SO MANY NEW happenings in my wild and crazy town, that I am exhausted trying to cover as much as I can to let you know about all the good stuff that is going on in Las Vegas. Here goes!

"The Sopranos Last Supper" at KRAVE at the ALADDIN is bringing the mob back to Las Vegas only this time it's a two-and-a-half-hour four-course Italian dinner theatre show with wine in an interactive musical-comedy with 20 cast members and a three-piece band. The cast that spoofs the hit TV show Soprano's found all their cast members among Las Vegans. The lead female singer Dee Dee Diamond (Janien Valentine) is worth the ticket price. Tony Soprano gets lap dances from the four Ba Da Bang Girls. It's so funny it's a crime! It is also playing in San Diego, Chicago and Boston.

Bob Barker made The Big Wheel. Gorgeous gameshow models and the familiar call to "Come on down!" famous with "The Price is Right. Now—"Live" on stage 'THE PRICE IS RIGHT' at BALLY's is scheduled for a two-year run. At press night, I was hoping to be called and maybe win "A New Car" but that didn't happen to me. However, with fun and fanfare, other audience contestants did very well.

So many great new restaurants have opened recently. As I write this about the new restaurant SOPPORO FOODS, I am stuffed to the gills with the great food and drink offered at their media party. The place is great with a large sushi bar, two cooking areas with chefs who supply comedy with their amazing cooking skills. Live music from an outdoor patio is brought within and a large bar and attractive booths and tables create an atmosphere that is hard to beat. This successful restaurant originated in Scottsdale, Arizona and Las Vegas is lucky to have them here… BONEFISH GRILL in Henderson has 108 restaurants nationally and brings in fresh fish from around the world daily. The chef then sautés, grills and cooks in an awesome unusual way (i.e. pistachio parmesan crusted rainbow trout) …Another unusual new restaurant is PAMPAS in ALADDIN's Desert Passage. Brazilian dining is enjoyed when sizzling skewers are brought to your table in a seemingly endless parade of food…Then there is the beautiful Italian Ristorante PENAZZI in HARRAHS where Gabriele Penazzi has brought delicious recipes from many generations of his Italian family…Not to be outdone, HIMALAYAN CUISINE offers Indian and Tibetan food "where the Sacred meets modern palates" at their location on Flamingo Rd.…New ownership of CASA de AMORE on East Tropicana not only offers great Italian house specialties, but great entertainment to go along with your dining or libations at any hour you wish…And, more fun and food with the Imperial Palace's Hawaiian Luau that brings the South Pacific to the Strip. An elaborate buffet and Hawaiian libations are enjoyed as you watch an authentic Hawaiian show with hulas, fire dancing and singing.

A 64-year-old Las Vegas retiree won a Megabucks slot jackpot worth $20,519,025 at the CANNERY Casino in North Las Vegas. It was the second Megabucks winner the Cannery has had in the last nine months. Elmer Sherwin won his second Megabucks jackpot—the only person ever to win it twice—at the Cannery in September 2005. The new Cannery winner said she had played only $12 in the machine—four pulls of the slot handle—when the jackpot hit.

To celebrate the Pussycat Dolls Lounge's first anniversary, blonde bombshell Pamela Anderson and Denise Richards each performed one night only with the Las Vegas Pussycat Dolls at PURE Nightclub. inside CAESARS PALACE. The Pussycat Dolls Lounge opened in April 2005 with Desperate Housewive's tantalizing Eva Longoria hosting the evening. Since then, Nicollette Sheridan has strutted her stuff as well as a bevy of celebrities who have performed there.

La Femme, at MGM GRAND, celebrated their five-year anniversary and in honor of the anniversary, returned audience favorites "Teasing" and "Chair Me Up." The show has enjoyed continued success since its inception in 2001. La Femme (pronounced La "Fahm") is an exact replica of the acclaimed show Crazy Horse in Paris. La Femme creates sensuous choreography using light effects and projections. At the same time of the Las Vegas celebration, the world-famous Crazy Horse in Paris celebrated its 55-year anniversary

The Elvis statue, first installed at the LAS VEGAS HILTON on September 8, 1978, has returned to its place of glory at the famed property. First installed at the entrance to the showroom, then moved to the front lobby, last year, it was removed from the lobby during the first phrase of construction and renovation. Now, the statue is back at its original site…Trivia question about Barry Manilow, who headlines at the HILTON in an exclusive engagement through 2008: When did Barry meet Bette Midler? Answer: Barry met Bette in 1972 and became her music director, arranger and pianist…The HILTON has signed Brooks & Dunn to multi-year performances starting during National Finals Rodeo December 4–6, 2006. The HILTON has also signed two more top selling acts for National Finals Rodeo, Vince Gill, and Big & Rich.

The HILTON recently featured a silent auction for their employees on lost and unclaimed items such as jewelry, electronics, and sporting equipment. 100% of the proceeds from the silent auction (nearly $10,000) went to the United Way to assist in their mission of improving lives in Southern Nevada

Comedian George Wallace now appearing at the FLAMINGO is reaching out across the airwaves. George's new show will be like "Inside the Actors Studio" with comics."You can expect to hear interviews with Jerry Seinfeld, Rita Rudner, Sinbad, Robert Schimmel, Louie Anderson and Carrot Top as George chats with resident Vegas comedy headliners and those who make rare appearances in the city, as well.

Lake Las Vegas' MONTE LAGO VILLAGE Lakeside Concert series now has jazz on the Lake every Friday night until November from 7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. Admission is free.

This has been one of the best-kept secrets in Vegas—Juggler extraordinaire Nino Frediani, who works alongside the topless dancers of Crazy Girls at the RIVIERA is legally blind. He was born with an atrophied optic nerve, but since he was 11th generation in a family of circus jugglers, he had virtually no choice but to continue in that profession. "An eye doctor was amazed. Nino says that although he is legally blind, his reflexes are that of a teenage Formula One race driver." Nino also taught himself Japanese in order to marry his wife of ten years, The juggler, age 66, speaks six other languages and sometimes uses them in his comedy show at the Crazy Girls theater. "I pretend I have 20/20 vision while doing my juggling, so that I don't feel sorry for myself."

TROPICANA's successful afternoon production show Xtreme Magic Starring Dirk Arthur has been extended through January 2, 2007. More than 213,000 visitors have experienced the amazing illusions and magic of Dirk Arthur since he first started his performances at the hotel in March of 2005. Dirk is known for his grand illusions, which include the appearance of a Robinson helicopter and an Amtrak train. He is also recognized for showcasing the largest number of exotic cats ever to appear in an afternoon show (2 and 4 p.m.) on the Las Vegas Strip. His collection of animals include orange Bengal tigers, white striped tigers, a pure white snow tiger and black African and spotted leopards…BODIES…The Exhibition at the TROPICANA, reveals an unprecedented up-close look inside the skeletal, muscular, respiratory, reproductive and circulatory systems with 21 real human body specimens and more than 260 organs and partial body specimens. The bodies from a medical school in China, were preserved through a technique using liquid silicone rubber. I hesitated to go to this exhibit to see dead bodies at first, but found it to be an amazing experience to view the complexity of the human body. This exhibit teaches children and adults about their own bodies—in a way far more powerful than any textbook…Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is back at Tthe Tropicana for a limited engagement. The Exhibition has been re-designed for Las Vegas with more than 300 new artifacts and more extensive room re-creations…The TROPICANA's free new pool party 'WET' on Saturday nights from 6:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m. is filled with fun and entertainment. A live band performs and a disc jockey keeps the party going throughout the evening. Drink and food specials are available, including 50-cent draft beers. All women are invited to enter a winner takes all $1,000 cash prize bikini contest. Swimming and dancing is encouraged and for people wanting to gamble, the swim-up blackjack tables are open during the party.

Miracle Mile Shops is the new name along with a new look for The Shops in DESERT PASSAGE at the ALADDIN. The $50 million makeover will focus on de-theming the Moroccan design for a more streamlined, clean and modern atmosphere to create synergy with the $200 million renovation and re-branding of the ALADDIN Hotel & Casino into the PLANET HOLLYWOOD Hotel & Casino. Desert Passage features 170 specialty stores, 15 restaurants, and live entertainment. Many new hip stores are opening such as Hipster UK clothier and Southern-Cal lifestyle Metropark.

David Saxe, the youngest veteran producer in Vegas, celebrated two fantastic years and $27 million in revenue for the V Theater in the DESERT PASSAGE at the ALADDIN. For the celebration, the front area of the theatre was transformed into a circus arena where invited guests enjoyed an atmosphere of fun, libations and circus type food. Afterwards they were treated to the side-splitting antics of V—The Ultimate Variety Show with surprise guest Trenyce—the extremely gifted vocalist and "American Idol" finalist who now opens as headliner in the show. Trenyce was a second season finalist on Fox's smash hit "American Idol" in 2003. She placed in the top five along side Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. She is the first "American Idol" finalist to emerge as a headliner in a major Las Vegas production. Prior to the Midas touch of Saxe, the space now bearing the name V Theater was haunted by failed business ventures. Saxe purchased the theater in May 2004 and transformed it into the extremely successful V Theater that is home to: "V—The Ultimate Variety Show," "Fab Four Mania" and "X Girls The Show." The theater also hosts "Nathan Burton Comedy Magic" and "Gregory Popovich's Comedy Pet Theatre." David Saxe Productions also produces "Buck Wild!" at the SAHARA and "Xtreme Magic starring Dirk Arthur" at the TROPICANA along with productions in Atlantic City, Valley Forge and Macau in China. And now, David has started a school for exotic pole dancing. Congratulations, David. Long may you reign.

For the past 20 years, the entertainment community has rallied to GOLDEN RAINBOW's mission of supporting Las Vegans with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Hundreds of singers and dancers from the best shows on the Las Vegas Strip perform in "Ribbon of Life," a show that overwhelmed audiences regularly claim is the best show in Las Vegas. This year marks a grim anniversary. It's been 20 years since Las Vegas performers began dying of AIDS and GOLDEN RAINBOW was created to service the local HIV/AIDS community. Since its founding, GOLDEN RAINBOW remains the only AIDS service organization (ASO) in Nevada to offer permanent housing for low-income HIV/AIDS-affected individuals and families. GOLDEN RAINBOW was founded by a group of dancers after one of their own died from AIDS while living in his brother's garage. They joined hands and vowed nothing like that would ever happen in this city again. To raise money, they staged a fundraising production show, which is now known as the ''Ribbon of Life'' stage spectacular. Held each June, the show is GOLDEN RAINBOW's primary source of funding, and 100 percent of the proceeds stay in Southern Nevada. Because GOLDEN RAINBOW has only two paid staff members, the overwhelming majority of funds raised, directly benefit those in need.

Carmen Electra hosted the first ever Head to Hollywood Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament that took place inside The HARD ROCK HOTEL's, The Joint. The tournament drew a crowd of 157 players, including celebrities, professional poker players and members of the general public, eager to play poker with the stars and, hopefully, take home a nice cash prize! Special guests included—Carmen Electra, David Spade, Shannon Elizabeth, Annie Duke, Laura Prepon, Chris Masterson, Montel Williams, Jeffrey Beacher, Nicholas Gonzalez, Krista Allen, The WPT Player of the Year: Gavin Smith, the Cast of "Passions," Erik Palladino, James Lesure, J. August Richards and Omarosa Stallworth. The official buy-in entry fee was $550 and there was a guarantee of $50,000 in cash prizes—the first place pot was a cool $20,000. After all was said and done, the tournament raised over $90,000 for the Head to Hollywood Charity.

Gerry McCambridge, the award-winning mentalist is now at the STARDUST. McCambridge reads people's minds. McCambridge appears in the Stardust's Hypnotic Lounge that is also the home of two comedy-hypnotism shows, "Hypnolarious" and "Hypnosis Gone Wild." McCambridge has already made his mark in Las Vegas. Last year he was at the RAMPART Casino for a three-week engagement that turned it into a 47-week stay.

Nevada turned into a celebrity hotspot when over 100 celebrity impersonators, descended on Sin City, during the 6th Annual Celebrity Impersonators Convention at the IMPERIAL PALACE. George W. Bush look-alikes mixed with Anna Nicole Smith and Austin Powers as well as Paris Hilton Angelina Jolie, Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra. There was even a Tom Cruise clone. They put on a really impressive show. After the show, Legends producer John Stuart was honored with his star on the LAS VEGAS WALK of STARS.

F.A.C.T. (Fact and Child Treatment) the non-profit United Way agency dedicated to helping children, adults and families overcome and heal the traumas of abuse, neglect and violence through prevention, education and treatment services, held their annual fundraiser at MANDALAY PLACE RM Seafood. Chairpersons, Michelle Makil and Michelle Osborne arranged a very successful, lovely event that honored Carolyn Goodman who has been devoted to the children in our community for over a quarter of a century. Amazing live auction items included diamond bracelets, fabulous art works and even a male Shihtzu puppy. A dream of a real home for F.A.C.T. is now in the architectural stages of a permanent building that will break ground in two years.