‘Magic Man’ here for the danger

All sorts of people like downtown Las Vegas for all sorts of reasons.

Alexander Nevsky -- one of the producers, and one of the stars, of the now-filming thriller "Magic Man" -- likes it for the "danger."

A former bodybuilder (no wonder he's been dubbed "the Arnold Schwarzenegger of Russia"), Nevsky plays a detective tracking a serial killer. His character "suspects everyone," Nevsky says -- including the title character, played by Billy Zane.

Commenting on "Magic Man's" downtown locations, Nevsky observes, "Here, when you walk around, I can also feel some danger," in addition to "great shots of Las Vegas."

Both are on this week's "Magic Man" schedule, from driving shots along the Strip to gritty crime-scene sequences downtown.

Musical notes: Downtown also gets into the act as the setting for a remake of Nick Gilder's 1978 hit "Hot Child in the City" performed by singer Alyssa Atherton.

She hails from Sioux Falls, S.D., but her label, Rock Quarry Records (owned by former Quiet Riot and Rough Cutt member Paul Shortino) is Las Vegas-based, so Glitter Gulch emerged as a logical backdrop, explains another local, producer-director Leonard Quenneville.

And speaking of locals, another longtime Las Vegan -- legendary blues guitarist B.B. King -- is expected to shoot his latest music video this week at DreamVision Studios, where set construction gets under way this week for an upcoming international Vitamin Water commercial featuring U.S. Olympic basketball players.

Casting "4 President": With his upcoming feature "Running 4 President" scheduled to start production Aug. 1, local filmmaker Marko Sakren plans to round out the movie's cast this week.

The "family-friendly political comedy," which skewers politics, marketing and the media, has more than 60 roles, from principals to bit players, Sakren notes.

Prospective cast members should e-mail headshots and resumés to casting@R4Pmovie.com by Friday; anyone interested in working on the crew is "also welcome to contact us," Sakren advises.

Looking for cooking: A new half-hour cook-'n'-chat show, "The Chef's Wife," will audition guest culinary experts from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the MGM Grand Garden's Studio 7.

Producer Denise Koek hopes to lure chefs visiting Las Vegas for this week's American Culinary Federation gathering, but welcomes locals "with great personalities" who are "affiliated with a respected, high-profile restaurant, hotel, pastry shop, resort, school or bakery."

If that's you, and you're interested in auditioning, e-mail Koek at delmarvaprod@yahoo.com or omahachef@aol.com.

Carol Cling's Shooting Stars column appears Mondays. Contact her at 702-383-0272 or e-mail her at ccling@reviewjournal.com.