“BRETT’S VEGAS VIEW”
DATE: Sunday, March 20, 2016
BY: Jackie Brett
VEGAS COLUMN
TERRY FATOR CELEBRATES SHOW EXTENSION AND NEW CHARACTER
Last week Terry Fator celebrated his seven-year anniversary at The Mirage and released the news that his show has been extended five more years through 2021. Guests at his pre-show reception included Drew and Jonathan Scott from the hit television show “Property Brothers” and eldest Scott brother J.D. Scott.
During his performance, Fator unveiled the newest addition to his cast of comedic characters. It is the very suave Latin Fernando V. Francisco, a lover of beautiful women and beautiful songs, but mostly beautiful women.
Francisco joins the loveable cast of personalities including Winston the Impersonating Turtle, Rusty the Robot, Vikki “The Cougar,” country legend Walter T. Airdale, Duggie Scott Walker, Julius, Emma Taylor, the “World’s Greatest Elvis Impersonator” Maynard Thompkins, and Wrex the Crash Test Dummy, among others. Tickets start at $59.99.
LIBERTINE SOCIAL WILL OPEN AT MANDALAY BAY THIS SUMMER
James Beard Award-winning chef Shawn McClain will open Libertine Social at Mandalay Bay on the casino level, next to Charlie Palmer’s Aureole, this summer. The next-generation gastropub will stimulate the senses with New American bar food by the renowned chef, a pioneering cocktail program by Modern Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim and a range of compelling atmospheres.
Throughout the luxury interior will be murals from Puerto Rican artist Alexis Diaz. He is known for his technique of using thousands of linear brushstrokes atop bursts of color to create images of animals with human-like qualities.
VEGAS WILL WELCOME WORLD’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER SECRET EVENT
A global phenomenon and highly sought-after “secret,” Le Dîner en Blanc will take over one of Las Vegas’ public spaces on Sunday, April 17 for the city’s first refined pop-up epicurean event. More than 100,000 foodies and cultural enthusiasts around the world have already embraced this unique event. Tickets are limited. For information, visit Diner En Blanc’s official website.
Launched in Paris nearly 30 years ago by François Pasquier and a handful of friends, Le Dîner en Blanc Paris now attracts more than 10,000 people each year. What began as a friends and a word-of-mouth-only event has grown into an international epicurean sensation in more than 60 cities across more than 25 countries. Guests continue to gather at a secret location for the sole purpose of sharing a gourmet meal with good friends in one of their city’s most beautiful locations.
COMEDIAN JIM JEFFERIES JOINS COMEDY SERIES AT THE MIRAGE
Comedian Jim Jefferies will perform at the Terry Fator Theatre for the first time June 24-25 at 10 p.m. as the newest performer in the Aces of Comedy series lineup at The Mirage. Tickets start at $49.99.
On screen, Jefferies will next be seen as Charlie in “And Punching the Clown” at a screening during the 2016 SXSW Film Festival. Previously, he created, wrote, produced and starred in the FX series “Legit,” which ran for two seasons.
Vegas Uncork’d will Present 10th Annual CULINARY festival
Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appétit will celebrate its 10th anniversary April 28–May 1 with extravagant soirees and a world-class lineup of renowned chefs from Caesars Palace, The Cromwell, The Venetian and The Palazzo.
For the first time, Vegas Uncork’d will venture downtown with epicurean revelries, including a Steakhouse Redux at the iconic Golden Steer featuring Michael Mina. There will also be a Mystery Dinner hosted by Emeril Lagasse, at a location to be announced.
New and notable additions to the festival will include After Hours Sake and Sushi, Giada’s Italian Inspired Brunch, Dinner and a Show with MR CHOW, BA Navigator Downtown Tour, a Sensory Lunch at Bacchanal Buffet, Nobu Matsuhisa’s Ultimate Omakase and the Craft of the Cocktail with Salvatore Calabrese. Tickets are available online.
THE PALAZZO INSTALLS SPRING DISPLAY IN ITS ATRIUM
Spring is in full bloom at The Palazzo® with the seasonal art installation on display through June 5 in The Waterfall Atrium and Gardens featuring three giant irises and suspended butterflies inspired by the morpho butterfly species known for its bright blue wings. The art installation was created by a collaboration of 23 artists and artisans from across the United States and the 38 butterflies took nearly a year to make.
LAZY DOG PLANS SECOND LOCATION AND DEBUTS NEW SEASONAL MENU
Award-winning Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar with its dog-friendly patio has become a favorite at Downtown Summerlin. The restaurant will soon expand, opening its second location this fall at Town Square. In the meantime for spring, the culinary team has created new seasonal dishes, desserts and cocktails. In addition to Las Vegas, Lazy Dog currently has 18 locations throughout California and Texas.
HAKKASAN NIGHTCLUB THROWS THIRD-ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND PARTY
Hakkasan Las Vegas Nightclub at MGM Grand will celebrate its third anniversary with a weekend affair Thursday through Sunday, April 7-10 and a special appearance by entrepreneur Kim Kardashian West on April 8. The anniversary weekend will also feature headlining performances by Tiësto, Steve Aoki, DVBBS, and more.
KOOL & THE GANG WILL MAKE TOUR STOP AT ORLEANS ARENA
R&B group Kool & the Gang will bring their “Keepin’ the Funk Alive” tour to the Orleans Arena Aug. 27. They have had 25 top-ten hits including “Celebration.” They will be accompanied by Morris Day & the Time, Bootsy Collins, and known as the “first human beatbox” - Doug E. Fresh. Tickets start at $49.
DIAMONDFEST IS A NEIL DIAMOND CELEBRATION AT THE SUNCOAST
DiamondFest at the Suncoast Showroom April 22 and 23 will be a collection of tribute shows celebrating 50 years of singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. The event will kick off on Friday at 7 p.m. with “American Trilogy,” a tribute to legendary artists Diamond, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley by Las Vegas-based Diamond impersonator Rob Garrett. Later at 10 p.m., Philadelphia’s best Diamond tribute band “Real Diamond,” will make its Las Vegas debut featuring Diamond’s famed percussionist King Errisson as a special guest star.
On Saturday at 7 p.m., DiamondFest will close with “Diamond Mountain Live!” featuring “The Diamond Collection” tribute band and starring “King of Diamonds” Rob Garrett and Diamond tribute artists from around the world. Special guests will include the Las Vegas Mass Choir and King Errisson. Tickets start at $29.95.
STATION CASINOS IS ENHANCING FIVE MORE COMPANY SPORTS BOOKS
Station Casinos hopes to entice people to visit their sports books in person. Last year, the company remodeled and enhanced areas of the sports book at Red Rock Resort. The favorable response led the company to undertake similar efforts at five more of its race and sports books. By this fall’s football season, Boulder Station, Green Valley Ranch Resort, Palace Station, Santa Fe Station, and Sunset Station will all house enhanced video capabilities, new television monitors at individual seats around the book and improved electronic displays for betting lines.
WES WINTERS CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS PERFORMING AT SOUTH POINT
Showman whirlwind Wes Winters will celebrate five years of performing at the South Point Spa in the Grandview Lounge on Friday, April 8 starting with a meet and greet at 5 p.m. followed by his 500th performance there from 6 to 9 p.m. Complimentary cake and champagne will be served. In addition, Winters performs Tuesday evenings at the Rampart Casino’s Addison’s Lounge in Summerlin.
PETE BARBUTTI IS NEXT GUEST SPEAKER AT F.I.O.R.I. GATHERING
Comedian and musician Pete Barbutti will be the guest speaker at the next F.I.O.R.E. 11:30 a.m. luncheon Thursday, April 14 at the Italian American Club, 2333 E. Sahara Ave. with live music by Gary Anderson & The Malcontents. Barbutti made more than 125 guest appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. Tickets are $25; RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
MINUS5 ICE BAR CONTINUES ITS CELEBRITY COCKTAIL PROGRAM
This month, Minus5 Ice Bar continued its celebrity cocktail program, this time honoring Broadway’s one-man comedy show about the sexes “Defending the Caveman” at The D with his own Neanderthal-inspired signature cocktail. The show’s star Kevin Burke cooled off with the “Caveman Crush,” a blend of whiskey, butterscotch schnapps, topped with hard cider, and served in a glass made of pure ice.
M RESORT’S RAVELLO LOUNGE WELCOMES NEW ENTERTAINMENT
Two new shows will start at M Resort’s Ravello Lounge on Friday and Saturday nights. Beginning April 2, DJ Frankie will take to the turntables Friday and Saturday evenings at 9 p.m. followed by live performance from two high energy Vegas bands. Doors open at 8 p.m. and admission is free.
Tribute band 80’s Station appear on Friday nights featuring lead singers Matt Guca and Tiffany Fredianelli from the long-running ‘80s band Loveshack. Hard Candy will sugarcoat audiences on Saturday nights with Top 40 hits presented by lead singer Chastity and this sexy all-girl group.
CAGE THE ELEPHANT WILL MAKE TOUR STOP AT HARD ROCK
Grammy-nominated rock band Cage the Elephant will make a tour a stop at The Joint at Hard Rock on Saturday, June 25 with special guests Portugal. The Man and Twin Peaks. This tour follows the release of the band’s fourth studio album, “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” released in December. The album’s lead single “Mess Around” recently topped the Alternative and AAA radio charts. Tickets start at $37.50.
MARIACHI SOL DE MÉXICO WILL PERFORM AT THE SMITH CENTER
Sol de México is one of a few Mariachi in the world performing in the classical music circuit. They will perform symphonic Mariachi music arranged and orchestrated by Maestro Jóse Hernàndez with the symphony orchestra at The Smith Center on Friday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. Songs will include “Guadalajara,” “El Aguacer,” other Mexican favorites and the only known concerto for Mariachi, “Pasión Mexicana,” composed by Hernàndez and Jeff Nevin. Tickets start from $36.
FOODIE BEVERAGE NEWS
Golden Entertainment, operators of the Sierra Gold, PT’s Tavern and the new PT’s Brewing franchises, will open six new properties this year, which will include a new Sierra Gold property at the former location of the Sedona Restaurant & Lounge on W. Flamingo Road near the 215 Beltway.
The Juice Standard opened its third Las Vegas outpost at The Cosmopolitan near the resort’s iconic bar and lounge, The Chandelier. The newest location offers the signature menu of juice blends and nut milks. To celebrate the new address, The Juice Standard team developed an exclusive new fresh juice “Bee Cosmopolitan” for $12.
Bistro 57 at Aliante will be hosting an Italian Cooking Demo with executive chef, Franco de Furia featuring three-courses on Thursday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $50, call 702-692-7265 to reserve a spot.
Chef Les Kincaid will hold a Pork Lover’s Workshop on Tuesday, March 29 from 6-8:30 p.m. at Ferguson Enterprises, 4175 S. Grand Canyon Drive. Cost is $59, call 702-871-5145.
A Wine Crawl will be held Saturday, April 2 from 7-10 p.m. at Boca Park Fashion Village. This will be an opportunity to see the new two-story Kona Grill and to taste a selection 20 wines. Participation is $25 in advance, $30 at the door and includes 20 2oz tastes of wine. Plus Lee’s Liquor will be offering special pricing on all featured wines.
TREVI Italian Restaurant inside The Forum Shops at Caesars is welcoming youth with the introduction of a new Kids’ Menu.
Rhumbar at The Mirage will celebrate National Beer Day on Thursday, April 7 with draft beer and bucket specials.
‘MAD HATTER’ TEA PARTY BENEFITS CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS
The Cure 4 The Kids Foundation will present a special “Mad Hatter” Tea Party on Saturday, April 16 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Four Seasons in the Palms Room. The theme of the fundraising event is based on the Lewis Carroll classic story “Alice in Wonderland,” and will raise funds for the Long-Term Follow-Up Clinic for Childhood Cancer Survivors, Nevada’s only clinic focused solely on the needs of childhood cancer survivors. Tickets are $130 before March 31.
SNAPPY NEWS ITEMS
Pitbull returned with his seven-night special engagement, “Time Of Our Lives Las Vegas,” running through March 26 at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood. In the midst of his first performance there, Jennifer Lopez surprised the audience by joining Pitbull on stage to perform their hit song, “On The Floor.” Lopez returns with her exclusive headlining residency on Sunday, May 22.
Extreme Thing Sports & Music Festival presented by Clark County Parks and Recreation will return on Saturday, April 2 from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. at Desert Breeze Park, 8275 Spring Mountain Road at Durango Drive. The all-day event will have a new layout, five concert stages, the Vegas AmJam — an amateur skate and BMX competition, vendor village and food area. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate.
The Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament will remain in Las Vegas for the next three years and play in the T-Mobile Arena. Pac-12 originally brought the tournament to Las Vegas in 2012 after more than a decade in Los Angeles.
Last year, The Mob Museum downtown started audio tours in French, German and Italian and will now introduce them in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin. In addition to offering audio tours, the museum’s box office offers printed Museum Highlights maps in multiple languages.
Sin City Gallery will present 12 inches of Sin IMMERSIVE Art Happening on Saturday, April 9 from 1 to 10 p.m. in Las Vegas’ Downtown Arts District showcasing expressive art and celebrating modern day provocateurs. Schedule of entertainment and artists is TBA.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival will hold its Ninth Annual Fundraising Dinner at Lawry’s The Prime Rib on Thursday, April 28 at 6 p.m. There will be live music, food and inside look at the festival’s upcoming 55th season. For information, call 435-586-7877.
MARIO BATALI FOUNDATION OPENS NEW BOOKS FOR KIDS LIBRARY
On Tuesday, March 29 at 9 a.m., celebrity Chef Mario Batali will be on-hand for a book reading and to open the new Books for Kids Library for ages 2 to 12 at the Acelero Spring Valley Learning Center located at 2845 Mohawk Street. This library will mark the third Southern Nevada library funded by the Mario Batali Foundation and the 11th library nationwide.
VEGAS’ GAUDIN PORSCHE NAMED FIRST U.S. PORSCHE CLASSIC PARTNER
As part of luxury car industry, Gaudin Porsche of Las Vegas is becoming the premier certified Porsche Classic Partner in the United States. This is the first time that service, parts and sales, exclusively for the classic German sports car, are available together under one roof in North America. More than 70 percent of the vehicles ever produced by Porsche are still on the road today. To ensure that these classic cars receive optimum support and service, Porsche established an international dealer and service network that should top 100 by 2018.
TWO YOUTH ART CONTESTS WILL RESULT IN COLLECTIBLE ITEMS
Grant a Gift Autism Foundation’s is holding an inaugural “A Piece of Hope” art contest for grades K-12. Students can participate by creating a piece of art with the puzzle piece used in the Grant a Gift Autism Foundation logo. The winning artist’s representation will be displayed on all event day t-shirts at Grant a Gift Autism Foundation’s 7th Annual Race for Hope and Fun Walk on Saturday, April 30 at town Square. The winner will also receive four tickets to Blue Man Group, a birthday party for 10 at John’s Incredible Pizza, and an art party for four at Busy Bee Art Studio. All entrants will receive a 20 percent discount at Kidville at Tivoli Village.
In celebration of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, Forever Resorts and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area are hosting an art contest also for K–12 school students to design an image incorporating both Southern Nevada’s park lands and the National Park Service’s Centennial themes. The grand prize winner’s design out of four categories will be incorporated into a collectible item or items sold at Lake Mead’s visitor center retail store with proceeds benefiting Lake Mead. Category winners will get four rafting tickets for Black Canyon River Adventures and the main winner will receive a four-day houseboat vacation.
