Monday, February 23, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

SHOOTING STARS: 'Last Comic Standing' returns for tapings at Paris Las Vegas

Want to sit down for stand-up?

Now's your chance, thanks to the return of "Last Comic Standing."

The NBC prime-time talent challenge returns to Paris Las Vegas' Le Theatre des Arts Thursday.

Starting today, however, free tickets are available for the show.

Comedian Jay Mohr returns as producer -- and host -- of the laugh-off, which will determine who among the 20 competing comics will earn the chance to share a house and vie for an NBC contract, along with the "Last Comic Standing" title.

If you're interesting in attending the three- to four-hour taping, tickets are available by telephone (946-4567) or in person at the Paris Las Vegas box office, which is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (There's a four-ticket maximum per reservation; no one under 18 will be admitted.)

Doors open at 5 p.m. Thursday for ticket-holders, who must be seated by 6 p.m. In addition, a stand-by line for those without tickets forms at 5 p.m., but seating is not guaranteed without a ticket. Cameras roll at 6:15 p.m.

Elsewhere on the small-screen front, Las Vegas' PBS affiliate, KLVX-TV, Channel 10, delves into Nevada history for the documentary "Island Mountain," which explores the plight of Chinese miners in the Silver State in the 1890s.

The project will shoot Tuesday at Bonnie Springs Old Nevada, taking advantage of the mock 19th-century frontier town at the attraction.

After all, "they have the set basically built," notes coordinating producer Mike McCartney.

The real Island Mountain is located in north central Nevada -- and the hourlong documentary will follow one particular miner and his relationship with his boss. Reginald LaFrance serves as producer and director.

Like "Daughter of Taiwan," another KLVX documentary, "Island Mountain" will be offered to other PBS stations following its local run, which is expected in May, McCartney reports.

KLVX also is producing another documentary, the five-part "Dancin' Nevada," which will trace the history of dance in the Silver State, from ballet to ballroom.

Last week the production captured the Nevada Ballet Theatre in action, rehearsing "A Streetcar Named Desire." Other participants include such showroom headliners as Ben Vereen, Debbie Reynolds and the late Donald O'Connor, McCartney notes.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, the Food Network's "Food 911" hits town for three episodes this week.

Now in its fifth season, the series devoted to cooking problems will visit various valley abodes Tuesday through Friday, according to producer Audrey Bellezza of Connecticut-based Stone House Productions.

"We get a lot of e-mails" from the Las Vegas area, she explains, and those e-mails prompted the Las Vegas trip, which is part of this season's cross-country focus. (So far, the show has visited Miami, Phoenix, Dallas and Austin, Texas; after Las Vegas, "Food 911" goes California dreamin' in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.)

Although "we try to show the area we're coming from" -- including some sparkling Strip vistas -- "Food 911," featuring chef Tyler Florence, concentrates on the cooking.

The three half-hour shows -- two in Las Vegas, one in Henderson -- will focus on soul food, grilling (under the title "Grill Meets Grill") and a Christmas special. (We've all heard of Christmas in July, but Christmas in February?)

Elsewhere on the cable dial, Court TV's "Safety Challenge" brings its undercover cameras to Las Vegas Tuesday through Thursday to shoot scenes for an hourlong show designed to "provide the public with advice on how to protect themselves from various con men and fraudsters," according to a production official for Los Angeles-based Digital Ranch, which is producing the show.

The three-day shoot will take the show from the Strip to Henderson. The show will visit several other U.S. locations before its end-of-April telecast.

Speaking of Henderson, Green Valley Ranch remains in the "American Casino" spotlight as the Discovery Channel's unscripted reality series keeps on rolling there. Fox's reality series "The Casino," meanwhile, heads into its fourth week of production at downtown's Golden Nugget.

Also continuing Las Vegas location stints this week: the Travel Channel's "The Once and Future City," from Australia's Beyond Productions; and "As We Knew It: The Story of Classic Las Vegas," which wraps up a third round of interviews Friday.

Producer Lynn Zook says the multipart project will be released on DVD next year to coincide with Las Vegas' centennial celebration.

So far, crews have captured more than 60 hours of interviews; the documentary also will feature home movies, archival footage and memorabilia.

"For a town that has a reputation for not hanging onto its past, people have been great" about collecting pieces of Las Vegas' history, Zook notes. (If you have items that might provide additional insight into Glitter City's glittering past, you can contact Zook by e-mailing lynn@asweknewit.com.)

Shifting to the big screen, the future feature "Johnny Tacco: The Rising Star" hits Las Vegas today and Tuesday to film scenes for a promotional short designed to showcase the project to prospective financial backers.

The scenes showcase the title character, a struggling lounge singer longing to revive the days of Keeley Smith, Louis Prima and other Vegas lounge legends, according to writer-director Mark Mardini.

"I grew up in Las Vegas and I wanted to make a film that showed Vegas in a positive light," Mardini explains.

Locations range from an Imperial Palace craps table to Strip exteriors. Sean Whalen ("Never Been Kissed") plays the title role, while Hedy Burress (TV's "First Monday") and comedian Sandy Hackett round out the starring cast. Another funny guy, Tom Arnold, has signed on as executive producer, while Stephen Fromkin serves as producer.