Archive for June, 2010

American soccer fans were elated with Team USA’s recent win at the World Cup in South Africa. For the first time, our country has a real chance. It’s a great triumph for USA, USA, USA!  Too bad the lost their 3rd game.

This past weekend we were treated to two major awards shows, The Daytime Emmys  and the 2010 BET Awards. The Emmy awards held at The Hilton was one of the better recent Emmy shows. Regis Philbin, (a good coice for host). kept things moving smoothly and the overall production was great.  In recent years their viewership has been dropping, but hopefully this will change  and Las Vegas will get to host next years awards. The Hilton, CBS, and Las Vegas should all benefit from this. My staff tells me the BET Awards, hosted by Queen Latifa, was as much as a performance show as an awards show with Kanye West opening and Chris Brown doing a great Michael JAckson tribute,  Also performing among others;  Aicia Keyes, El DeBarge, Usher, and show-stopper Patti LaBelle. Prince was there to receive  the 2010 Lifetime Acheivement Award.

For those who’ve been waiting for a performance in Las Vegas by yours truly, Monti Rock III, the time has come. I’ll be peforming in a special one night event at Hennessey’s Tavern downtown on Fremont Street in two weeks.  Monti Rock III will appear at the supper club at Hennessey’s on July 11. Derek David is currently starring in a show that presents the sounds of Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra and others from earlier times in a well-polished manner. There are few dinner shows anymore in Las Vegas, so my first visit to Hennessey’s found me surprised by such a delightful meal, including dessert, and great service for a rather small room that holds aprroximately 80 guests. Dinner and a show in fabulous downtown Las Vegas for only $40, and this includes Monti Rock III. Some of the night’s proceeds will go to my favorite charities.

Fremont Street Experience has brought the disco sounds of the ’70s to downtown Las Vegas this summer. Soon, Disco Tex rides again at Hennessey’s!

At a small dinner party at JR’S on S.Durango where Armand Assante and Michael Tadross  and associates were discussing their plans regarding two theme restaurants for two major properties in Las Vegas, I was assured the ’70s are back.

Lots of show biz dignitaries were at the Luxor to attend a gathering at LAX nightclub. Sounds like it might become a regular event for show folks to gather and discuss finding performance venues, etc.  This evening included The Scintas, Jeff McBride, Catherine Hickland (David Hasselhoff’s ex) among others.  Unfortunately, I missed the gathering this time.

The man of many talents, Wayne Brady, opened to rave reviews at the Venetian. Wayne is back in fine form after a long hiatus taking care of his vocal cords. For right now, Wayne will continue to host his Emmy-winning television show Let’s Make A Deal.

Another outstanding performance of the week was Sting at the MGM Arena.  This was a first for Sting, who performed all of his hits with a full orchestra.  The show was a sell out.

Phantom at the Venetian celebrated their fourth anniversary last week. I’ve seen the show a dozen times or so and each time I find the music, the voices, the costumes, the theater…. all of it exhilarating. This performance was lilke no other I’ve seen. Anthony Crivello was unbelievable. This man acts as well as he sings and that is someting. Tina Walsh was also a standout. I know the show has been all around the world but it’s doubtful that any of the other shows could possibly compare with the Las Vegas production.

Suncoast has a great lineup for July, strting with Las Vegas favorite Clint Holmes, who returns to Suncoast on July 10 and 11.  Deanna Martin will star in her show, “A Tribute to My Father Dean Martin,” July 24 and 25 followed by Jay White performing his tribute to Neil Diamond July 31 and August 1.

Tournament of Kings at The Excalibur recently celebrated their 20th anniversary. Think of the poor porters who clean up after the horses!  However, it is a great one-of-a-kind show in Las Vegas.

As a charity fund-raiser, Ante Up For Africa could be one of the most fun, especially if you’re a poker player or a fan of the game. The event will take place Saturday, July 3 at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino and is hosted by Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle and poker pro Annie Duke. Several well-knowns are expected to attend, including Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Ray Romano, Brad Garrett, and Jerome Bettis, just to name a few. For full details contact bbell@harrahs.com.

Yard House has two locations in Las Vegas but I was introduced to this restaurant at Red Rock Resort last week where I was surprised to find such a diverse menu, including 130 varieties of draft beer. It’s casual dining with outstanding food and service. A Las Vegas must, for sure.

It’s been a year since Michael Jackson died, and after recently seeing the documentary “This Is It”  for a second time, it still remains hard to accept.  Again I’m reminded of his tremendous talent and the genius of the great Kenny Ortega who managed to create “This Is It” even in Michael’s absence. Thank you Kenny for keeping the memories alive. Of course, the “scavengers” are all there trying to get a piece of the $250 million earned since his death. And then there’s poor Latoya, who had an emotional reunion with Bubbles, Michael’s pet chimp. Very touching, ahem, ahem.  Donny Osmand did a radio tribute to his friend Michael on the anniversary date of his death and Alicia Jacobs did a TV interview with Jermaine Jackson.

Frank Sinatra is still with us, at least in our thoughts (thankfully). His family as well as Steve Wynn and Andrea Hissom were all at dinner at Sinatra, the Italian steak house at Encore to celebrate the Sinatra Family Estates’ new “Come Fly With Me” wine.

A summer favorite television show, ” Hot In Cleveland,” is appearing on TV Land. Funny, Funny, Funny! The three “girls” – Valerie Bertinelli,
Jane Leeves and Wendy Malik – are great. And then there’s scene-stealer Betty White, who is the greatest!

Dennis Bono has moved his local show from Sam’s Town to South Point.   Salaries at contract renewal time were reportedly behind the change.

Vegas Magazine’s seventh anniversary party was the scene of a quiet catfight as one of our local female entertainment writers was supposedly told by one of the local co-hosts that she was not welcome. I wonder who that might be.

Just a reminder that Rev Monti is available to make your wedding ceremony a most memorable occasion.

Please direct all blog related correspondence to    revmonti@yahoo.com

David Saxe has just announced his newest creation. “Vegas! The Show” will open at the new Saxe Theater in the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood on June 18. This is reported to be the largest production to hit the Las Vegas Strip in the last 20 years. Yes, Las Vegas has big production shows…Cirque, Cirque, Cirque, Phantom, Jersey Boys and The Lion King, to name a few.  But David Saxe is bringing Las Vegas something fresh.

“The Show” will feature 40 performers, a full orchestra, and of course, fabulous Las Vegas showgirls. Sounds like a musical tour of Las Vegas history when the lounge acts introduced the audiences to super stars of the time. *The show is going into a theater that cost $30 million. The Saxe Theater was designed so that every seat provides an exceptional view of the stage and offers the audience the latest in cutting edge theatrical equipment*

The Hilton is on a roll with its great summer entertainment schedule and now they have  partnered with Vince Neil in their newest venture.  The Tres Rios Cantina and Tequila Bar opened last weekend.  They offer great food and inspired hand crafted drinks in a Mexican Cantina atmosphere. Vince, who lives in Las Vegas believes in giving back to the city and is always there when you need him.  This is a welcome addition to both The Hilton and to Las Vegas.

Back by popular demand, and good news for our military personnel from both Creech and Nellis Air Force Bases, the Venetian has extended to July 4 the offer of every ticket sold to the headline show Phantom will be matched by the Las Vegas Spectacular for our military heroes. That’s right! Each ticket purchased will provide a free ticket to a member of the military. Call the Venetian box office for full details regarding this great offer at (702) 414-9000. Thanks to the Venetian and to all the stars in Phantom and thanks to our heroes in uniform.

On June 12 and 13 the Orleans Showroom featured “Vocal Soup,” starring Clint Holmes, Susan Anton, Domenick Allen and Martin Nievera. Individually, these entertainers are known for their outstanding talents and came together to provide the audience with familiar sounds that left the audience begging for more. Clint Holmes was acknowledged previously by the Best of Vegas as Entertainer of the Year. Susan Anton is known for her performances on Broadway and in the movies. Domenick Allen is recognized as both a jazz and rock guitarist having performed earlier with the band Foreigner. And Martin Nievera’s voice brought him several gold record accolades all over Asia. The sound of these multi-talented performers is unmatched. Having Vince Falcone conducting was the icing on the cake. Vince was Frank Sinatra’s favorite when he performed here. Las Vegas fell in love with “Vocal Soup.”

I was also fortunate to get to see Craig Ferguson at the Venetian last week. Fans of his TV show cheered as he began with his nightly catch phrase, “It’s a great day for America everybody!” And the closer? Lip sync and choreography to Britney’s “Oops, I Did It Again.” A happy, positive standup comedy show…those are getting hard to find.

Monti Rock III and crew went to the Tropicana to witness the new “Las Vegas Mob Experience.” Walking into the lobby of the Tropicana, we were immediately surprised by the gorgeous marble floors and the casino’s overall fresh look. With the refurbishing well underway, the transformation into a South Beach/Miami-type venue will make the Trop the jewel it once was.

This was an introduction to The Las Vegas Mob Experience, which is scheduled to open to the public in December 2010. The Las Vegas Mob Experience is not connected to the Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas, which has been supported by Mayor Goodman and will eventually open at the old downtown Post Office. The Experience will have a permanent home at the Tropicana and promises to deliver never before seen items of interest and interactive settings of intrigue and suspense. The Experience will highlight the glamor of the days when gangsters ruled. It’s history of this wonderful Las Vegas, the Third Coast.

Present for the event included “family” members of Lansky, Segal and Giancana. Missing was the beautiful Phyllis McGuire, whose love affair with Sam “Momo” Giancana made headlines. Phyllis is reported to be one of the richest women in the world and is an icon of this earlier era.

Paul Rodriguez is about to end his stint at the Tropicana, and rumor has it that he will be moving to another venue. The Tropicana will be opening Brad Garrett’s new comedy club. Brad became a comedy favorite on the classic sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Until recently, he was a semi-regular at The Mirage and had his own TV comedy, “Til Death”. Besides headlining at the club, Brad will perform surprise guest spots and serve as a door greeter from time to time.

George Wallace has been signed to an additional three years at the Flamingo.  His show is billed as the best 10 p.m. show in Vegas and that it is! His easygoing nature and quick wit make him a favorite with a variety of audiences. Bravo, George!

Louie Anderson will end his five-year run at Excalibur in August and concentrate on his “Stand Up Boot Camp” workshops for aspiring comics. This project has been working well for both Louie and his students.

Another closing is ESPN Zone restaurant in Las Vegas and four other cities on June 16. Walt Disney Company Inc., the owner of the five restaurants, says the closing’s are due to the economic challenges of the times.

Steve Wynn has been complaining about the trend of some of his competitors in reducing room rates and not completing places like the Fontainebleau and the Cosmopolitan. He is also critical of President Obama and some of the Nevada politicians for the direction that Las Vegas is heading.

Never let it be said that yours truly never makes mistakes. When I do, I try to correct them as quickly as possible. Case in point, “Only You,” starring Derek David, can be seen nightly at HENNESSEY’S  Dinner Club on Fremont St.

PLEASE DIRECT ALL BLOG RELATED CORRESPONDENCE TO:  REVMONTI@YAHOO.COM

Badda Bing Gentleman’s Club was the scene for my annual 70th birthday celebration, which turned out to be an exceptional evening. The media was out in full force and even with a few stutter steps, the party actually went off without a hitch. Rick Belcastro, owner of Badda Bing’s, gave me the keys to the Chapel of Lust as a birthday gift and I proceeded to perform the Chapel’s first wedding ceremony. Guests at Badda Bing’s are always amazed by this impressive location, and Rick takes great pride in making sure his guests are enjoying themselves. It’s a fabulous private party venue.

The Monti Rock III annual celebrations would never be possible without Great Buns Bakery that provides their signature cakes, Susan and Jerry Rispoli of JR’s Place on Durango for all the Italian goodies, and my own harem of ladies, including Marci, Debbie, Roxanne and Trish, who spent hours decorating and making preparations for the birthday festivities. I love you ladies! Special thanks also goes to Ed Foster and  Roy Scimeca wth their trusty little cameras.

Many of the guests were caught by surprise when they saw yours truly after my latest transformation. No, it wasn’t a Britney Spears meltdown, it was simply time for a change. So my stylist, Teresa Graves, and I went for the buzz cut with a white blond color. The look has created a much more sleek and elegant Monti Rock III.  Feel free to comment on this…

This week brings us the sad news about 3 show business stars . Dennis Hopper, Art Linkletter, and Gary Coleman passed away within days of one another.  Art, age 94 was the daddy of many TV game shows,  and Dennis, age 74, became a Hollywood “Bad Boy:”  early in his career. Over the years Dennis had become a talented actor and did may things to change that image.  At the time of his death, he had become highly respected by his peers. Gary Coleman, age  42, made it big as a child star in TV’s Diff’rent Strokes. After the demise of the show, Gary seemed to fail at his attempts to keep his stardom.  Ill health and emotional problems followed him throughout the rest of his sad life.  May they all rest in peace.

I’ve decided to address the Mob Museum downtown and how Monti Rock III has always been on the side, in some ways or another of those baby gangsters, the Lollipop Mafia. How lucky I’ve always been to have them in my corner. When I got to Vegas in the early ’60s, it was them who, with a handshake, got me the jobs. From Maurice Levy to Lillian Reese, the mob has always been a part of the show business dynasty from the days of Frank Sinatra. When the corporates came in, the mob just put on better suits. Those of us who were privileged to be around them knew they were good guys with slightly shady backgrounds.

Years ago when I arrived in Chicago to play some club dates, the  mob was the best to me. They knew I was the first of a kind of gay, seedy act. Now we have Russian mob, Asian mob, Israeli mob…it never goes away.

In the works are three mob museums – all about the history of  LV. But in reality, it’s the history of the world. I would like to remind my readers that Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and Virginia Hill created the Flamingo in Las Vegas,  but it was Howard Hughes who brought ”corporate” into the mix. He and his Mormon Mafia.

Is there a Diva war going on between David Saxe and Tony Sacca? David has two theaters at Planet Hollywood in the Miracle Mile, and who by the way runs a very successful operation. Rumor has it that Tony is opening a new show downtown, and David will open a new show at Planet Hollywood. Each performer claims this show belongs to them, and now Tony is reportedly trying to push up his opening date ahead of David’s previously announced premiere.

Is downtown ready for a show starring Tony Sacca? The Fremont Experience does well on the weekends, as do some of the restaurants. The Golden Nugget has Gordie Brown but will bring in some other shows. PR/Marketing Director Justin McVay has just  signed to move to Golden Gaming. Seeing Justin at my party made me realize it was time to grow up.

The best man won on American Idol. Simon’s retirement from AI was heartfelt with Paula Abdul coming to the show to help bid farewell. By the way, Paula has been signed to a new TV series for the fall season.

There’s a movie coming out called Love Ranch. Joe Pesci (could this be a comeback role?) and Helen Mirren star as characters based on Joe and Sally Conforte, owners of Nevada’s first licensed brothel, Mustang Ranch. The film is a fictionalized version of the infamous love triangle of Joe, Sally and pro boxer Oscar Bonavena. The fighter was murdered in 1976. Congrats to John Bentham for Marriage Can Be Murder, the dinner show at Fitzgeralds and Cavemen at Excalibur.

The Holly Madison reality show/peep show on E! Entertainment Television seems to be picking up an audience.

Only You, a revival of the true dinner show, has opened at Hennessey’s Tavern on  Fremont St. This Motown-inspired show stars Derek David, a former member of The Platters, along with several other great singers from The Platters and The Marvelettes. For more information call 702-382-4421.

The Las Vegas Classic Jazz Band has ended an unprecedented 23-year engagement at The Gold Coast. We hope this group finds another venue in the very near future to keep this music alive.

Happy Anniversarty to Vinnie Favorito. He has just given his 3,000th performance in Las Vegas. We went to his special show last week at the Flamingo and as usual saw one of the funniest comics around do his stuff. Lorraine Hunt, Dennis Bono and a large contingency of the local and California press were in attendance, too. One thing for sure is that you leave his show exhausted from laughing. A private party followed the show. Vinnie is reportedly being considered for a TV sitcom.

As always, the Rev. Monti Rock III wishes you all a fabulous week!

Please direct all blog related correspondence to:   revmonti@yahoo.com