City luring Cirque offices to arts area

The city's arts district, a pet project of Mayor Oscar Goodman, soon may be getting a prestigious tenant.

Entertainment giant Cirque du Soleil is meeting in Montreal this weekend with city hall representatives to work on options that could put Cirque's Las Vegas office in the arts district, possibly the Performing Arts Center.

Karen Gay, Cirque's director of global citizenship for the resident shows division, confirmed Thursday that "we have made it known to the mayor as far back as two years that we wanted to be a member of the arts district."

She added, "The arts district is on the verge and they feel, and we agree, our presence would be helpful."

The current office at Sunset and Paradise employs 75 staffers but will soon grow to 100 with the upcoming productions at CityCenter and Luxor.

"We're part of the Las Vegas community and we're artists, and that's where we feel we can do some good," Gay said.

The mayor's office confirmed that Goodman was invited to attend the Montreal meeting but has a schedule conflict.

MAKING AN IMPRESSION

Tony Danza, who joins Mel Brooks' "The Producers" on Monday, made sure he made an early impression on Brooks.

Danza was performing his song-and-dance solo act at the Desert Inn in the 1980's when he spotted Brooks and his wife, actress Anne Bancroft, in the audience.

With a rare opportunity to strut his stuff in front of the iconic producer, Danza pulled out all stops and ran long.

When Brooks and Bancroft went backstage, Danza said, Brooks told him: "I have never seen a man do so much, so well and for so long."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

An Eldorado High School graduate is Playboy's Miss September. Patricia Hollis, who has appeared in videos with Brian McKnight, Mary J. Blige, Redman and 50 Cent's hit song "P.I.M.P.," works as a child development assistant for a Las Vegas charity. She's worked there for three years, helping troubled youth. She had a cameo appearance in a recent episode of "The Girls Next Door," in which Holly, one of Hugh Hefner's Mansion mates, worked on photo editing Hollis' pictorial. ...

NBC's "Today" show will do a live segment around 8:30 a.m. from the Orleans showroom Monday on the 50th anniversary of the Osmonds. Guests include Donny and Marie Osmond. The reunion will be taped over three shows Monday and Tuesday at the showroom. A special walk-on guest will appear during Monday's show. ...

Former local weatherman Nate Tannenbaum is moving up in the radio business. Tannenbaum is being moved to morning news host at KDWN-AM 720, starting Monday. "We feel Nathan has the ability to put the day's news in perspective, and his personality will show through the speakers," said news director Brian Hudson. Tannenbaum will move to the 5-8 a.m. time slot, and John Shaffer will switch to the afternoon anchor desk.

MAY I RECOMMEND

Border Grill at Mandalay Bay is offering a summer-long $55 chef's special tasting menu. Chef Mike Minor's specialties include plantain empanadas, Baja ceviche, beef brisket taquitos, tortilla soup, grilled skirt steak, cochinita pibil, pescado Veracruzano and a desert platter of flan, tres leches and Mexican chocolate cream pie. Call 632-7403 for information.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Not such a great day for Donald Trump. His casinos are losing money. How does a casino lose money?" -- Craig Ferguson

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