Monti Rock III Blog Page

Monti in Las Vegas
	MONTI -LICIOUS 5/30/09 First of all, I want to thank all for making my 70th (yes, 70), birthday one my most memorable days , especailly to Lance and Eva Posner, who hosted my party at their beautiful home, and to Marci Weiss and Terese DiMartino, who worked so hard in setting up the party.and, of course, to everyone else who helped make it a very special day. A special thanks to those of you who came in from New York and Florida to join in on the festivities. Lorraine Hunt and Dennis Bono held a press conference at Bootleggers to announce the return of Kelley Clinton aka Mrs. Clint Holmes, who will be hosting an open microphone celebrity night at Bootleggers starting June 1. This will be a comeback, or maybe it's a welcome back to Bootleggers, for Kelley. Just a note to the readers:, this is not karaoke. Our hostess, Ms. Hunt, was very gracious and a fantastic luncheon was provided all who attended the press conference. Bootleggers is known as a home away from home for many entertainers in Las Vegas. and hopefully will again be the place for both newcomers and established performers to come in and "jam". . For readers who have not been to Bootleggers, you're missing something. There hasn't been much talk about President Obama and his Las Vegas fund raising event at Caesars Palace for Harry Reid. Among the enteratiners were Bette Midler, Sheryl Croand Clint Holmes. No big comments from either Governor Gibbons or Mayor Goodman. Play nice, boys. There is plenty of furor over the American Idol voting. Allegedly, some AT&T employees in Arkansas furnished extra phones at 2 separate parties and some of the phones were capable of "power texting" .In the end, Kris Allen still had more than enough votes to win. Alas poor Susan Boyle-she lost first place in the British Idol contest to a dance group , but I'm sure we'll be hearing more of that beautiful voice on future CDs, etc. My delightful friend Charo will be coming back to Las Vegas to open a new show at the Riviera on July 10.. I've followed Charo's career for years and she's been a great friend and supporter of this columnist. Charo performed solo on her last appearance here in Vegas but will bring the full show to the Riviera. The "cuchi-cuchi" girl you all know is also a world renowned classical flamenco guitarist. who has played in Carnegie Hall in NYC and will be there again later this year. Salsero, another Latino event in town continues to lure the Latin dancers to the South Point every Friday night. The great 11 piece Michito Sanchez orchestra featuring Johnny 'Dandy' Rodriguez brings us back to the heyday of Latin dance music of the 50's and 60's and places like The Palladium in NYC. This band really gets the people moving and coming back each week for more. Santana,now the resident performer at The Joint at the Hard Rock , is a musical force to be reckoned with. His show is tremendous with powerful percussion backing his great guitar playing. He is still one of the great musicians of our time. He doesn't waste any time with small talk, as he is there to make music, and that he does! The newly renovated Joint is the perfect venue for his new show., which runs through June 14- and returns at dates later to be announced. Menopause the Musical opened at the Luxor last week to rave reviews. In the audience were Felix Rappaport, Mike Hartzell and Anita Mann among many others. The show has been fine tuned. and reminds us of a true Broadway show. Queen Emily from America's Got Talent is a force to be reckoned with. . The show will play regularly at 4:00 in the afternoon but also is taking over the 8:00 PM slot in Carrot Top's absence. It really is one of those laugh out loud feel good shows. Julien's Auctions will be offering items from Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and others for the Summer Sale at Planet Hollywood on June 26 and 27. The items can be viewed at Planet Hollywood as early as June 13. If you're a collector or just have some interest this could be for you. Bob Hope who was one of America's greatest comedians and a true humanitarian is being honored by the U.S. Postal Service. A new stamp with his likeness is being issued and the timing couldn't be better because his beloved Dolores recently celebrated her 100th birthday. There's a lot of rumbling in town, but not much solid news about Steve Wyrick's Theater at Planet Hollywood. Is Trent Carlini in or out? Rumor has it that Trent takes time off from his Las Vegas shows at the Steve Wyrick Theater to do television. Sometimes his Las Vegas show is cancelled at the drop of a hat. Lance Burton won't be returning to the Monte Carlo as early as anticipated. Seems his broken bone isn't healing quite as fast as he had hoped. This year's CineVegas celebration will honor actors Jon Voight and Willem Defoe, film directors George and Mike Kuchar together with video game designers Kellee Santiago and Jenova Chen. CineVegas festivities will be held at the Palms Casino Resort and Brenden Theatres June 10 to June 15. This will be the eleventh successful year for CineVegas and adds another dimension for the Las Vegas entertainment scene. Last week the Las Vegas media was introduced to Don Bull Productions. Read on friends, you'll think the name of the production company to be "right on". The South Point Arena will be hosting bloodless bullfighting. The bulls are fitted with protective pillows so as not to be injured. September events will be on the 14th and 15th in conjunction with Mexican Independence Day and again on September 27 thru 30. This will be the first bullfight in Las Vegas in 45 years and the events will introduce us to world renowned bull fighters. Ole' Long before all the Cirque shows arrived in Las Vegas, there was a gentleman performing here who drew audiences from all around the world. His magnificent costumes, flamboyant style was synonymous with Las Vegas so in his memory and in connection with the Liberace Foundation, it's just been announced a full-scale Broadway production is in the works. Liberace, The Musical: I'll Be Seeing You will be the result of collaboration between the Liberace Foundation and Barbara Carole Sickman of New York City who has already engaged such talents as composer Marvin Hamlisch and playwright Roger O. Hirson to create the show. Whoopi Goldberg played to a sold out audience at the Danny Gans Theater at the Encore last week end. The second night of her performance there was a medical emergency in the audience. Whoopi stopped her show to check on the gentleman that was in distress and I was told he removed the oxygen mask momentarily and looked at Whoopi stating, "you're a funny lady". Guess that says it all, Whoopi. Ocean's 7, is a name you'll be hearing about in the near future. Usher, Nelly, muscic producer Jermaine Dupri and others are forming a group of entertainers who plan to do a movie, an album and a big show in Las Vegas. What's novel about this is that they always dress for the occasion and hopes this will start a td-making Vegas look the way it used to. If the performers are well-dressed, hopefully the audience will be too. Mark your calendars for June 12, 13 and 14 when Abbacadabra will present the Ultimate ABBA Concert at the Las Vegas Hilton Showroom. This is the Las Vegas debut for Abbacadabra but the accolades for the show have come from all around the world. Tickets are available by calling (702) 732-5755 and the price is right! Jay Leno is gone from the TV scene for a while and won't be back until September. The Tonight Show continues with Conan O'Brien. Whether or not Conan can succeed at this new time slot remains to be seen , as well as Jay Leno in prime time in September. NBC will have a whole now look , which it badly needs. Let's hope the peacock network comes back to what it was. What's all this twitter ? Stop the twitter ant tweets. The Rev Monti, wishes you all a great week.	Monti Selects Archives 2009 March 2009 April 2009 2008 June 03 to July 28 - 2008 Aug 06 to Sept 12 - 2008 Sept 23 to Oct 23 - 2008 Nov 01 to Dec 23 - 2008 Dec16,2008 to Mar 2, 2009
	MONTI -LICIOUS 5/30/09 First of all, I want to thank all for making my 70th (yes, 70), birthday one my most memorable days , especailly to Lance and Eva Posner, who hosted my party at their beautiful home, and to Marci Weiss and Terese DiMartino, who worked so hard in setting up the party.and, of course, to everyone else who helped make it a very special day. A special thanks to those of you who came in from New York and Florida to join in on the festivities. Lorraine Hunt and Dennis Bono held a press conference at Bootleggers to announce the return of Kelley Clinton aka Mrs. Clint Holmes, who will be hosting an open microphone celebrity night at Bootleggers starting June 1. This will be a comeback, or maybe it's a welcome back to Bootleggers, for Kelley. Just a note to the readers:, this is not karaoke. Our hostess, Ms. Hunt, was very gracious and a fantastic luncheon was provided all who attended the press conference. Bootleggers is known as a home away from home for many entertainers in Las Vegas. and hopefully will again be the place for both newcomers and established performers to come in and "jam". . For readers who have not been to Bootleggers, you're missing something. There hasn't been much talk about President Obama and his Las Vegas fund raising event at Caesars Palace for Harry Reid. Among the enteratiners were Bette Midler, Sheryl Croand Clint Holmes. No big comments from either Governor Gibbons or Mayor Goodman. Play nice, boys. There is plenty of furor over the American Idol voting. Allegedly, some AT&T employees in Arkansas furnished extra phones at 2 separate parties and some of the phones were capable of "power texting" .In the end, Kris Allen still had more than enough votes to win. Alas poor Susan Boyle-she lost first place in the British Idol contest to a dance group , but I'm sure we'll be hearing more of that beautiful voice on future CDs, etc. My delightful friend Charo will be coming back to Las Vegas to open a new show at the Riviera on July 10.. I've followed Charo's career for years and she's been a great friend and supporter of this columnist. Charo performed solo on her last appearance here in Vegas but will bring the full show to the Riviera. The "cuchi-cuchi" girl you all know is also a world renowned classical flamenco guitarist. who has played in Carnegie Hall in NYC and will be there again later this year. Salsero, another Latino event in town continues to lure the Latin dancers to the South Point every Friday night. The great 11 piece Michito Sanchez orchestra featuring Johnny 'Dandy' Rodriguez brings us back to the heyday of Latin dance music of the 50's and 60's and places like The Palladium in NYC. This band really gets the people moving and coming back each week for more. Santana,now the resident performer at The Joint at the Hard Rock , is a musical force to be reckoned with. His show is tremendous with powerful percussion backing his great guitar playing. He is still one of the great musicians of our time. He doesn't waste any time with small talk, as he is there to make music, and that he does! The newly renovated Joint is the perfect venue for his new show., which runs through June 14- and returns at dates later to be announced. Menopause the Musical opened at the Luxor last week to rave reviews. In the audience were Felix Rappaport, Mike Hartzell and Anita Mann among many others. The show has been fine tuned. and reminds us of a true Broadway show. Queen Emily from America's Got Talent is a force to be reckoned with. . The show will play regularly at 4:00 in the afternoon but also is taking over the 8:00 PM slot in Carrot Top's absence. It really is one of those laugh out loud feel good shows. Julien's Auctions will be offering items from Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and others for the Summer Sale at Planet Hollywood on June 26 and 27. The items can be viewed at Planet Hollywood as early as June 13. If you're a collector or just have some interest this could be for you. Bob Hope who was one of America's greatest comedians and a true humanitarian is being honored by the U.S. Postal Service. A new stamp with his likeness is being issued and the timing couldn't be better because his beloved Dolores recently celebrated her 100th birthday. There's a lot of rumbling in town, but not much solid news about Steve Wyrick's Theater at Planet Hollywood. Is Trent Carlini in or out? Rumor has it that Trent takes time off from his Las Vegas shows at the Steve Wyrick Theater to do television. Sometimes his Las Vegas show is cancelled at the drop of a hat. Lance Burton won't be returning to the Monte Carlo as early as anticipated. Seems his broken bone isn't healing quite as fast as he had hoped. This year's CineVegas celebration will honor actors Jon Voight and Willem Defoe, film directors George and Mike Kuchar together with video game designers Kellee Santiago and Jenova Chen. CineVegas festivities will be held at the Palms Casino Resort and Brenden Theatres June 10 to June 15. This will be the eleventh successful year for CineVegas and adds another dimension for the Las Vegas entertainment scene. Last week the Las Vegas media was introduced to Don Bull Productions. Read on friends, you'll think the name of the production company to be "right on". The South Point Arena will be hosting bloodless bullfighting. The bulls are fitted with protective pillows so as not to be injured. September events will be on the 14th and 15th in conjunction with Mexican Independence Day and again on September 27 thru 30. This will be the first bullfight in Las Vegas in 45 years and the events will introduce us to world renowned bull fighters. Ole' Long before all the Cirque shows arrived in Las Vegas, there was a gentleman performing here who drew audiences from all around the world. His magnificent costumes, flamboyant style was synonymous with Las Vegas so in his memory and in connection with the Liberace Foundation, it's just been announced a full-scale Broadway production is in the works. Liberace, The Musical: I'll Be Seeing You will be the result of collaboration between the Liberace Foundation and Barbara Carole Sickman of New York City who has already engaged such talents as composer Marvin Hamlisch and playwright Roger O. Hirson to create the show. Whoopi Goldberg played to a sold out audience at the Danny Gans Theater at the Encore last week end. The second night of her performance there was a medical emergency in the audience. Whoopi stopped her show to check on the gentleman that was in distress and I was told he removed the oxygen mask momentarily and looked at Whoopi stating, "you're a funny lady". Guess that says it all, Whoopi. Ocean's 7, is a name you'll be hearing about in the near future. Usher, Nelly, muscic producer Jermaine Dupri and others are forming a group of entertainers who plan to do a movie, an album and a big show in Las Vegas. What's novel about this is that they always dress for the occasion and hopes this will start a td-making Vegas look the way it used to. If the performers are well-dressed, hopefully the audience will be too. Mark your calendars for June 12, 13 and 14 when Abbacadabra will present the Ultimate ABBA Concert at the Las Vegas Hilton Showroom. This is the Las Vegas debut for Abbacadabra but the accolades for the show have come from all around the world. Tickets are available by calling (702) 732-5755 and the price is right! Jay Leno is gone from the TV scene for a while and won't be back until September. The Tonight Show continues with Conan O'Brien. Whether or not Conan can succeed at this new time slot remains to be seen , as well as Jay Leno in prime time in September. NBC will have a whole now look , which it badly needs. Let's hope the peacock network comes back to what it was. What's all this twitter ? Stop the twitter ant tweets. The Rev Monti, wishes you all a great week. ***********************
	MONTI - LICIOUS MAY 24, 2009 What a welcome to :Las Vegas for Whoopi Goldberg. One hour into her show at the Danny Gans Theater, a patron seated in the front , needed emergency medical care. Whoopi closed the show so as to allow this person to receive the care he needed. This lady has run the gamut in show business, but most important, she is a gracious lady. There's more than just the heat headed to Las Vegas for the summer season. The season's kick-off starts with the Fremont Street Experience and the Summer of' '69: Vegas or Bust. Fremont Experience has put together an outstanding plan that includes performances that started on Memorial Day and run all the way through Labor Day week-end. What a great way to celebrate and great for the Fremont Street Experience, too. The line-up for Summer of '69 includes performances by The Guess Who, Jefferson Starship, The 5th Dimension and even Three Dog Night, just to mention a few. Bring back memories? You bet. Let's face it, the music from forty years ago was pretty good..., and I should know! For those of you who missed Mamma Mia at Mandalay Bay and for those of you that still remember all the music of the Swedish band ABBA, here's your chance to reunite with that special sound. It's the Ultimate ABBA Concert. The Las Vegas Hilton introduces both locals and visitors alike to what has been acclaimed the greatest tribute band around when Abbacadabra appears for three nights only starting June 12. Call the Hilton's box office (702) 732-5755 for ticket information. The familiar sounds, the dancing, the swaying and all that feel-good attitude will take everyone to the ABBA experience we all love. Abbacadabra is managed by Mirage Tribute Bands which is headed up by Jerry Greenberg and James Elliot.. Greenberg signed ABBA in 1974 to their first U.S. deal when he was president of Atlantic Records and says he knows ABBA inside and out. In addition, Elliot says Abbacadabra is like watching the real deal. Guess you might say these guys have the inside track on the sights and sounds Abbacadabra brings to their audiences. It was recently announced that Natalie Cole underwent a kidney transplant and is in the process of recovering. Good news for all of Natalie's fans. We look forward to seeing her back on stage soon. Carmen Electra will make a guest appearance at MGM's Crazy Horse Paris for one week beginning July 8th. Another line-up change is Holly Madison's replacement of Kelley Monoco in Peepshow at Planet Hollywood, beginning June 7. One of the origianal plans for the show was to change some of the leads every 3 months. The words were eloquent as friends spoke at the Memorial Service for Danny Gans at the Encore on Thursday. This was by invitation only but Danny's longtime manager, Chip Lightman thought it only appropriate to offer a limited number of invitations to Danny's fans on his website. His 3 children, who idolized him, spoke eloquently at the service, wore his favorite colors, and son, Andrew, his father's signatuare "spectator" shoes.and red socks. Other tributes came from Mayor Oscar Goodman, Steve Wynn, and an especially emotional send-off by Donnie Osmand. George Wallace, on a lighter side, was both touching and funny. Other attendees were Clint ahd Kelly Holmes, Rita Rudner, and The Scintas, to name a few. All in all, a beautiful farewell to a fine gentlemen. Steve Ttyrell, who is referred to as the Ultimate Vocalist, will be appearing at the Golden Nugget starting June 12. Not only is Steve known for his vocals he's also been key to production and collaboration of hits by such artists as Linda Rondstadt, Rod Stewart, Ray Charles and Dolly Parton to name a few.. His visits to Las Vegas have become few and far between and Steve's fans are glad to see him return for this limited engagement. Team Entry Forms are available for Wheels of Fortune Celebrity Judged Bar-B-Q Cook-Off. The cook-off is scheduled to September 12 but the advance notice gives the teams a chance to put together their plans and recipes for the big event. Most of the celebrity judges haven't been announced yet, but I just found out I will be a judge. The event is sponsored by Red Rock Harley-Davidson but you can call (702) 990-3577 for more information. Alicia Jacobs seems to be taking some heat for, as far as I'm concerned, no good reason. Why should she be criticized for allegedly favoring the celebrities she knows personally? As a columnist and commentator,. she should be allowed to write and comment on anyone she feels is newsworthy. Alicia is a beautiful and talented lady. Cher celebrated her birthday number 63 as she was performing at Caesars Colosseum last week. The Colosseum is offering special deals on tickets so now would be a good time to treat yourself to a special night at Caesars. It is rumored that Michael Jackson has already cancelled some of his upcoming concerts this summer.. I hope the local dancers who have left shows such as Zumanity, to join his tour, have not made a mistake Two of the years reality shows, American Idol and Dancing With The Stars, have ended with underdog surprises. The quiet kid from Arkansas, Kris Allen took Idol's number one spot and Shawn Johnson the Olympic athlete( took Dancing's number one spot (I voted for Gile). Just my opinion but I thought Adam Lambert was too professional and maybe surpassed the public's Idol expectations. Maybe it was just too much eyeliner. American Idol's finale was really quite spectacular. It's hard to remember all the guest stars but Black Eyed Peas and Fergie, Queen Latifah, Carlos Santana, Rod Stewart and rock bands Queen and Kiss were among the performers. There were almost as many celebrities in the audience as there were on stage performing. Kind of fun, though. Joan Rivers look alikes (20 of them) will be playing poker for a charity event at the Hard Rock. Annie Duke and Farank Marino, who started as a Joan Rivers impersonator are doing the red carpet. Let's face it "dahlings', only Joan can do a red carpet as it should be done. The Luxor is going to be offering some special deals to introduce the latest addition to their lineup, Menopause the Musical.. Menopause will be sharing the showroom with Carrot Top and Fantasy. and Paige O'Hara will be sharing the spotlight with Queen Emily of America's Got Talent. fame. As of this writing, Menopause will be presented at 4:30 PM. If they add any more shows the Luxor would have created a tenement. The Luxor's huge east facade is also becoming the base for the promotion of selected feature films. The CineVegas Film Festival, being held at Brendan Theatres at he Palms June 10-15 has announced its line-up of sponsors, partners and official providers. This, the 11th annual Festival, is just one of the cultural events to exist in our great city. Yours truly will soon be off to Baltimore and New York City to tour in An Evening With Monti Rock III. Not to worry, I'll always stay in touch. My 70th, (yes, I'm 70) Birthday Gala will be celebrated at the estate of my friends Eva and Lance Posner in Henderson. I love parties, especially if the party is for me. Just a small affair, with about 100 of my good friends. Speaking of good friends, Marilyn Ladis and family, here from Florida for my birthday, are still laughing at the antics of Vinnie Favorito, as well as humming along with Donnie and Marie. at The Flamingo. Rev Monti hopes you all had a great Memorial Day weekend. Have a happy, happy birthday, Monte. Love, Sam
	MONTI - LICIOUS MAY 16, 2009 The Lion King at Mandalay Bay has been one of the most anticipated openings Las Vegas has seen recently. Broadway meets Vegas and Disney comes to Vegas. This should be a perfect fit.for the entire family. Received my invitation and saw the show on Thursday evening WOW! Spectacular, to say the least. Great voices, great staging and costumes. This is truly Disney magic, though a 'tad' too long for Las Vegas audiences. All in all, a difinite 'must-see'. Motown legend Smokey Robinson will introduce Human Nature Reach Out at the Imperial Palace This is a group from Australia that does the Motown sound good enough to engage an original of the genre, Smokey Robinson. Smokey is known as a Motown star, a writer, an entertainer icon who still draws crowds. The press conference at the Imperial Palace to announce the arrival of Human Nature introduced us all to the newly refurbished theater left vacant by the exit of Legends in Concert. The four gentlemen looked kind of cute and with the band presented a mini show of what's in store for the audiences. Remember, they only sing Motown. Smokey joined Human Nature for a couple of songs and told us all that nobody sang Motown any better than Human Nature. He is rumored to be making some guest appearances with the group. In the audience for the press conference was Dan Marandino who is President of Imperial Palace, many of the usual media, Frank Marino and all of the Legends in Concert performers who are now appearing at Harrah's. The Legends performers were a very rowdy group, maybe because they're not used to sitting in the audience. Mr. Marandino seems to be excited to introduce everyone to this new group from Australia. Both the Peepshow and Planet Hollywood seemed to be all a-buzz over the news that Holly Madison is taking Kelley Monaco's role in the show. beginning in June. Maybe she will be deliver the comedy which is missing from the show. I've been writing about the Peepshow for what seems to be months and after attending an opening night performance it's obvious the show is an expensive production. I believe it could use a stronger comic influence, or something to create some laughs. It just isn't funny. Just recently it was announced the dancers will remove their pasties. Not sure that will create any more laughter, but then who knows? The stars came out last Sunday on behalf of the Italian Earthquake Relief Fund that was held at the Orleans. The line up of stars was one of the biggest we've seen and included Phyllis McGuire, Shecky Greene, Rich Little, Pete Barbutti and Frankie Randall, just to name a few. They may not all be Italian but they all have heart. My hat goes off to Joan Rivers. At 75 years old she showed all of us her resolve on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice. The lady doesn't allow anyone to get in her way. While she was collecting the $250,000 prize money for her favorite charity, Annie Duke her celebrity opponent, returned to Las Vegas and is raising money for her own favorite charity. (and keeping the feud fire alive) CineVegas Film Festival is scheduled for June 10 - 15 but events in connection with the Festival are taking place prior to the opening date. Last Friday it was CineVegas Under The Stars at the Springs Reserve and on Saturday it was CineVegas Cafe Series at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. We'll try to get ahead of the curve on this. It seems Dirk Arthur has reached the age where he can stay out at night. He's recently added an evening show to his already successful afternoon Xtreme Magic at the Tropicana. The evening show is an expanded version of his afternoon show but will still include the striped tigers and leopards together with some new outrageous illusions. The Encore wll feature Whoopi Goldberg on May 22 and 23 and Beyonce will perform July 30 to August 2. Both are rare appearances in Las Vegas for the ladies. By the way, the tickets for Beyonce are probably the most expensive we've seen. Suzanne Somers, singer, dancer, actress, and author (18 boooks) will appear at The Hilton MAy 23. She will be lecturing on how to stay young- looking, healthy, and sexy. She should know, she's all of these, and more. More on Shecky Greene. His show at the Suncoast this past weekend was a complete sellout. Not a ticket to be had. Shecky, one of the truly great comedians of our time, is back and hopefully will become a semi- regular on the locals circuit, like the equally great Don Rickles. Groundbreaking for THE SMITH CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS in downtown Las Vegas will be on May 26.This center will become the cultural hub of Las Vegas when it opens in 2012. This will be the home of, among others, the Nevada Ballet Theater and the Las Vegas Philharmonic,, and for even more culture, yours truly (only kidding). One of our relatively new hidden treasures is THE ROYAL HAWAIIAN PIZZA COMPANY, LOCATEDA T 4850 W SUNSET (at Decatur) A novel variey of pizzas and Hawaiian dishes too. A great new place for a "different" type of lunch. Tell them Monti sent you.. All of Las Vegas continues to adjust to the loss of Danny Gans.. A memorial service, by invitation only, will be held for Danny on May 21. As we have all said, Danny was one of a kind,- singer, dancer, comic, impressionist, and one the most charitable people around.. Very few people could have accomplished what he did in such a short period of time. Rmemeber, May 29 is THE REV MONTI'S 70th , yes 70, birthday. As they say, a mere child,
	************************* MONTI -LICIOUS MAY 9 , 2009 With the passing of Danny Gans last week Las Vegas faced one of the saddest weeks we've known in our community. Danny Gans was known as Entertainer of the Year numerous times and has left an indelible mark on Las Vegas. Chip Lightman, Danny's manager for some eighteen years, said the autobiography Voices In My Head is at the publishers as this column is being written., and may be out as early as June. There may be a documentary in the works about Danny, too. Danny Gans had recently opened his show at Steve Wynn's Encore following his closing at the Mirage. The Encore and Wynn will be holding a Memorial Service in Danny's honor on May 21-guests by invitation only. The Hilton's new show Bad Girls which is produced by Glen Medas is another burlesque type adult treat. Fabulous costumes in the show and the lead singer, Lorena Peril , who stands out . She also does an outstanding impression of Christina Aguilera , which she did in American Superstars.. This girl will be abig star. Sharing the room at the Hilton with Bad Girls is John Stewart's show Voices with Earl Turner and Lani Misalucha. Earl is well known in Las Vegas and always creates that special bond with his audience while crooning those jazzy numbers while Lani is creating her own fans with that fabulous voice of hers.and great comedic talent. After a successful run at the Hilton Menopause the Musical is set to open at the Luxor on May 26. With the move to the Strip this may create a whole new fan base for the show. Menopause the Musical features my friend Paige O'Hara and Queen Emily in the leading roles. Menopause the Musical here in Las Vegas share producers with Dolly Parton's Broadway show 9 to 5. as is scheduled to reopen at the Luxor in late May. This year's Tony Award Nominations were just announced and it's kind of amazing when you hear the names of the shows because so many of the productions have either been on Broadway before or came from the movies like Dolly Parton's 9 to 5, which by the way received a Tony nomination even though reports are the ticket sales have been week. If you're an American Idol fan you might be dismayed or delirious about Simon Cowell allegedly leaving the show next year, which he denied on the Ellen DeGeneres show. Personally I find him somewhat entertaining and he's usually right with his comments even though they may be harsh. Sounds as if the other three judges will return for next season but can't imagine who could replace Simon except..... could it be me? After all, yours truly Monti Rock III is in the latest John Barr commercial here in Las Vegas and I'm getting ready for my annual Gala hosted by Lance and Eva Posner at their wonderful estate in Henderson. It's the Annual 70th Birthday bash, once again. Remember Arizona Charlie's on South Decatur? If you're a long time resident of Las Vegas or maybe just visited a long time Las Vegas resident, chances are you've been to Arizona Charlie's which has been a local favorite over the years. Arizona Charlie's will be presenting the Bee Bop Brothers in their Naughy Ladies Lounge starting Tuesday May 19. Hits from the 50's and 60's will be featured. The fun doesn't stop on Tuesday's because Charlie's will offer drink specials and even a dance contest on Wednesdays. Once again the infamous Moulin Rouge burned down. Doesn't this sound like a repeat every few years or so? From what I hear in it's hayday the Moulin Rouge was only open for about five months. The investment group insists they will create a new Moulin Rouge and in the same location. Even though most of us never had the opportunity to enjoy or experience the happenings around the Moulin Rouge, it's long been acknowledged segregation was brought to a close here in Las Vegas as a result of its creation. Comediens rule with the pitbull of comedy Bobby Slayton opening at The Bobby Slayton Room at the Tropicana on and another favorite of mine Vinny Favorito is still packing in the crowds at the Flamingo where he continues with his shows seven nights a week. The remakable thing about Vinny's show is that every night is a new show! The Fremont Street Experience was this year's location for Southwest Airlines Annual Spirit Party for their employees. Downtown Las Vegas hadn't seen that many people since New Year's Eve. Some seven thousand employees of Southwest Airlines were invited to attend and the public could join in the celebration by just donating canned food. With so many Southwest employees here, who was flying the planes? The Southwest Airlines Spirit Party probably offered a lift for local business downtown which just recently had to adjust to the closing of the theater complex at Neopolitan. Just another dagger to overcome. Fremont Street had a diferent type of "experience" this week, with the ribbon cutting event at The Cortez. The new Cabana Suites are now open and are beautifully decorated in an updated art deco design. It's like looking at a modern version of a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers room setting, and shows that downtown is still alive and worth seeing. Just received my invitation to The Lion King which will open at Mandalay Bay on May 15.. This show, which has been seen around the world is a "cannot miss",.. is now in previews. It's just a rumor but it's sounding pretty solid that one of the big properties here in Las Vegas will soon have a special three night event in June that will offer up a sound we've been missing since Mamma Mia closed at Mandalay Bay. Stay tuned for this. Lance Burton was injured when he tired to retrieve his bird as it took off into the audience during his show. He will have surgery on his foot and be recovering for the next 2 weeks. The Monti Carlo, where he has been performiong for the past 13 years had to cancel 19 performances. . Beyonce will be doing her thing at the Encore for 4 days (July 30- Aug 2). Tickets for the Superstar are now on sale , starting at $250 and topping at $1000. Julio Iglesias, one if the biggest Latin stars of all time will be at The Hilton June 5-6. He is also the father of Enrique and Julio Jr.(they learned their craft from the master) The Imperial Palace Showroom has made major renovations to welcome the first new show there in 26 years. Smokey Robinson and Don Marandino, (hotel president) will be presenting the the newest Las Vegas headliners at a special showcase this week. The Rev Monti will see you next time and wishes you all a great week. ******************* Monti-licious May 3 , 2009 I open my column this week with the sad news that our beloved entertainer of the years - Danny Gans - passed away on Friday early morning at 3:45am. His wife noted that he couldn't breathe - by the time the paramedics arrived, Danny was pronounced dead at the young age of 52. Gans leaves behind a legacy in Las Vegas - starting at the Stratosphere, then to the Rio - the Mirage and currently, Steve Wynn's Encore. He leaves behind his devoted wife, three children and multitudes of heartbroken fans, supporters and family. Danny was always a gentleman to this columnist. His manager for 18 years, Chip Lightman, will release further information about this sudden tragedy to the Las Vegas community. An entertainer's entertainer - the prayers for Danny and sympathy for his family are coming in from everywhere and everyone. The entertainment community , as well as the public, is devastated. This past week, Britney Spears - the Circus Show - arrived - or should I say - landed. The reviews have been mixed - but the numbers did not support the act - it was a sell-out!!! Paris Hilton was in attendance with her new beau - whatever his name is now - and Paris made her rounds with Jeff Beacher, and her sister, Nicky, pushing her BFF Show. What can anyone say about Paris Hilton's extension of her 15 minutes of fame? Announcement! Menopause - The Musical had a long and successful run at the Hilton and rumor has it that the deal will have wet ink on it momentarily at the Luxor. Speaking of Paige O'Hara - She is recording a new CD for Disney. On a sadder note - Paige lost her sister after a long illness -Juli Baxter Garside - 54 years old. Both Paige and Juli were born in Fort Lauderdale, FL. - Juli was born on May 15, 1954. She was a loving, kind, funny and sweet soul. She loved theater and will be greatly missed by her family and friends. My deepest sympathy to Paige and her family. Last week, I wrote about the passing of The Queen - Miss Ruth Bowen - At her funeral service this past Monday - Arethea sang - sporting a beautiful church hat - and Dionne Warwick, and many of the other great stars that Ruthie managed, nurtured and mentored - came to show their love and devotion to our late Queen Ruthie. She was my dear friend and manager for 36 years and I will miss her dearly. Peepshow's Kelly Monaco was robbed as she slept through the whole event - sort of similar to her performance in Peepshow - her eyes peep open and close - like a little girl's doll with those eyes that shutter with big eyelashes. Let's be kind - also this week - Anita Mann (Fantasy) will be in town to revamp Fantasy one more time. What is the deal with the all the brokers in town - discount tickets - Tickets4Tonite - ticket wallpaper - there is an out and out war to fill those seats and the brokers are fighting to have exclusivity to the biggest shows. My take on this - there is enough to go around - think of the Swine Flu - are people flying - driving - want to be in crowds??? I think not - so - ease up! My friend Frank Marino - who is still looking for a venue - is opening in Tony and Tony's Wedding (oops! I mean Tina and Tony) - he'll be playing a drag queen member of the wedding party....why hasn't anyone thought of using yours truly - THE LEGENDARY MONTI ROCK III - who is an ordained minister - as the minister or another guest star?????? Do I have to be the one to make this cast/producers' suggestion??? Wake up!!!!!! And say, "I Do!!" George Wallace - the 10PM KIng of Las Vegas - my hats (all of them) are off to you!!! Bringing in David Brenner as a special guest star is genius! At the Friday night show - David started out slowly - but , bam!!! - he went into a roll that was the gut of his early famous humor - David Brenner recalled his days in NYC - hanging out at the Camelot Coffee Shop on 8th Avenue and West 47th Street - was it that long ago that I had a good greasy breakfast in this tucked away Greasy Spoon? David - good luck on your upcoming tour. George Wallace is now celebrating his fifth year of packed houses and each time I see the show, he has gotten new material and keeps it fresh! George - you are the true showman!!! At the Hard Rock - the winner is The Joint! Paul McCartney sold out for the opening - The Killers - also - a sell-out - and Santana is on his way to get us in the mood for "her evil ways..." - can't wait to see you again Carlos...live! Just last week - the concert for Joe Williams - For The Love of Joe - with Julius LaRosa - Artie Butler =- Pete Barbutti and Vin Falcone - all donated their performances to scholarships for needy students of music at the South Point - thank you gentlemen! Over at the Liberace Museum - a big shake-up in management - the rhinestones went flying! Also - Clear Channel has let go more then 300 workers - Starbucks -another 200 stores closing - Ann Taylor has many stores closing - and Borders - are just a sprinkle of what has happened since the onset of our economic crisis. Is Steve Wynn really going to buy back the Bellagio, still the gem of the strip and possibly Circus, Circus. Remember, it is Steve who made the strip what it is. The Lion King starts previews on May 4th at The Mandalay - Bobby Slayton is set to open his own room at the old Comedy Stop at The Tropicana - love his tainted humor! Who is going to take the Follies Bergere showroom that is vacant at the Trop? At the Flaming-o - Toni Braxton (the real one) is suing her insurance company - because she had another year to go on her terminated contract - because she had illness - a heart condition - but it didn't stop her from Dancing With the Stars --hmmmmmmmmmm....now really Toni - let's get real and don't sidestep this one... American Idol is down to its last four contestants - Adam Lambert was at the bottom two - and - either way he is going to have a huge career - his voice - his presence - his eyeliner!!! Dancing With The Stars - Julia Huff and her partner were booted off - but Little Kim seems to be riding out the ballroom fallouts...Still love that sexy guy Gilles - who is really a good dancer...with a beautiful body - oops!!! well -we all saw it in the film of Sex and The City....la-di-da! Last week on TV - on HBO - Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore in Grey Gardens - what a sensational cast! Drew Barrynore has become quite the actress. Do you, as I do, think The Cavaliers will get the golden hoop this year in the NBA Finals? Don't know much about Cleveland - I know its in Ohio... Last week, I took issue with Perez Hilton - and other columnists - who took the gay -same sex marriage to task - Ms. California - Carrie Prejean - I think she is ready for a political rethinking. She's beautiful, smart - and needs to see the wider picture. A person has a right to have their opinion - she voiced hers - and that is her right under the very Articles of the US Constitution! Currently, the Nevada legislature is deciding upon a domestic partner law which will give the long sought after - and much needed - rights to partners of any sexual gender the same legal standing as married opposite sex couples. For many years, I, Monti Rock III, had to hide my sexuality from the public - it was considered not correct - finally, we are in another era... Last - but not least - I want to dedicate this column to John Stuart - who created Legends in Concert - CEO of OnStage Entertainment - his new show at The Hilton - Voices - shows that he is back in town and up front. Hey readers - it is May - summer is here - enjoy! By the way - the end of May (May 29) is yours truly's - BIRTHDAY!!!!!! Rev Monti will see y'all next time. ******************** Happy Birthday Monti For the best in gossip tune in to Minute with Monti on KLAV AM radio at 12:30 and Saurdays Noon to 2:00 PM. To Top of Page *************************