Elvis leads the way in Westgate Las Vegas’ anniversary month
The Kats! Bureau at this writing is Sid’s Cafe at Westgate Las Vegas. We met this property 20-plus years ago when it was the Las Vegas Hilton. The opening is celebrating myriad anniversaries this month, highlighted by the 50th anniversary of the hotel’s July 2, 1969, formal opening and performance by Barbra Streisand on Tuesday.
The 50th anniversary of Elvis’ opening night at International Theater is July 31, with Elvis tribute artist Ted Torres Martin performing his “Soul of the King” production Aug. 2-3 in the International Theater.
And we need a gala to tie all this together, and that happens Aug. 3.
Also, not to be buried in this nostalgia, Monday was the fifth anniversary of Westgate Resorts’ ownership takeover of the hotel. Company founder David Siegel celebrated the event by wearing a hardhat and being hoisted high over Paradise Road to take the “L” off of LVH. That was the largely forgotten name of the hotel for two years when it was owned by Goldman Sachs in a partnership with finance company Gramercy Capital.
Aside from the obvious revival of Elvis as the hotel’s headliner-for-all time, expect special emphasis on Liberace as a Las Vegas Hilton superstar. The groundbreaking showman spent a decade on the hotel’s famous marquee through the 1970s and recorded a pair of network TV specials from the hotel.
But Liberace — who actually broke big at the Riviera in the 1950s — has not been energetically promoted, posthumously, in the hotel’s past anniversaries.
Officials are working on a plan, including a tribute artist to play at the gala to spotlight “Lee” once more. He is in line with a staggering list of stars, including Wayne Newton, Liza Minnelli, and (currently) Barry Manilow, to grace the main room’s marquee.
No ‘Love’ this time
Paul McCartney performed a pair of next-level shows at T-Mobile Arena on Friday and Saturday nights, spending more than six hours onstage. Sir Paul kept so busy that he didn’t have a chance to check out “The Beatles Love” at the Mirage, where he has watched the show and met the cast in previous tour stops. But as he says at the end of every show, “See ya next time!”
A Golden lining
Well, this couple had a Haula of a week.
The pun might hurt like a check into the boards, but popular (and now, former) Vegas Golden Knight Erik Haula and Kristen Boege were married Saturday at Cascata golf course in Boulder City.
Just three days before the ceremony, Haula was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
A fitting reminder of the couple’s path to Las Vegas was created by suit designer Tommie Battaglia. The founder of Gaetano Brand men’s luxury suits customized the lining of Haula’s suit jacket with a montage of black-and-white photographs.
Reminder: Whenever you see a VGK player (or, former player), ask to see the lining of his jacket. It’s usually Instagram-able.
Another reminder: Read more about Battaglia in the current issue of Luxury magazine.
Time for ‘10’
On the topic of zany weeks …
Mateo Amieva, late of Criss Angel’s “Mindfreak Live” at Luxor, has been sky-hooked from Vegas to join Cirque’s “Messi10” touring show. This is the eagerly anticipated production inspired and endorsed by international soccer star Lionel Messi. Amieva landed in Montreal on Monday for rehearsals — six days after he and his wife, Yamila Sainz, welcomed their second son, Milo Amieva, to the family. Milo joins 2-year-old Theo Amieva.
Directed by former “Love” artist and director Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar,“Messi10” opens its world tour Oct. 10 in Barcelona — Amieva’s home town. As he says, ‘Everything is happening together!”
What Works In Vegas
Serpentine Fire, anywhere. The city’s great Earth Wind & Fire tribute band, fronted by Tyriq Johnson of Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns, sold out its debut at Access Showroom at Aliante on Saturday night. The Fire crew that filled the stage: Lannie Counts (vocals) EC Adams (backup vocals), Mariano Longo (music director/keyboards), Eddie Fluellen (keyboards), Anthony Jordan (bass), Chris Clermont (lead guitar), Ken Logan (drums), Carlos Perez (percussion), Gerard Lawson (sax), Daniel Johnson (trumpet) and Caleb McKee (trombone).
The band soars through all the EWF hits you can handle (the set list burning up with “September,” “Fantasy” and of course “Serpentine Fire”). Up next is an Aug. 2 date at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz, where the slogan is: Eat. Drink. Groove.
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.