VEGAS INSIDER REVIEW
by Chuck Rounds
November 2015
November 2015
Las Vegas Entertainment News
There
are a few conventions during the first couple of weeks of the month,
but then there are no more conventions booked for the rest of the
year…at all. In a city of conventions, it is amazing to have an empty
convention calendar for two weeks. Things get going again in January
when the International Consumer Electronics Show brings with it a couple
of hundred thousand people, and the Adult Entertainment Expo is at the
same time.
One of my favorite winter attractions is Opportunity Village’s, "The Magical Forest," running through January 3rd.
The Enchanted Carousel, the Forest Express Trains, live music, sweet
treats, lavishly decorated trees, whimsical displays, millions of lights
and visits with Santa Claus provide people of all ages with a winter
wonderland each night during the holiday season. You will also have the
opportunity to take in Boris the Elf’s 3-D Experience, ride the rails on
the Forest Express train, take photos with Santa in his workshop or go
for a spin on Cheyenne’s Enchanted Carousel. Other can’t-miss
attractions at the Magical Forest include a gingerbread house display,
Rod’s Mini-Golf course and Rudolph’s Raceway. Opportunity Village is a
not-for-profit organization that serves people with intellectual
disabilities by providing them with vocational training, employment and
social recreation services that make their lives more productive and
interesting. Once thought by society to be unemployable and unimportant
in the community, people with severe disabilities are engaged, active
residents who contribute to our society. Through Opportunity Village’s
programs and services, hundreds of people with disabilities are learning
vocational skills and being placed in jobs throughout the community.
Another good
holiday attraction is “The Gift of Lights,” at the Las Vegas Motor
Speedway. This will be the fifth year that it is being hosted there.
“The Gift of Lights” is a holiday drive-thru spectacular featuring
millions of twinkling and animated displays, and part of the proceeds go
to charities. And you can also receive a discount on the admission if
you bring a bag of stuff for Goodwill. Being at the Speedway is a bit of
a drive to get to it, but it will be worth it.
This is the time
of year when you cans see beautiful lights and holiday decorations in
Mystic Falls Park at Sam's Town's Winter Wonderland. The pioneer-themed
Mystic Falls Park is transformed into an immersive winter wonderland
experience with garland streams, wreath-adorned lampposts, and white
light and snow-covered trees that fill the atrium. Poinsettias, red
garland, ice crystals add to the themed visuals, while the main fountain
will host an ice sculpture. Lighted sculpture polar bears and indoor
snow create a whimsical magical winter wonderland experience in the
heart of the Boulder Strip. Sam’s Town will be hosting the 15-minute
laser light spectacular hourly during the holiday season, from 5 p.m. to
10 p.m. through January 1.
Other holiday
events include the Chocolate Wonderland at the Ethel M Botanical Cactus
Garden, which is free; the annual Holiday display at the Four Seasons,
which is free. “Winter in Venice,” was cancelled at the Venetian this
year.
The biggest event during the first part of December is the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) that runs December 2nd to 13th
at the Thomas & Mack Center. This is one of the largest rodeo
competitions in the world. It is filled with excitement, and in order to
give all of the rodeo enthusiast’s options for entertainment, the city
does its best to book all of the top Country and Western singers and
entertainers.
The Las Vegas Great Santa Run has become a
‘must' for visitors, a community involvement activity for local
businesses and a holiday tradition for families on December 5, 2015.
Last year, over 11,000 participants donned their Santa Suits in support
of Opportunity Village and individuals with disabilities in our
community. Cast members from JERSEY BOYS Las Vegas will join a sea of
Santas and Opportunity Village’s “OVIPs” as they proudly serve as Grand
Marshals of the 2015 Las Vegas Great Santa Run.
The event also will feature The Strip’s famed Chippendales as the Grand
Marshals for the one-mile Kris Kringle Jingle walk; Honorary Chair of
the Santa Run Committee Wayne Newton; and a special performance by
Jabbawockeez, winners of the first season of “America’s Best Dance
Crew.” Dubbed Sin City’s merriest fun run, the internationally
recognized Great Santa Run raises funds and awareness for Opportunity
Village’s programs, which provide unparalleled opportunities, enrichment
and support to more than 2,000 citizens with disabilities and their
families throughout the Las Vegas Valley. The nine-time champion of the “World Santa Alliance,”
the Great Santa Run hopes to bring the challenge trophy back to Las
Vegas in 2015 from its competition in Liverpool. Registration is now
open for the 2015 Great Santa Run at LasVegasSantaRun.org
and costs $45 for adults; $30 for children 12 and under; and $10 for
canine companions. The participation fee includes a five-piece Santa
suit, a runner goody bag and a commemorative medal from event sponsors.
Tony Sacca producer and host of “Merry
Christmas Las Vegas” will feature a series of six holiday programs
derived from his past 30 years of holiday specials. Shows will air
weekly for six weeks starting Nov. 27. “Merry Christmas Las Vegas”
features some of Las Vegas’ finest entertainers and headliners
performing in the holiday spirit, such as: singers Charo, Gladys
Knight, Wayne Newton, Cook E. Jarr, Clint Holmes, Sonny Turner, Lena
Prima, Denise Clemente; magician Lance Burton; impressionists Gordie
Brown and Rich Little; ventriloquist Ronn Lucas; flamenco guitarist
Esteban and daughter Teresa Joy; musicals “The Rat Pack is Back” and
“Nunsense;” and so many more with musical accompaniment by the Michael T
Orchestra. Sacca conceived “Merry Christmas Las Vegas” in 1986 when he
moved to Las Vegas. Originally the show was performed and filmed at the
Mt. Charleston Hotel and Lodge for about nine years. When the show went
national, it was taped at Strip resorts starting at the Riviera Casino
& Hotel and ending up at the Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower
for 10 years. In 2012, taping was in the main showroom at the LVH
followed by filming at Boulder Station the last two years.
Santa Claus is going to great depths this
holiday season to visit kids during the annual Santa in the Shipwreck
at Shark Reef Aquarium inside Mandalay Bay. With each paid admission,
guests 12 and under receive a treat and complimentary photo with Santa
and his sidekick Santa Jaws. Before heading back to his workshop, Santa
will put on his SCUBA gear and plunge into the Shipwreck waters to bid
everyone farewell alongside his underwater friends.
Get in the holiday spirit with festive
lighting ceremonies and holiday themed entertainment at Fremont Street
Experience this season. Once again, the famous neon lights of the Viva
Vision canopy will be complemented with a touch of holiday spirit as
Fremont Street Experience kicks off the holiday season with the annual
Grand Menorah Lighting on Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. and the annual Christmas Tree
Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman will
light the Grand Menorah. A ceremony will be led by Rabbi Shea Harlig,
Director of Chabad of Southern Nevada to welcome the holiday known as
the Festival of Lights. The Grand Menorah will be on display at Fremont
Street during the Hanukkah Season.
Then, Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman
will help Santa light Las Vegas' official Christmas tree. The 50-foot
tree will be decked with festive decorations and shine brightly below
the 12.5 million lights of the Viva Vision canopy. The official Las
Vegas Christmas tree will be on display at the Fremont Street Experience
through the Christmas holiday.
Tarralyn Ramsey, who was the first
contestant on “The Voice” brings a new fresh and powerful voice to the
The Strip with the début of her holiday musical show “Christmas
Spectacular”. Her show is a perfect blend of singing, dancers, live
music and just plain fun. The show will begin on December 8th and run
through December 30th (dark Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve). The Tommy
Wind Theatre is the perfect venue for this showcase of talent. The
Tarralyn Ramsey “Christmas Spectacular” is a family friendly holiday
show appropriate for all ages, young and “seasoned”.
Due to the success of her wildly popular
“Summer Nights” residency, Flamingo Las Vegas announced that it will
extend beloved entertainer Olivia Newton-John’s show through Dec. 2016.
Performing inside the Donny & Marie Showroom, the
internationally-renowned singer-actress will continue to take audiences
on a musical journey through her life in film and music.
Yee “sexy” haw! Roundup the posse and
stampede over to Sapphire for their 13th Annual Anniversary Party. Chuck
wagon style buffet, whistle wettin’ cocktails, beautiful whisky
wranglers (waitresses) and hundreds of unshucked dancin’ girls (topless
entertainers). Guests are encouraged to dress in cowboy/girl attire for
this Anniversary Party shindig. Guests will also have the opportunity to
“Cowboy Up” and test their rodeo skills on the mechanical bull and
challenge the Sapphire Entertainers to a little friendly competition.
Watch out for Sapphire entertainer “Daisy”, a Las Vegas champion. The
Anniversary Party is December 10th and begins at 7pm with an open bar to
9pm, hors d’oeuvres, and many more surprises!
Terry Fator: The VOICE of Entertainment
presents A Very Terry Christmas, a holiday-themed performance by Terry
Fator and his amazing cast. A Very Terry Christmas is an annual
tradition in the style of the great family television specials of the
past, while mixing in the perfect amount of Las Vegas. Fator and cast
will celebrate the holidays with comedy, singing, celebrity
impersonations and ventriloquism, featuring classics including “Winter
Wonderland” and “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” plus the audience will learn
all about “Juana,” a new holiday guaranteed to make them laugh. A Very
Terry Christmas features a brilliant cast fronted by Fator and pre-show
opener Ben Harris, along with Fator’s lovable characters Winston the
Impersonating Turtle, Vikki “The Cougar,” country legend Walter T.
Airdale, Duggie Scott Walker, Julius, Emma Taylor, the world’s greatest
Elvis impersonator Maynard Tompkins, Bing Crosby and Berry Fabulous.
‘Tis the season for holiday cheer at
Tournament of Kings with the debut of its first-ever festive show “‘Twas
the Knight!” The Tournament of Kings Arena will be transformed November
25 – December 28 into a winter wonderland as guests are greeted by
carolers singing seasonal tunes. Prior to the performance, Royal Heralds
will play games and inspire guests with renditions of their King’s
adventures. While experiencing the merry show, guests will enjoy a
three-course holiday-inspired meal, sans utensils, complete with a
festive dessert and egg nog as they cheer on their king! Sprinklings of
the season will be added throughout the show and will include Tournament
of Kings’ version of the “‘Twas the Knight” holiday poem, seasonal
decorations, new flags, banners and holiday-inspired costumes for
Merlin, Jester and the maidens.
A lavish feast and gifts will be on
display on the Roundtable for the Kings. The holiday revelry will be
accentuated with additional choreography, including a holiday ribbon
dance, and a snowfall conjured by Merlin. Santa Claus will be giving
out candy canes and taking show photos in the Fun Dungeon from 4 p.m. –
10 p.m. as he listens to children’s last-minute holiday wishes.
Four-time GRAMMY® Award-winning R&B
vocal group Boyz II Men announced today it has extended its residency at
The Mirage Hotel & Casino through December 2018. The trio,
featuring baritone Nathan Morris alongside tenors Wanya Morris and Shawn
Stockman, will continue to perform in the Terry Fator Theatre on select
weekend dates over the next three years.
Saddle up for the 29th Annual Downtown
Hoedown at Fremont Street Experience taking place on Wednesday, Dec. 2
beginning at 4:30 p.m. The popular downtown destination has wrangled in
top country music talents for all cowboys, cowgirls and country music
fans alike to celebrate the return of the annual National Finals Rodeo
to Las Vegas with free concerts under the neon lights. This year’s
lineup will feature performances from Montgomery Gentry, Tracy Lawrence,
Chris Janson, Chase Bryant, JT Hodges and Jackson Michelson on Fremont
Street Experience’s three stages.
Country music superstar Josh Thompson
will return to Las Vegas on Monday, December 7, 2015 at 10 p.m. for a
special performance to kick off the official National Finals Rodeo (NFR)
Pink Party at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Performing inside
the famed Westgate Cabaret, there is no cover for the show and a
portion of all beverage sales will be donated directly to the Breast
Cancer Foundation. Josh Thompson is a country force to be reckoned with,
so dust off your cowboy hats and shine your boots because this is a
FREE show, brought to you by our friends at Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation, you won’t want to miss. Guests must be 21 years or older to
line dance their way into the Westgate Cabaret. Drink specials include
buckets of beer for $25, $3 Jack Daniels shots and $5 Jack Daniels
mixers.
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino will welcome
comedian, podcaster and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
commentator Joe Rogan when he takes the KÀ Theatre stage Friday, Dec. 11
at 9 p.m. With more than 20 years of stand-up experience, Rogan has
sold out shows worldwide and recently released his fourth hour long
comedy special “Joe Rogan: Rocky Mountain High” which premiered on
Comedy Central in November 2014. Since 2002, Rogan has provided
commentary for the UFC which airs on Pay-Per-View outlets and FOX. He
currently hosts “The Joe Rogan Experience,” a podcast featuring an array
of guests from the pursuits of comedy, science, social activism and
Mixed Martial Arts.
Carl Palmer, founding member of legendary
rock bands Asia and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, will celebrate 50 years
in the music industry with a performance at The Railhead inside Boulder
Station on Friday, December 4 at 8 p.m.
Get ready to kick off the New Year early
with a night of hilarious comedy! Cedric The Entertainer will bring a
night of laughter to The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas
on Wednesday, December 30 at 9 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday,
September 25 at 10 a.m. Cedric also helms his own production company, A
Bird and a Bear Entertainment, where he develops and produces feature
films. The hit movie, “Johnson Family Vacation,” was the first under his
banner, and he is currently in-talks for a sequel in 2016.
Additionally, Cedric will next be seen on the big screen in the
much-anticipated feature “Barbershop 3: The Next Cut”? (Spring 2016
release).
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, the 13-time
Primetime Emmy® Award-winning show that sparked America’s fascination
with dance, is set to captivate audiences again this fall – live on
tour. The tour will make a stop at The Pearl inside Palms Casino Resort
on December 11, 2015 at 8 p.m. Celebrating its momentous 12th season
and its exciting new Stage v. Street format, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN
DANCE’s Top 10 finalists will make their way across North America
performing in 70 cities as part of the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE SEASON
12 TOUR. The Season 12 tour lineup includes the following Top 10
finalists: Team Stage’s Gaby Diaz, Edson Juarez, Jim Nowakowski, Hailee
Payne and Derek Piquette; and Team Street’s Megan “Megz” Alfonso, Eddie
“Neptune” Eskridge, Virgil Gadson, Jessica “JJ” Rabone and Jana “Jaja”
Vankova. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE airs Mondays (8:00-10:00 PM ET
live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
Puscifer will return to The Pearl inside
Palms Casino Resort on December 12, 2015 at 8 p.m. The live line-up for
the Money Shot tour includes Keenan, Mat Mitchell, Carina Round, Jeff
Friedl, Mahsa Zargaran and the newest addition, Paul Barker (Ministry,
Lead Into Gold). Money Shot physical pre-order packages are available
now via Puscifer.com. The various offerings include both signed and
unsigned copies of the new album as well as an instant download of
“Grand Canyon.”
On the heels of two successful sold-out
concerts at the M Resort Spa Casino, international singing sensation
Martin Nievera will return to the 2,300-seat M Pavilion on Saturday,
Dec. 12, 2015, for another spectacular performance.
Nievera is set to
thrill audiences once again with his remarkable vocals, performing a
selection of his greatest hits along and holiday favorites. Nievera is a
successful singer, songwriter and actor whose musical repertoire spans a
variety of genres including soft rock, adult contemporary and pop.
Throughout his career, Nievera’s acclaimed soulful performances have
earned him 18 platinum records as well as five double-platinum, three
triple-platinum and one quadruple-platinum album. As an actor, Nievera
has appeared in eleven movies and seven television series and specials.
He is currently a host on the musical variety television show “ASAP” and
recently appeared as a celebrity judge on “The X Factor Philippines,”
both programs of the popular ABS-CBN network in The Philippines.
Radio personality Mercedes in the
Morning's will bring her annual Not So Silent Night holiday show to The
Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Friday, Dec. 5. The lineup for
this year's event is Rob Thomas and special guest Adam Lambert. A
portion of the proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit Nevada
Childhood Cancer.
Jerry Seinfeld fans can catch the
all-star comedian as he returns to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for
two nights of his critically acclaimed stand-up comedy on Dec. 26 and
27. The two-night engagement is presented jointly by AEG Live and
Caesars Palace. Jerry Seinfeld is best known for his role on NBC’s
“Seinfeld,” the most popular and successful sitcom on American
television, which was chosen as the best sitcom ever in a poll recently
conducted by Vanity Fair and 60 Minutes. His internet show "Comedians
in Cars Getting Coffee" launched in 2012, has garnered critical raves,
an Emmy nomination, and more than 30 million streaming views. His book
“Seinlanguage” was released in 1993 and went on to become a #1 New York
Times bestseller. Winning critical acclaim for such diverse projects as
“Bee Movie,” touring stand-up comedy performances, and guest-starring
with longtime collaborator Larry David in the hit HBO TV show “Curb Your
Enthusiasm,” Seinfeld continues to reign among the nation’s most
popular comedy stars. He has headlined The Colosseum since Dec. 2003 and
previously headlined the resort’s Circus Maximus Showroom.
Comedian, actor
and writer Rodney Carrington returns to the Hollywood Theatre at MGM
Grand Hotel & Casino with his hilarious stand-up comedy show
“Laughter’s Good” December 3 – 12 during the National Finals Rodeo.
Carrington has recorded eight comedy albums including Hangin’ with
Rodney and Morning Wood, selling more than 3 million copies combined. He
also wrote and co-starred in the movie “Beer for My Horses” with
country music star Toby Keith. Already this year, Carrington has had two
specials on CMT – the previously released “Live at The Majestic” and
the new “Laughter’s Good.”
Toast the New Year
during the Downtown Countdown New Year’s Eve 2016 Celebration taking
place Thursday, Dec. 31 from 5:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. at Fremont Street
Experience in fabulous Downtown Las Vegas. This year the ultimate New
Year’s Eve street party is themed TributePalooza and features 13 of the
world’s greatest tribute bands. These tribute bands include: Rio (Duran
Duran), Generation Idol (Billy Idol), Fan Halen (Van Halen), No Duh (No
Doubt), Red Not Chili Peppers (Red Hot Chili Peppers), The Rising (Bruce
Springsteen), Police Experience (The Police), Rockin the Paradice
(Styx), Wanted (Bon Jovi), The Who Generation (The Who) Pyromania (Def
Leppard), Double Vision (Foreigner) and Don’t Look Back (Boston). The
TributePalooza celebration kicks off with a Dec. 30 pre-party, featuring
seven tribute bands under the FSE canopy. The headliner event is Dec.
31, with 13 bands featured. Then seven bands will continue the four-day
party on Jan. 1-2. The concerts will begin at 5:30 p.m. on New Year’s
Eve and at 5 p.m. on the other nights. On New Year’s Eve, just before
midnight, revelers will say goodbye to 2015 with a year-in-review
retrospective on the Viva Vision screen and a midnight countdown led by
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman. Immediately following will be
Fireworks by Grucci under the Viva Vision canopy as part of the citywide
celebration, “America’s Party: Las Vegas New Year’s 2016.”
