Stars shine at Jeremy Renner’s Las Vegas Strip event — PHOTOS
Jeremy Renner is up for the challenge, whatever it is. Over the weekend, the actor’s task was hosting several events in his first RennerVation Foundation “Fore The Kids” event.
We had poker, a welcome party, golf, bowling and an all-star shows. The charity provides opportunities for kids across the state in foster care. Renner bounded from event to event with the same zeal as his Hawkeye character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“I’m overwhelmed, I’m happy, I’m taking it all in,” Renner said in a chat at Saturday night’s RennerVation Foundation golf tournament pairings party at Juliet Cocktail Lounge at The Venetian. “We’re having success. We’re moving the needle forward, and we’re doing it right.”
Renner’s foundation benefits foster youth statewide. The film star nearly who was nearly killed in a snowplow accident on New Year’s Day 2023 heroically took on Las Vegas.
Alongside his sister, Kym Renner, the celeb worked a schedule that included a poker tournament Saturday at The Venetian’s new poker enclave; the pairings party at Juliet that night; Sunday’s Heroes For Kids Golf Classic at Bear’s Best Golf Course; and bowling bonanza and all-star concert at Brooklyn Bowl.
The show featured performances by rock cover act Electric Avenue, also the night’s back-up band; Skip Martin, late of Dazz Band and Kool & The Gang; Richard Page of Mr. Mister, Robin Zander of Cheap Trick; hip-hop legend Rob Base (“It Takes Two”), Robin Thicke (the “Blurred Lines” hitmaker); Gavin Rossdale of Bush and L.A. rockers The Scarlet Opera.
Boosted by the concert, Renner is making a concerted effort to create a bond between Nevada’s southern and northern regions. This was the case for the RennerVation Foundation events, and also his vision to bring the film industry to the state.
“I’ve been in in Nevada for a long time, and I know there is a sort of a north-south sort of rub,” Renner said. “I’ve learned that when I’m in the State Assembly, and we’re talking about how to bring the film industry to the state and there is an old argument between the north and south and who gets what. I’m like, ‘It’s not the Civil War, guys. We’re together here.’”
Renner went on to say, “I’m all about uniting, creating opportunities and jobs for the whole state. It’s like with the kids, they all need the love.”
March on ‘Mavericks’
The “Mavericks” opening at Plaza Showroom was buoyed by a high school marching band and a veteran Elvis tribute artist. Guess which performed “Viva Las Vegas.”
The kids from Green Valley High School is the answer.
The band played the song at intermission of the show’s premiere on Thursday night. Then Matt Lewis, whom I met in 2007 when he was in“Legends In Concert,” arrived in full Elvis jumpsuit for “If I Can Dream.”
The show’s creator, Amy Saunders, has seized on a classic them in a beautifully appointed room. She shouted to Marty Romley, a member of the show’s creative team, for helping pull the venue together. If you like the artificial plant life adding panache to the venue, thank Romley.
Saunders is an adroit mistress of ceremonies, swallowing swords and delivering barbs. Encouraging the crowd to shoot pics and video and post away, she says, “You’re not only our marketing strategy, you’re our marketing budget.”
Burlesque icon Julie Atlas Muse runs with her famed disembodied-hand act. Alexandria Beauregard performs a striptease in a glorious water number to close the show, reminding that this is a show for grown-ups (even when a prep marching band shows up).
Hotel GM Jonathan Jossel deserves credit, of course, for creating space for this show. Corner Bar Management founder Ryan Doherty gets a nod for staging the show at Cheapshot on Fremont East two years ago.
I chatted with co-producer Scott Prisand at the intermission break. I was driving by then, skirting off to make the “Fantasy” 25th anniversary at Luxor on the same night (scheduling such dueling major events is an imperfect science).
“Mavericks” is a collective effort, with Matt Franzetti and Michael Speyer as co-producers.
Prisand was in town specifically for the “Mavericks” opener before jetting to the premiere of the off-Broadway comedy musical “Drag The Musical” in NYC. You might remember for Prisand for attempting to bring “Rock of Ages” back to VegasVille, pre-COVID, and as a co-producer of “Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel the Concert” at Harrah’s Showroom.
Prisand has faith in “Mavericks,” and to prove it has invested considerably in the show. “This has to succeed in Las Vegas,” he says, “and we’re doing everything we can to make that happen.”
Rotunda (in)action
It’s not easy to overlook a famous structure on the Strip. But we remember when the rotunda at Caesars Palace was supposed to be demolished prior to last year’s F1 event. It continues to be … not demolished.
In March 2023, the Clark County Building Department issued a demolition permit approving the destruction for the Roman-themed building. The building plans noted: “Demolition in preparation for F1 event.”
Caesars Entertainment officials have not commented on the enduring landmark. The rotunda has been closed to the public in recent years and reportedly been used for storage.
When the demolition plans were first reported, Heidi Sarno Straus, daughter of Caesars Palace developer Jay Sarno, who opened the resort in the 1960s, said the rotunda was “not in the original plan” and was “really meaningless.”
“It might have been used for storage. It was really just aesthetics,” she said. “It’s no loss.” That is still true today.
Cool Hang Alert
In the longest heads-up ever for a Cool Hang, Big Blues Bender is returning to Westgate on Nov. 4-7. General on sale is Oct. 30. The Teskey Brothers, JJ Grey & Mogro, Larkin Poe, The Mavericks, Tab Benoit, Walter Trout, Mike Zito, Devon Allman’s Blues Summit and Danielle Nicole Band are among the dozens of headliner. I attended the Bender for the first time in September. It is all that. Go to bigbluesbender.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.