Broadway dream nears for Bugatti

George Bugatti's Broadway dream is as close as it's ever been.

A Las Vegas resident since 1998 when he opened Bellagio's Fontana Lounge as the opening act for Michael Feinstein, Bugatti is the creator, writer and director of the musical "WiZaRD," a "Wizard of Oz" spinoff that opens in December at New York City's Jazz at Lincoln Center.

He and his wife, Mary Shriver, will be at Fashion Show mall on Monday and Tuesday to oversee auditions for the "Be The Next Dorothy" talent search competition.

Top candidates could get a shot at joining the cast.

The semifinals take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the runway.

The musical is being produced by the Harold Arlen Foundation, which was founded in 2009 by Arlen's son Sam and Bugatti and his wife, Mary. Harold Arlen was the composer for the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz" and the hit song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

The senior Arlen also wrote the "Blues in the Night" and collaborated with Johnny Mercer on "That Old Black Magic" and "Come Rain or Come Shine" and later teamed up with Ralph Blane on "My Blue Heaven."

In between teaming up on "WiZaRD" workshops in 20 cities, the Bugattis and Sam Arlen have been giving free music classes to about 8,000 Clark County students.

Broadway has been the ultimate destination "forever," said Bugatti, who made his mark at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills before landing the Bellagio gig.

From the Kennedy Center, they will move to a smaller venue to be announced.

For complete rules and registration for "Be The Next Dorothy," visit: www.wizard
themusical.com. Must be 16 to 21 and have singing and acting background.

MEDIA UPDATE

Kate Bennett, editor-in-chief at Vegas Magazine since 2009, is returning to her hometown, Washington, D.C., next month to become editor-in-chief of Capitol File Magazine. A former assistant producer for MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews," she's had an 11-year media run in Las Vegas, including stints as the gossip columnist at the Las Vegas Sun, the entertainment reporter for KLAS-TV, Channel 8 and director of creative outreach for The Venetian and Palazzo. Bennett's going-away party is Aug. 20. ...

Friday was Alex Acuna's last day as communications manager at Mandarin Oriental. He's moving to The Cosmopolitan as a public relations manager...

Matthew O'Brien, author of "Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas," will release his latest book, "My Week at the Blue Angel: And Other Stories from the Storm Drains, Strip Clubs, and Trailer Parks of Las Vegas," on Oct. 25. It's a story collection that explores "the disenfranchised and broken side of Las Vegas while highlighting the unexpected beauty in a neon wasteland," according to a press release.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

The 2010/2011 "Men of Chippendales" calendar unveiling starts at noon today with a red carpet event at Venus Pool Club outside Caesars Palace. The public is invited. ...

Excalibur headliners Thunder From Down Under will appear in Lifetime television's hit series, "Drop Dead Diva" on Sunday. It airs locally on Channel 26 at 9 p.m. and again at 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. ...

Lost in Translation: The Twitter site, @OMGFacts, is reporting that in Israel, the hit film "The Hangover" has been renamed "Stopping in Vegas on the Way to a Wedding."

THE PUNCH LINE

"President Obama went on 'The View,' even though his critics say he isn't willing to confront extremists." -- David Letterman

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.