June '06 Insider Viewpoint Column

As our name states…Insider Viewpoint of Las Vegas, the facts and gossip from the streets of Las Vegas.

May 25, 2006 Street Facts

* Empire Ballroom’s Memorial Day entertainment is highlighted by the performance of Prince with special guest Tamar, Saturday, May 27 at 8p and Sunday, May 28 at 10p. The tickets will cost $312.01 each and are general admission. The show is 21 and over. Followed by Club Rubber’s 10th Anniversary Party at 10p Saturday night May 27 until 10a Sunday morning.

* Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, international wax attraction, has “un-masked” the Original “Phantom” star Michael Crawford this past week. Their “Legends of Vegas” attraction will coincide with the upcoming Andrew Lloyd Webber production at The Venetian’s new theatre.

* Treasure Island Casino adds an intimate poker room for both amateur and professional poker players. The nonsmoking poker room features eight tables and eight LCD plasma screens line the room showing the latest sporting events while upbeat music plays throughout the room. The poker room also provides 24-hour complimentary beverage service. Be sure to take a look at the non-traditional table felts.

* Hang out with Madonna this week at Tao Nightclub, located inside the Venetian Casino. Sunday, May 28, starting at 10p Madonna is hosting the official Confessions Tour after party.

* The Las Vegas Paiute Tribe is hosting a celebration of American Indian culture with a three-day Pow-Wow event, May 26-28. The event will feature traditional bird singing and dance exhibitions from tribes of Southern California and the Colorado River area, plus singers, artisans and dancers from across the United States and Canada will be present dressed in traditional attire. Las Vegas Paiute Snow Mountain Indian Reservation is located at US 95 North at Exit 95, Turn left at exit and drive 1 mile to Pow-Wow site. Admission is $4.00 for adults and $3.00 for seniors. A weekend pass is $10.

* June 9 at 5p the Rain Nightclub inside the Palms Casino will conduct an interesting event, Divas Las Vegas Bachelorette Auction. The event emcee is Mrs. Nevada - America 2005 Ann Truman-Ball and the auctioneer of the 15 Divas is Robin Leach. Tickets cost $50 and open bar for wine and beer. Proceeds benefit the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.

* Master magician and illusionist David Copperfield continues his 2006 tour at the MGM Grand’s intimate 740-seat Hollywood Theatre with scheduled performances on August 3–9 and August 24–September 20. Tickets are priced at $97 inclusive.

* It is a new name and a new look for The Shops in Desert Passage at the Aladdin. Now called the Miracle Mile Shops partially due to the 1.5 miles of retail space the mall covers. The $50 million renovation is expected to be completed in 2007.

* Yes, drivers in Las Vegas really are among the worst in the United States. As we have stated many times over the years, Vegas is filled with aggressive drivers, usually on a cell phone and in a hurry. According to Allstate Insurance Company they rated Las Vegas 170 out of 200 major cities in the US. Vegas drivers are expected to crash 27.5% more than the national average.

June 5, 2006 Street Facts

* Jerry’s Nugget Casino, a 42-year tradition in North Las Vegas has completed their renovation of their famous Canal Street Café. With the new changes, even the name is change now to Jerry’s Famous Coffee Shop.

* Want to be the 5 millionth person to see the show, Legends in Concert? Tonight, June 5 is you night. According to Imperial Palace Casino tonight they will have one lucky person become their 5 millionth person to see the show.

* This Friday, June 9, will be the one year anniversary of the Pussycat Dolls Lounge inside Pure Nightclub. Pure Nightclub is located in Caesars Casino and the doors open at 10p.

* Any wannabe stunt men in the audience? June 6, The Sirens of TI is holding auditions for male stunt pirates at 8:30a in front of the Pirates Cove.

* June 5, 2006, a 64-year-old Las Vegas retiree won a Megabucks slot jackpot worth $20,519,025 at the Cannery Casino & Hotel in North Las Vegas. It was the second Megabucks winner the Cannery has had in the last nine months. The new Cannery winner requested anonymity, but said she had played only $12 in the machine, four pulls of the slot handle when the jackpot hit.

* Last week Memorial Day celebrations were a hit among the estimated 250,000 Las Vegas visitors. Las Vegas still reigns the number one destination in the world.

* The musical, The Producers, which swept the 2001 Tony Awards is planned to open in 90 days at the Paris Las Vegas. When the show makes its Las Vegas debut, it will be the only production of the hit Broadway musical west of the Mississippi.

* The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) will travel across the Atlantic for the fifth consecutive year as Mandalay Bay hosts the Las Vegas Desert Classic V June 28-July 2 in the Bayside C Ballroom. The Tickets are priced at $22 per day or $55 for an all-session pass, and are now on sale.

* The upper-level management bailout has begun at the Hard Rock Casino. President Kevin Kelley has resigned, this is the first of the big boys to leave before the new buyers, Morgans Hotel Group, take over in a few months.

* Sheldon Adelson, owner of the Venetian / Las Vegas Sands Corporation does it again and this time in Singapore. The Singapore Tourism Board announces the first downtown casino/resort project will be Adelsons. Besides having a state-of-the-art casino, his new venture will include 2,500 rooms, 3,000 seat theater, 1 million square feet of retail and 1.2 million square feet convention space. This project is expected to open in 2009.

* US casinos are becoming very popular around the world. If Singapore is out of the way for you to visit a US casino on foreign soil, then try the Wynn Macau in the fall and the MGM Mirage Macau in 2007.

* Attention all wireless gamers . . . The Venetian Casino has struck a deal with mobile gaming device manufacturer to soon distribute wireless, hand held gaming devices on property. This project is slated to be in effect by the end of 2007.

* Another timeshare in Las Vegas, this time is it going to be located on the 10-acres on the corner of Tropicana and Paradise. Bluegreen, a Florida based timeshare company, plans on building a 240 units, seven story building.

* Does anyone have a sweet tooth? On June 9 the fourth annual Great American Dessert Expo begins at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It lasts two days, maybe you blood sugar count will also.