Red Carpet Report: Riviera implosion, Andre’s move, Nyle DiMarco in Chippendales, Rod Stewart
Don’t expect fireworks between midnight and 3 a.m. tonight when the 17-story Monte Carlo Tower of The Riviera is imploded. This will be a different affair than when demolition workers brought down the main 24-story Monaco Tower in June and people joined in a pre-dawn party.
This will be the last part of the end of The Riviera $40 million demolition before it’s turned over to Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority for its $1.4 billion expansion to be used first, though, for the outdoor Con Expo construction industry trade show in March.
Las Vegas Boulevard, Convention Center Drive and the internal Riviera road will be closed as the building comes tumbling down. Don’t be confused with this Monte Carlo demolition and the change-over to The Park MGM Hotel replacing the Monte Carlo near T-Mobile Arena.
I was saddened over the weekend to hear that chef Andre Rochat’s fine dining restaurant and cigar bar Andre’s at Monte Carlo will close in October, but the legacy that began more than 35 years ago and won him Best of Las Vegas Awards here at the Las Vegas Review-Journal will continue. Andre’s downtown flagship bistro closed and shortly afterward in 1997 opened at Monte Carlo.
The chef who continues with his Alize at the Palms says that Andre’s will announce its next chapter shortly, and he’s looking forward to the future. Presumably, a move to a new location is in the works. Mario Batali’s sprawling Eataly Italian food emporium coming next year takes Andre’s space for part of its larger footprint.
BIKE BEAUTIES
Adult club Crazy Horse III Gentlemen’s Club and Harley-Davidson of Las Vegas teamed up for a bikini bike wash to raise funds for The Douglas J. Green Memorial Foundation on Saturday. At 11 a.m., a line of motorcycles was parked under a large white tent in the Harley-Davidson parking lot, ready for the topless temptresses to soap them up and rinse them down.
By the end of the event, the sun-soaked girls of Crazy Horse III had washed more than 25 motorcycles, which raised some $700 for the foundation, which will use the money in its effort to provide soldiers overseas with care packages.
ONSTAGE
Newly knighted rocker Sir Rod Stewart wraps up his 2016 residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace this week and due to demand has announced that he’ll be back in 2017. His first seven shows are March 15 through April 1, with tickets going on sale Friday.
At sister property The Rio, the newest guest celebrity host for Chippendales will be deaf actor, model and DANCING WITH THE STARS and AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL winner Nyle DiMarco. Hunky Nyle has agreed to take it off from Sept. 22 through Oct. 16.
NEW HEADQUARTERS
MONDAYS DARK creator Mark Shunock (ROCK OF AGES, THE LION KING) will unveil details about the fall opening of his expanded charity-based arts complex The Space at tonight’s show at Vinyl in The Hard Rock Hotel that benefits our Make-a-Wish Foundation. Mark’s new facility at Cavaretta Court will house the monthly fundraisers starting next year. Since its November 2013 launch, Mark and Strip stars have raised more than $300,000 for local charities.
They will celebrate MONDAYS DARK’s third anniversary in December. The new headquarters features two rehearsal studios, recording studio, vintage piano bar and lounge and space for 400 to 700 people. “The new venue lets the community come together for more than one night a month for the greater benefit of Las Vegas,” said Mark.
CONFUSING MAGIC!
Thousands of conventioneers poured into Las Vegas over the weekend for two similar-sounding trade shows that have totally different appeal. There’s the 1,600-strong contingent of conjurors, illusionists of the impossible and wondrous wizards for their four-day Magic Live! convention at The Orleans, which began Sunday. I’ll be attending Wednesday for the latest magic secrets.
The apparel convention Magic, so large that it is using Las Vegas Convention Center and Mandalay Bay Convention Center for meetings, show displays and marketplace, estimates attendance at more than 60,000. This is the world’s largest fashion gathering comprised of 11 communities covering the latest in fashion, footwear, apparel, accessories and manufacturing and runs from today through midweek. Expect celebrities with fashion lines to attend and meet buyers from global stores shopping the latest trends in men’s, women’s, juniors’ and children.
Our nightclubs are throwing Magic fashion parties: Drai’s atop The Cromwell kicks it off with Agenda, the world’s leading creative fashion trade show with fashion events Liberty Fairs and Capsule. The Hudson Grand Voyage party is tonight with Jauz at Jewel Nightclub’s Flawless Monday in Aria.
HIDDEN OWNERS
Former Mayor Oscar Goodman will name the names of The Mob chieftains who were the hidden owners (aka strawmen and straw women) to front their interests of our original casinos. He’ll talk candidly about them when the 13th of his dinner series is Sept. 22 at his Oscar’s Beef, Booze and Broads Steakhouse in The Plaza downtown.
The mobsters hailed from Chicago, Cleveland, Kansas City and Milwaukee, and they assigned code names to their fronts to fool the FBI when it set up bugs and wiretaps for investigations.
DESSERT BEFORE DINNER
Eleven local pastry chefs, all women and among them several former Girl Scouts, will compete in this year’s annual Dessert Before Dinner fundraiser. Each of them has to use the signature cookie in their creation. Some 1,000 of our community leaders and influencers are expected at Caesars on Sept. 10 for the largest event to date.
Chef Tammy Alana from Alize, a former Girl Scout, is competing for the first time, as is chef Denise Elliott from MGM Resorts, Michelle Flores from Caesars, Kyurim Lee from Aria, Kaori Scott from Bellagio, Elizabeth Stolarick from Wynn and Samara Sulin from Andiron Steak & Sea. Samara was a Daisy and Brownie.
Chef Cynthia Werth from The Stratosphere is the only chef who has competed every year since it began nearly a decade ago and has won twice. Former Girl Scout Brigette Contreras of STK at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas returns, as does chef Kailulani of Kailava Cakes and chef Kimberly Vitou from MGM.
