Mark Davis says of wild week, ‘I’m bipolar’
Mark Davis is his own two-man show. There is the Davis whose sweeps out his head coach and general manager And, there’s the Davis who dances and leads championship parades and accepts philanthropic honors.
We caught up with the latter on Wednesday night. Davis was honored alongside Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop at the 13th annual Grant A Gift Autism Foundation gala at Allegiant Stadium. The Aces and Raiders owner smiled and posed for photos, offering no hint that less than 24 hours earlier he’d fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.
Mark Davis accepts his #GrantAGiftGala Autism Foundation … A total of 850 here. Smiles, no speech. #Vegas @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/6NA8ETkJvK
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) November 2, 2023
Just after the event, I asked Davis about that coincidental timing.
“Well, on a Sunday, the Raiders lost a football game, and on a Monday we had a parade,” Davis said, referring to the Raiders’ 30-12 loss to the Bears in Chicago on Oct. 22, and the Aces’ victory parade the following day on the Strip. “Today was the firing and hiring, and me getting an award. I’m bipolar when it comes to my life here.”
Davis said of the evening’s event, which drew 850 supporters, “I am so honored, it’s so easy to give back. To be able to utilize the stadium this way — this was a great event. It turned out really nice.”
Generally speaking, the owner of the back-to-back WNBA champs said, “Life is good!”
UFC and ESPN broadcaster Megan Olivi hosted the event, whichraised $1.6 million.
Davis was impressed by his bio in the event program, laden with such praise as, “In the ever-evolving story of Las Vegas, Mark Davis stands a visionary, a philanthropist, and community builder.”
Davis smiled and said, “I want to know who wrote that description of me. When I read it, I said, ‘If I had a kid, I’d want them to marry that person.” Grant-A-Gift marketing and events director Emily Hayes is that person.
He’s a shoe-in
Veteran Vegas comic magician Nathan Burton has closed his show at V Theater at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood for venture at a onetime shoe store. He is scheduled to re-start the family friendly production on Nov. 19.
Burton’s show shut down at V Theater on Oct. 20. The nearly two-decade headliner is now taking over the former Famous Footwear annex between FlyOver Las Vegas and Hard Rock Cafe. The new venue will seat 194 guests, and is a partnership with FlyOver operators.
Burton has performed such stunts as locking himself in a box for a a week with seven showgirls while suspended from the ceiling of the Aladdin (today’s Planet Hollywood) He soon opened at V Theater.
In March 2005, Nathan performed a PR stunt where he locked himself in a box for seven days with seven showgirls, suspended from the ceiling inside the Aladdin Casino (now the Planet Hollywood Casino).
Shortly after the stunt, Nathan opened his own show “Nathan Burton Comedy Magic” at the V Theater inside the Aladdin Casino.
Burton’s schedule with the FlyOver joint venture is 4 p.m. Sundays, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, 4 p.m. Thursdays, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.-6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The (No Vacancy) Venue
John Bentham has sorted out just which shows are moving from The Duomo at the Rio to The Venue at the Orleans:
None of them.
Bentham is CEO of Ivory Star Productions CEO and operator of The Venue at the Orleans. The cozy theater, cafe and bar is not picking up any of The Duomo shows after that showroom closed Monday night. Jennifer Romas’ “Exxcite” adult revue and “The Heist” mob musical were in talks to move into the Orleans this month. But Bentham said scheduling for his shows is set.
The Venue is host to Ivory Star’s “Marriage Can Be Murder” dinner theater production, and Adam London’s “Laughternoon” magic show. It is also the stage for “Late Night Magic,” from Damian Costa’s Pompey Entertainment. Costa had been conferring with Bentham about also staging The Duomo’s displaced shows at The Venue.
Costa said Tuesday, “All of our shows have already found new homes and details are coming soon.” His company’s Composers Room Showlounge & Restaurant at Commercial Center, to premiere Nov. 19. So, that would seem an option, right there.
Pompey also book and operates Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club at Linq Promenade. The shows “Khoree The Poet” (a night of spoken word and music), and The Chi-Lites feat. Marshall Thompson are still to be accounted for in this venue shuffle.
Cool Hang Alert
The mirth-some musical stylings of Buck Hujabre return to Italian American Showroom at 6:30 p.m. (dinner) and 8 p.m. (show) Friday. Hujabre is a former member of the “Jersey Boys” cast in Vegas, returning to the stage after an extended hiatus. This is a Sal Cucco Production, so rush over to him and congratulate him — especially during a ballad. Go to IACVegas.com for intel.
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 X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.