Okay, everybody, no time for idle chit-chat today. Too much going on in our town and I know you've been waiting breathlessly to hear the latest (yeah, I know, I tend to exaggerate the love affair you have with my column).
Get out your hotel/casino scorecard. Aztar, the company that owns the Tropicana in Las Vegas and Ramada Express in Laughlin, as well as other resorts around the country, has been sold to Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. for approximately $2.1 billion. Have you noticed that we no longer talk in millions? The deal is expected to close by year's end. This comes on the heels of an announcement by Aztar concerning its plans to implode the Trop and build a new megaresort, which I reported on in a recent column. It will be interesting to see what happens now. I'll keep you posted.
SHAMROCK AND ROLL
Hooters Casino Hotel, located right behind the Trop and which opened only a few weeks ago, isn't wasting any time diving in to the competitive pool market. It will open its new pool with a weekend party beginning March 17 called ShamROCK and ROLL. Catchy, doncha think? This will be followed by the pool's official grand opening shindig -- a three-day BACKYARD BASH beginning March 31. Love those names.
Here's the part I like. We'll all get to hear reggae music at Nippers Pool Bar and join in a sing-along of songs from Jimmy Buffett to Bob Marley. Buffett I can do. Marley I never liked, so count me out. I had a chance to see Hooter's tropical pool area and it looks great, featuring two heated pools, a 60-person and 12-person hot tub, beach sand, palm trees, a lagoon-style waterfall and cabanas. I recommend trying the infamous "Nipper's Juice," a deceivingly potent fruity rum drink. For sure you'll fall in the pool, so wear a life jacket. I know you'll look geeky, but better geeky than dead.
MASQUERADE HAS 'RHYTHM'
The Rio's Masquerade Show In The Sky always has been a hit with tourists and locals alike since it was introduced in 1997, but now, something new has been added. It's called "Rhythm of the Night" and features great choreography, stunning costumes and sexy dancers who shake their booties to Latin conga beats. High-energy stuff that will have you dancing between the slot machines. "Rhythm" is performed daily during the 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. performances of Masquerade inside Masquerade Village, and it's all free.
GOLDEN NUGGET CHANGES
There's a lot of changes going on at the Golden Nugget downtown, all of them good, but I was sad to hear that they closed Stefano's Italian restaurant. This was once a favorite haunt of Sinatra and his friends as well as one of my favorites. David Alenik, former room chef at Stefano's, recalled a heart-stopping moment during opening week in the mid-'80s, when Steve Wynn and Ol' Blue Eyes came in for dinner. Alenik was delivering one of Sinatra's favorites -- pasta fagioli soup -- "when I realized there was no pasta in the soup." Halfway to the table, he spun around without anyone taking notice and returned to the kitchen to add the pasta. For a second or two, he said, "I saw my life flash before my eyes." The reason for the closing is to make room for a showroom expansion.
ELEANOR ON DISPLAY
Like cars, especially fast ones? If so, here's your chance to buy one and it even has a name -- Eleanor. It's a 1967 Mustang GT500 that was featured in the movie "Gone In Sixty Seconds" with Nicholas Cage, which has been running on cable a zillion times over the past month. But I digress. Eleanor will be available to see at The Auto Collections at the Imperial Palace today, March 15. The muscle car will be on display from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday until she's sold.
And here's some trivia for you. The car is actually one of 11 built for the movie. Of those, two were destroyed in the climactic bridge jump and junkyard crusher scenes. Because certain cars were needed to do different maneuvers in the film, no two Eleanors were alike. All the Eleanors only acted the role of being Shelbys, while in reality they were modified Mustang fastbacks. Although in "Gone" the car is supposed to be a four-on-the-floor, most of the Eleanors were automatics -- because it's easier to act and do stunts when you don't have to manually shift gears. Pretty cool, huh?
JAMARAMA LIVE!
What would my column be if I didn't include something for the little rug rats? Jamarama Live! Kidsfest is coming to Las Vegas. No, I have never heard of it, but it sounds like a lot of fun as it is the country's first-ever national children's music festival and it will take place at the Aladdin Theatre on Saturday, March 25.
It all starts at 2 p.m. and here's some of what you can expect to see: coloring floor for kids; Fisher-Price's StarStation Entertainment System karaoke kiosks featuring music from Kidz Bopâ; face/hair painting and "tattoo" booth with hair paint provided by Circle of Friends; and Miffy and Friends storytelling area, featuring the beloved series of books by Dick Bruna, which is also a hit TV series on NOGGIN. NOGGIN videos will be featured on video screens and children can meet their favorite NOGGIN costumed characters including Moose A. Moose and Zee and Miffy. Kids can have their photo taken with Jack, the puppet from NOGGIN's music-themed series, Jack's Big Music Show, through digital green-screen technology.
The My Gym Children's Fitness Center will get kids up and moving, dancing to an animated music video, and in most locations participating in interactive songs, dances, movement games and basic gymnastics routines. The Circle of Friends line of natural hair and skin care products for kids will provide many fun items for the goody bags that kids receive after the show, such as root beer-scented shower gel and hair paint. I'm sorry, but this has tired me out, so I'll wrap this column up while I still have the strength.
Good luck and I'll see you on the Strip. And don't forget to check out www.valleyblogs.com
If you have a question or a Las Vegas experience you would like to share with my readers, please e-mail me at lennylv@cox.net. Please include your full name and the city or town where you live.
