him the opening spot for some of the biggest names in show business. His finale, “Fighting a Vicious Lion,” has to be seen to be believed.

A winner in the prestigious Desert Magic Seminar’s Comedy Magic Competition, Fielding has opened the show for such A-list celebrities as Liza Minnelli, Glen Campbell, Earth, Wind and Fire, Mel Tillis, Phyllis Diller and dozens more. His numerous network television appearances include spots on The Smothers Brother’s Comedy hour, A&E’s An Evening at the Improv, Caroline’s Comedy Hour, NBC’s The World’s Greatest Magic and World’s Wildest Magic specials.

Fielding also works as a writer, and has been a magic consultant and technical director with Lance Burton and Siegfried and Roy for many of their TV specials. Last July, West performed in his first one hour comedy magic special, “Hocus Pocus it’s Fielding West,” aired on WGN.

O’Donnell has been a comedian for more than 20 years, and was a $10,000 winner on ABCs “America’s Funniest People.” Patrick is a high energy comedian and his impressions of past Presidents of the United States are considered to be classics. During his time on stage, he can go into a dissertation about the Catholic faith, his family life or touch on current events.

Jim Carroll has been touring the comedy circuit for more than a decade and has appeared on many of the top comedy television channels. He is a favorite of the various services, and was asked and accepted a flight with the U.S. Navy’s “Blue Angels.”

The Comedy Stop in the Congo Room at the Sahara consistently books three of the best comedians, seven nights a week. Tickets for the 9 p.m. show are priced from $19.95 for residents of Nevada (with proof of residence) plus tax and fees, with general admission tickets priced at $24.95 plus tax and fees. For information or reservations call the Sahara Box office at (702) 737-2878.

Well, gang, that’s about it for this week. I’m outa here!

Performing on a Las Vegas stage is nothing new for my buddy, Bob Anderson. As a matter of fact, I do not believe there is anyone working today in our little village that has as many hours on a Las Vegas stage than Bob. And, gang, Anderson will be at the Cannery Casino in North Las Vegas come Friday and Saturday night, Feb. 19-20.

Anderson’s first appearance on a Las Vegas stage was in 1973 at the Sahara Hotel, when he opened for Nancy Sinatra. Not only did Nancy introduce Bob to a Las Vegas audience that night, but she took him on the road and eventually to a nationally televised show, “The Merv Griffin Show.”  Mind you, gang, this happened by pure, honest to God, accident, and took place within a two month period. As he explains it, “I was a long-haired Viet Nam veteran who had nothing planned, didn’t know where I was going and could care less!” Anderson just happened to be at Nancy’s rehearsal in the (old original) Congo Room with a columnist friend, when he heard Ms. Sinatra asking the writer if he knew where she could find an opening act. Bob asked if he could sing a song for her and, as they always say, the rest is history.

One thing Anderson knew was that he could sing. Bob also knew he could do impressions of some of the great singers of the ‘60s and ‘70s. After all, he grew up in a suburb outside Detroit, Michigan, learning to sing by listening to the greats over the radio. By the time he reached his senior year in high school, Anderson and his four brothers were earning a living singing in small clubs around Detroit. Then the Viet Nam war took over his life for the next couple of years.

Within two years of appearing on The Merv Griffin Show, and following Merv’s advice to create a show, he was appearing on every television show in the country, including the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson to late night with David Letterman. As close as he can figure, Bob has appeared on more than 100 national television shows. He was sharing the stage as an opening act with such stars as Bill Cosby, Shirley MacLaine, Mitzi Gaynor, Don Rickles, George Burns, Jerry Lewis and a number of other entertainment greats.

People magazine proclaimed, “Bob Anderson is America’s greatest singing impressionist.” Bob is so good, that the great Tony Bennett says, “he does me better than I do me.” So, if you really want to see and listen to a group of stars ranging from the late, great Sammy Davis, Jr. (one of my favorites by the way) to Bobby Darin and my friend, Robert Goulet (nobody does Goulet like Anderson), and be entertained by a wonderful singer in his own right, then please do yourself a favor and head for the Cannery North.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are only $10, plus tax and fees. For reservations call the Cannery box office at (702) 507-5757.

Good news has just reached my ear, and I want to pass it on to you. Joan Rivers, who has been absent from a regular gig on a Las Vegas stage for far too long, will be appearing in the Venetian Showroom for a series of engagements this year. No celebrity will be safe from her sharp tongue and wicked sense of humor when she commands the stage April 8-10, 15-17 and July 8-10, 15-17.

At one time, Ms. Rivers was a giant in our town. She headlined for a number of years at Caesars Palace and other hotel/casinos up and down the Strip. She may appear gruff and mean on stage, but off stage she is a pussy cat. I know for a fact, that Joan at one time helped a couple of former dancers out financially and medically. One of the young ladies she helped was once a headliner herself, and had fallen on hard times. Rivers gave her enough money to pay all her back mortgage payments and then got her a job in a casino.

“Performing at The Venetian is really top-of-the-line!” Rivers said. “It’s so different from the terrible places where I started out performing—clubs so bad that at the end of the act, you’d pass the hat around and the hat wouldn’t come back.” Rivers is a force of nature and one of the hardest working celebrities in show biz. Who hasn’t forgotten her stint on the Donald Trump television show, “Celebrity Apprentice,” where she stormed out on the show, upset all the other contestants including poker champion, Annie Duke, watched her daughter break down crying as she left the show, and eventually win the contest and $200,000 plus for her charity. Joan is a best-selling author, Emmy-winning talk show host, jewelry designer (on CVC), syndicated radio host and much, much more.

For 2010,  the “E!” Network has brought Rivers back to host the Fashion Police specials for the Globes, SAG Awards, Grammy’s and the upcoming Oscars. She also returns for a second season of “How’d You Get So Rich” on TV Land.

Tickets for Joan Rivers are on sale right now. Ticket prices range from $45.75 to $85.75 inclusive of tax and fees. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $145.75 per person. You may purchase tickets by going to  HYPERLINK “http://www.venetian.com” www.venetian.com or by phone at (702) 414-9000.

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Want to spend a few hours this Saturday (Feb 6) afternoon listening to some great LIVE jazz greats? Then get in your car and head for the intersection of West Sunset Road and Sunset Village, 2031 W. Sunset Rd., Henderson. The Jimmy Wilkens New Life Orchestra will be holding forth with guest star, Grammy Winner Gary Anderson. The beat gets started at 2 p.m. and is scheduled to go until 5 p.m. A donation of $10 at the door is requested.

The mechanical bull, that had been, oh so, victorious in numerous battles waged by tourists, locals and bikini-clad riders, is back to defend its new home at Treasure Island, when Gilley’s Saloon and Dance Hall and Bar-B-Que opens April 16. The leather clad bull and the padded floor (it hurts when you get bucked off that darn thing) had been put out to pasture (out to the metal storage barn) when The Frontier Hotel & Casino closed its doors on July 16, 2007, and was imploded on July 16, 2007, to make way for a new hotel/casino designed after the Plaza Hotel in New York. Phil Ruffin sold the Frontier for a reported $1.2 billion to El Ad Properties, and then turned around and purchased Treasure Island for $600 million in cash and $175 million in secured notes.

If the Bull and the Bar-B-Cue is anything like the original (at The Frontier, which was a copy of Gilley’s in Texas), then it will be a busy place indeed!

Well, gang, that’s about it for another week. I’m outa here!