It's been a Ho, Ho and a wonderful Merry, Merry Christmas! I'm overwhelmed with gifts and my charities have flourished.

Gaming Today gave a great holiday party and my thanks go to Eileen, David and the whole crew.. A special thanks to Loretta who always makes this columnist feel positive.

It hasn't been such a great holiday for Steve Wyrick and The Steve Wyrick Theater at Planet Hollywood. Rumor has it Steve will reopen and is looking for new backers. Don't forget David Saxe in the wings which makes for a perfect fit. As I say, where there's rumors there's usually some truth to be found.

Guess this wasn't such happy holiday season for Zowie Bowie at The Monte Carlo. The duo had been engaged for nine years but someone else came on to the scene. According to sources Zowie Bowie will continue their show and will work the way Sonny and Cher did after their marital split.

The big surprise for 2009 was the arrival of Garth Brooks, the newest star to perform at Encore. However the bigger surprise came with the announcement that Garth's tickets would sell for $125. This of course was to take care of the scalper problem and it seems to be working. My thanks go out to Jennifer Dunne and Dorothy Land at Wynn properties for inviting me to Garth's January 3 performance.

At the Hilton they're breaking down the Barry Manilow show and preparing for Andy William's Christmas show with special guest star Bob Anderson. Bob Anderson enjoys a great fan base here as Las Vegas was his home for many years before heading to Branson, Missouri. Is it true he would like to return to Las Vegas? Manilow's new show at the Paris is supposed to open in March of next year.

Bette Midler, who's been appearing at Caesars Colosseum, may be going on the road after her closing in January, and if I read the announcement correctly, special fans can enjoy a one on one meeting with Bette for a mere $2000 and also get a special album after her New Years show. Well, you can bet I won't be in line for that.

There are more rumors about Celine Dion returning to Vegas at The Colosseum, The ink is almost dry.

What is with Charlie Sheen? Does he need another stay in rehab? It seems that this talented actor just can't keep out of trouble due to that bad temper. He was arrested in Colorado on Friday due to alleged domestic violence. C'mon Charlie , get with it, you're a big boy now.

Tony Orlando did a great job at Southpoint last week end. Tony and I have been on the phone repeatedly these past few weeks over my possible recording deal. Business aside though..... we send our prayers to Tony's Mother who has been ill and is in the hospital as of this writing.

Now that the dust has settled, CityCenter is up and running. The restaurants seem to be doing business and the high-end stores at Crystals are drawing a lot of foot traffic. Even though Elvis Live, the latest Las Vegas Cirque show, is still in previews the show will officially open on Feb 19th. Just my opinion but I still feel the show needs an Elvis on stage as well as the images. Since I'm not the number one fan of Cirque, and I've been proven wrong from time to time, I still believe we're over-Cirque'd. Love, Ka, Zumanity, Mystere, and "O", "O", "O".......

Lady GaGa was a sell out last week at The Palms. Negotiations may be taking place to get the Lady to sign on as a Palms regular, which would be a great addition to those other semi-regulars. Maybe Adam Lambert or even Clay Aikens should open for Lady GaGa.

With such stars as Garth Brooks, Lady GaGa, Beyonce and the possibility of Celine Dion's return, Mariah Carey might throw her hat in the ring.. There's also been great interest in Whitney Houston. Maybe Elvis Live will be our next hit for the new year. Elvis Live with a little tweeking, that is.

This year survival of the fittest has to go to Wayne Newton and his new show at the Tropicana. Wayne Brady's television show, Let's Make A Deal, has become a big hit but we're all waiting for Wayne to return to the Venetian while Penn & Teller continue their television show and their personal appearances as headliners for the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino. Also at the Rio the earlier closing of ND's Club was disappointing. To me ND is still a great producer. I loved Havana Nights, but it seems the night life is suffering in these economic times.

As a reminder, we still have a lot of good smaller shows in Las Vegas such as 'Naked Boys Singing' at The Onyx Theater on E. Sahara. Paige O'Hara starring in Menopause The Musical at the Luxor is still a must-see as is 'Defending the Caveman' at The Excalibur.

One of the year's announcements was the Monti Rock "Chapel of Lust". This is definetely in the works and details will follow shortly.

One of my goals for 2010 is to be more informative and less bitchy. (me bitchy??).

The hotels and casinos are preparing their fireworks and parties for New Year's Eve. I'll be working in San Francisco at a Cabaret Concert and hope to bring Disco Ball starring yours truly to Las Vegas next season.

In Memoriam----2009 lost many show biz greats. Michael Jackson, Danny Gans, Dom De Luise, Bea Arthur, and Brittany Murphy, and Ed McMAhon are just a few of the greats who past away this year. We will miss them all.

To all my fans and friends who follow my blogs I have a lot to be grateful for and I'm aware it's good to be be alive, a legend, and The Full Monti.

A Happy and Healthy New Year to all!

Well, party time came and went. My Xmas party last evening, Sunday, Dec 13 was a huge success. My host, Rick Belcastro,along with pals Nifty, Steve-o, TJ and the fabulous staff at Badda Bing helped to make this one the best parties I've ever given. . Thanks to Frediani's Italian Restaurant, Great Buns the Badda Bing kitchen, and some of my friends, there was delilcious food served all evening. Wine flowed and people were enjoying the comfort and ambiance of Badda Bing's private party room overlooking the entertainment floor. The beautiful floral arrangements were furnished by David Filter and his English Garden Florist staff. Thanks to all for a great evening.

With the New Year fast approaching, we can soon say goodbye to one of our most challenging years in recent history. Yes, there are small glimmers of hope that the economy is making a welcomed recovery - and it can't happen fast enough! After all, Las Vegas has ranked near the top when it comes to unemployment and foreclosures. With a decade of unparalleled growth behind us, we're reminded there's always a price to pay. So we welcome the New Year with open arms.

Speaking of the New Year, BB King's jazz joint at the Mirage had a grand opening last weekend. But the big entertainment buzz around Vegas is about Garth Brooks, who is opening at the Wynn. Of course, the Wynn has gone to great lengths to make sure the ticket prices do not become inflated by scalpers. This may be a new trend for Las Vegas.

There are very strong rumors flying about a pending contract with Beyonce to be a semi-regular at The Encore as well as Bette Midler after she completes her contract at Caesars Colosseum. Steve Wynn is being very selective about who will appear at The Encore.

Donny Osmond called yours truly after reading last week's column, where my choice for #1 of my Top 10 shows went to Donny and Marie at the Flamingo. I've seen the show several times and each time their act goes to the top of my list. In nine years of writing for Gaming Today,
it's been Donny Osmond and Elton John who were both gracious enough to reach out and acknowledge the column. Thank you, gentlemen! In both cases it was evident these stars are entertainers who enjoy performing for their fans, and the audiences love them right back.

Another response from last week's column came from Anthony Cools who appears at the Paris. Anthony sent an e-mail regarding my comments about some of the shows that had come and gone at Paris. The column was about the theater where Barry Manilow will soon open. My apologies to Anthony, who is actually a hit at the Paris. His show is frequently SRO, and Anthony is the exception to the rule when it comes to Paris. Does that make you feel better, Anthony?

Steve Wyrick and The Steve Wyrick Theater at Planet Hollywood are among the latest casualties of the current slack in our economy. Steve abruptly closed his show last week and vacated the theater, which has had its share of of failures, Producer David Saxe is reportedly taking over the theater. Let's hope he can add to his successes with this addition.

Zowie Bowie is breaking up. The duo, who perform Friday-Sunday at The Monte Carlo has split. They hope to keep performing together until September, 2010. It seems the move to The Strip was their swan song, as Marly Taylor reportedly has a new significant other. Sometimes moving up is really more like moving out.

My dear friend Charo continues with her physical therapy and is almost ready to go back to work. Charo may be part of a new project with yours truly. Sorry... I can't divulge all the details yet.

CityCenter continues to make headlines all over the country and be featured on the evening news of all the major networks. My trip to Crystals was like shopping at a great mall with high-end stores. There were lots of shoppers, or maybe just lookers, but a lot of foot traffic. Of course, I had to make my stop at the Louis Vuitton store, which is a favorite of mine. I haven't had a chance to check out the condos that are part of CityCenter, but I understand the prices have been reduced by some 30% and financing is available. I also heard about 70% of the condos are already under contract. It's expected we'll be able to see the economic impact CityCenter will have on Las Vegas in about six months or so. Time will tell.

The grand opening of Aria, the only casino in CityCenter is on December 16. This will probably be the largest of the CityCenter openings. We'll give our take on this next week.

The first family was on display this week. President Obama in Oslo, Norway, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and Oprah's Christmas at the White House, while Sarah Palin continued her "bus" tour to sign her recently published book. She actually flies to the outskirts of these cities and then "buses" in. Fans are also charged to have their picture taken with the former governor - a move considered a tad greedy by veterans in the publishing biz.

The newly updated buffet at the Luxor offered a salad bar like no other. It was fabulous and the chef and manager should be commended. I'm not a foodie, but the Luxor's More Buffet offers every type of salad that can be imagined. Another great feature is the ambiance. This is one of the few buffet locations where one can dine in relative peace and quiet. No sounds of kitchen noise here.

Two new restaurants had their grand openings this past week. Las Vegas Rocks at Neonopolis has Tony Saccca and Josette LeBlond at the helm. They feature many dishes dedicated to and named after the many celebrities who appear in Las Vegas. This may be the "shot in the arm" that Neonopolis needs to succeed.

The other opening was Siena Italian, an Italian Trattoria. Great ambience, and a great menu. The salads are phenominal as well as the rice cakes, the veal picata and a "to-die-for" tiramisu. Located at 9500 W Sahara, this is one of the best restaurants in The Lakes area, and that says quite a bit.

The holidays always prove to be a generous time of year, so it's not surprising that I look forward to my annual White Party for my charities. It's all about giving and I would invite the world...but space is limited.

As a columnist I always try to be fair and impartial when it comes to the Vegas landscape. Last week's announcement that Greenspun's Las Vegas Sun laid off some 40 employees was another sign of the current economy in our beloved city. It's estimated that gaming is down about 30%.

On the brighter side, it was a great week to be here with the Vegas Marathon, the National Rodeo Finals at Thomas & Mack Center and NASCAR... all contributing to the Vegas scene in their own unique ways.

The Fontainbleau Hotel is still up for the bidding. They reportedly need about $1.3 billion to finish this building that's already 70 percent complete. There are still some buyers who feel they can succeed with this undertaking. It would be nice to have another luxury hotel/casino on the northern side of The Strip.

MGM Mirage Resorts are ringing in 2010 in full swing. Each of their hotels are celebrating New Year's Eve with spectacular nightlife, exciting shows and affordable hotel packages. Harrah's and The Flamingo also have many New Year's Eve happenings.

The Rev. Monti once again wishes everyone a great week!

Let's give it six months down the line, but from where I see it right now, this exceptional City Center has forever changed the landscape of the Las Vegas Strip. Chrystal's is a magnificent setting for the ultra high end stores and restaurants, Let's hope there are enough wealthy people to support this undertaking. City Center hired 12,000 employees, and from the size of the hotels, shopping and restaurants it would appear all the newly hired may have jobs for some time to come. Next week, I'll offer a more in-depth review.

The neighboring casinos and restaurants are hoping that they benefit from the additional foot traffic generated by City Center. Shows like Lance Burton, Frank Caliendo , and The Amazing Jonathan would very much appreciate a boost in attendance.

Big entertainment news for Barry Manilow, who has made his move to the Paris official. My take on his show is that it's still Barry Manilow doing Barry Manilow and Barry Manilow doing Barry Manilow. Not many productions or stars have fared well at the Paris. Does everyone remember the musical Queen, We Will Rock You? Another not so memorable musical was the Hunchback of Notre Dame. And what about David Hasselhoff in the Producers? Fortunately for Barry, he does have a fan base. But to this columnist, real success at the Paris remains to be seen.

This week I was off to see Cher in her 100th performance at Caesars Colosseum. Even though I've seen the show several times before, I must say the lady is relaxed on stage and looking incredible with those fabulous Bob Mackie costumes. Cher's relationship with the audience works well, too. The night I attended the show was sold out... 4,500 seats. Following the show my partner and I went to Rao's at Caesars, where the maitre d', Bubbles remembered me from my Trudy Heller days in New York when he was only 16 years old! Rao's is one of the best restaurants to be found at Caesars and the tiramasu was absolutely the best I've ever had.

On the food scene, I just received word from Rick Mazer, President of the Imperial Palace, that Hash House A Go Go will open it's doors at the Imperial Palace on December 10. Hash House has been touted by such well knowns as Rachel Ray and even Dr. Phil. If you're into big food that's tasty too, make a stop at the Imperial Palace. You'll find the House on the second floor. More restaurant news is that celebrated Las Vegas restauranteur Gino Ferraro will be opening Gino Ferraro's Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar at 4480 Paradise Rd. later this month. Welcome back, Gino!

New York-New York Hotel & Casino has named Vinnie Blue as the resort's Official Ambassador of Fun. He will be telling guests what to do, where to go, etc., in a totally honest, New York kind of way.

In keeping with our Sin City side and for those of you interested, mark your calendars for the 27th Annual AVN Adult Movie Awards to take place on January 9, 2010, at Pearl Concert Theatre inside the Palm Casino Resort.

America's Got Talent Live will return to Planet Hollywood on a limited engagement December 26 through December 30. Maybe the next Susan Boyle is nearby. Incidentally, Susan's just released CD is a tremendous hit.

The Renaissance Hotel on Paradise will be celebrating their 4th Annual Holiday Reception and Christmas Tree Silent Auction on Tuesday, December 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.. This is a wonderful event that supports the Las Vegas Boys and Girls Clubs.

The end of the year is fast approaching, and I always try to share my Top 10 of the best as well as some "Top Worst," too. My number one has to be Donny and Marie at the Flamingo. My hat was off to them before Dancing With the Stars, but you can't buy the kind of press they got from that show. Also at the Flamingo, I applaud comic Vinny Favorito for always keeping his act fresh and new. You never know what's coming out of his mouth, but it's always great business. Las Vegas has its share of major singers, but I have to hand it to Lani in Voices at the Hilton. For major attractions we still marvel over Jubilee at Bally's. This is a Don Arden masterpiece that shouldn't be missed. In searching for entertainment possibilities for the column, I discovered that new guy in town Frank Caliendo is now our resident impressionist.

For me, it was a tie when it came to Vegas T&A shows. Crazy Horse at the MGM Grand is a favorite European-style variety show with it's beautiful women. Fantasy at the Luxor always has something new from its creator and choreographer Anita Mann.

When it comes to Cirque productions you have to acknowledge "O" at the Bellagio. For eight years, "O" has been drawing crowds. And for the best Broadway production, it's STILL Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian. Between the lavish theater and the caliber of professional actors and singers, it remains an A-1 production and deserves all the kudos I have to offer.

Now I'm going to step out of my comfort zone. Holly Madison, who is currently one of the stars of Peep Show at Planet Hollywood, must be acknowledged. She's everywhere and she does a lot of charity, too. For the greatest survivor in the entertainment industry, let's give it to Wayne Newton in his latest show, Once Before I Go, which is currently at the Tropicana. Wayne remains a total iconic star and a true survivor of the industry. Forget about the voice - it's the man.

Personalities of the year have to include "Hizzoner" Oscar Goodman with martini in hand and always being gracious to this columnist. My hat's off to Richard Sturm, President/COO of MGM/Mirage Entertainment and Sports, for always being cordial and supportive by helping me with my brand as a gossip queen. A special nod to Felix Rappaport from the Luxor and Excalibur for always calling me "The Legend."

Saddest news of the season so far is the closing of Binions' Hotel Rooms. Benny Binion became a gaming genius after arriving in Las Vegas with the trunk of his car full of money. The Binion dynasty seems to be lost and downtown may never be quite the same. In fact, life in Las Vegas has not been as usual, but even though we may be down our spirits remain high,

Rock Star Cafe located at Neonopolis on Fremont St. Let's hope that Tony Sacca and his crew can be the first big success at this location.

Just In------More casualties imately 40 people go this week as part of their downsizing. One of them is Jerry Fink, one of our favorite columnists. Can this the beginning of the "Fall of the Greenspun Empire"??? Let's hope not.

The venue has been changed for this year's Monti Rock White Party for Charity, which will be hosted by Rick Belcastro, Paige O'Hara, David & Diane Filter from The English Garden, Lance and Eva Posner, Terese DiMartino, Marci Weiss, everyone from Great Buns and all the others donating food for the event.This invitation-only party will be held at Rick Belcastro's magnificent club.

The Rev. Monti, as always, wishes you all a great week!Get gifts for them and cashback for you. Try Bing now.