Stewart shows raise interesting question

Is it a case of forgive and forget? Or is it, in the immortal words of James Brown, the big payback?

Lips are sealed and everyone sounds happy as Rod Stewart tests the waters for a long-term residency in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, doing eight shows in November. But the announcement reverses an unspoken -- and sometimes even spoken -- assumption: Rod Stewart would never work in a Harrah's Entertainment property ever again.

That's because the gaming company fought the fabled pop singer's management all the way to a jury trial in 2005, trying to get back a $2 million deposit for a concert Stewart canceled in 2000 at the Rio. In a decision that shocked those who predicted the jury would be star-struck, Harrah's prevailed and Stewart's business entity (amusingly called Stewart Annoyances) was ordered to repay the money.

But in a less-publicized 2007 turn, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the jury's decision. The case was settled in 2008, with the parties seeking a voluntary dismissal after a settlement conference that year.

Burning bridges with a company that owns so many Las Vegas casinos didn't seem smart, but neither did it set the singer back. He simply worked for the Strip's other big operator, as a frequent concert attraction at the MGM Grand Garden.

And now more good luck comes the roguish Scotsman's way: The Colosseum sits on Harrah's property but is actually operated by the third-party promoter, AEG Live. "AEG Live and Harrah's have a wonderful working relationship with Rod Stewart," AEG Live executive John Meglen said in a statement responding to questions about the lawsuit.

"Caesars Palace and AEG have jointly booked the Rod Stewart engagements," Harrah's spokeswoman Debbie Munch noted in a statement. Those looking for cryptic meaning are free to assign special emphasis to "jointly booked," as most Colosseum productions aren't.

In a statement announcing the eight shows that fall between Nov. 6 and 21, the singer was quoted as saying: "For some years now, AEG Live has been wanting me to do a residency show in Vegas. I decided it was time to give it a try, but I thought, 'First, let's try two weeks instead of two years, though.' "

Tickets will top out at $225. Rereading the trial coverage drove home the city's reversal of fortune and the folly that was the 1999 New Year's Eve: Stewart was paid $3 million for the New Year's Eve show, plus $2 million for the New Year's Day show he canceled after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Tickets were $400 to $1,000. But when the public didn't bite, the Rio marked some down to $100 for slot clubbers. ...

Creditors are following every move of veteran show producer John Stuart through bankruptcy court. They are eager to link him to a financial interest in Saturday's Jermaine Jackson concert after Stuart was seen passing out promotional materials for the Planet Hollywood gig.

The chief promoter is Chris MacNeill, a registered partner of Stuart's in other corporations on file with the state. However, MacNeill said, "I'm the poor bastard putting all the money in" for the Jackson show, which seemed to be lagging in ticket sales earlier this week.

"Basically they've asked me to come in as a consultant, to help them to get tickets going. I understand the Las Vegas market better than they do," Stuart said Tuesday. MacNeill is "doing that as a promoter on his own. I'm not his partner. It's not a John Stuart production."

Brian Shapiro, the bankruptcy trustee in charge of Stuart's case, said the concert is not relevant to the case unless it involves a company named on Stuart's filing. However, he said questions of Stuart's involvement may still be of interest to creditors pursuing other legal options. ...

Magician Dixie Dooley has closed the theater he leased and operated for three years at the tiny Royal Resort. The move affects four other titles you probably never heard of.

Dooley said fire inspector requests for code improvements hastened the venue's demise, because he wasn't going to invest in improvements he couldn't take with him when new owners extensively remodel the property.

The magician has this month covered by doing creepy magic shows and seances in the "Fright Dome" at Circus Circus. But he would like to get back in business. "I do love owning a small theater," Dooley said. "It gave these little shows complete creative control. That's how entertainment grows sometimes." ...

Finally, they don't ask "Domenick who?" out in Sun City. Domenick Allen has sold out 500 tickets for each of his weekend shows in the Suncoast's freshly remodeled showroom.

Allen is a veteran pro who has worked for everyone from Liberace to the rock band Foreigner. But most locals met him as "the fourth guy" in Vocal Soup, which teamed him with higher-profile singers Clint Holmes, Susan Anton and Martin Nievera.

Allen made such a good impression that tickets sold better than expected. He said he wasn't able to deliver the promised amount of tickets to a car dealership he recruited as a backup plan. "I didn't know what the response was going to be," Allen said. He initiated the car promotion thinking, "At least we'll have something."

If you don't get in this weekend, it seems guaranteed Allen will be back. He cites this show business axiom: "The gig you're doing is all about the next gig you're going to do."

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.