WAYNE BRADY EXTENDS HIS VENETIAN SHOW THROUGH AUGUST 2009

Due to the success of Wayne Brady's show at The Venetian, Making It Up has been extended for another year through July 2009.  The extension will see Brady playing more than 300 performances before the end of July 2009.  Tickets are $49, $69 and $89, call 702-414-9000 or 866-641-7469.

Since he started performing Making It Up in April 2007, Brady creates a different show each night with improv partner Jonathan Mangum.  He is also constantly adding new elements to the line-up, making each show an original.  Working with his four-piece band and a chorus of talented dancers and singers, he recently added new production numbers including a tribute to Sam Cooke and he continues his performances of songs made famous by showbiz luminaries, such as Sammy Davis, Jr. and James Brown.

Brady is well known for his improvised antics, musical talents and impersonation skills as showcased on the hit show Whose Line is it Anyway? and the syndicated talk show The Wayne Brady Show.  Brady can also be seen as the quick-witted host of the returning hit game show Don't Forget the Lyrics! on FOX. 

JIMMY HOPPER RETURNS AND MAKES NEW LAVA ROOM AT TRADER VIC'S HOME

Award-winning vocal performer Jimmy Hopper has returned to Las Vegas to make his home at the new Lava Room, the intimate "tiki-chic" lounge above Trader Vic's restaurant in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.  This extended headliner engagement began in February and runs Thursday through Sunday with a show nightly at 10 p.m. Admission is $20.  His former extended engagements in Las Vegas included such venues as Bellagio and the Rio. 

Hopper's pitch-perfect vocal act features a wide range of musical stylings from Sting and Elton John, to stirring operettas and Broadway classics.  Aptly dubbed by music critics as "Freddie Mercury meets Andréa Bocelli," Hopper's spiked hair and rocker image are in startling contrast to the strong five-octave opera vocals which flow from his lips, when in the next breath he takes on symphonic rock that brings the house down. 

Currently based in Newport Beach, Calif., Hopper recently wrote the score for the Broadway musical, The Day There Was No More Music, which is scheduled to begin production later this year. 

Hopper will also be performing at the 450-seat Suncoast Showroom at 7:30 p.m., March 28-30.  Tickets are priced from $19.95, call 702-636-7075.         

NEW JAPANESE CULINARY DESTINATION YELLOWTAIL SUSHI WILL OPEN AT BELLAGIO

The Light Group will raise its culinary portfolio once again with the addition of Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant & Bar scheduled to open in June at Bellagio, just steps away from The Light Group's Caramel Bar & Lounge, FIX Restaurant & Bar and The Bank nightclub.  Yellowtail will offer an extensive Japanese menu of fresh, ingredient-driven cuisine for both the sushi novice and connoisseur in a highly stylized surrounding.

Yellowtail's sleek ambiance will set the stage for award-winning chef Akira Back's menu of authentic traditional and modern Japanese cuisine dishes. Seasonal fish and ingredients will be flown in daily.  The eatery's design will feature elegant wood and stone decor with the signature element, a 25-by-13-foot, wall-mounted installation at the entrance using bronze metal scales that resemble the dorsal side of the eponymous fish.  The cozy dining room setting will have screens composed of woven twigs set inside antique brass frames.  There will a patio overlooking the Bellagio's famed fountain show.

Large bottles of sake and souchu will be displayed at the 18-seat bar where illuminated rice paper and colorful photos of Japanese flowers will offer a warm glow.  Yellowtail will be open for lunch and dinner and offer a 180-seat dining room, 30-seat intimate lounge, and 30-seat private dining room.

EARTH, WIND & FIRE WILL PERFORM POOLSIDE AT THE RED ROCK RESORT

The legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire will perform poolside at the Red Rock resort on Friday, March 28, at 8 p.m. at the Sandbar Backyard outdoor concert venue.  Around for nearly 40 years, the band includes founding members Maurice White, Verdine White, Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson.  Tickets are $49.95, call 702-547-5300.

The concert will celebrate the release of business mogul Tom Breitling's book Double or Nothing: How Two Friends Risked It All to Buy One of Las Vegas' Legendary Casinos. Concert goers will receive a free copy of Breitling's book and a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation. Breitling and co-author Cal Fussman tell the story of how he and his best friend Tim Poster made their second $100 million in Las Vegas by age 35.  The book will hit book stores nationally on March 18.

ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION HEADLINES AT THE GOLD COAST

The Atlanta Rhythm Section, one of many Southern Rock bands to hit the upper reaches of the charts during the late 70s, will headline at the 350-seat Gold Coast Showroom on March 28 and 29.  Tickets are priced from $ 29.95, call 702-251-3574.  

The band unofficially formed in 1970 as former members of the Candymen and the Classics IV.   The group has two gold and two platinum albums which helped secure them a as household name. 

CANNERY PRESENTS THE IDES OF MARCH ON MARCH 14

With its signature horn riff and one of the most famous opening lines in rock 'n roll, "I'm the friendly stranger in the black sedan, won't you hop inside my car," The Ides of March's Vehicle has earned its place in rock history.  They will bring their classic hits to The Club inside the Cannery in North Las Vegas on Friday, March 14.  Tickets are $19.95, call 702-617-5585 or 866-287-4643.

The Ides of March are commonly referred to as "Chicago's Band."  Formed in 1965 in the Chicago suburb of Berwyn, all six members have been friends since grade school.  A contract with London Parrot Records while in high school led to their first single, "You Wouldn't Listen," in1966 and they toured America and Canada on weekends in the summer.  In 1970, they got their big break when Warner Bros. Records signed them and released their million-seller, Vehicle. The song went No. 1 in Cashbox and No. 2 on the Billboard charts and became the fastest breaking single in Warner Bros. history.

HOFBRÄUHAUS LAS VEGAS HOLDS WEEKEND BEER STEIN HOLDING CONTESTS

Every Friday and Saturday night Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas invites its patrons to raise their giant roughly three-pound liter steins in honor of competition.  Participants 21 and older stand in a line facing the crowd and compete with their stein raised parallel to their shoulder blades.  The typical holding time is around five minutes and the current record is 20 minutes and 13 seconds.  If you can go over 20 minutes and 13 seconds, you will get a free stein of beer, t-shirt, and an article written about you in our bi-monthly newsletter.  In addition, Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas features live music nightly.

LOU CHRISTIE HEADLINES SUNCOAST, MARCH 14-16

Singer-songwriter Lou Christie will perform at the Suncoast Showroom, March 14-16. Tickets are priced from $19.95, call 702-636-7075.

Christie's chart hopping, multimillion selling career as a songwriter, recording artist, and performer started in a two-track studio near Pittsburg.  His first million selling song, The Gypsy Cried, transformed Luigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco, a local choirboy into Lou Christie, national teen idol.  He forever embedded himself and his uniquely talented stratospheric falsetto voice into America's consciousness with his No. 1 multi-million selling success, Lightning Strikes.  

In 1974, Christie recorded another new musical style, going country on his Beyond The Blue Horizon album with non-falsetto vocal performances.  The song has been used in several film soundtracks, most notably in the 1988 film Rain Man. 

QUICK CLIPS

Once again Las Vegas will be well represented on the new season of Dancing With The Stars that starts on March 17.  Last season Wayne Newton's was featured and this time it will be Penn Jillette, who stars as half of the Penn & Teller team at the Rio, taking a turn to show fancy footwork.

Comedy magician Nathan Burton will be moving from the V Theater doing his 4:30 p.m. shows to a larger showroom at the Flamingo in April.  He earned national recognition on America's Got Talent.

Rich Little may be canceling some dates at the Golden Nugget due to his recent hospital visit for a blood clot in his leg but he's reportedly doing well. 

On Thursday, March 6, international burlesque queen Dita Von Teese, who was the first guest star in Crazy Horse history, will collaborate with the panel of judges and select which girls will become a part of Crazy Horse Paris' prestigious dance troupe at the MGM Grand.  The three lucky winners will be announced later that evening inside the Tabú Ultra Lounge at MGM Grand. 

Comic magician Amazing Johnathan has moved The Amazing Johnathan Show to the Miracle Mile/Harmon Theater at Planet Hollywood.  He performs his bizarre humor and unscripted antics nightly except Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Tickets are $59 and $60, call

702-836-0836.

The Vegas PBS March membership specials are running through March 17 on local KLVX-TV Channel 10.  Vegas comedian and Harrah's headliner Rita Rudner will debut the first stand-up comedy special ever on PBS Rita Rudner: Live From Las Vegas on March 17 from 9 to 10 p.m.  Her new book of essays, I Still Have It, I Just Can't Remember Where I Put It is due out in May.

Readers of the online lifestyle guide CitySearch have voted Social House inside Treasure Island as the "Best First Date Spot" and BOA Steakhouse inside the Forum Shops at Caesars as "Best Romantic Date Spot" in Las Vegas.

Daniel Dugar will headline at the Riviera Comedy Club, March 24-30, and be joined by Matt Kirshen and Steve Mazan.  Dugar has opened for many top entertainers including Patti La Belle, Tommy Davidson, George Wallace and D.L. Hughley.  His television credits include HBO's All-Star Def Comedy Jam, Nash Bridges and Showtime At The Apollo.  Tickets for the

8:30 and 10:30 p.m. shows are $24.99, call 702-794-9433.

The El Cortez on Fremont Street East is partnering with First Friday, the popular free monthly art exhibition held from 6 to 10 p.m. in downtown Las Vegas, by becoming an official trolley stop for event visitors beginning on Friday, March 7.  During First Friday, visitors can view work from more than 100 artists' works.  For information, visit www.firstfriday-lasvegas.org. 

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, located at 335 Howard Hughes Center, will celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a party on Monday, March 17 at 5 p.m.  The celebration includes Irish dishes, corned beef, cabbage and Irish stew, in addition to their famous $1.95 happy hour bar menu.

Alexis Levi-Scott, the first African-American female to be general manager, chief executive officer (CEO) and owner of a men's professional basketball team - The Las Vegas Stars, is featured in the 2008 Pepsi "The Firsts of Many" 12-month calendar.  The team is part of the International Basketball League and will begin its second season at the Cox Pavilion at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas this spring.  In addition, Levi-Scott is a sports agent advisor for Sports Management Worldwide and the co-founder and director of the Sports Camp for the African-American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame.

The Las Vegas Athletic Club (LVAC) and cast members from STOMP OUT LOUD at Planet Hollywood have started a new hip, hoppin' and stompin' workout class with live drum accompaniment by cast members.  It takes place the first Wednesday of each at 7:45 p.m. at the LVAC's northwest location at 1725 N. Rainbow.

The annual Easter Eggathon will be held at the Renaissance Hotel at 3400 Paradise Road on Saturday, March 22 from 10 a.m. to noon.  The $30 fee includes Easter eggs and cookies to decorate, decorating kits and supplies, refreshments and holiday baskets, call 702-262-0037.

The JW Marriott in northwest Las Vegas and the Easter Bunny are teaming up for the Fifth Annual Easter Celebration. The Easter Brunch will be on Sunday, March 23 with three seatings in Ceres Restaurant at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. and a giant Easter egg hunt following each time.  The cost is $39.50 per adult and $18.75 for children three to 12. Children under three are complimentary, call 702-869-7381.

On Saturday, March 15, from 3 - 6 p.m., Hooters Casino Hotel will be hosting the 3rd annual "Teeny Weenie Green Bikini" Pageant in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  Hooters patrons will get to watch 25 sexy Hooters Girls strut their stuff in three different outfits, including a cocktail gown and two types of bikinis. The free casino -wide contest features contestants who work at the resort.  Top five winners receive cash prizes.  A meet and greet follows and at 10:30 that night, there will be a presentation outside stage the Night Owl Showroom.

Inspirada, a new nearly 2,000 acre master- planned community in Henderson will host the Nevada Child Seekers 14th Annual 5K Dash and 1 Mile Stroll on Saturday, April 5.  Onsite registration will begin at 7 a.m. and the sanctioned race will start at 7:45 a.m.  Runners and walkers can compete individually or in teams.  Registration is $25 per person.  To pre-register, call 702-458-7009.

ODYSSEY PRESENTS A.R.T. EVOLUTION AND FEATURED ARTISTS

The works of Louis Cantillo, best known for his vibrant landscape photography and collection of doors and windows of the world, are on display at the Odyssey Lifestyle offices through March 31. A.R.T.evolution's next featured artist Vladimir Atanian will be on display from April 1 through June 30, with an Artist Opening on Thursday, May 8.

Atanian, who works in the medium of oil and acrylic painting and thought-provoking acrylic over clay sculpture, has been exhibited worldwide.  A.R.T.evolution is a joint venture between Odyssey Lifestyle and Art Encounter - Las Vegas' largest fine art gallery.

For more information on Odyssey Lifestyle, including their comprehensive 2008 schedule of lifestyle events, visit www.odysseylifestyle.com.