DISNEY'S THE LION KING SET TO OPEN AT MANDALAY BAY

Disney Theatrical Productions and Mandalay Bay have announced the award-winning Broadway musical "The Lion King" will open at the Mandalay Bay Theatre on May 2, 2009, with preview performances beginning on April 20. This sit-down production will emulate the Broadway show and join the six other highly successful companies around the world. Ticket prices and performance schedules will be announced at a later date.

"The Lion King" will replace "Mamma Mia!" that will close its near six-year-run on Jan. 4, 2009.

BARRY MANILOW DOES THE 'ULTIMATE' SHOW

Superstar Barry Manilow, who has made the Las Vegas Hilton his home since February 2005, recently unveiled his new show, "Ultimate Manilow: The Hits." Covering his spectacular career, "Ultimate Manilow: The Hits" is solidly packed with his chart-topping hit tunes and showmanship. Manilow at 65 puts on a phenomenal show that has his audience standing a good portion of the time especially at the crescendo finale which is again "Copacabana." Manilow paces his revue to perfection mixing medleys, his early-career commercial jingles, solo piano numbers, dance routines, etc.

Manilow's remaining dates for this year are: Oct. 22-25, 29-31; Nov. 1, 12-15, 19-22; and Dec. 17-20, 29-30. Tickets for his 8 p.m. performances range from $95 to $225.

To complement his new show, the showroom's adjacent bar has been renamed the Ultimate Bar, and the gift shop is carrying the Ultimate Manilow brand.

T&T (TACOS & TEQUILA) OPENS AT THE LUXOR

T&T (Tacos & Tequila), a highly stylized 8,000-square-foot Mexican restaurant opened last month at the Luxor. It's open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and offers late-night dining until 3 a.m. For information, call 702-262-5225.

The restaurant was designed with five icons of Mexican culture - the sombrero, the shot glass, the bullfight, skeletons and seductive women - in mind. There's a brushed aluminum covering with countless laser cutouts depicting skeletons dancing and drinking tequila. The roof is lined with lights that shoot down toward the ground, reflecting the images on the floor and peppering the space with jagged illuminations. A second design focal point in the bar area features a 25-by-65-foot mural illustrating the bullfight and a female matador. Three similar murals with provocative images of the matador and bull appear in the restaurant's lounge area, El Salon, positioned off the main dining room. T&T also features a bright color palette of yellows, reds, greens and oranges in chair coverings, counter tops and
decorative lighting.

Complementing the bold style and menu, T&T offers rock 'n' roll music and its signature Tequila Temptresses, Bridgette and Carly. The girls, sporting sexy T&T branded apparel, roam the dining area with a tequila cart and provide recommendations on tequila pairings and shots.

T&T will soon offer a gift boutique complete with branded apparel and accessories as well as a freestanding frozen margarita bar.

HOME SHOW EXTRAVAGANZA TAKES PLACE AT CASHMAN CENTER

The 8th Annual - Home Show Extravaganza will take place at Cashman Center downtown, Oct. 24-26. Visitors will experience hundreds of home improvement exhibits featuring a wide array of products and services for building, remodeling, decorating, landscaping and gardening. On hand, there will be experts, guest speakers, clinics, a virtual information center and nationally renowned Dillon "The Pumpkin Man" carving. A show highlight will be appearances by Russ Hemmis star of HGTV's "24 Hour Design" and "Design on a Dime" with Marcus Hunt star of HGTV's "Hammerheads" and "Designed to Sell.'

MONTELAGO VILLAGE HOLDS ANNUAL ARTS FESTIVAL

The Sixth Annual Fall Fine Arts Festival will be held at the picturesque MonteLago Village Resort at Lake Las Vegas the weekend of Oct. 18 and 19. Fine artists and unique crafts persons from Nevada and four neighboring states will be displaying their original works at a wonderful art walk. The featured artist will be singer Lena Prima, daughter of entertainer Louis Prima, who will display fine art drawings and paintings as well as her jewelry designs. The event is open to the public from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. both days, with free admission and free parking. For information, call 702.245.6077.

SINGING NUN FROM 'SISTER ACT' MOVIES PERFORMS IN HENDERSON

Darlene Koldenhoven, the beloved tambourine-waving choir nun in both "Sister Act" films, will perform an intimate concert at the Henderson Events Plaza, located at 200 S. Water Street, on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

The Grammy Award winner and three-time nominee is a classically trained singer whose five-octave range has been showcased on several television specials, movies and albums. She was featured on PBS as the memorable solo vocalist in "Yanni Live at the Acropolis," which garnered more than 1.5 billion viewers worldwide.

Her latest endeavor includes releasing her fourth album, "Infinite Voice," which blends several popular genres of music into original compositions. Most recently, she has lent her voice to the soundtrack of the 2007 film "Freedom Writers" starring Hilary Swank. For information, call 702-267-217.

STATION CASINOS INCREASES ZOWIE BOWIE BAND'S SCHEDULE

Due to a growing fan base, Station Casinos has increased the Red Rock Resort's headline band Zowie Bowie's weekly performances with two extra shows. In addition to the duo's Friday and Saturday night gigs at Red Rock Resort, they can now be seen every Thursday night at 9 p.m. inside the Chrome Showroom at Santa Fe Station and again on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. at the Red Rock Resort. Chris Phillips and Marley Taylor are backed by a five-member band.

QUICK CLIPS

"Raw Talent Live" has opened at the Sahara. Tickets are $79.95; visit of tax RawTalent.com or call 888-696-2121.

Tiffany & Co. at the Forum Shops at Caesars has its Icons of Tiffany special collection on view through Friday, Oct. 24. It's well worth a visit to see the jewelry that symbolizes the company's great design heritage created by its exclusive designers: Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso and Frank Gehry.

The "America's Got Talent" tour will launch at the MGM Grand Garden on Oct. 17.

Female impersonator Derrick Barry, who played Britney Spears in "An Evening at La Cage" at the Riviera, has departed the show. He was with "La Cage" since June 2004. Barry was on "America's Got Talent" this year but didn't make the finals.

The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open will feature a list of celebrities teeing off at TPC Summerlin on Wednesday, Oct. 15 for the tournament's Celebrity Pro-Am. Amanda Beard, Josh Duhamel, Josh Kelley, Chris Kirkpatrick, George Lopez and John O'Hurley will join Timberlake.

Steve Wynn has gone up on the roof of his 638-foot luxury tower, Encore, to shoot a sequel commercial to the one he did on the top of his Wynn tower when he opened it. Encore will open in December.

Opportunity Village will again attempt to break the world's record for the Largest Santa Gathering with The Las Vegas Great Santa Run at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Freemont Street Experience downtown. The fundraising event is open to the public. Registration is $35 and $45 on race day, visit www.LasVegasSantaRun.org.

The current world record for the Santa Run was set in 2005 with 3,291 participants in the Liverpool Santa Dash in the UK. In 2007, the Las Vegas run had nearly 8,000 participants but the Guinness Book of World Records has yet to announce a decision.

Giada De Laurentiis, star of Food Network's "Everyday Italian" and "Giada's Weekend Getaways," will personalize her new cookbook "Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites" with a 100 Italian recipes and greet fans at Sur La Table inside Miracle Mile Shops on Friday, Oct. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. De Laurentiis is also a regular contributor to NBC's "Today Show." A ticket is necessary and may be obtained by purchasing a copy of the book at Sur La Table between now and the event.

The triple-threat actress, recording artist and fashion designer Lindsay Lohan will celebrate her new line of leggings, 6126 By Lindsay Lohan, with a fashion showcase to benefit ovarian cancer research on Friday, Nov. 7 at PURE Nightclub inside Caesars Palace. She will be joined by her pal DJ Samantha Ronson at the
turntables.

The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is extending its popular "American Modernism" exhibition through Jan. 2, 2009. Organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), the exhibition features masterworks by Georgia O'Keeffe, Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Arshile Gorky and others. The American Modernism period began at the
turn of the 20th century and reached its pinnacle between World War I and World War II.

Wynn Las Vegas Race & Sports Book will host The Breeders' Cup Legends Tour featuring legendary Hall of Fame jockeys Pat Day, Angel Cordero Jr. and Laffit Pincay Jr. on Thursday, Oct. 16 from noon to 3 p.m. The event, which is open to the public, will feature a question-and-answer session, meet and greet and photograph opportunities.

On Tuesday, Oct. 14, PGA pro golfer John Daly will visit Hooters Casino Hotel for a meet and greet in the casino from 5 - 7 p.m. He will sign autographs, take pictures with fans and sell his merchandise.

Susan Beaubian, who plays the role of Power Woman in "Menopause The Musical®" at the Las Vegas Hilton, had a guest role on TV's "Cold Case" on Oct. 5.

HALLOWEEN MADNESS

"Black Diamond: The Ultimate Tribute to KISS" with their signature makeup and costumes will perform at the Cannery in North Las Vegas on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. For the last seven years, Black Diamond has toured around the world playing in countries such as Japan and the Cayman Islands and Canada and the United States numerous times and even opened for the original band KISS in Dallas, Texas. Admission is $5 at the door.

The VooDoo Lounge at the Rio will hold its annual "Mingle & Mayhem" event with a $5000 cash costume contest on Friday, Oct. 31. Bacardi shot girls will be passing out batbite shots and the Hardcore Watch Co. will provide a jewelry fashion show with painted models. Cost, which includes a Bacardi hosted bar from 7 to 9 p.m., is $20 for women, $30 for men, call 702-777-7776.

Blush Boutique Nightclub at Wynn will be transformed on Oct. 31 into a haunted mansion and offer a $5,000 prize for the most original costume.

The new Eastside Cannery on Boulder Highway will hold its first blood drive on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Blood donors will receive a $10 food coupon for dining at the property. Donors should call 702-562-2166.

NHRA ACDelco LAS VEGAS NATIONALS AND POKER TOURNAMENT

The Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities will hold its fifth annual "Cards for Kids" Texas Hold 'em Poker Tournament on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the Cannery in North Las Vegas. NHRA stars will participate. Buy-in is $250 and includes $1,000 in tournament chips, complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The charity tournament will kick off the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals.

Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion Gary Scelzi, whose nickname is "Wild Thing," will be retiring from professional drag racing after his final appearance in the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Oct. 30-Nov. 2. For race tickets, call 702-644-4444.