Lots of stuff going on in our town, and as usual, most of it good. I'll start off with the Scintas, one of my favorite shows in town. As I told you a few weeks ago, there are a number of entertainment changes going on here and one of the most surprising was to learn that the Scintas, who have been performing to packed houses at the Rio for the past six years, were leaving.
The good news is that they signed a three-year, $20-million contract at the Sahara beginning May 23. I'm betting that brothers Frankie, Joe and sister Chrissi, along with their "Irish brother" Pete O'Donnell, will be as big a hit on the Strip as they were at the Rio.
"We're so excited to be on the Strip," says Frankie. "The Sahara has a long tradition of the best Vegas entertainment and we're proud to join acts like Frank Sinatra, who worked in this fabled venue." By the way, Frankie does the best impersonation of Sinatra I've ever seen. The show will run Tuesday through Sunday, 7 p.m. in the Main Showroom, dark Sunday and Monday. Tickets are $59.95 for general admission; $69.95, VIP.
Another Las Vegas star, Rita Rudner, will be extending her run at New York-New York through Saturday, August 26, before taking the month of September off to vacation with her family. She will return to her new digs at Harrahs on Oct. 2.
BETTING LINES
We're not that far into baseball season, but that doesn't stop Jay Kornegay, executive director of the Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook, to start creating some excitement for the coming NFL season. As soon as the football schedules were released, he posted all the lines of the first week of the season and, by the end of the month, will be announcing the over/under season win totals. Kornegay said, "This is one of the more popular bets throughout the off season. These lines give our guests the first glance on what to expect this fall. It also gives our players the opportunity to wager on the first week throughout the summer, even though they might not be in town for the opening weekend."
Some of the highlights of the first week include: Sept. 7 (Thursday) defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers -6 over the Dolphins, Sept 10th games worth mentioning are Seattle -4 at Detroit, Denver -3.5 at St. Louis, Chicago -3 at Green Bay, and Indianapolis -4 at the NY Giants. The first Monday night games (that's right...two Monday night games) include Washington -6 over visiting Minnesota and San Diego -2.5 at Oakland. All the odds and props are available at the SuperBook.
KEEPING COOL
If you've been keeping an eye on our weather, you'll know we're going through a real hot spell (temps hovering around 100 every day, some 15 degrees above normal for this time of year), so naturally, you're going to be interested in anything I can tell you about our hotels' pools
This week, let me give you some info on what the Flamingo has planned for its pool area. And what better to start off with than Happy Hour. From 4-8 p.m., Tuesday thru Sunday, you will be able to take advantage of a 2-for-1 special
on all frozen cocktails and Fosters Oil Cans. A DJ will keep you moving with the hottest music and Bacardi models will make sure you're happy with special giveaways and shots. Happy Hour guests will also have a chance to enter to win a 2006 Jeep to be awarded by Fosters over Labor Day weekend.
On Monday nights, beginning June 5, from 7-10 p.m., the Lagoon pool will host a Battle of The Bands where amateur musicians will compete for monthly prizes and one grand prize awarded in August. If you've got a band, check out the registration info on www.flamingolasvegas.com.
EATING EVENTS
Like chicken wings? Then you're gonna love the Great International Chicken Wing Cookoff at the front lot of Hooter's Casino Hotel May 19 and May 20 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and May 21 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature a variety of the country's best wing makers, as well as live entertainment, beer specials, a meet & greet with Hooters Calendar Girls and more. It's open to the public and sounds like a fun event.
Speaking of food and contests, it's time again for New York-New York to host the 2006 Nathan's Famous Las Vegas Hot Dog Eating Championship, to be held Thursday, May 18 at 3 p.m. on the Brooklyn Bridge at the resort. This is an official qualifying round of the Nathan's Famous worldwide hot dog eating circuit. The winner will earn the right to represent the United States in the 91st Annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest Tuesday, July 4 in Coney Island, NY. If you're interested and are over 18, you must pre-register at www.NathansFamous.com or by calling Shea Communications at (212) 627-5766. But you better be good. For the past five years, Takeru Kobayashi of Japan has won the Fourth of July contest and in 2004, Kobayashi broke his own world record by downing 53 1/2 Nathan's Famous hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes. Does the word "BARF" ring a bell?
MEOW MIX
Hard to believe that the stage production of CATS has been around for 25 years, but it has and will celebrate its 25th anniversary right here in Las Vegas at the Aladdin. CATS opens Wednesday, June 7 and runs through Sunday, June 11, with eight performances scheduled. Tickets run from $37 to $92, not including applicable service charges and live entertainment tax, and you can get them now at the Aladdin Theatre Box Office, www.ticketmaster.com, and all Ticketmaster locations.
JAZZ IT UP
I know there are a lot of jazz fans out there, so you might want to catch Gypsy jazz band, the John Jorgensen Quintet, who will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 26, at Anthem Hills Park, 2256 N. Reunion Drive in Henderson. A pioneer of the American gypsy jazz movement, Jorgensen is a critically acclaimed guitarist who is also proficient on the piano, clarinet, upright bass, sax and bassoon. In addition to performing as a member of Elton John's band for six years, Jorgensen also toured with Bonnie Raitt and Benny Goodman. The outdoor concert is free. For more info, call 267-4055.
MAIL BAG
As I have a dentist appointment in about a half hour, I think I'll wrap this column up with a letter from Brenda Carrier of Edmonton, Alberta, who writes: "Hi Lenny. Well, here I sit - back in sunny Alberta suffering from a major case of Vegas withdrawal. It was a whirlwind of fun once again. This time around we stayed in a condo which was both economical and incredibly spacious. Will definitely stay at the Fairfield Desert Grand again, especially since 3 or 4 days in Vegas is no longer an acceptable amount of time. I have concluded that one needs at least a week to see the sites, take in the atmosphere and relax a bit too.
"We attended KA at MGM Grand. What an incredible experience. The rest of the night was a wash since we were all experiencing sensory overload. The women in our crowd also saw Menopause the Musical. You were right about that one - it's a hoot. We rented a car this time around so were not so much restricted to the Strip. The weather was beautiful - what we saw of it. The slots at the more historical casinos seemed to be kinder. I also discovered why I haven't been to the Hard Rock before now. Man, did I feel old in that place.
"Anyway, other than a few bumpy cab rides (replace the shocks would ya?) the trip was a hit and I can't wait to come back. Take care and like governor "Awnold" says: "I'll be back."
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.
