Monte Carlo Reopens

The hotel will open with at least 1,200 guest rooms available and management anticipates an additional 1,300 rooms will become available by Feb. 22. The remaining 500 rooms in Monte Carlo’s normal 3,000-room inventory are located on the upper floors and will remain out of service while undergoing more extensive redesign.

Also open will be meeting and convention facilities, the wedding chapel and the Spa & Salon Monte Carlo. All food and beverage outlets will be open with the exception of the buffet and the Monte Carlo Brew Pub, which will open no later than the Feb. 22.

BURTON MAGIC RETURNS

Master Magician Lance Burton will once again take the stage beginning Feb. 15 in the Lance Burton Theater. As a side note, during the fire, when guests were being herded downstairs and evacuated, Burton appeared in the lobby and entertained them while they waited to see where they might have to go. Hats off to a real trouper and a class act.

CRAZY HORSE AUDITIONS

MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse Paris will have auditions March 3-6, the first American auditions in the Crazy Horse group’s history. A celebrity guest judge, not yet named, will help determine which three lucky winners will be chosen to join the prestigious dance troupe.

Andrée Deissenberg, managing director of the Crazy Horse Group, says, "We are looking for girls with a certain ‘je ne sais quoi,’ with a certain sparkle and lots of personality. The girls we cast in our troupe are natural and beautiful, and only the exceptional will make the cut."

The audition process will last four days. Concluding the open casting call, 12 finalists will be selected and invited on to the MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse cabaret for the remaining audition process. All candidates will perform a freestyle piece as well as a choreographed piece prepared by the panel of Crazy Horse Paris judges.

The winners will be announced at Tabú Ultra Lounge Thursday, March 6, at a public party. After the celebration, the winners will be flown to Paris where they will receive formal training for two months before joining the dance troupe. Dancers are required to attend the auditions with their resumes and fit the following criteria to be considered for a spot on the Crazy Horse Paris roster.

You must be a height between 5’4" and 5’8"; be between the ages of 21 to 30; must have natural physical beauty and an uplifting personality; have had formal dance training; and have a valid I.D. and the ability to obtain a passport

The open casting call will take place on Monday, March 3, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Dick Foster Productions, 6260 Stevenson Way. For additional information about the auditions, you should email crazyhorseparis@lv.mgmgrand.com or call (702) 334-4518.

HUMOR BOOT CAMP

Comedians Vinnie Favorito and Darren LaCroix have teamed up again to host sessions in February and March for their Humor Boot Camp classes, which will be at Favorito’s showroom inside O’Sheas Casino on Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 21, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In March, the dates are Saturday, March 29, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, March 30, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The camp is designed to teach everyone from salespeople to top-level executives how to use humor as a means to deliver a message. Favorito and LaCroix will cover the comedic thought process, including how to make scripted material seem improvised, how to select and arrange your words to have the greatest impact and how to make any subject more interesting.

Tuition is $895 per person and includes two full-day seminars with professional feedback, a VIP ticket to the Vinnie Favorito Comedy Show and a money-back guarantee. Early bird and buy-one, get-one half off discount specials also are available. Seating is limited. For more information, go to www.humorbootcamp.com or call toll free (888) 528-4451.

TAX HELP FOR SENIORS

If you’re 50 or older, here’s some good news from AARP. Volunteers from AARP are offering residents age 50 and older free assistance with personal income tax form preparation and electronic filing at four city of Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services senior centers. Personal income must be $40,000 or less to qualify for assistance.

In addition, participants in the Internal Revenue Service Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program will offer similar free assistance to Nevada residents at the Doolittle Community/Senior Center. Advance appointments are required at all locations. Bring a copy of your 2006 income tax return and all of your applicable 2007 paperwork to the appointment. Call a center listed below between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays to schedule an appointment.

• Northwest Senior Center, 6841 W. Lone Mountain Road, (702) 229-4794; Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to noon through April 8.
• Las Vegas Senior Center, 451 E. Bonanza Road, (702) 229-6454; Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through April 14.
• East Las Vegas Community/Senior Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave., (702) 229-1515; Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 11.
• Derfelt Senior Citizens Center, 3343 W. Washington Ave., (702) 229-6601; Tuesdays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to noon through April 15.
• Doolittle Community/Senior Center, 1950 N. J St., (702) 229-6125; Call Linda at 229-1125 to schedule your appointment, offered weekdays through April 11.

Good luck and I’ll see you on the Strip. And don’t forget to check out www.valleyblogs.com. If you have a question or a Las Vegas experience you would like to share with my readers, please e-mail me at lennylasvegas@gmail.com Please include your full name and the city or town where you live.