Monday, April 28, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

SHOOTING STARS: 'CSI' making another return visit to tape scenes

With TV's May ratings sweeps looming, can "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" be far behind?

In a word, no. Which explains why CBS' No. 1 show returns to Las Vegas this week for its season-ending 23rd episode, "Inside the Box."

Cast members William Petersen ("CSI" chief Gil Grissom), Marg Helgenberger (investigator Catherine Willows), Gary Dourdan (investigator Warrick Brown) and Paul Guilfoyle (detective Jim Brass) will make the three-day Vegas trek.

Today finds the crew at work at the Jean dry lake bed, which plays the scene of a shooting to be investigated by the "CSI" team.

On Tuesday, the action shifts to the northwest -- at the Rampart Casino and the adjacent J.W. Marriott hotel -- for office and casino scenes, according to Kim Houser-Amaral, the show's Las Vegas location manager.

Wednesday's shooting begins at a private residence in the southeast end of the valley, then moves downtown to the Sun State Apartments and an alley at First and Lewis streets.

The alley provides a convenient parking spot for a getaway car, featured in the show's primary bank-robbery plot. (The bank robbery itself, of course, will be filmed in Southern California, "CSI's" primary location -- despite the show's Las Vegas setting.)

"We love to shoot in Vegas during the finale, to reacquaint (cast and crew) with what the show's about: Las Vegas," according to "CSI" creator Anthony Zuiker, who scripted "Inside the Box" with Carol Mendelsohn, his fellow executive producer. "It's always an inspirational thing for the cast and crew."

Several other small-screen projects join "CSI" on this week's location roster.

A new game show, "National Lampoon's Funny Money," begins a two-day stand today at Harrah's Improv Comedy Club -- an obvious setting, considering that Improv founder Budd Friedman serves as one of the executive producers of the Game Show Network project.

Hosted by comedian Jimmy Pardo, the show tests contestants' abilities to gauge what an audience will find funny, predicting reactions to stand-up routines, photograph captions and other comedy bits.

Comedians Elizabeth Beckwith, Bobby Collins, Jeff Dunham, John Mendoza and Rick Overton will participate -- as will magician Lance Burton and ventriloquist Ronn Lucas, set to engage in a showbiz-trivia showdown as celebrity contestants.

The half-hour show launches in June on the Game Show Network, according to Terry Danuser, talent executive for "National Lampoon's Funny Money."

Tapings will take place at 1:30, 3:45, 5:05 and 6:45 p.m. today and 11:30 a.m., 1:45, 3:05 and 4:45 p.m. Tuesday. Free tickets are available at Harrah's Carnaval Court Box Office on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Travel Channel, meanwhile, returns to one of its favorite destinations today for "Casino Road Trip," part of an ongoing "Road Trip" series.

Today's stops include The Venetian, the Palms, the Hard Rock, driving shots of the Strip and, of course, an obligatory drive-by of the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, notes location scout Susan Simone of Las Vegas-based Spotty Dog Productions.

And Chicago-based Bellevue Entertainment continues work on its Bravo documentary, tentatively titled "Las Vegas Live," which focuses on the legendary performers and venues that have made Glitter City an entertainment mecca.

A two-week shoot began Friday at the Suncoast, where veteran headliner Debbie Reynolds shared her memories of performing here, according to executive producer Janet Russo.

This week's itinerary includes visits to the historic Flamingo, Circus Circus and Caesars Palace (the Strip's first themed hotels), Blue Man Group at the Luxor, the MGM Grand's "La Femme," the Secret Garden of Siegfried and Roy at The Mirage and "Lord of the Dance" at The Venetian.

Scheduled interviews feature, among others, longtime Stardust spokesman Jim Seagrave and Frank Lieberman, publicist for Siegfried and Roy, Russo adds.

Production continues on "Las Vegas Live" this week and next; a second location trek is planned in late May.

Speaking of the future, two upcoming Vegas-based projects plan casting calls this weekend.

The Hungarian feature "Getno," a black comedy about a Hungarian immigrant family in Las Vegas from filmmaker Andras Salamon (whose credits include the award-winning "Close to Love") plans a four-week shoot here starting in mid-May.

Casting director Pam Gilles will be here this weekend auditioning nonunion actors -- willing to work for copy, credit and meals only -- for supporting roles that range from a hip young black person to a millionaire plastic surgeon who left Hungary in 1956. Other roles available include a shady lawyer, a property manager, a nurse, casino dealers, maids and others.

If you're interested, call Gilles at (818) 501-3095 to schedule an appointment; in the meantime, send head shots and resumés to Pam Gilles Casting, 4645 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 202, Sherman Oaks, Calif. 91403.

More information on "Getno" is available online at www.filmplus.hu.

Co-producer Blaine Cline, who's currently in Las Vegas overseeing pre-production, also needs Las Vegas-based crew. (Unlike the actors, crew members will get paid -- but not much, Cline cautions.) If you're interested, fax your resumé to him at 836-3661.

And "Atomic City" -- a retro fantasy about a '60s "Jetsons"-style Las Vegas from local effects whiz Markus Rothkranz -- will hold open auditions for a leading lady from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday at 7700 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 6. (That's located across from the Belz outlet mall.)

"Atomic City" producers are looking for "the most awesome babe to walk the planet," to quote their casting notice, "age 20-30, blonde, at least 5-foot-5, with a body that would melt glass." Oh, yes, one more thing: "Acting ability a must!"

The pilot is expected to roll in June; you can find more details at www.atomiccity.tv.

And, concluding this week's previews of coming attractions, the NBC reality series "Race to the Altar" begins an eight-episode shoot next week, headquartered at The Venetian. Tune in to next week's Shooting Stars for more details.