Las Vegans show ‘great talent’

"America's Got Talent" came to Vegas looking for wanna-be-famous people on Wednesday and Thursday.

TV producers got their fill.

A group called Snake Army was a fire-juggling belly-dancing troupe starring a woman with a candle chandelier on her head.

A sideshow guy pounded a nail through his nose, while his partner walked on broken glass -- scattered on top of him -- then they danced.

When a long-haired man sang, supervising casting producer Roz Taylor-Jordan thought aloud, "That's a boy?"

Vegas is the only city so far where Taylor-Jordan has set up this kind of closed audition. You had to be recommended by an agent or trusted source.

"Vegas has all the great talent," said Taylor-Jordan, who was looking for "unique, relatable" people who have so much talent, they "just need that extra kick" of fame.

Some auditioners told me they didn't know Terry Fator, the first season winner of "Talent," who went from a nobody to a Mirage headliner.

They competed at Palace Station's Bonkerz Comedy Club. Many were unemployed casino performers. Most sang.

"Out of 5,000 (tryouts nationally), 4,899 will be singers," Taylor-Jordan said.

Adam Michaels sang Cher's "Believe."

"It was more of a joke at first. And it ended up sounding really good," he said.

Standouts included singing tap dance duo Blake and Tezz (Yancey). Blake is a one-name nightclub promoter who threw a cartwheel into the mix.

And sixth-grader Leayer Evans, 12, wowed by belting covers of Aretha and Whitney.

"My goal is to be an entertainer -- a singer like Beyoncé and famous people," Leayer said in a wig while her voice coach watched proudly.

But mother of four Joyce Maalouf feared she bombed during only her third stand-up comedy trip to a stage ever.

"They're gonna look at that video and say, 'She is so psycho,' " she told me, but cheered herself up: "They also want crazy people!"

She will go back to honing her act by posting a comical cooking show on YouTube:

"You would be surprised how fast I can chop things. I'm a super fast chopper."

WEEKEND PLANNER

FRIDAY: Jennifer Hudson and Robin Thicke at the Palms ... The Cult at the Hard Rock's Joint ... Black Label Society and Sevendust at House of Blues ... Mini Moto SX at The Orleans ... Top Rank boxing at The Joint ... Rusted Root at the Hard Rock pool ... L.A. Guns at Hard Rock's Wasted Space ... Boz Scaggs at the Las Vegas Hilton ... Jay-Z parties at Palazzo club Lavo.

SATURDAY: Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton at the MGM ... Jay-Z parties at club Tao at The Venetian ... Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian and NBA's Robert Horry party at stripper-enhanced Sapphire pool at Rio after 7 p.m. ... Supercross at Sam Boyd Stadium ... Stephen Lynch at House of Blues.

SUNDAY: Ricky Hatton parties at Wet Republic pool at MGM after 3 p.m.

Read today's Neon section for prices, times and interviews.

OVERHEARD

"He's beat more Mexicans than Mexican moms." -- George Lopez on Manny Pacquiao in my Neon preview of Saturday's boxing match.

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