People take vacations in the summer but you don't often think about extended breaks for theaters.

The Aladdin's 7,000-seat theater will go dormant for about three months after the touring production of "Cats" today through Sunday. Casino officials hope to reopen it in November.

Hotel spokeswoman Amy Sadowsky says the theater -- the only part of the original 1970s Aladdin to survive the implosion and rebuilding process -- will get a makeover of the lobby and an improved means of curtaining down the seating capacity for shows that don't require the full configuration.

Both the big theater and a new 1,500-seater under construction on the second floor of the casino are a joint venture with Base Entertainment, a spinoff of Clear Channel Entertainment that's also producing "Phantom -- The Las Vegas Spectacular" and the upcoming Gordie Brown show at The Venetian.

Meanwhile, the next-door Paris Las Vegas is about finished with physical renovations for "The Producers." Now all it needs is a cast and director.

Trying to coordinate the schedules of Mel Brooks, director Susan Stroman and any number of potential stars is "like trying to push Saturn next to Pluto," says associate producer David Caldwell.

The show originally penciled in for around Labor Day may not open until early November, Caldwell says. He acknowledges the delay plays right into the hands of rumor-mongers who gossip that the show will disappear after "Hairspray" and "Avenue Q" closed.

"It's moving ahead with speed and dedication," Caldwell counters. It's just an issue of matching up cast and creative schedules. Brooks and Stroman also are adapting "Young Frankenstein" for Broadway, he points out.

And then there's Luxor, which may have some weekend headliners in lieu of a major announcement that's expected to involve magician Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil.

Finally, don't look for any outdoor shows at the Silverton for a year. An Asleep at the Wheel concert on Aug. 11 has been canceled, giving the casino an early start on pool area renovations that will put it more in line with Mandalay Bay and its outdoor stage. ...

Engelbert Humperdinck's stint at The Orleans last weekend will be his last for the year; return dates in September and November have been scrapped amid rumors the singer discovered he wasn't getting as large a guarantee as some of the other performers working the property.

Roy Jernigan, who books entertainment for Coast Casinos, says he was told by management the crooner was "tired of working in Las Vegas."

A spokesman for the singer modified that to say Humperdinck wants to finish a concept album he's recording in England and is interested in coming back to the city next year.

Humperdinck has played Las Vegas three times in 2006, the same number of times he played the city during the past two years, the spokesman added. ...

Saturday is the last chance to see the topless revue "Buck Wild" at the Sahara. Producer David Saxe says if the country-themed show re-emerges in Las Vegas, "it will be a family version" with a different name.

Saxe had planned to keep it open for another week or two, but threw in the towel early in the face of dancer injuries and a dispute with Stagehands Local 720 over the time it takes to reset the stage after The Scintas, the early show Saxe also produces.

Saxe says producer Angela Sampras' "X Girls -- The Show" will leave the V Theater around Labor Day weekend to make room for "Pretty Funny Women," a stand-up showcase with guest performances by names such as Roseanne Barr and Chelsea Handler. ...

The V Theatre on Friday hosts a private showcase performance, trying to stir local interest in Ennio Marchetto, an Italian comedian who uses paper cutouts for celebrity impressions and satire of pop culture and the art world. ...

"Shag" got a haircut: Cynthia Bradley, director of "Shag With a Twist," says the dance musical has been shorn of more than 20 minutes since it first went up at Krave nightclub on July 12, as the show makes the transition from last year's Los Angeles theater setting.

Producers are now considering building free drinks into the ticket price to further encourage the proper atmosphere they're seeking for the nightclub setting. ...

Classic-Vegas buffs should know the organizer of a reunion for cast and crew members of shows at the Stardust says the Sept. 10 event is open to anyone who wants to buy a ticket.

Those with a fondness for local show history, or performers from other Las Vegas revues of the era might want in on the bash that will reunite cast members from "Lido de Paris" and "Enter the Night." It promises re-created numbers from the shows, a band from the Musicians Union, as well as vintage video and photo presentations.

Advance tickets are $115 for the event organized by Lou Anne Harrison Chessik, who danced in revues from 1979 through 1991. More information is on the Web at www.castandcrewreunion. com.

Mike Weatherford's entertainment column appears Thursdays and Sundays. Contact him at 383-0288 or e-mail him at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com.