Ouch! NASCAR gets waxed. Who woulda thunk that Richard Petty, "The King" of NASCAR, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., currently its most popular driver, would be immortalized in wax by Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. But that's just what happened in special ceremonies during the grand opening of the new Neon Garage at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the NASCAR weekend at the track with the Busch Series race and the UAW Daimler Chrysler 400.
Both Petty and Earnhardt, Jr. attended the ceremony and participated in the unveiling of their life-sized wax figures. Following the weekend action, the wax figures were moved to the SPEED attraction at Madame Tussauds at The Venetian Hotel on the Strip to join those of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt and four-time champ Jeff Gordon. The SPEED attraction at Madame Tussauds here in Las Vegas is dedicated to auto racing. It opened Aug. 23, 2005, with the life-sized figure of Dale Earnhardt. Gordon joined Earnhardt in March 2006.
SEXY MAGIC
Looks like we're in for a taste of magic with some sizzle. The world's fastest magician, or so he says, is teaming up with sexy Carmen Electra for a new show called "Faster Than Magic" that will debut in April at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino (still the Aladdin--see below). Illusionist Hans Klok is just coming off a sold-out tour of Europe although, personally, I've never heard of him. Tickets are gonna run from $35 to $105 (hate to think how far away from the stage you're going to be with the 35 bucks tickets). There will be a special price of $35--and I believe this is for all seats--for five preview performances from Wednesday, April 18 to Sunday, April 22. Regular performances will begin May 12.
This will also be the Las Vegas stage debut of Electra. "I've been approached many times to perform in Las Vegas and it's always been a dream of mine to do that," she said, "but it had to be the right show at the right time with the right people. When I had the chance to see Hans perform, I was blown away and knew that this was the right show."
SWIM WITH DOLPHINS
Ever wanted to jump in the pool with one of these lovable dolphins? Well, now you can at The Mirage in what is called "Explore a New Career - Be a Dolphin Trainer for a Day." Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the resort is offering guests the opportunity to get up close and personal with these frolicking dolphins who seem to be almost as smart as we are. From the hand signals used in training, to lessons on dolphin physiology, you can suit up, get in the water and spend one-on-one time with these Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and the certified trainers. This unforgettable day-long experience isn't cheap. It'll set you back $500 per person and includes a continental breakfast, private gourmet lunch, 8x10 photo, certificate of completion and a souvenir shirt and cap. Still, if you can afford it, it's quite an experience.
CULTURE CORNER
The Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT) will present a triple repertory program in three parts, beginning March 16 at 8 p.m., followed by performances on Saturday, March 17 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 18 at 1 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. at UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre. These three unique works include NBT's artistic director Bruce Steivel's version of Fest Polonaise (Festival of Flowers) with music by Johann Svendson, Sir Frederick Ashton's Les Patineurs (the ice skaters) staged by repetiteur Petrus Bosman, with music by Giacomo Meyerbeer, and Val Caniparoli's Lambarena with music by Johanne Sebastian Bach (as arranged by Pierre Akendengue and Hughes de Courson), as well as a mix of traditional African music.
This is the second mixed repertory program of the season for NBT. "Presenting mixed repertory ballets show off the company's versatility," says Steivel. There is really something for everyone in this program. We are also extremely excited to present two company premieres - Les Patineurs and Lambarena along with Fest Polonaise, which has not been done by the company since 2001." Tickets prices are $29, $49 and $69 and can be ordered by calling 895-ARTS (2787) or by visiting www.nevadaballet.com/performances/html. This is a very talented ballet company whose reputation keeps growing throughout the United States, deservedly so, and one which all Nevadans should be proud to call their own.
ANOTHER WINNER (AND IT'S NOT ME!)
Saved this 'til last because although I love to see just about anyone win, it really bugs me that I never write about me winning big, or that one of these big winners didn't even consider contributing to the Lenny's Early Retirement Fund. Recently, a 71-year-old Las Vegan (who preferred to keep her name anonymous), on her way to an afternoon performance of The Magic of Rick Thomas at The Orleans Hotel & Casino, made some magic of her own when she hit the dollar Megabucks jackpot for $12,076,530. This meant Nevada MegaJackpots systems had been hit for more than $38 million within a 10-day period (sure, rub it in).
After lunch, on her way to the theater, she stopped to play Megabucks. "I've been playing Megabucks for years," she said. "I come here all the time [to The Orleans], especially on Sunday after church (probably prays to God to let her win). So today, I put in $20 and after several pulls, I saw the first Megabucks symbol fall into place, then the second and then the third. It was all in slow motion, watching them drop down one at a time. But I knew right away I had won. I just didn't know how much." Aaargh! Somebody kill me now.
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.
