PETE BARBUTTI BRINGS BACK VINTAGE VEGAS IN THE EVER-CHANGING world of Las Vegas, entertainment has certainly been a significant factor in bringing people into the hotels. However, things do change and the so-called entertainment directors of many of the hotels are not necessarily as qualified as the former entertainment directors were, such as Walter Kane, Bill Miller, Stan Irwin, Jack Entratter, Ron Garrett, Amie Lewis and Walter Mason, just to name a few. Today an entertainment director may have been appointed to his position from his former job of being a food & beverage manager. Entertainment directors today just really don't have the knowledge—one, because the majority of them were not in the music business, and two because they weren't musicians. Nevertheless, Las Vegas will always have live production shows and live entertainment in the lounges. Today, Pete Barbutti has brought back vintage Las Vegas with his unique brand of comedy in the Royal Pavilion Show Room at the Four Queens. Barbutti, you may remember his many appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson currently hosted by Jay Leno, also opened for such great stars as Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra. Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when Barbutti isn't traveling, you can catch his hilarious comedy show at the Four Queens. Opening for Pete is the classic sound of Bobby Ruffin's Drifters. Ruffin is the last surviving member of the Drifters. What made this all possible is John Astor White, who is a former producer of stage and television shows, who is also partly responsible for discovering Earth, Wind & Fire, bringing together some of the who's who in the entertainment scene in Vegas. Some of the invited guests in attendance were Mary Kaye of the Mary Kaye Trio, Bill Acosta—Man of 1,000 Voices, Artie Schroech and his wife Linda November, impressionist Babe Pier, Steve Rossi from Allen & Rossi, Sweet Louie and Sonny Charles of the Checkmates, just to name a few. It was a wonderful evening of comedy and singing, with a very special guest Frankie Randall who knows where of as he speaks, reminiscing of the days of Frank Sinatra. Randall's tribute to Sinatra is a memorable one, as he was not only a good friend but also worked with Mr. Sinatra. Jeff Victor, the president of Fremont Street Experience, who attended the opening of the new showroom stated, "I realize this is where it all began, in downtown Las Vegas. And although we have the largest light show at the Fremont Street Experience on the planet, we embrace live entertainment." John Astor White hopes that this will be the beginning of headline entertainment to return to downtown Las Vegas. "Currently, the Golden Nugget is building a larger showroom so this looks promising," states White. Show times are 8:00 p.m. Thursday–Sunday. For tickets call 924-5223. How To Eat Fried Worms Just when you think you've heard every title of a movie, comes along a unique title, "How To Eat Fried Worms." This was the premier of New Line Cinema and Walden Media film at Johnny Brenden's theaters at the Palms Hotel & Casino. The movie is about an 11-year-old named Billy, played by Luke Benward, who inadvertently challenges the school bully on his first day at a new school. To save face and earn respect of his new classmates, Billy agrees to a bet that will determine his fate at the school—whether or not he can eat 10 worms in one day. It is one hilarious movie and it stars 2 Las Vegas kids, Adam Hicks and Ryan Malgarini. Both young men have acted in their share of movies. Hicks—in The Shaggy Dog, The 12 Dogs of Christmas, and Down and Derby. Malgarini was in Benjy—(Chef-Worm Cooker), Freaky Friday, Go Figure, and Malcolm in the Middle. When asked what it was like to make the movie, both kids said it was a breeze and a lot of fun. Robert Dolman, the writer and director for the movie, when asked what it was like working with kids as opposed to adults stated, "Kids are great to work with, you don't have to deal with egos like you do with adults." Other celebrities who attended the event were illusionist David Darkstone, Eddie Mekka who played the Big Ragoo on Laverne & Shirley, and Johnny Brenden and Diva, to mention a few. This event benefited Brooke Alden who was diagnosed with a childhood bone cancer known as Osteosarcoma. The 11-year-old said that she looked forward to finishing her treatments and was honored with a Proclamation from Mayor Oscar Goodman. Goodman also presented keys to the city to all of the actors in the film. We commend Johnny Brenden for his contribution in helping the Candlelighter's for Childhood Cancer of Southern Nevada, a non-profit organization, to raise money for Brook Alden and for his continued efforts in bringing premiers to his theater. Brenden, as a child, suffered from several childhood illnesses which he overcame. He also took over the vision that Ted Mann, his grandfather, instilled in him. Today, his vision uses the highest and foremost technology for movie theaters as well as design. Showbiz Bits Allen Fawcett, who hosted "PUTTIN ON THE HITS" for Dick Clark in the '80s, is entertaining at Hannah's Neighborhood Bistro. Fawcett who has a reoccurring role as Max on CSI, performs a selection of music from 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. on Sundays for Hannah's Jazz Brunch, and on Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. with a selection of classic rock. Wednesday is also CSI night for friends and fans of CSI… Incidentally, Gary Dourdan, who plays Warwick on CSI, has been spending a lot of time in Vegas. A little bird told me he might be hanging out at Hannah's…Johnny Brenden of the Brenden Theater chain will be producing movies in late September. Scott Pastore Shephard, one of his associates, said he's got some great scripts for Brenden. Shephard by the way was licensed to be the Lone Ranger here in Las Vegas. You may remember the original Lone Ranger Series. Well, Scott used to appear on my show "The Las Vegan Report" on Warner Brothers a few years ago…11 of the nations top 17- and 18-year-old boxers are finishing up their training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs CA. The team competed in the 2006 Junior World Championships. They are composed of Light Flyweight Champion Louis Yanez from Duncanville TX, Shawn Poter from Cuyhoga Fall, OH who won the silver medal at the 2005 Cadet World Championships, another outstanding boxer Allen Lawrence of Newark, NJ who will be competing for his first Junior World Championship in Morocco, Featherweight Sadam Ali from Brooklyn, NY who won his first Golden Glove Championship in April before grabbing the Under 19 title in Kansas City and is seeking his first international hardware, the 2005 Cadet World Championships bronze metalist Jerry Beomontest of Corpus Christi, TX who took the talent-filled lightweight division title at the Under 19 National Championships and hopes to grab his second championships metal when he takes to the ring in Morocco. The remaining athletes, rounding out the United States team, are Qa'Id Muhhamad of Ventnor City, NJ, Bantamweight Jorge Diaz of New Brunswick, NJ, Light Welterweight Andre Sherard of Milwaukee, WI, Welterweight William Jackson of Cincinnati, OH, Heavyweight Dorsett Barnwell of Norfolk, VA, and Super Heavyweight Michael Hunter of Las Vegas, NV…The all new Crazy Girls Revue at the Riviera is in its 20th year. Norbert Aleman the creator and producer of the show said, "We're making changes in which we've chosen 10 talented technically trained dancers for the current edition of Crazy Girls." During the past 19 years the show has created 150–200 Crazy Girls using such emcees such as singers Stuart May to Bambi Junior (Montell Williams ex-wife), comedian Carole Montgomery to prop comic Joe Trammel. Currently they have the world class juggler Nino Frediani… Until then, keep your visions positive and keep positive people around you, and above all know that God is there for you.