Deal awaits for new arena’s opening night

With inaugural weekend just 16 months away for MGM Resorts/AEG’s arena on the Strip, it won’t be long before a deal is sealed for opening night.

In the ultracompetitive world of entertainment booking, big events gets nailed down well in advance.

Especially when the deal involves the prestigious honor of being the debut act for the biggest indoor venue ever built in Las Vegas.

During a site tour of the $350 million, 20,000-seat arena on Thursday, I asked if there’s been a flurry of interest from potential opening-night candidates.

“That would be a true statement,” said Scott Ghertner, director of PR, entertainment and sports for MGM Resort International.

Other than divulging that the arena is scheduled to open in April 2016, company reps are keeping details about the inaugural weekend close to the vest.

“No new news on anything related to opening,” said Jenn Michaels, senior vice president of public relations for MGM Resorts International, in an email.

For perspective, I put in a call to veteran talent agent Larry Rudolph, who reps Aerosmith, Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus.

The inaugural act would probably be booked by nine months out,” he said, and it probably would be “a big heritage act.

“It would be someone iconic, like U2, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen or Aerosmith,” said Rudolph. All have long ties to the MGM Grand Garden arena, which seats about 13,000.

“They’re not going to book someone with a potential shelf life problem,” Rudolph added. “They’re not going to be worried about someone’s potency or relevancy.”

Rudolph said the new arena is a game-changer.

“It creates more options. It’s about scale,” he said. “There are not a whole lot of acts that can sell out the Grand Garden arena.”

The No. 1 opening-night candidate, in the minds of many, would be a scenario in which an unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr., would attempt to achieve a 50th victory. That would surpass the iconic 49-0 mark by the late Rocky Marciano.

If Mayweather wins the remaining two fights in his six-fight Showtime deal, he would be 49-0.

For some time he had hinted that his career would end there, but last July he told the media, “If the price is right for No. 50, it’s possible.”

SCENE AND HEARD

KMXB-radio, 94.1 FM, morning show host Mark DiCiero announced Thursday on his Facebook page that he is leaving the top-rated “Mark & Mercedes in the Morning” show after 18 years. DiCiero and Mercedes Martinez teamed up in Denver in the mid-1990s before moving here. His replacement, starting Jan. 5, will be JC Fernandez, the show’s veteran executive producer, Martinez confirmed via text message. …

Felice Garcia, who stars as Dyanne in “Million Dollar Quartet” at Harrah’s, has signed her first record deal. The plan is to do full-length debut album in 2015 with Pacific Records, it was announced Thursday. …

Calling all poets: First Friday Poetry returns after a nine-year hiatus on Jan. 2, from 5-11 p.m., on Colorado, between Third Street and Casino Center Boulevard. Lee Mallory and Lana Hanson will be co-hosting. …

Pianist extraordinaire Liberace is returning to a Las Vegas stage as a hologram. Hologram USA has announced a partnership with the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts to produce a full-scale, long-running hologram show featuring the Las Vegas icon. The show will be in major Las Vegas venue, according to the news release.

SIGHTINGS

Siegfried & Roy, hosting about 140 kids from the downtown boys and girls clubs on Thursday at Opportunity Village’s Magical Forest. … Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, dining with friends at Carson Kitchen on Thursday. … Jaclyn Schultz and fiancé Jon Misch, runners-up on Wednesday’s season finale of “Survivor: San Juan del Sur – Blood vs Water,” held a meet and greet at The D’s Longbar on Thursday. … UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin, with his daughter at MTO Café at Downtown Summerlin on Tuesday. After dinner, they ordered a truffle meatloaf to go. … Actor Don Cheadle, celebrating poker star Antonio Esfandiari’s 36th birthday on Saturday at Marquee (Cosmopolitan). They were with poker champ Daniel Negreanu.

THE PUNCH LINE

“President Obama announced that he’s going to reopen diplomatic relations with Cuba. He wants to act before Seth Rogen makes a movie about Castro.” — Conan O’Brian

Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more at normclarke.com. Follow @Norm_Clarke on Twitter.