Monti -Licious 1/29/12

As a columnist for Gaming Today, I go from event to event. Some I choose not to respond to all invitations because one day in Vegas you’re hot and the next day your 15 minutes of fame are over. But now I am addressing the producers. On the top of my list of course is David Saxe, who comes from the dynasty of the Saxe’s led by his sister Melinda, the first lady of magic, and their parents. David is the young impresario who has the Vegas show at Planet Hollywood and several other shows at the V Theater in the Miracle Mile. As always, he has more surprises up his sleeve. Today, Davild Saxe produces 14 shows and owns the V and Saxe Theaters in Planet Hollywood. as well as the new Stripper Bar at Miracle Mile Shops.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have Steck Productions International (SPI Entertainment, Inc) led by Adam Steck. Adam is famous for, among others, Thunder Down Under, Human Nature, Divas, which is co-produced with Frank Marino, The Bee Gees show., and " Louie Anderson: "Larger Than life. He currently has seven shows in Las Vegas and more than 10 shows touring internationally. He has also been involved with many exclusive engagements featuring Richard Lewis, Jason Alexaander, Andrew Dice Clay, and others. Adam has always been supportive, generous and even wanted to produce me at one point to be the host of my own show.

Then we have Dick Feeney, who had the Rat Pack before the break up with his former business partner Sandy Hackett. Then there's Tim Molyneux production Bite, which has been at Stratosphere for the last seven years. Tim is a singer, director, actor and producer,all of which he does well. Another of the top producers is John Stewart, who created Legends in Concert and worked with Rick Thomas (and those tigers), the fantastic Charo and other interesting acts.

Of course. there is the lovely Anita Mann whose show Fantasy at the Luxor is in its 12th year. Anita produces, directs and choreographs this wonderful show and is always updating the production to keep the show fresh and surprising. Fantasy is more than just "T & A"- it's like reading Playboy live. Anita has danced with and choreographed for Elvis, Michael Jackson, Julianne Hough and Cher and others. The Emmy winner has been honored by AFTRA as one of America's top five contemporary choreographers and has maintained a four decade relationship with all the major networks.

John Bentham is one of the newest producers in town. He brought us Kevin Burke in Defending the Cave Man and the dinner show Marriage Can Be Murder. Cave Man is one of the longest-running shows in Vegas.

Now you can see Legends at Harrah’s complete with a buffet. Members of my staff saw the show recently and they were impressed with the production values, singing, choreography and interplay between the live performers and the film.This is an often-recurring element in recent productions and adds to the audiences' enjoyment.

The Rat Pack is back at Rio in the Crown Theatre and Thunder From Down Under is at the Excalibur. Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack show is at the LVH, while Imperial Palace has Human Nature and Divas. Human Nature will be on hiatus for about seven weeks while on tour.----PBS specials don’t hurt. We’ll miss them and hope that they return refreshed and ready to continue providing the excellent sounds of Motown. Doo-wop!

We have some good lounge acts, among them Matt Goss at Caesars and Greg London at LVH. Zowie Bowie, featuring Chris Phillips and Marley Taylor, appears at the Monte Carlo and hosts Name That Tune at the Imperial Palace.

Paul Stone, well known producer of magic shows,has opened his latest venture, The Vegas Magic Theater at the Gold Coast. Hosted by Ben Stone, the show features different magic acts each and ever weekend. Ben is a talented young performer who helps keep the show moving quickly with his affable personality and fine singing voice.

Vegas has always been a place for innovative, creative ideas, and it's up to the producers to keep us entertained. What’s new? What’s coming? Things are constantly happening. I am so thrilled that we had a show like Phantom, directed and produced by Hal Prince. This is one of the best productions ever presented and you must see it. Even the valet who parked our car recently has seen Phantom three times and praises the quality of the show. This is a show that has crossed cultural lines and enriches lives.

One of the new shows coming up is Tommy Wind: IMPACT: - An Explosion of Magic and Music. A multifaceted performer,Tommy entertains audiences with magic, music, martial arts, dance and more. His show begins on Valentine's Day February 14, at The Clarion' Hotel's Wolf Theater.

This column is really dedicated to the memory of the great Bill Moore. He will be missed by all of us in the show biz community. He befriended this columnist and brought his humor and humanity to my life. We spoke practically every day. His loss is a void that I can never fill.

All of life is theater. The President of the United States arrived in town recently and once again the tarmac was not filled with dignitaries to greet his plane. I don’t know about you, but snubbing the Chief Executive seems to have become the norm once Mr. Obama was elected. Four of the Supreme Court justices chose not to show up for the recent State of the Union address – is this drama or what? Even a member of the Stanley Cup hockey team chose not to show up at the White House when the team was honored by the President in the Oval Office. You can’t buy tickets to this level of disrespect. But President Obama keeps on keeping on despite it all.

The Rev. Monti, as always, wishes you only the best.

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MONTI-LICIOUS JAN 21, 2012

As a writer and columnist for Gaming Today I must begin this week with a sad announcement - the passing of the wonderful, iconic Producer of Nudes on Ice and about 100 other shows, Bill Moore.I miss my daily phone calls to him every morning. He had the inside scoop of who, where, why, what and when. He was one of my best sources and he guided me and encouraged me to believe that I could become the prolific columnist that I have become. When I was a young man and opened at Nero’s Nook in 1968, Bill had the big show at Caesars and he took a liking to this young upstart who had more chutzpah than anybody. He said that what I lacked in talent I made up in confidence. He would come in and instruct me on engaging an audience. Most of the entertainers here at the time didn’t quite get Monti Rock III but I was highly paid. I thought I was Isadora Duncan when in fact I was just a bold, unique individual. I was gay, gay, gay and told the audience that I had a wife and two children and this was the persona that I used to put them thru school. Bill Moore also became a friend and supporter. When I came back to Vegas 13 years ago, he told me there was a place for me here but he didn’t know quite where I would fit in. He will be missed by the show biz community and those who loved him. He did a lot for Golden Rainbow. His family is flying in from London. There will be a memorial service and I’ll let you know more details as they are released. May he rest in peace.

Last Sunday at the Colosseum I saw the diva Celine Dion at a benefit concert for sickle cell anemia. The $1 million raised at the concert went to the charity. I want to thank John Nelson of AEG and his staff for being gracious to this columnist by giving me the chance to see the great Celine Dion in her element. What can I say that hasn’t been said before about “the Canadian Songbird?” Words cannot describe the absolute brilliance of the staging, lighting, graphics, film, costumes, 32-piece orchestra, singers and the stirring tribute to Michael Jackson. The simplicity and clarity of her voice and the versatility of the musicians who appear with her is outstanding. This was a complete evening. It's amazing to think that 20 years ago she recorded Beauty and the Beast with Peabo Bryson.

My other favorite is Paige O’Hara, who played Belle in the film. The classic Disney movie is currently being shown in a new 3-D version in celebration of the 20-year anniversary at the Brenden Theatres. Paige has been with the hit show Menopause for seven years and is cutting a new CD. The very accomplished painter also continues doing other work work for Disney.

What else is happening with theater in Vegas? We know the Smith Center is opening, we know The Lion King is closing, and Phantom will follow suit in September. Jersey Boys is moving from the Venetian to the Paris. I"ll never forget other great shows I saw at the Paris like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, We Will Rock You and David Hasselhoff in The Producers. We’ve had Spamalot, Mama Mia and Hairspray. I guess they’ve spread themselves too thin. Now we hear that Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Wicked are coming along. Although these are fine shows, there seems to be a slight dip in the quality of theater productions in Vegas. I still believe that downtown has a future – at the 4 Queens we have La Cage and Mike Hammer and soon another show, which I can’t reveal now, is being added. But the Golden Nugget has the golden boy with those gorgeous blue eyes, Gordie Brown, still doing an excellent business. My other friend, the producer John Bentham, has the country show at Golden Nugget and Kevin Burke is packing them in at Fitzgerald’s. The Plaza is also reportedly working on some productions for the near future.

Speaking of the Smith Center, they will be selling tickets for Cabaret Jazz beginning January 27 for performances in March with such stars as Clint Holmes, Barbara Cook, Branford Marsalis and Andrea Marcovicci. This 258-seat club will have a unique ambiance and great food - the complete dining and club experience. Call 702-982-78805 or visitwww.thesmithcenter.com for tickets.

Improv at Harrah's is bringing back Jay Mohr February 10-12. Jay has been named one of the 100 greatest stand-up comics of all time by Comedy Central. In addition to his stand-up engagements, he has appeared in 25 films and 25 TV shows. Call 702-369-5223 or visit www.harrahslasvegas.com for tickets.

LasVegas Weekly wrilter, Rick Lax , had a book signing party for his latest book at The Artisan Hotel last week. This book, entitled "I Get Paid For This: Kicking Ass and Taking Notes in Vegas, is a Huntington Press release and does have a section on yours truly. . Rick adds this to his other books, ,"Fool Me Once" and "Lawyer Boy".

Eric "Travis" Wilson continues his run of Cowboy Mashup Music Show every Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Alexis Park Resort Hotel. Singing hits from Lady Gaga to Led Zeppelin, he deconstructs pop music down to its raw ingredients, playing guitar, banjo, drums and piano. Tickets are available through www.brownpapertickets.com with discount tickets available on the day of the show.

American Idol has arrivede in Las Vegas to find the next American idiot. I’m so bored with this trivial stupidity They’ve missed the boat in the last couple of years. We now have The Voice and America’s Got Talent. What happened to Nick Cannon - Mr. Mariah Carey? We've heard nothing since his emergency hospital crisis. Let us not forget Glee!! So many wannabes on the scene with the same intention – trying to find the next great singer/magician/acrobat/dancer/ventriloquist – and the talent pool is getting shallow. We keep watching because we are eternal optimists. And now a former second place American Idol contestant Clay Aiken on The Apprentice? Is this for real? Wake Up America! You have to earn your celebrity.

Miss America – our homage to tall, thin blondes and brunettes. This was an experience watching it all unfold live and in living color. Miss Oklahoma was brilliant but she lost out to Miss Wisconsin. We’ve been reviewing the tapes. The pageant is America's testimony to young ladies across the land wanting the spotlight of this and other “scholarship” contests. What they are learning is that you must be well-read, well-groomed, well-spoken and not just cute in a bathing suit.

The prolific David Saxe has revamped his hit show The Ultimate Variety Show at his V Theater at Planet Hollywood and his sister, Melinda, is back with her magic act. David never ceases to keep us entertained with all of his productions. He is truly one of our most talented show business entrepreneurs.

Brilliant actor/comedian John Leguizamo is bringing his new one man show, Ghetto Klown, to the Filmore, Miami Beach March 9-11. Let's hope that Las Vegas will be one of his stops on this national tour. For more information; email info@boomproductions.com

The Rev. Monti once again wishes you only the best.

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MONTI -LICIOUS 1/15/12

The CES Show was in town with almost two football fields of electronics. Ryan Seacrest hosted the first night. This good-looking young man is the heir apparent to Dick Clark, who until Seacrest came along seemed ageless. What I like about the electronics show is its international flair, futuristic technologies, Internet innovations, and for a columnist it gives me a wider band of contacts, thus a larger audience. We are in the midst of a season with hotels full with visitors, conventioneers and all the people who work behind the scenes to produce this spectacular event.This is amazing and proves that Vegas is the ultimate host. Vegas is the winner in this scenario because it shows that we have the venues to accommodate a show of this magnitude and the rest of the city continues to exist without being negatively affected. We can do it all.

This week the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, sponsored by Canon, planned and executed an outstanding reception. Party planner extraordinaire Jackie Bascow out did herself. The outstanding MC/Host was Emmy-award winner Bryan Cranston. He led an impressive array of stars across the red carpet, which was hosted by Murray SawChuck, who I predict has a bright future here in Vegas.He’s developing the charisma that will put him and keep him out front. The parade of stars included Mary Wilson, one of the original Supremes who is still looking fabulous; Stephen Baldwin (not Alec); Kurt Bevacqua, who spent 14 years in the Major Leagues; Dave Dettman (Dr. Gadget); Jeffrey Donovan - star of Burn Notice; musician Don Felder; former Miami Dolphin Nat Moore; Doug Pitt, Goodwill Ambassador for the United Republic of Tanzania; Joe Regalbuto, who was an Emmy nominee for Murphy Brown; Chris Rich of TV's Reba; Mark Steines, Emmy winning journalist for Hollywood news; Kevin Sorbo – cutie pie Hercules; Ken Norton, former heavyweight champion (and classmate of one of my staffers) and Paula Trickey of Pacific Blue. This was a stellar event on many levels with great gifts donated to help raise funds for the Center. John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted fame was in the house and brought such an air of honesty and dignity to the occasion. This reception sets the bar higher than you could ever imagine because it is a blend of talent, great food and an outstanding cause. Bellagio was the perfect setting and the hotel personnel are among the very best.

Here She Comes, Miss America! One of my staffers had a longstanding desire to sing and dance on this show, but somehow was never either invited or made it past the audition. The pageant was this weekend with all the attendant folderol and the ultimate tiara. We’ll keep our batons flaming as we watch these gorgeous ladies in America’s biggest and finest scholarship contest strut their stuff across the stage at Planet Hollywood.

The Palazzo will celebrate the Year of The Dragon by transforming the resort into an oriental sanctuary. The highlight is the 128-foot dragon making its home in the Waterfall and Atrium Gardens. The ceremonial dragon dance is on January 23 at 1 p.m. The dragon will be breathing fire and smoke at select times the first week of the Chinese New Year,

Mark January 21 and 22 on your calendar because I highly recommend The Society of Seven with Martin Nievera at the Suncoast Casino. Martin happens to be one of the best singers in the business. This is one of the finest family-oriented shows around and worth every minute of your time because it will be filled with quality entertainment.

The LVH Hotel and Casino (formerly The LV Hilton) is bringing back the Grammy-award winning band Chicago on March 9-10. This band is considered one of the best along with the Beatles, Rolling Stones and other Billboard Magazine's TOP 1OO artists of all time. Contact the LVH box office or Ticketmaster for tickets.

More LVH news - there are changes in the entertainment line-up such as Rick Faugno, Hal Sparks, and Gilbert Gottfried will no longer perform at the Shimmer Cabaret. Mark Curry, Greg London, Trent Carlini and Sandy Kackett's Rat Pack are staying on as of this writing. New owners reportedly have not yet made any other changes.

It sure was windy last week, with dust all over the place. Thanks to Pine Bros Lozenges, I had no dry throat problems.

Burlesque is alive and well here in Las Vegas. A good example is "Live Burlesque in Las Vegas" at Boomers Bar the last Saturday night of every month. Cha Cha Velour stars along with exciting new talent as well as living burlesque legends and features both "neo" and "classic" burlesque.

We saw Magic Theatre with rotating stars at the Gold Coast and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the performances as well as the magic itself. There are very few “new” magic tricks and the difference is presentation. This venue may emerge as one of the hot spots for magic in Vegas because the packaging is different and the host, young Ben Stone, is most engaging. We’ll keep our eye on him.

I want to acknowledge that one of my biggest surprises was running into Mr. and Mrs. Phil Cooper. He was the head of PR for Caesars Palace and Greenspun Media and is one of the people most responsible for helping create this brand that is Monti Rock III in Las Vegas. Mr.Cooper is now the Executive Director of Event Planning and Sponsorship for MGM. Welcome home, Phil!

Alas, Phantom, The Las Vegas Spectacular, will be closing on September 2 after its 2000th performance and five-year run. This is sad since this production is one of the most lavish, well-produced, and well-performed shows we have ever had in Las Vegas. Anthony Crivello as the Phantom always performed brilliantly, both as a singer and actor. But, unfortunately, the cost of keeping this show alive became prohibitive and money does always rule in the end. There will be quite a void when the show does finally closes.

Sunday gave us the 69th Golden Globe Awards. Most of the stars, both male and female. were dressed wilth class and style. One of the highlights of the evening was the award to Morgan Freeman by Helen Mirren and Sidney Poitier, two of showbusiness's classiest people. As for comedy, the Latins stole the show. Antonio Banderas and Sofia Vergara were hilarious. A toned down Ricky Gervais still managed to"sneak in" a few of his infamous barbs. Only Madonna got back at him with some well aimed quips. All in all, this is still the most entertaining of the awards shows.


The Rev. Monti hopes your week goes well and that you are staying on the move. Keep active because that is the key to successful living.

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MONTI -LICIOUS JAN 7, 2012

Did you all make your New Year’s resolutions? Are we all going on a diet? Are we eliminating those people who are living rent-free? I’m trying to take the high road and make this year the most positive year yet with NO MORE DRAMA. Don’t hold me to it!!!

As a celebrity columnist, I do try to get the information out correctly. These are my opinions and I stand by them. New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas was virtually sold out. Stevie Wonder, Axel Rose, Vanessa Williams and a host of others played to full houses .Even the Kardashian sisters hosted packed clubs.

I want to thank Mark Massimino and the complete staff of the Riviera Marketing Team for treating me with the grace, honor and dignity deserving of a Diva? Mark was at the Stratosphere formany years and he is a perfect fit for the Riviera. From parking to a great dinner at Victoria Pub, where you get the absolute best quesadilla, fish and chips, chicken/mushroom pie and let us not forget the apple pie with ice cream. Then we were off to see The Confessions of a Rock Star, which added a nice button to a great evening. Confessions is a work in progress but it only proves that for $25 you get the buffet and the show and a glimpse at another star’s journey. My surprise at the Riviera was my old friend Larry Katz, who is one of the great casino hosts and is now the player development specialist. He’s one of the giants of the gaming industry and I was thrilled to see him. Larry started at Caesars Palace in 1973, then on to the Desert Inn for eight years. He also worked at Golden Nugget, the Sands and the Tropicana. He is one of the few who can bring back the good old days in Vegas.

This week, I’ve had a few problems that I don’t wish to discuss in this column. I turned to my friend Richard Sturm at MGM and he and his staff accommodated me and a couple of my staff members Rose and Jim Perine. First we had a brief dinner at Caesars and we then went to see Viva Elvis (this was my 11th time seeing this show.)It belongs on Broadway – not just because I love it but it is fine-tuned, entertaining “Cirque with a heart.” This is a stunning production with a tremendous amount of humanity. Elvis was bigger than life and his fans are legendary. This tribute by Cirque is an attempt to let you see the influences that helped to shape the King. This is the music of our century (if you’re older than 12) and you can’t help singing along and dreaming along as this priceless production unfolds. What a fabulous way to spend a couple of hours. You cannot miss this production of Elvis because it captures the Man. Watch for special rates and reductions, such as listening to time share presentations or whatever. Go see Elvis before it leaves Vegas. You’ll understand why I’m so fascinated by this show.

The Mirage has announced the 2012 Aces of Comedy Line-up. Daniel Tosh, Ray Romano, Kevin James, Ron White, Jay Leno and Gabriel Iglesias will be on hand to provide lots of laughter this season. For dates and times, contact the Mirage.

Las Vegas favorite, the multi-talented Earl Turner returns to the Suncoast Showroom February 11-12. Turner is a renowned Vegas performer who has received numerous awards and is active with a number of prominent charities, including the Special Olympics. If you haven't seen him perform yet, be sure to reserve your seats for his show.

MGM Resorts International has garnered three 2011 Digital Media Awards recognizing them as a social media leader within the hospitality and gaming industry. For more information about the company and how it aids and supports our community please visit their Website: www.mgmresorts.com.

Canon USA and NCMEC are holding their 13th Annual Red Carpet Event fundraiser to benefit missing and exploited children. On hand will be, among others, TV's John Walsh, actor Bryan Cranston, and Stephen Baldwin For information and inquiries, contact Trish Williamson: 702-429-1623 or email: twb@lvprco.com.

Downtown rejuvenation keeps rolloing along with the newly renovated Plaza and Golden Spike casinos, the soon to reopen Lady Luck, Oscar;s Beef. Booze.and Broads restaurant. These, along with the iconic Golden Nugget, the new City Hall make downtown a place to go when in Las Vegas. The much anticipated opening of The Smith Center for The Performing Arts in March will be the "icing on the cake".

Are we "caucused" out? Do we care who won? If we do, then the fun is just beginning. The first of the primaries is next week in New Hampshire and everyone is struggling for position. Where is Donald Trump and his "closest admirer" Rosie O’Donnell? We’re all getting ready for American Idol and Jennifer Lopez. Will she and her 24-year-old boyfriend be reciting vows soon? Love is strange, but then you know that song. If it happens, let’s hope it lasts longer than twice the number of days in his age. How is Marc Anthony taking all this? He has been seen holding hands with 24 a year old model from Venezuela. What's good for the goose .....etc, etc.

I want to acknowledge the passing of a good friend of mine, Kaye Stevens, who died from breast cancer at the age of 79. She sang with the Rat Pack and entertained in UFO shows besides appearing in many TV shows, nightclubs and films. Another loss last year was the beautiful English actress Jill Haworth who starred on Broadway in Cabaret. She was denied the lead in the movie version that garnered an Oscar for Liza Minnelli. Jill was also a lifelong friend of Sal Mineo. I guess everybody had at least one.

The passing of Larry Lee is another show business loss. Larry was known as one of the top show producers in Las Vegas and was instrumental in the success of the long runnning "Follies Bergere". His company, Encore Productions , worked worldwide and featured many of our top entertainers. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends.

Only make resolutions that you plan to keep. Search back and see which ones were really good and resurrect them if necessary. But don’t waste a lot of time promising to lose weight, diet, exercise and all that stuff. As we get older, a little extra weight can be is a good thing. It slows down the deteriorating process and we somehow stay on the planet a little longer.

Ciao and I’ll be seeing you around town. I’ll be the one in the funny, little car, with my "fix" of PINE BROS THROAT LOZENGES.----I never leave home without them.

Remember, the Rev. Monti wishes you only the best.

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