The Aladdin isn't ready to own up to a Motley Crue residency, but the "Girls, Girls, Girls" guys would at least be a welcome addition for two erotic-themed shows at the adjacent Desert Passage mall.

Aladdin spokeswoman Amy Sadowsky said the Crue is "on the short list" of contenders for a residency in a new venue just now under construction, one that would be operated by Clear Channel Entertainment. But she said Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke's Monday report of a 40-week contract with the '80s glam-metalists "made it sound like a done deal, and it's not."

"I hope we can last that long," producer John Stagliano says of "The Fashionistas," his labor of love at the Krave nightclub.

The director better known for his porn videos says "The Fashionistas" continues to lose money, but audience response is so strong he can't bring himself to close the show "as long as the people who do come are really enjoying it, and I can somehow afford to keep it going."

Stagliano is negotiating for a venue in London. If that comes to pass early next year, he will either have two companies or move the Las Vegas cast there. In the meantime, he keeps changing and investing in the stage show, a nontopless story told in dance, adapted from his hard-core movie of the same name.

"The content on the video screens has been changed to make the story a little easier to follow," Stagliano reports, and he invested another $25,000 for the aerialists who perform amid the audience.

Nearby at the V Theatre, "X" producer Angela Sampras reports she has made a lot of changes after buying out co-producer Bobby Bolling. The near-topless revue -- like "The Fashionistas," the show is not licensed for adult entertainment because it's not covered by the Aladdin's casino license -- now features live singing, magic, gymnastics and a bungee cord number. ...

The fact that "X" is the rare Las Vegas revue with a twin company in Reno reminds us not everything there is shared with the Strip. Good word has filtered down about "I Can't Stop Loving You -- The Music of Ray Charles," playing at the Eldorado. The show is produced by David King, who cultivated a strong relationship with the Golden Nugget with his "Spirit of the Dance" there from mid-2002 through mid-2004. With both the Nugget and Plaza downtown looking for new shows, it might be a contender.

The Charles revue is not an impersonator vehicle, but a "Smokey Joe's Cafe"-type revue with an ensemble cast and the 12-piece Ron Metcalf Orchestra. A similar attempt to create a Stevie Wonder ensemble revue had a brief run at The Venetian in 2002. ...

"I'm a 'New Wal-Mart Artist,' " says local TV host Tony Sacca, talking about a deal with the chain that moved 9,000 of his CDs and DVDs. The CD single includes his signature song, "Las Vegas the Greatest Town Around," while the three DVDS each contain 10 segments from his TV show "Entertainment Las Vegas Style."

The discs were to be delivered to Wal-Mart warehouses this week, and should show up in stores within a month. Sacca also reports he is working with Steven Seagal to help him find a Las Vegas venue to showcase his singing. ...

"The World's Greatest Magic Show" at the Greek Isles earned a batch of honors from an organization that, if nothing else, generates advertising along the Strip.

The Academy of Magical Arts named "Greatest" the Show of the Year for 2005 and honored three of the acts performing in the show: Host Paul Kozak for Entertainer of the Year, The Majestix for Illusionists of the Year and Kevin James for Most Original Magician.

The awards are determined by founder Tony Hassini. It's the same organization responsible for Siegfried & Roy's ubiquitous "Magicians of the Century" title. "It gives these people some promotional material but among magicians we do take (the designations) for granted," says John Moehring of the Las Vegas-based MAGIC magazine. "Eventually everyone will get one because they will run out of people."

The Academy of Magical Arts, affiliated with the Magic Castle nightclub in Hollywood, is considered more prestigious by working magicians. That group named singing illusionist Darren Romeo its Magician of the Year in March, but honored James for contributions to the field. Romeo's Siegfried & Roy-produced show is in Branson, Mo.

Mike Weatherford's entertainment column appears Thursdays and Sundays.