Backstreet Boys make finale on Las Vegas Strip a date night
Updated April 29, 2019 - 8:21 am
The Backstreet Boys’ “Larger Than Life” honeymoon in Vegas has ended. But the guys summoned their spouses to the stage in their finale at Zappos Theater on Saturday.
Brian Littrell’s wife, Leighanne; Kevin Richardson’s wife, Kristin; A.J. McLean’s wife, Rochelle; Nick Carter’s wife, Lauren; and Howie Dorough’s wife, Leigh, all took to the spotlight for “Shape of My Heart.”
The five couples walked to the center of the stage, with the men of BSB taking their knees and presenting the women long-stemmed roses. Who says chivalry is dead?
The wives of the guys get roses the final night ... @backstreetboys @PHVegas #LargerThanLife pic.twitter.com/lLaiGvsb8D
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) April 28, 2019
Littrell actually tipped off a few shrieking fans in the party pit early in the show, pointing at his wedding ring and then pointing to his bride in the VIP section. Those roses were red, as always. But later, the show’s hue turned blue as Blue Man Group from Luxor arrived to blast confetti over the crowd and amble around the stage in evident bewilderment. The Blue Men are forever out of their element.
The event was remarkable as a Luxor/MGM Resorts act supported a Planet Hollywood/Caesars Entertainment headlining residency. And BSB’s finale forced the theater to open balcony to meet ticket demand. The guys partied it up once more afterward at Chateau at Paris Las Vegas before going off to tour their newest album, “DNA.”
How we land it ... @backstreetboys @PHVegas #LargerThanLife, and wait for surprise guests at the end ... Great way to close this run. pic.twitter.com/PSa2TQBpEA
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) April 28, 2019
But after more than 80 shows in two years, BSB made Las Vegas home. As Carter, who became a Las Vegan during the “Larger Than Life Run,” said, “Las Vegas has changed the Backstreet Boys’ lives! I found my home here, and we’ll be back!”
Gaga’s expansion
We’ve reported about Lady Gaga’s Haus Beauty line and boutique opening at the entrance of Park Theater in May. Expect, too, a New York branch to open about that time, and other Haus Beauty outlets in major cities. The Vegas store’s opening looks to line up with Gaga’s return to Park Theater from May 30-June 4.
Rowling right along …
”Potted Potter — The Unauthorized Harry Experience” is the 8 p.m. show moving into Windows Showroom at Bally’s. Expect a June opening. The parody production is led by Olivier Award-nominated writers and performers Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner and has just finished a tour of Australia.
Previous versions of show have attempted to cram, or “pot,” all seven “Harry Potter” books into a 70-minute show. So, I feel pace is paramount to this production. The show joins fellow Windows headliners Frederic Da Silva with “Paranormal” at 4 p.m. and Xavier Mortimer’s “Magical Dream” at 6 p.m. It’s all magic, real or satirical, at Windows.
Making her Mark
Raiders owner Mark Davis signs a lot of football helmets, but day laborer Amale Garcia wears a customized Raiders hard hat as she works on Raiders Stadium. Davis signed the brim of her protective headgear, which she wears to work every day, with a silver Sharpie. Garcia also wore the hat while announcing Raiders’ draft picks Saturday morning at the Raiders’ stadium site in Las Vegas.
Davis’ signature is a little worn, but when the stadium is finished, that hard hat should look good in a trophy case somewhere — maybe in the building to be finished ahead of the 2020 season.
A Fuhr thing
NHL legend Grant Fuhr’s visit with Mark Shunock at The Space on Wednesday was to review the venue for an upcoming appearance on July 6. Nothing yet signed, but Fuhr is looking to promote the documentary about his life and career, “Making Coco.” The Back Space room has been outfitted with a projection screen — Shunock has obtained the old screen used at the closed Pub at Monte Carlo — and Fuhr can host a Q&A in that venue.
The hockey great is the first black player to win the Stanley Cup (as part of five champion Edmonton Oilers teams) and to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In the doc, he says he wanted to be a goalie because he “thought the equipment looked cool.”
Pick up the Spare
Downtown Grand is opening the entertainment venue “The Spare Room” at the old Mob Bar space. Planned opening is May 15. “Don Barnhart’s Hypnomania” and the rotating stand-up lineup “Delirious” are the first shows to be announced in the comedy-flavored room, which runs Wednesdays through Sundays from 7-9 p.m.
Penny at no cost
Penny Wiggins, The Amazing Johnathan’s longtime sidekick as Psychic Tanya and a cast member in “Mindfreak Live” at Luxor, is hosting “Local Comedy Night!” at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. The no-cover show is at Las Vegas Golf Center, formerly the Callaway Golf Center and TaylorMade Golf Experience, 6730 Las Vegas Boulevard South.
Mark Wilde hosts with Geechy Guy, Donnie Johnson and Barnhart joining Wiggins in the lineup. To refer back to the lead item, Wiggins used to do a great bit about how she was able to secure free tickets to Blue Man Group. Find it online. It’s priceless.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats! podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.