Time flies, especially as we get older, it seems, but I was surprised to learn that next month, Lance Burton will celebrate 10 years of magic at the Monte Carlo. I remember it like it was yesterday, going to opening night and then interviewing him a few weeks later. Not only is he a great magician, but he's been a great resident of our town, giving his time to all kinds of charities and events. I wish him another 10 good years and more here.
I'm also looking forward to June 21, when Burton will present his newest creation called "The Solid Gold Lady" in which he will try to make $10 million in gold bricks disappear. And in case you're wondering, it's the real thing. Each night, the bricks will be taken from the Monte Carlo vault and delivered to the stage by armed security, so if you're thinking of planning a heist, I'd think again.
Burton says it has taken him five years to perfect the illusion. Once he did and felt ready to go with it, there was a last-minute snag. Apparently, because of insurance concerns, Burton said, "I am not allowed to physically touch the gold. This is going to make the illusion much harder to accomplish, but I am not taking this personally," he adds with a laugh. "I'm not allowed to play blackjack in the casino either. Keep your fingers crossed."
Randy Morton, Monte Carlo prez, said, "At first I thought Lance was joking when he asked us to provide him with $10 million in gold. He eventually convinced me that this was for real and I agreed to go along with him. I had only one condition -- I made him promise to bring the gold back at the end of the evening." The magician will be offering a special $10 discount for his 10 p.m. performance beginning in June.
CLASSIC BEATLEMANIA
Big news for you Beatles fans. Classical Mystery Tour, a tribute to the Beatles featuring original members of the Broadway hit show "Beatlemania," will perform a live concert with a 42-piece symphony orchestra at the Las Vegas Hilton on May 28.
The musicians in the tribute look and sound just like the Beatles, which adds to the performance. The show features some 20 Beatles tunes sung, played and performed exactly as they were written, such as "Penny Lane" with a live trumpet section and "Yesterday" with an acoustic guitar and string quartet.
"We really make an effort to sound exactly like the originals," says Jim Owen (John Lennon), who admits that he and the other three Beatlemania members are big Beatles fans. "The orchestra score is exact, right down to every note and instrument that was on the original recording. For example, on 'Got to Get You Into My Life,' we have two tenor saxes and three trumpets. That's what it was written for, and that's what we use." Tickets for the 9 p.m. performance are $55 and $70 (plus tax and service charge) and you can get them at the Hilton box office, by going to www.lvhilton.com or calling 1-800-222-5361. Sounds like a must-see.
GET COOKING FOR 'TOP CHEF'
Speaking of the Hilton, casting for trained and self-taught professional chefs for the second season of Bravo's "Top Chef" is in swing and open calls will be May 11-12 at the resort. The winning chef in the second series will receive $100,000 in seed money to help encourage his or her culinary career, be featured in Food & Wine magazine, appear at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen in June and earn the prestigious title of "Top Chef." The winner's home will be outfitted with a complete gourmet kitchen, so I suggest you get out your whisks, blenders, bowls and anything else you might need and start cooking.
CIRQUE DU DANCE
And while I'm talking about auditions, if you fancy yourself a performer, Cirque du Soleil is looking for new talent for its 12 current productions and upcoming creations. The company will have open dance auditions in Las Vegas May 30 through June 1. The casting team will be specifically seeking professional dancers with strong technique, stage experience, improvisational skills and versatility:
On May 30 auditions will be for these categories -- street, hip hop/B-Boy, world and ethnic, professional male strippers and unique and diverse styles. Auditions take place in the Mystere Theater at TI from 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. On May 31, the categories will be modern, contemporary, jazz and classical. These auditions will in the Zumanity Theater at New York-New York from 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. as well. Call back sessions for all categories will be scheduled on June 1 (12:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.) Good luck to all of you.
BE SOMEBODY (ELSE)
If you're into impersonators, the place to be is the Imperial Palace from May 28 to May 31 for the 6th annual Celebrity Impersonators Convention. This is always a fun event, and this year, veteran Las Vegas female impersonator Kenny Kerr will emcee the talent showcase and brunch that will be Tuesday, May 30, from noon to 2 p.m. You can get tickets for $15 beginning May 15 at the Show and Tour Desk, or by calling 888-777-7664.
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.
