SHOOTING STARS: ‘Deal’ still wheeling at Tropicana
As the year winds down, so does the production schedule for CBS’ “Let’s Make a Deal,” which will take a brief holiday break — following two-a-day tapings Thursday through Sunday at the Tropicana Pavilion. (Audience call times on taping days are 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.)
By the time the game show revival wraps its 2009 schedule Dec. 30, more than a hundred hourlong shows will be in the books, notes executive producer Mike Richards.
And they’ve confirmed what production officials hoped: that Las Vegas would be an ideal location.
In addition to making things easier for the show’s host, Venetian headliner Wayne Brady, “a lot of TV shows tape in L.A.,” Richards says. “We thought it would be a good opportunity to get a cross-section of the country.”
So far, so good, he adds, expressing a bit of surprise — and more than a bit of delight — that both locals and visitors have displayed great imagination in coming up with costumes for the show.
“Whether they’re on vacation from Cincinnati or driving in from Henderson, people are all decked out,” Richards says. (Sometimes literally: The show’s Vegas base has inspired audience members to dress as decks of cards, poker chips and other gambling-related staples, although Richards’ favorite costume so far may be the guy who came as a “one-night stand,” complete with night stand.)
Locals account for about 60 percent of the show’s audience, Richards estimates, but visitors definitely get into the spirit when they’re in the audience.
“Vegas has its own very strong identity,” he says. “People are visiting here to have fun, let loose and be wild.” As a result, “they’re more relaxed and more excitable” than at home, and “more apt to go crazy” when they win a big deal. (One of Richards’ recent favorites: a local who “was riding the bus to work,” decided to attend the show — and “walked out with a car.”)
If you’d like to get into the act, call the Tropicana at (800) 706-8767 for free tickets — or go online to www.cbs.com/daytime/lets_make_a_deal and click on “Online Ticketing,” where tickets are available through January.
Battle zone: As the home of the UFC and “Ultimate Fighter,” Las Vegas plays a prominent role in the mixed martial arts world.
Which explains why the MMA feature “The Red Canvas” begins a six-day location stint Wednesday, with Ernie Reyes, Ving Rhames and John Savage leading the cast.
Locations range from the Strip to the desert, with a gym and a residential estate in the mix, according to producer Ken Chamitoff.
Las Vegas emerges as a major player in the production, he notes.
After all, “it’s an MMA fight movie and Vegas is where it all goes down.”
A theatrical release is planned, he add, “hopefully in spring.”
Bittersweet song: The documentary “American Passages” visits this week to capture background footage — and auditioning cabaret singers for the project’s return next year.
The documentary focuses on “the rise, fall — and rise of Las Vegas,” and the “hopes and dreams” of locals, according to Karen Annarino, one of the project’s U.S. producers. “We want to emphasize the positive.”
It’s inspired by composer Kurt Weill’s satirical “The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny,” a sardonic study of capitalism and corruption. (You probably know its “Alabama Song,” which was recorded by the Doors and includes the lyrics “Oh show me the way to the next whiskey bar ... ”)
Las Vegas was chosen as a setting because Vienna-based director Ruth Beckermann sees parallels between Las Vegas and the fictional Mahagonny, Annarino explains. Singers chosen for “American Passages” will perform Weill’s score in the desert as part of the project.
Auditions will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at downtown’s Beauty Bar. (If you’re interested, bring your own sheet music; a pianist will be provided.)
“Pawn” goes on: History’s hit reality series “Pawn Stars” ends production for 2009 following this week’s shoot and will return in January, reports Brent Montgomery, who owns the show’s production company, New York-based Leftfield Pictures.
