By John Katsilometes
This “Phantom” show at the Venetian seems to have a future. The whole tortured-deformity angle, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Broadway-caliber cast, stars who rotate in the lead roles, the $40 million theater … it might work.
Paint me crazy.
The show celebrated its one-year anniversary on Tuesday, though it was an off night to mark that event. The actual anniversary date is Monday, but there was an opening on a night preferable to most VIP media types (and even those of us who are called in to fill seats and clap at appropriate moments), so the celebration went off a few days early. It was the 501st performance (so mark that on your “Phantom” wall calendar), with Brent Barrett turning in another powerful performance as the Phantom. He continues to alternate in that role with Tony Crivello, who, in a piece of trivia unrelated to the production, is the biggest Green Bay Packer fan you will ever meet.
After some adjustments in the schedule, taking a few select nights off when audiences will be thin (such as on the Saturday of Final Four weekend and Super Bowl Sunday), “Phantom” continues to plow forward. The pyrotechnics are still unnecessarily blinding; the “Masquerade” scene still plays out like a lavish photo op (the full complement of performers in garish costumes placed on a mobile staircase looks more like a cast snapshot than an integral piece of the plot). But the show is so very well staged – after five viewings, I still believe the chandelier is going to crash into the audience – and performed that it is difficult to quibble.
The show producers are always eager to mention that the Review-Journal named it the best production on the Strip last year. I’d pick “Love” at the Mirage, because of its superior music and uplifting theme (“Phantom” should try staging alternate endings, so the Phantom can occasionally get the girl. I’m tired of watching this guy tank), but “Phantom” is going to be lurking at the Venetian for a long time. See it now, see it later. But see it.
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I spoke with Jerry Tarkanian on Monday, after swapping voicemail message with him about my recent blog about Jim Killingsworth, who died earlier this month in Oklahoma. Killingsworth was a close friend of my family who coached Idaho State University’s upset victory over UCLA in the 1977 NCAA hoops tournament. Tarkanian and Killingworth knew each other for decades, since they started coaching at the college level. “Killer was absolutely one of my best friends in coaching,” Tarkanian said. “He was a great man and a great coach.” After the victory over UCLA, Idaho State lost to UNLV in the West Region finals, 107-90. But it was a close game at halftime – the Rebels led by just a point.
“My son George was just a kid then, and he said I gave the best halftime speech ever at that game,” Tarkanian said. “I told the guys, ‘I don’t know what you guys are going to be doing next weekend, but I’m going to Atlanta, to the Final Four. You can come with me or not. But I’m going to Atlanta, with or without you.” Longtime Rebel fans remember UNLV’s Final Four game quite well, when Dean Smith slipped into the four-corners and outlasted the Rebels 84-83.
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Tony Danza as Max Bialystock? I’d rather see Christopher Lloyd in that role. Or Danny DeVito. Or any other former “Taxi” cast member aside from Marilu Henner. But as long as Leigh Zimmerman is still onstage in that white dress, “The Producers” gets one (thumb) up from me.
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Not kidding, the new head administrator at Our Lady of Las Vegas Church, the man replacing Father Tony Vercellone, who in February replaced the lovelorn Father George Chaanine (he of the Jan. 26 attack on cantor and church employee Michaelina Bellamy) is Father Peter Romeo. Bummer of a surname, perhaps, but Romeo is currently the Judicial Vicar of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas. On July 1, Vercellone is heading off to Reno, to serve at Our Lady of the Snows. And Chaanine is still in Clark County Detention Center, awaiting trial on a series of felony charges stemming from his alleged attack on Bellamy and subsequent road trip through three states before he was captured 30 miles outside of Phoenix. His criminal trial is scheduled for the end of July but will probably be rescheduled for January.
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The most popular team at Beacher’s Unprofessional Bowling Association (B.U.B.A.) at the Rio is Chippendales. A stream of happy women follow the dance troupe from its Monday night gig at the hotel to Lucky Strike, where the bowling and related debauchery takes place. The Chippendales might not be the best bowlers, but the team is the club’s favorite. Something about all those women.
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Despite granting approval of zoning and gaming changes on Wednesday night, the Las Vegas City Council has reason to be skeptical of Real Estate Interests Group (REI), the developer of the proposed 85-acre, $9.5 billion project that will cut into the downtown Arts District. REI has never developed any project of this size and has no track record in Las Vegas (other than showing the City Council a bunch of pretty renderings). The company is based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. The area it is targeting (for lack of a better word) is north of Wyoming Avenue, west of Main Street, south of Charleston Boulevard and east of the Union Pacific railroad tracks. Two-and-a-half blocks of the Arts District, including galleries on Commerce Street, would be wiped out. Or, if you will, "improved."
According to coverage in the R-J, REI owns none of the land but has made agreements with 120 property owners and should close escrow by the end of the year. The proposal would bring a 22,000-seat arena, 6,000 hotel rooms, 1,600 time-share units, 1.2 million square feet of retail space and 300,000 feet of casino space to downtown. But REI has no deal with the city to develop an arena – and that’s where Mayor Oscar Goodman focuses his scrutiny. And if there is no arena deal, the project unravels. This is far from a done deal – a lot farther away than 85 acres.
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I’m not usually big on charity variety shows (they can be somewhat uneven and slap-dash, which, come to think of it, would be a good name for a comedy duo) but a good one is scheduled this weekend at Bally’s Jubilee Theater. The 21st annual Golden Rainbow “Ribbon of Life” production show is set for 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Plenty of tickets are available for Saturday; Sunday is about sold out.
“Monty Python’s Spamalot” star John O’Hurley hosts, and among the 250 performers are: “American Superstars,” “A New Day,” Asian Pacific Performing Arts Alliance, Chippendales, “Crazy Horse Paris,” “Fantasy,” “Folies Bergere,” “Jubilee!,” “Ka,” “Le Reve,” “Mamma Mia!,” MGM Grand Productions, Missy Cochran Entertainment, “O,” “Phantom -- Las Vegas Spectacular,” “The Producers,” Pussy Cat Dolls Lounge, “The Rat Pack is Back,” Rio Bevertainment, Searcy Entertainment Inc., “Sirens of TI,” “Spamalot,” Studio 54, Tangerine, Toni Braxton “Revealed” and “The World’s Greatest Magic Show.”
And, just in case, I will be there with my monkey, dry ice, strobes and electric mandolin. Should anyone drop out, mind you.
Tickets range from $50 to $250 and are available at 384-2899 or at www.goldenrainbow.org. Funds go to Golden Rainbow, which provides housing and financial assistance to those affected by HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada.
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On our menus: Cabo Mexican Restaurant, which supplants (I mean, replaces) Guadalajara at Palace Station, offers a Build Your Own Margarita option. For $8 or $6 you can “Choose Your Booze,” for $1 and $2 you can “Pick Your Poison,” and for no charge you can “Do Me A Flavor,” decide on “Ice Ice Baby” and, for a final rim shot, choose “Salt Lick City.” This is all very clever, more so after a few margaritas.
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Release me: The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association reports that there are five excuses for why people are not fit and healthy. According to a news release, No. 4 is “Lack of Motivation.” I’d list the other four but it’s nap time. …
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Vegas moment: In a conversation in the steam room at Las Vegas Athletic Club on Maryland Parkway a couple of weeks ago, a kind of fat guy working toward being not so fat was sitting next to a guy who looked like he was on the Barry Bonds Fitness Program. The work-in-progress asked the Stretch Armstrong guy about his workout routine. “I don’t know if I’m the guy to ask,” said the muscular person. “A few months ago I ruptured a tendon in my elbow.” Lifting weights, of course. Maybe he’s too … motivated.
Plate in my head: From someone who is either a computer geek with bad intentions, a “Spamalot” fan or someone heading to the California hotel-casino, ILVSPAM, on a white BMW 325i.
Fabulous Las Vegas appears daily (well, almost) at this Web site. John Katsilometes can be reached at 990-7720, 812-9812 or at [email protected]