Strip headliner Criss Angel back after COVID pause
The Kats! Bureau at this writing is Luxor sports book, which is actually at the front entrance of Luxor Theater. I just caught a media preview of “America’s Got Talent: Live!” The Vegas version of the NBC contest show has opened for previews.
Vegas performers Deadly Games, Preacher Lawson, Brandon Leake, Light Balance, Kodi Lee and Jimmie Herrod with The Silhouettes put on a 30-minute sample of the live show. Current champ Justin Tavella, Duo Transcend and The Clairvoyants are in the show’s original cast but didn’t perform the preview.
We can report that one of these aforementioned acts has plans to perform in the Arts District. Unbilled. On the street. More to be revealed.
More from this scene and elsewhere:
Angel is back
Planet Hollywood headliner Criss Angel was knocked off schedule after testing positive for COVID, missing all performances from Oct. 27 through his return Wednesday night.
As the “Mindfreak” magic man said last Thursday, “I’m fantastic. I’m 100 percent. I’m excited to get back onstage as soon as possible.” It’s easy to see why. Angel’s show has reportedly been selling out consistently since coming back from break this summer.
And, those who saw Angel’s 100-foot straitjacket escape during the Raiders-Bears game at Allegiant Stadium on Oct. 10 are still talking about that stunt. Incredible.
B-b-b-b-bad
George Thorogood and the Destroyers close the return of the Fremont Street Experience Downtown Rocks free concert series on Saturday. The band takes over the 3rd Street Stage at 9 p.m. Feel the passion of such classics as “Bad to the Bone,” “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” and “I Drink Alone.”
The 71-year-old Thorogood’s career is tied to the Rolling Stones, rocking Allegiant Stadium on Saturday night. Thorogood was one of the Stones’ opening acts on their 1981 “Tattoo You” tour. The J. Geils Band and a budding talent called Prince also opened on that tour.
Marquee match
Marquee Nightclub at the Cosmopolitan is invoking some circus sideshow action with “The Greatest Show on Earth” opening 10 p.m. Sunday.
The show borrows from the slogan long used by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
We have such sideshow practitioners as a contortionist, fire breather, magician, ballet dancer, clown, mime (because mime is money) and gypsy. A ringleader is at the helm, orchestrating (we think) the club’s bottle service. Everyone is donned in circus-inspired costumes, with a nightclub flair.
Sunday’s DJ headliner is Flo Rida, followed by Lil Jon (Nov. 14) and Mustard (Nov. 21). The club offers complimentary admission for locals, and the party runs until “late.” Plan accordingly.
Lasso that crowd
An indication business is not back to pre-pandemic levels, “Atomic Saloon Show” has mailed a two-for-one ticket offer to Nevada residents for the rest of this year. Mid-capacity shows are still showing sluggish sales, with producers saying the downturn coincides with the return of the mandatory-mask mandate in July.
The return of international travel this month will help business, and so will the relaxing of mask rules (safely, natch) whenever that can happen.
Elsewhere on the Strip, “Love” at Mirage is reportedly under-performing in Cirque’s reopening in Vegas. All Cirque shows are struggling midweek, but The Beatles production is especially challenged. But “O” and “Mystere” remain comparatively healthy.
He’s Officer Bob
Season 16 “So You Think You Can Dance” champ Bailey “Bailrok” Muñoz has been in the cast of ‘iLuminate” at The Strat since the show’s relaunch on Oct. 8.
This is either very sneaky casting, or the result of a cast disguised in LED costumes while dancing in the dark.
But Muñoz has been playing the role of Officer Bob in creator Miral Kotb’s adventurous stage show (I’ll find out why that is germane when I see the updated production). Muñoz was also a finalist on Season 5 of “AGT,” and has grooved it up with Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Gwen Stefani, and Will Smith, and wields a mean baton.
Chesnoff’s cigar bar
David Chesnoff has taken on myriad high-profile cases involving famous and infamous clients in his long career as a Las Vegas attorney. The former law partner of Oscar Goodman in his pre-mayoral era, Chesnoff is representing Henry Ruggs III now.
The court case is not interrupting Chesnoff’s entrepreneurial ventures on the Strip. The attorney is moving from the courtroom to the cigar bar on Thursday for the opening of his Eight Cigar Bar at Resorts World Las Vegas. Chesnoff and business partner Giuseppe Bravo are co-hosting the formal launch, where such news makers (and former Chesnoff clients) as Mike Tyson, Instagram hero Dan Bilzerian and poker star Phil Ivey are scheduled to walk the red carpet.
Actor Michael Cudlitz (“Southland,” “Band of Brothers,” “The Walking Dead”) is also to be in the mix, we anticipate with stogie in hand.
The 7,000-square-foot venue offers a 2,200-square-foot terrace with a view of the Strip. The name is inspired by the lucky number 8 in Chinese culture.
Cool Hang Alert
The Sand Dollar Lounge boasts such favorite Cool Hang elements as FizzyWater, quality live entertainment and quality foodstuffs. Pizza, in this case. At 10 p.m. Friday, the Las Vegas Blues Society’s open jam is returning for the first time since pre-pandemic. This is a hang and a half, folks. No cover. Fizzy. Pizza. Get there.
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.
