MIKE WEATHERFORD:
Society of Seven is back with a stint at the Flamingo
You can't keep a Society of Seven down. The venerable Hawaiian show band returns to the Strip on Aug. 16 with an afternoon show at the Flamingo Las Vegas.
The group again shares billing with Lani Misalucha, the Filipina pop singer recruited to add some sex -- and youth -- appeal to the ticket for its afternoon show at Bally's last year. When that contract ran out, Harrah's Entertainment gave the berth to a live version of "The Price Is Right."
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But now the same parent company is bringing the group back for five 3 p.m. shows per week, to share the Flamingo's main showroom with Toni Braxton and George Wallace. Considering Harrah's also plans to sign Wayne Newton to the Harrah's Las Vegas showroom for at least half of next year, it looks like the company may be addressing the near-extinction of entertainment attractions for older patrons.
Harrah's previously opted not to renew contracts with two other classic nightclub-style acts: The Scintas and Clint Holmes. Both those acts were signed with a financial guarantee from the company, while the Society is independently financed by the Rosy Cheeks Entertainment Group headed by Mendrei Leelin, whose family operates the Goldilocks Bakeshop chain.
Society is headed by Tony Ruivivar, who has performed with co-star Bert Sagum for 38 years. "We figured if we're still having fun, we're still gonna do it," Ruivivar says.
SOS, as fans know them, weathered the sudden death of lead voice Gary Bautista, who collapsed during a performance in January and died of stroke complications soon after.
The Flamingo show introduces Las Vegan Mark Esqueta as Bautista's replacement, and new singer-drummer Vince Mendoza to replace the departed Randy Abellar. ...
Braxton gets a gigantic poster on the side of the Flamingo for the launch of her "Revealed" show today, but another R&B contralto will be on the stage this month as well.
George Wallace is sharing his stage with "Dreamgirls" star Jennifer Holliday through Sept. 2. She won both Tony and Grammy awards for her rendition of "And I'm Telling You (I'm Not Going)." ...
Oops! Just when 12-year-old harmonica whiz LD Miller is getting network TV exposure on "America's Got Talent," his Las Vegas show closes. Producer David Saxe pulled the plug on "Buck Wild" at the Sahara last Saturday for reasons unrelated to Miller, who will be in the finals of the NBC talent show later this month.
Saxe said Miller's family was willing to move over to "V -- The Ultimate Variety Show" at Desert Passage mall. But, he says, it's hard to change the advertising for a standing show in time to capitalize on Miller's TV fame, and the family was looking forward to spending a month in Indiana after having been away from home for a year.
Magician Nathan Burton, who performs in "V" and has his own afternoon show there, was eliminated from "Got Talent" last week. Or was he? He may perform for a fourth time Wednesday, thanks to a "wild card" episode that has been added to the contest with ever-flexible rules. ...
You'd think Cirque du Soleil would still be paying the bills from its big Beatles bash in June. But "Mystere" celebrates 6,000 performances (and 8.1 million tickets sold) at Treasure Island on Sunday with another private party and an onstage celebration at the end of the 7:30 p.m. show.
A more modest production celebrates a more modest milestone Aug. 10, when "Forever Plaid" marks 500 performances at the Gold Coast. It's the musical people tend to leave out of the trend stories on whether musical theater can flourish here. ...
Luxor has confirmed a list of headliner acts that will mark time in the big theater until year's end, when it's rumored Cirque du Soleil will move in to collaborate with magician Criss Angel.
The return of Liza Minnelli Oct. 12-14 is the most newsworthy name on a schedule mostly filled out with frequent visitors to the Strip and locals-oriented casinos. But the bookings do put some star names back on the Strip just as the Stardust's showroom winds down to a November closing.
The schedule: Drew Carey & The Improv All Stars, Aug.17-20; Heart, Sept. 2-3; Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Sept. 15-16; Earth Wind & Fire, Sept. 21-23; Jim Belushi & The Sacred Hearts, Sept. 29-30; The Beach Boys, Oct. 20-21 and Dec. 25-31; LeAnn Rimes, Oct. 27-28; Olivia Newton-John, Nov. 16-18 and Styx, Dec. 1-2.
