John Katsilometes

Story Archive

Cirque du Soleil's big shows exert big influence on the Strip
Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011
Nourished by millions of visitors annually to the Strip, the giving tree that is Cirque has given and given. The seeds were planted by Steve Wynn in the Mirage parking lot in November 1993 with the tent show “Nouvelle Experience.”
Las Vegas' gold buckle — the NFR — is likely here to stay
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011
The contract that keeps the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, where it has been hosted since it was corralled from Oklahoma City in 1985, is due to expire after the 2014 event.
Guns N' Roses at the Joint is a lesson in 'risk managment' and understanding the rock business
Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011
Guns N' Roses at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel will be one of New Year’s Eve’s more fascinating events in Las Vegas, regardless of the outcome.
Report: Prince (Harry) puts on a show at Tryst
Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011
Upon completion of military training, People reports that Prince Harry hung out at Tryst until the early morning hours Saturday.
In '40 West,' Mr. Las Vegas is not Mr. Nice Guy
Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011
The centerpiece of the Las Vegas Independent Film Festival, "40 West" is a rough saga played out on two stages: A limo carrying Wayne Newton, and a sketchy hotel room in East Texas.
Jerry Springer prizes his freewheeling Vegas game-show gig
Friday, Nov. 18, 2011
It’s Viva Jerry time at Bally’s Jubilee Theater, as Jerry Springer hosts “The Price Is Right Live” stage show, dealing Plinko discs like poker chips and even uncorking a highly credible Elvis impression. That’s right.
George Maloof on Palms turning 10: Change, technology are needed -- ‘that’s really how you stay competitive’
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011
The hotel has grown almost boundlessly over the past 10 years in its physical structure and its readily recognizable brand: the Palms. “A Maloof Family Resort” reads the hotel marquee, a lasting nod to its founding family.
The scene from ringside at Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011
Manny Pacquiao entered tonight's WBO World Welterweight title bout against Juan Manuel Marquez as a prohibitive favorite, by sports bettors and thousands of Filipinos at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Dave Rice has strong hand in first season as UNLV coach
Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011
If you know Dave Rice, the answer is self-evident. But you ask anyway, because the response flips open his character:
Have you ever gambled?
The 43-year-old head coach of UNLV’s men’s basketball team, a man who has spent much of his adult life in Las Vegas, grins slightly. He blinks, as if waiting one extra count to deliver the obvious:
“No.”
Oscar Goodman to hold court at Las Vegas Hilton
Friday, Nov. 4, 2011
Oscar Goodman has parlayed a career in defending reputed mobsters and three terms as mayor of Las Vegas into a courtroom show with tantalizing potential.
Club Nikki to take on new name -- RPM Nightclub -- on New Year's Eve weekend
Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011
RPM Nightclub, operated by the Tropicana, will take the place of the name Club Nikki on Dec. 30.
Kirk Kerkorian's $18 million pushes Andre Agassi Grand Slam haul to $26.1 million
Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011
Andre Agassi announced Saturday night that Kirk Kerkorian donated $18 million to the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, pushing the night's total at the 16th annual Grand Slam for Children to $26.1 million.
Voice, respiratory concerns land Marie Osmond in emergency room
Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011
Marie Osmond's voice began to give out during a performance at Flamingo Las Vegas on Wednesday night, and she was taken to the emergency room as a precautionary measure, a spokesman confirms.
GBDC opens at the Palms, and George Maloof hints at yet another nightclub
Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011
GhostBar has long been a well-known daytime drinking establishment, but the Palms has now kicked it into a higher gear -- visually and audibly.
Donny Osmond ponders long-term Las Vegas affiliation and (another) career in TV
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011
Donny Osmond is nursing a bum hip, but he's still chipper and quick with a jab toward Marie. He's also speaking vaguely of a TV project that is not a talk show but will be centered on Vegas.
Tropicana looks to Las Vegas veterans to fill nightlife management positions
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011
Joining Richard Wilk at the Tropicana nightclub and beach club are longtime club exec Joe Bravo and former BASE Entertainment official Anthony Pecora.
Operating at low risk, MGM Resorts 'dabbling' in outdoor shows with 48 Hours Festival
Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011
The unused parcel across the Strip from Luxor and Mandalay Bay is good for such events as stick ball, or, in this instance, a two-day rock festival.
VegasVille Photo of the Week: The key to the restroom at White Cross
Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011
Tiffany's Cafe is a quaint, throwback diner favored by anyone looking for a quick bite. But to find the restroom, ya gotta know somebody.
More than a year after winning 'AGT,' Michael Grimm is still along for the ride
Friday, Oct. 14, 2011
Longtime Las Vegas singer-songwriter Michael Grimm is opening for Stevie Nicks on Saturday at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.
Sea change for Brad Garrett as he plans club move to MGM Grand
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011
Brad Garrett opened his club at the Tropicana in July 2010 in the space once occupied by his idol Rodney Dangerfield, but he never did see a consistent profit.
Michael Douglas and Matt Damon's Liberace film gets a title and a cable TV home
Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011
Michael Douglas says he has beaten cancer, meaning the highly anticipated film starring him as Liberace can proceed next year. “Behind the Candelabra” is the title of the film.
Tom McCartney leaving his post as president of Tropicana
Monday, Oct. 10, 2011
Tom McCartney took over as president of the Tropicana in December 2009. During his tenure, the hotel embarked on a $165 million, South Beach-themed makeover.
Frankie Moreno has a new playground, as Stratosphere lands its headliner
Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011
Frankie Moreno has been kicking around Las Vegas venues for nearly a decade. A move to the Stratosphere is his first foray into showroom residency.
VegasVille Photo of the Week: Lifesize Elvis takes in PollyGrind Film Festival
Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011
Lifesize Elvis is usually a fixture at Bonanza Gifts, but not on Friday night, when he added Las Vegas-centric decor to the PollyGrind Film Festival red carpet.
Trop moves forward as Richard Wilk assumes club exec role
Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011
Richard Wilk is one of the city's top nightclub figures, with a long list of celebrity contacts and a keen knowledge of the Vegas nightclub culture.
A look back at the advertising magic of ‘What Happens Here, Stays Here’
Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011
In the fall of 2001, Jeff Candido and his wife, Sophie, took a quick trip to Lake Havasu, Ariz. Candido had just teamed with his creative partner Jason Hoff at R&R Partners in Las Vegas on an ad campaign to promote the city with a previously unexplored theme.
'Halloween' producer is fearless in Fright Dome foray
Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011
"Halloween" producer Malek Akkad partnered with Fright Dome owner and operator Jason Egan without even needing to see the attraction at Circus Circus in person.
VegasVille Photo of the Week: With this van, all roads are Main Street
Friday, Sept. 30, 2011
Artist Jennifer Main's hand-painted 1995 Ford van is high mileage and highly inspired.
Elton John's 'Million Dollar Piano' ups the ante at Caesars Palace
Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011
Coming off his triumphant "Red Piano" performances, which ended in 2009, Elton John needed something different. He has achieved just that with "The Million Dollar Piano."
Lady Gaga closes iHeartRadio Music Festival, and there is leather, studs, dancing and blood
Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011
Lady Gaga's show-stopping set closed out the two-day iHeartRadio Music Festival at MGM Grand Garden Arena, which drew 25,000 to the arena and 10 million listeners and viewers across the country.
Tropicana severs ties with Nikki Beach and Club Nikki and plans to run the show itself
Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011
Nikki Beach opened with a grand White Party in May, which officials hoped would mark a new era of resort entertainment in the city. Four months later, the club operator and Tropicana have parted ways.
Oscar Goodman and 'CSI' combine for a mob hit
Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011
Time to play psychic: In mid-October, millions of network TV viewers will watch in astonishment as Oscar Goodman is shot at The Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas. I’m talking of Oscar Goodman the thespian, though, not the real-life former Las Vegas mayor and mob attorney.
The vibe of Vegas is happening in an organic sort of way
Monday, Sept. 19, 2011
Those wondering where Las Vegas might recapture its cocksure attitude need to check into shows piloted by Frankie Moreno, Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns, Lon Bronson and Kelly Clinton Holmes.
As the cards fly at Brad Garrett's poker event, Jason Alexander hints at Las Vegas return
Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011
Brad Garrett's charity poker tournament to benefit his Maximum Hope Foundation drew an eclectic array of participants, including the man forever known as "George!"
Mob Experience closing down much of the 'experience' to make upgrades
Friday, Sept. 9, 2011
Beginning Monday, a sizable segment of the Tropicana’s Mafia-themed interactive museum will be shut down for an indefinite period so officials can make “significant improvements” to the entertainment venue.
Carrot Top says 'Tonight Show' summit with Dick Cheney was 'exciting,' 'awkward'
Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011
"Tonight Show" producers wanted to book a distinctive guest opposite Dick Cheney for Friday night's show, so they chose Carrot Top.
The reunion of G.I. Wilbur and little Willy Huys was 66 years in the making
Monday, Sept. 5, 2011
Wilbur Brewer and Willy Huys hadn't seen each other since 1945 and had no correspondence at all since 1979. But Willy found Wilbur, finally, in Las Vegas, setting up a reunion for the ages.
'Brody's World' spins once more at Ovation, then Brody's world is Southern California
Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011
Brody Dolyniuk has been a Las Vegas regular since 1997, but beginning Monday, he's relocating to "an undisclosed location in Southern California."
'Echoes of the 60s' reminds that not all fun shows can survive in Las Vegas
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011
"Echoes of the 60s" had some ingredients for success but could not find its footing at V Theater.
If it's Zowie Bowie and 'Name That Tune' at Imperial Palace, expect rampant frivolity
Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011
Produced by Adam Steck, piloted by Zowie Bowie and designed by Emmy Award winner Andy Wallmsley, "Name That Tune Live" boasts plenty of Las Vegas entertainment credibility.
Rick Faugno of 'Jersey Boys' ready to shed Frankie Valli role for 'Body & Soul'
Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011
Rick Faugno has performed as Frankie Valli in "Jersey Boys" for five years, including more than three in Las Vegas. He's now ready to go solo, full time, at Shimmer Cabaret.
Priscilla Presley 'excited' about Cirque du Soleil's changes to 'Viva Elvis'
Monday, Aug. 15, 2011
Priscilla Presley has long been a proponent of telling the Elvis Presley story onstage, but says Cirque du Soleil's decision to move away from that narrative will make the show better.
For (or fore!) Steve Harvey, there is a 'Hoodie' in all of us
Friday, Aug. 12, 2011
Veteran comic actor Steve Harvey, host of "Family Feud" and featured in "The Original Kings of Comedy," brings the 2011 Ford Hoodie Awards to Mandalay Bay.
It's lace and frills, yet no frills, at this year's Midsummer Night's Dream at the Palms
Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011
Eschewing the courtship theme of years past, the fifth Midsummer Night's Dream at the Palms on Saturday night is going to focus on pure party.
'Kats With the Dish' debuts on KTUD on Sunday afternoon
Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011
"Kats With the Dish" debuted on February on KUNV 91.5-FM, and on Sunday, the show premieres on Vegas TV.
Eight factoids from a Las Vegas-to-Boise flight on Delta
Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011
There is a way to get a flight attendant on a Delta flight to kick down with extra bags of peanuts.
From a fan-financed album to a spot on 'Beavis and Butt-Head,' Jake Walden has forged a path of dreams
Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011
Jake Walden's fans, known as "The Dreamers," helped pay for his acclaimed new album "Same Something Different." He performs tonight at Don't Tell Mama.
David Saxe of 'Vegas! The Show' is a better show producer than prom date
Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011
During an appearance on "Kats With the Dish," David Saxe talked of his youth in Las Vegas as producer of his sister Melinda's magic show, and how he continues to needle Cirque du Soleil.
In two swift paragraphs, Jerry Lewis' run as MDA chairman and telethon host ends
Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011
In May, the Muscular Dystrophy Association announced that Jerry Lewis would make one final appearance at September's MDA Labor Day Telethon. It was announced today by the MDA that Lewis had completed his tenure as national chairman and would not be part of the telethon after all.
It's a happy interrogation as Tony Hsieh visits 'The Colbert Report'
Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011
During an interview Monday night on "The Colbert Report," Stephen Colbert asked Tony Hsieh if suffering, not happiness, would be a better business model for Zappos.