Sting, wife hit a Strip (and strip) show

A Strip headliner has seen some headliners strip.

Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, took in the “Thunder From Down Under” male revue at Thunderland Showroom at Excalibur on Saturday night. The visit was after Sting’s show at the Colosseum.

Show reps described the couple’s visit as a late-breaking event, so Styler’s onstage performance was unbilled. She enjoyed a lap dance from cast member (and Gold Coast, Australia native) Liam Black, performed to “Pillowtalk,” by the English singer-songwriter Zayn.

But if there were ever a time do cue up “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free,” this was it.

SPI Entertainment’s Adam Steck, whose company produces “Thunder,” said he learned the couple was arriving as he was on his way to board flight to Vegas from Hawaii, where he’d been on vacation with his family.

“I had set everything up with that my team and hoped for the best, which happened,” Steck said. ” “When I landed in Vegas, I got the pictures and video while we were still on the tarmac.”

The Police co-founder joins such celebs as Britney Spears, Demi Moore, Kelly Clarkson, Shania Twain, Paris Hilton, Heidi Klum, Chrissy Teigen, Gene Simmons, Wynonna Judd, Joy Behar and Kelly Ripa to see the “Thunder” crew.

After Saturday’s show, Sting and Trudie posed for the requisite cast photo and were reportedly very friendly and happy throughout. “Thunder” will be featured in the renovation series “Flip The Strip,” premiering this summer on HGTV.

The Las Vegas male performers from Australia’s Thunder from Down Under have scored a new HGTV series titled Flip the Strip.

Sting has been to several Strip productions (upper and lowercase), including “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace, “Atomic Saloon Show” at Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, and— in a noble double-header — Carrot Top and “Fantasy” at Luxor.

“Fantasy” is the production sibling of “Thunder,” in the MGM Resorts family. Lorena Peril sang “Roxanne” that night among that show’s highlights. She’s now introducing the song by pointing to the middle of Atrium Theater and saying, “Sting was sitting right there.” But sadly, not on stage.

The Earl of Vegas

The vaunted showman Earl Turner is the rare, if not only, artist to play Colorado Belle and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

Turner headlines Myron’s on Wednesday night. He played the Colorado Belle, a jewel on the Colorado River in Laughlin, in the late-1980s. In what would be a fortuitous turn(er) of events, the great showman was booked at the Mint when that was a destination hotel-casino. But the hotel closed, just before Turner could play there.

He took the gig at Colorado Bell a couple of years later, where then-Dunes entertainment director Karen Dorsey (on a weekend getaway in Laughlin) caught his show. That led Turner to the Dunes, and to Vegas, where he has since become a city favorite. His next performance is a tribute to Barry White, Babyface and Bruno Mars. A handful of tickets remain for a show that is always handful.

Know your Boe

Alfie Boe is a talent who needs a handle in VegasVille.

Boe has won a Tony as a cast member of Baz Luhrmann’s 2002 revival of “La Bohème” on Broadway. He’s starred in “Les Miserables” 25th anniversary show in 2010 at 02 Arena in London, and also Queen Elizabeth’s 92nd birthday party production at Royal Albert Hall in 2018.

But we are focused on International Theater at Westgate.

We caught the first stretch of Boe’s show Saturday, where he performed “Viva Las Vegas” and “It’s Not Unusual. To hear an opera-trained vocalist tear into those very Vegas classics was something special. Boe’s name just doesn’t ring a bell in town, and (of course) his performance Saturday was up against a host of superstar headliners on the Strip, not to mention the many production shows in residency.

But Boe deserves a visit and a real shot here. I was just floored by the power of his voice, and impressed by his classic showmanship. Just know, his name rhymes with “throw,” and not “Bowie,” and catch him upon return.

What works in Vegas

Sammy Hagar, who has already sold out his July 15 show Pearl at the Palms. Tickets were on sale Friday morning. Hagar is mixing is solo hits with Van Halen favorites, and there are a lot of fans of both out there.

Tease this …

A classic funk act is setting up for a series in a rockin’ Vegas venue. Groove or get out of the way, we say.

Cool Hang Alert

Giving some additional planning time for our friend Michael Grimm, playing Sand Dollar Downtown at the Plaza at 9 p.m. April 20.The “America’s Got Talent” champ has recently released “The Red Album.” No cover; guests must be 21 or older.

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.