‘Absinthe’ producer courts Strip headliner for Green Fairy role
We might have a (green) fairy tale in the offing on the Las Vegas Strip
Spiegelworld founder Ross Mollison is performing some casting acrobatics with his signature show on the Strip. The self-propelled “impresario extraordinaire” has offered Katy Perry a shot in “Absinthe.”
Mollison is opening a spot for Perry to perform as the Green Fairy in any single performance at the Spiegeltent at Caesars Palace. This would be a one-off, unbilled performance timed with Perry’s “Play” residency at the Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas.
It’s also the first time that “Absinthe,” an unqualified hit for a decade, would feature celebrity as a cast member. Neil Patrick Harris has worked with the high-wire team outside of the actual performance; Channing Tatum is among the stars who have taken part in the lap-dance segment of the show.
Mollison was hit with this epiphany Saturday afternoon. The producer quickly contacted Resorts World President and CEO Scott Sibella to ignite the conversation. No word back from the exec or Perry’s reps on this opportunity. If it does happen, it can only be viewed as a monumental civic moment. The fact that Perry would wipe out the place as the Green Fairy is a given. She could even sing “Waking Up in Vegas” to kick it off.
The Perry proposal brings to mind the moment years ago when Mollison asked if Jerry Lewis would want to slip into a Gazillionaire tux and appear onstage with the actual Gaz. I asked Lewis about this, after we saw the show in November 2015. The entertainment legend answered, “I’d rather be with the hoofers.” Referring to the twin tap team of Sean and John Scott, whom he loved.
Adele opens up
Ticketmaster made a quiet move that might speak volumes in the Adele saga at Caesars Palace. The primary and official ticket outlet for “Weekends With Adele” has extended its ticket-refund deadline. Originally, the offer was to expire Saturday.
Simply, Ticketmaster has notified anyone who booked Adele tickets through its Verified Fan process that the company is extending the refund window until her new dates are announced. The plan is to set a new deadline for refunds after she announced her new dates.
This means there is confidence within Ticketmaster, along with production partners Caesars Entertainment and Live Nation, that Adele will follow through on her plans to reset the residency this year. We expect her to return 24 dates. We see a wide window in July, August and September, up to Rod Stewart’s return Sept. 23, for an Adele series. There are enough open slots for “Weekends” to perform an unbroken run.
Adam at it
Someone experienced in Strip residencies is supporting Adele’s decision to pull her shows from the calendar. Adam Lambert, who stormed through Park Theater (now Dolby Live) with Queen, is quoted in the tabloid U.K. Sun, “Any artist who has toured understands that sometimes certain things are out of your control. She accidentally got into a situation where the show just wasn’t ready.”
Lambert invoked the fans’ expectations, even as the cancellation has been an inconvenience to thousands of fans. “I feel, as I’m sure Adele does, that the fans and their experience is what the show is for. If the artist is not comfortable with what they are putting out on stage then that affects what the audience gets as well. Especially as a solo artist, because it’s all about that person.”
Lambert is confident an Adele show, even reassembled, will perform in Las Vegas. “It has to be right, or else it is not going to be what the audience deserves. I’m sure she is doing her best to get it back on track, and everyone will see a great show.”
Cedric to park it
Cedric the Entertainer is headlining Vegas the first week in March. But it’s not on the Strip. Not even in the neighborhood.
But Cedric has found a beautiful (and previously under-utilized) venue in North Las Vegas. It’s The Amp at Craig Ranch Regional Park. The headlining stand-up and comic actor plays the amphitheater at 8 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.) March 5, with Tony Rock, who played Uncle Ryan on “Everybody Hates Chris,” as special guest.
We experienced The Amp, which can seat up to 8,000, about two years ago. Frankie Moreno played a series of closed, live-stream shows from the venue, with the city of North Las Vegas scheduling the series in a partnership with Gibson Guitars.
The Amp is now booked by JABM Enterprises, formed in 2020 headed up by CEO Jayson Sawyer, a former software sales exec out of San Jose. The company was formed in 2020, and also books The Midway in San Francisco.
Cedric is the first headliner in a series of JABM events. The comic star has been a well-known figure in pop culture for nearly 30 years. He hosted “ComicView” on BET from 1993-‘94, and was in the “Def Comedy Jam” lineup in 1995. Cedric was also cast in “The Steve Harvey Show” on The WB, was one of “The Original Kings of Comedy,” and blew up the feature film and series “Barbershop” as Eddie Walker.
Further out, the headliners booked The Amp include indie rock band Lord Huron on May 17, and multi-instrumental, multi-genre Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals on May 26. Already, we appreciate the versatility at Craig Ranch. This place has potential.
VegasVille rewind
Linda and Sam Thompson, key individuals in Elvis Presley’s legacy in Las Vegas and across the country, were at “An Evening with Whitney Houston: The Hologram Concert” at Harrah’s Showroom on Thursday night. Linda was Elvis’ girlfriend in the early 1970s. Sam was a member of Elvis’ security detail at Las Vegas Hilton, and also on the road, from 1972-76.
Linda Thompson posted on Instagram about the quick trip to the Strip. She also reminded of an episode about a decade ago, when all of us judged the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition at the Fremont Street Experience. The contest involved about 20 ETAs. After the first night, Linda and Sam wanted to gamble at the D Las Vegas, which had just opened. I’d had enough FSE (and ETAs, actually) for one night and passed.
The next night, Linda and Sam were both seated in their judging chairs, beaming for no apparent reason.
“You should have come with us,” Linda said. She then said the siblings had won four jackpots within an hour on a pair of Flaming 7s slot machines. The total payout was $4,000. The champion of that year’s Elvis event won $2,500.
“They had a guy come down and check the machines, make sure they weren’t malfunctioning,” Sam said. “It was wild.”
Duck!
Adam London’s “Laughternoon” family magic show show has finally restarted at The Venue at The Orleans. London had shut down his residency when the D Las Vegas closed its showroom in March 2020. He’s onstage, packing the rubber duckies, at 4 p.m. through Monday, then settles into a 4 p.m. Thursdays-through-Sundays schedule.
The Venue is a new performance space, just across from the Orleans buffet. Two rooms are planned, one is open now, which seats 250 total and 175 for the “Marriage Can Be Murder” dinner show, another casualty of the D that has also reopened at the Orleans. The smaller of the two showrooms seats 100. That’s where London will eventually headline.
The Venue will also present one-off headliners, with the band Cowboy Mouth on May 20. Still to be announced are plans for “Friends! The Musical Parody,” which is also a show in John and Shannon Bentham’s Ivory Star Productions roster. There is a Venue, by that name, open for that show, too.
Great Moments in Social Media
A wedding proposal at “Absinthe” last week is now up on the @Spiegelworld Instagram account. It’s “Absinthe,” so some salty language. It’s wild, and judging from Gaz’s response, a total surprise (inside reference, Gaz is a neighbor).
Cool Hang Alert
The last, great Cool Hang pre-pandemic was in March 2020, at Copa Room at Tuscany Suites, just before everything shut down. It was my annual birthday party/lounge hang/charity show hosted by Kenny Davidsen. We are back at it again, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.) for the annual “Kats Cool Hang Birthday Spectacular,” a name I just made up. This year’s theme is “Life In The Fast Lane,” music loosely tied to all forms of transportation (and a sorta tribute to my ‘67 Mercury Cougar). It’s the first open show in the Copa Room, aside from “The Rat Pack is Back,” in two years.
The full list of singers is still being assembled. But so far we have multiple “Legendary Divas,” a Bronx Wanderer, a Zombie, a Zowie, a legendary boxing broadcaster-singer, a popular vocalist-clothing designer, a sometime Janis Joplin, a couple of redheaded flamethrowers, a bald belter and a once-in-a-while Donald Trump.
It’s a wide-open, vintage Vegas-inspired lounge hang, no reservations, no assigned seating, no cover. But we are setting up donations to St. Baldrick’s Foundation, ‘cuz I’m doing the head-shaving thing in March, too. We’ll keep you posted, promise.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
