In other magic news, local residents will be able to see “Lance Burton: Master Magician” for a discounted price from November 28th through December 10th. For the third consecutive year, Lance Burton, in conjunction with the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, would like to offer tickets to locals for $35 during Locals Appreciation Week. For tickets to see “Nevada’s Best Entertainer,” call 730-7160 or go to the Lance Burton Theatre Box-Office.

Corpulent comic Jeffrey Beacher continues his run of unorthodox promotions by signing the world’s smallest rock band to a series of performances at his Strip-side watering hole, Beacher’s Rock House. Tiny KISS, a band consisting entirely of little people dressed in KISS garb and make-up, will rock the house at 11P & 1A nightly as customers get to enjoy one of the cheapest deals in town, $25.00 for admission into the club and ALL the liquor you can drink.

We wanted to wish a special happy birthday to rock n’ roll’s PR princess Janie Hoffman. The talented Hoffman is currently working with Pantera’s front man Vinnie Paul and past clients include the ‘Red Rocker’, Sammy Hagar and Alice in Chains singer Jerry Cantrell. Happy birthday baby, you rock out with your bad self girl!

Comedian Robert Schimmel is known for his humorous performances in which he reflects on his bout with cancer, his divorce and his view of life. Schimmel has appeared in numerous cable specials and television programs and will be returning to the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino to perform on Friday, December 15th and Saturday, December 16th. For information on how to purchase tickets, please call 730-7160 or visit www.montecarlo.com.

TripAdvisor.com, a web based travel community site, has named Mandalay Bay’s THEhotel as one of the top 10 hippest hotels in the world. The website also states that among the Top 10 United States Attractions, three Cirque du Soleil shows land on the list including ‘O’ at the Bellagio at #4, behind Disney World, Disney Land and Discover Cove, Mystere at Treasure Island at #8 and Ka at the MGM Grand at #10.

The Reality TV Show, “American Stripper” stopped in Las Vegas this past Sunday and Monday as part of the VIP travelogue of the US hottest strip clubs. The “American Stripper” is based on performance, looks, poise, entertainment and audience interaction from the girl, not just on nudity. The show was hosted by adult entertainment icons, Ron Jeremy, Sunny Lane, and David Bronstein who will offered their opinions of the dancers and shared some antics with them, but it was the home viewers…as in American Idol…that were the true judges…

The Eye has learned that Justin Timberlake was moments away from signing on to host a New Years Eve bash at one Vegas’ most renowned nightclubs. He was due to be in town as part of a televised New Years Eve program for ABC but when that fell through, so did the nightclub gig. Look for a repeat appearance in his place.

Its cold and flu season and the Southern Nevada Health District is on a mission to arm Southern Nevadans with the information they need to prevent the illness. The path to flu resistance begins in six easy steps; get vaccinated, wash your hands with soap and water often, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, cough and sneeze into your sleeve or use a tissue, eat right, drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of sleep. “One in five people will become sick because of the flu,” said Dr. Donald Kwalick, chief officer for the health district. “With these steps, we hope to prevent this illness from spreading.”

The Paris Hotel and Casino sports book reopened today after being closed since Saturday when the Gaming Control Board and the Internal Revenue Service began an investigation into whether or not ticket writers were under declaring their tips. We’re not too sure why individuals’ finances would cause a closure of the entire operation, however we’re not pretending to be experts in gaming law either. While they were closed guests were directed to the sports book at the neighboring Bally’s Hotel and Casino.

Was that the Light Group’s VP of Customer Development Marklen Kennedy on the sidelines of last week’s big Monday Night Football battle between the New England Patriots and the Minnesota Vikings? We could swear it was, we tried confirming the hunks travel schedule, but apparently, he already left to Montreal, Quebec. What a job, what a guy…

Tonight (11/06) at the Foundation Room, revered local DJ and Godspeed resident, Keith Evans, is hosting a CD release party for his newest house music focused masterpiece Twilight, which is being released on the Kinky Sweet label. The talented spinster has helped maintain the sharp musical focus at Godspeed which remains one of the best and long-standing venues for house music in Las Vegas.  

Speaking of Evans, the member of the House Society will continue his outdoor patio sessions at the Empire Ballroom’s Late Night Empire this weekend. Friday night, or morning, he holds down the fort with fellow House Society DJ Carlos Sanchez while FunkyBadChad rocks the ballroom. The next night, DJ Halo joins Evans in the fresh air while Light resident Eddie McDonald spins inside.

The 11th annual Big Smoke Las Vegas took place this last weekend in a ballroom at the Venetian. The event shattered attendance records by drawing 6,000 smokers over a two-evening time span. To be honest, we’re not so sure why the event is such a success, the most fun we had was watching the mad rush of smokers waiting in line after line to exchange coupons for cigars in the same setting that has been repeated year after year.

On the plus side, the Big Smoke gave some Venetian chefs a chance to show off their wares. One restaurant set-up inside was Tao Asian Bistro who served 2,500 dishes on-site to attendees. Add that to the nearly 1,500 covers the restaurant did that evening and Tao’s chef de cuisine, Josh ‘Moses’ Thomsen, fed almost 4,000 diners, in one night. Wow!

Early Monday, noted restaurateur Steven Hanson, owner of BR Guest, the operator of such noted outlets like Fiamma (MGM grand) here in Las Vegas, has signed on to a management contract with the Starwood Hotel Group that will have Hanson running restaurant, banquet and in-room dining operations at the companies new five-star and eco-friendly ‘1’ Hotel brand. Already plans call for five properties on slate for Paris, France; Seattle, Washington; Scottsdale, Arizona, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and a sky resort in Mammoth Lakes, California.

Which Los Angeles nightclub is seemingly on the fast track to be first to market in Las Vegas? Hmmm, we promise we’ll share some of the elements surrounding the deal REAL soon.

Another out-of-town restaurant with plans on making a home in Las Vegas includes the popular Fort Lauderdale hotspot Café Martorano. Pumped up chef/owner Steve Martorano was spotted in Las Vegas this weekend checking out the former Rosemary’s Restaurant space at the Rio. From what we understand, Martorano blends his talents as a chef cooking his family’s south Philadelphia recipes with those as a DJ. “He blends together footage of gangster movies and the place is always packed with athletes and celebrities,” said one source familiar with the restaurant. And as always, remember where you heard it first …  

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Quick Bites ©Eye On Vegas and reprinted with permission.