Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: MIKE WEATHERFORD

Sulich sees silver lining in move

After spending almost 40 years in Las Vegas, Vassili Sulich says moving away doesn't mean he's burning his bridges here.

"I tell people that I have so many friends here, I have more rooms to stay in than the MGM Grand Hotel," he says.

Sulich created the Nevada Dance Theatre (now Nevada Ballet Theatre) in 1972, and served as its artistic director until 1997. This followed a colorful dance career that took the Yugoslavian from European ballet to a lead dancer role in the Tropicana's "Folies Bergere" in 1964.

Sulich says a move to Pennsylvania is necessitated by heart problems for companion Norman Caine, the dance theater's former general manager, and the need for Caine to be close his family.

But Sulich was upbeat Sunday, during a sale of some of his massive Croatian art collection to benefit the Las Vegas Philharmonic. He said he considers the move to be a motivator and a reminder that his career isn't over; he has been working as a guest choreographer in Croatia and Brazil.

The fact that his art sale helped the Philharmonic and not the ballet is no surprise to those familiar with his 1996 fallout with the ballet and its chairwoman, Nancy Houssels.

There are two sides to every story, but the ballet does seem guilty of some "1984"-style revisionism in virtually removing Sulich's name from its written history.

Add that to his longtime frustrations about Las Vegas' general apathy for the fine arts, and Sulich sounds more and more sincere about his fresh start. For those who haven't yet wished him well, he's in town the rest of the week. ...

A real star will join "KLUC's Superstar" showcase Sunday. The local version of "American Idol" will include a guest performance by 16-year-old singer Lalaine, better known by your "tweener" as Miranda on the Disney Channel's "Lizzie McGuire." The all-ages event is 8 p.m. Sunday at the Hard Rock Hotel. Advance tickets are $9.85. ...

Last summer, the Review-Journal entertainment pages informed you of what turned out to be premature plans for a "Baywatch" re-theming of the Flamingo's pool area.

Producers pulled the plug on an outdoor dinner show on the eve of its opening last August. Park Place officials say the producers never came through with the money to carry on the plan this summer.

Now comes a District Court lawsuit against project developers BLFV Inc., EWM Investments and individual defendants including Michael Berk, the original TV show's co-creator and producer.

The suit filed by Mindmeld Media, Inc., and Sid Bailey's Bailey Entertainment on behalf of Brand Equity Entertainment, alleges corporate misrepresentation of rights to the "Baywatch" name and logos during the financial transactions in last year's $406,000 attempt to remodel the poolside facilities.

The suit claims the defendants conspired "to seize ownership and control over certain intangible rights to 'Baywatch' merchandise and marketing rights." ...

Downtown trouper Robbie Howard is already chief cook and bottle washer for "Stars of the Strip," his afternoon show at the Plaza. His grip on Fremont Street tightens Friday when "Jump, Jive an' Wail" reopens the Aloha Cabaret at the Fremont.

Howard's singing impressions will anchor a trio in the Friday-Sunday shows at 8 and 9:30 p.m. It's one of those "free for the price of a $5.95 drink" promotions.

The Fremont remodeled and opened the room last summer, but the first two shows there didn't last long.

Howard says he will keep performing at the Plaza Tuesdays through Thursdays, but will replace himself with different acts, such as magicians Victor & Diamond, Fridays and Saturdays.

Another veteran of the downtown scene, magician Arian Black, hints at bigger things to come this fall. Black's afternoon "Secrets" revue recently closed shop at Fitzgerald's.

She says she's hoping to be back in September as part of a larger show at another property, one that's "more of a revue centering around me as a major character."

"It's me being part of an ensemble where I get to be the feature person, which I think is achievable for me," she says. ...

Despite the fact that Slaughter manager-bassist Dana Strum organizes the annual "Rock Never Stops" tour of '80s pop-metal, the tour doesn't always stop in Slaughter's hometown of Las Vegas.

There are a variety of reasons for this, including the fact that hot summers here don't make the tour an easy fit on the "shed" circuit of outdoor amphitheaters that usually hosts it.

But this year, the tour is penciled in for a July 26 date at the Orleans Arena. Whitesnake headlines the bill, which also includes Warrant and Kip Winger. At one point Great White planned to be on board too, until the tragic nightclub fire in Rhode Island that killed nearly 100 people in February.

Mike Weatherford's column appears Sundays and Tuesdays.COMING WEDNESDAY