Master magician Lance Burton performs an illusion with Monte Carlo worker Francis Espirito during a lunch break today. Employees are hard at work making repairs after an exterior fire forced the property to temporarily close  last Friday.
Photo Courtesy:   
Monte Carlo

Spend Sunday at SPAMALOT with the
Super “MEN IN TIGHTS” Sunday Package

Do you want to see feisty men in spandex and tight ends…but not interested in watching football? Then check out the Super “MEN IN TIGHTS” Sunday, February 3, package at “Monty Python’s SPAMALOT” at Wynn Las Vegas for $69!

The Super “MEN IN TIGHTS” Sunday package includes one ticket to SPAMALOT and a special post show cocktail party where you can meet and mingle with the irresistible John O’ Hurley and the men of SPAMALOT. The package runs $69 plus tax. To reserve your Super “MEN IN TIGHTS” Sunday package call (702) 770-WYNN or visit the Wynn Box Office.

Show begins at 8 pm with cocktail reception immediately following in the lobby. Event sponsored by Ketel One Vodka, Red Bull, Coors Banquet and Coors Light.

The Divine Performing Arts Chinese New Year Spectacular perfomed for one night only at the Hilton Las Vegas. The show is inspired by over 5,000 years of history presented through traditional dances and songs.

The costumes are handmade and are beautiful. The backdrops are amazing and the images themselves were well chosen, and the animation shown on screen was useful to help tell the stories.

I particularly liked the exceptional piece performed with an erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument, which sounded like a cross between a violin and a bamboo flute.

The 60 cast members and 50-piece orchestra are touring for the next couple of months, so look for the show in a town near you.

WAR was the opening act for George Wallace at the Flamingo when we visited the show this week. Leroy “Lonnie” Jordan says he’s been touring constantly for almost 40 years. The band plays a 45-minute set of the songs that made the group famous like “Slippin’ Into Darkness,” “The World Is a Ghetto,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” and “Low Rider.”

What started as a three-month trial run for George Wallace at the Flamingo has now been going for over four years. Wallace is such a great story teller and he is so funny. He takes the ordinary things in life and turns them into hilarious jokes. Known best for his “Yo Mama” jokes and his infamous “I Be Thinkin” lines, Wallace creates a one-on-one atmosphere with his audiences, including them in the show and giving away a multitude of prizes during each performance.

Wallace brought “his kids,” The Mosaics, out to close the show. Mosaic is an acapella group, which use their vocals as the
instruments and are a great group.

Wallace came on-stage with a walker, since he had injured his archilles heel in a fall during a special performance at the Bellagio. I was glad to see that he is doing better. Hope he mends real soon. Laughter is the best medicine.

The fire at the Monte Carlo is contained and the resort is closed. There are no serious injuries. Guests have been evacuated to the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Any guests that are scheduled to stay at the Monte Carlo tonight are asked to report to the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The Palazzo Las Vegas will kick off three days of celebration today with a spectacular fireworks and light show.

The Shoppes at The Palazzo will have more than 60 luxury boutiques with a 85,000-square-foot Barney New York as the anchor store.

The Palazzo Las Vegas will also be home to more than a dozen fine dining restaurants, offering a variety of cuisines from a collection of award-winning chefs like CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Table 10 by Emeril Lagasse, Restaurant Charlie by Charlie Trotter, Carne Vino by Mario Batali, as well as Dos Cominos, Grand Lux Cafe, JADE, Minland, Morels French Steakhuse & Bistro, SUSHISAMBA and Woo.

Posted by: Linda

With plenty of new snow and clear and partly sunny skies predicted
through Sunday, it’s a great time to visit North Lake Tahoe for  skiing, snowboarding and snow play. Following is an update of what to
expect at the ski resorts:

Northstar-at-Tahoe – open top to bottom with 16 lifts and 82 trails

Squaw Valley USA – open top to bottom with 24 lifts, accessing 4,000  acres of terrain

Boreal Mountain Resort – open with seven lifts, Superpipe is open

Sugar Bowl Ski Resort – open top to bottom with 11 lifts

Diamond Peak – open, check out their Last Tracks program

Homewood Mountain Resort – open, with some of the best views of Lake  Tahoe

Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe – open with eight lifts, the Chutes are also open

Alpine Meadows – open with 13 lifts

Neighborhood Secrets: Blink and you may miss Tahoe Vista on the North  Shore. A small, quaint neighborhood located lakeside, it’s a must see  for its secluded beaches. Many locals gravitate to the area for its
authentic Mexican food served up at Sancho’s Taqueria. For the
adventurous, there are cow tongue tacos, but travelers will also
enjoy the carne asada and shrimp burritos. Portions are big!

Posted by:  Linda

The all-important Nevada caucus is slated for Saturday, Jan. 19 and presidential hopefuls from both the Democratic and Republican parties are eligible for free credentials to Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s Neon Garage during NASCAR Weekend Feb. 29-March 1-2.

Beginning Monday, Jan. 14, the first race fans – whose surnames match any of the primary candidates’ last names – who purchase Neon Garage passes will have their money refunded to them. Fans and candidates eligible for such a refund must share the last names of either Democrats Hillary Clinton, John Edwards or Barack Obama or Republicans Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson.

The offer is good until 5 p.m. on Jan. 19, the day of the Nevada caucus.
“We gave strong consideration to anyone named ‘Kucinich’,” said Chris Powell, general manager of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “But the poor showing of Dennis Kucinich in both Iowa and New Hampshire simply made that impossible.”

The Neon Garage is a fan interactive, entertainment zone located in the center of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage. Unprecedented access to drivers and teams, Vegas-style entertainment including celebrity impersonators such as Elvis and Madonna, the Winner’s Circle and specialty concessions are just some of the highlights of the Neon Garage.

The Feb. 29-March 2 NASCAR Weekend is the largest sporting event in the western United States. The highlight of the weekend is the 11th running of the UAW-Dodge 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, March 2. The Sam’s Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series event is set for Saturday, March 1. Qualifying for the UAW-Dodge 400 will be Friday, Feb. 29.

The candidates themselves are eligible for the free credentials to the Neon Garage even if they are not first to make their purchases. “They’re quite busy getting ready for the caucus here in the Silver State, so they deserve special dispensation,” Powell said. “But by the time our NASCAR Weekend rolls around at the end of February, a couple of the candidates might deserve an opportunity to speak to the estimated gathering of 155,000 voters and race fans, and the others can join the impersonators performing in the Neon Garage.”

Posted by: Linda

After more than three years as one of the top nightlife destinations on the Las Vegas Strip, Tangerine Lounge & Nightclub at TI has officially closed its doors.

The club has already begun a major renovation and will reopen as an entirely new, top-tier nightlife venue in the spring of 2008. With the help of New York design firm Seed, the new venue aims to become one of the top nightlife draws in Las Vegas.
Posted by:  Linda

John O’Hurley rejoins the Las Vegas Company of Monty Python’s Spamalot playing the legendary role of King Arthur on Monday, January 28. O’Hurley is awesome in the role of King Arthur.

Bill and I revisited Spamalot and it is so much fun. Even though I am not a big fan of Monty Python, I really enjoy the show. Based upon the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” it has a Vegas twist. The show is fast-moving, funny, and well written.

For VIP seating, Spamalot is now offering a backstage tour. A member of the cast is your tour guide and they tell you the “little secrets” that are behind the curtains.

Amber, a dancer in the show, was terrific as our tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and I loved her sense of humor. It was busy backstage even though it was the middle of the afternoon when we took our tour. The wardrobe people were repairing and cleaning the clothes for the evening performance, and the prop people were painting and repairing the props. The wigs are made of natural hair and the beauticians wash and style the hair every day. You get to see what makes the show work night after night.

VIP guests have a great treat in store for them as they uncover the “Secrets of the Grail.”
Posted by: Linda