The towering ‘Sharknado’? Stratosphere might land a role
Tourists at the Stratosphere will be swimming with the fishes this year.
Word has it “Sharknado 4,” the latest installment of the cult TV series, will be part of the Stratosphere’s 20-year anniversary celebration, which starts April 30.
Reps for the Stratosphere hotel-casino aren’t ready to make it official, but it’s a done deal.
The latest edition comes out in July. The original “Sharknado,” panned by critics when it came out on SyFy on July 11, 2013, became a pop culture sensation after blowing up on social media
The premise: A hurricane from Mexico spawned water spouts so strong that it rains sharks on Los Angeles.
It starred past-her-prime Tara Reid and “Beverly Hills 90210” star Ian Ziering. His character provides the ultimate in campy heroics when he dives into a shark’s mouth with a chain saw.
“Sharknado 2: The Second One” was released in 2014, followed by “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!”
Director Anthony C. Ferrante may have tipped his hand last summer when he told Variety: “There are still U.S. cities that I want to destroy.”
Sounds like the Stratosphere might end up as towering morsel for a supershark.
Nevada Stupak, the only son of Stratosphere founder and visionary Bob Stupak, has a hunch his father would approve.
“To take a page out of dad’s book, ‘any publicity is good publicity,’ and anything that brings awareness to the entertainment options Las Vegas and especially the City of Las Vegas has to offer is good in my book,” the son said in an email when told of the development.
His father, one of the character’s legendary characters, died Sept. 25, 2009, at the age of 67.
The scene and heard
Kelly Clinton performs “Strings Attached” tonight at Ron DeCar’s Event Center, 1201 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Clinton, who is preparing to go to Oneonta, N.Y., to perform March 12 with the Catskills Symphony Orchestra, will be accompanied by musical director Mariano Longo. “Strings Attached” starts at 7. …
Edith Piaf tribute artist Naomi Emmerson brings her off-Broadway show “Piaf – Love Conquers All” to the Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 McLeod Drive tonight and Saturday.
NASCAR legend Richard Petty will be at The Cosmopolitan’s sports book today from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
On this day
March 4, 1961: Gene Fullmer wins a 15-round decision over “Sugar” Ray Robinson at the Las Vegas Convention Center to keep his National Boxing Association middleweight title. It was the fourth and final bout in their storied rivalry and the 40-year-old Robinson’s last shot at a title.
March 5, 1991: Wayne Newton posts $13,000 bail for former “Diff’rent Strokes” star Dana Plato. Down on her luck and living in Las Vegas, she had been arrested five days earlier for robbing a video store of $164 using a pellet gun. Her downward spiral ends in a drug overdose in 1999.
Sightings
Romania’s Simona Halep, training in Red Rock Country Club with coach Darren Cahill, one of Andre Agassi’s former coaches. Halep is ranked No. 5 in the world. Halep and Cahill had dinner Wednesday at Crush in the MGM Grand. … UFC boss Dana White, with 25 contestants of the new season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” including No. 1-ranked strawweight Joanna Jedrzejczyk on Wednesday night. At another table: Andrew Firestone, heir of Firestone Tire family. He was the winner of the third season of “The Bachelor” in 2003.
The punch line
“Americans in 13 states voted in Super Tuesday. Making today ‘My God, what have we done?’ Wednesday.” — Stephen Colbert
Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. On Twitter: @Norm_Clarke
