Archive for July, 2010

Each time I see Jersey Boys at the Palazzo, I’m reminded of all the twists and turns our lives take. First of all,  let me say this show is an absolute must-see if you have even a remote interest in the sounds of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The show is filled with great music and tells the story of real people who made a contribution to the world of music. Congratulations to everyone involved with Jersey Boys at the Palazzo, and especially to my great friend, Frankie Valli.

The original producer of The Four Seasons, which at the time included lead singer Frankie Valli, was Bob Crewe. Of course, this was several years ago when I was a young man in New York City, but I had heard about this genius who was writing and producing hits for the pop generation. By the time I landed in Hollywood, I had already been with Atlantic Records and Mercury Records. I was actually signed by Seymour Stein way before he signed Madonna, but no one could find me a hit record and a hit was what the doctor ordered. I had a lot of television coverage on the Tonight Show and Merv Griffin’s Show, but couldn’t crack the recording industry. Enter Bob Crewe, who decided to make a stab with one hitch. Change the name from Monti Rock III to Disco Tex and we’ll find the Sex-O-Lettes. At the time, I had nothing to lose. The first record, Get Dancin’, went to the top 10.  Next came I Want To Dance, which jumped to No. 3.  So far, so good.  Following three albums, there were litigations, lawsuits and no royalties for years. Bob Crewe became part of the legacy that is Monti Rock III and after all these years of twists and turns, I am grateful my life is full of many parts, my legacy.

Queen Victoria’s Pub celebrated their grand opening at the Riviera two weeks ago. There was an enormous crowd that evening,  so a return visit was in order. This is an authentic British pub serving authentic British food and offering an outstanding selection of brews. Nick Jones, the “London  Sausage Man,” says many of the items on the menu have been created with imported ingredients that keep everything up to standards. The menu has a selection of pies (shephard, steak and kidney) and bangers and mashed (traditional English sausages and buttery mashed potatoes) that would please any of our friends from England, who I understand are coming in larger numbers these days, thanks to the transatlantic flights available. Following our entrees of fish ‘n chips and lamb with rice, we were treated to desserts that included apple/blackberry turnover, blueberry turnover, chocolate volcano cake and ice cream. Again, for the real thing, it’s Queen Victoria’s Pub at the Riviera Hotel & Casino.

Not exactly sure what’s causing the lack of interest in some of the tours this year, but the American Idol tour hasn’t been a sellout and Christina Aguillera has canceled her tour dates. Similar situations have begun to plague our nightclub scene. Only two new mega-clubs will open this year as compared to five last year, and several of the smaller clubs will close or already have closed their doors. Tao and Pure remain two of the top clubs in town.

Since Louie Anderson has left the Excalibur and moved to Palace Station, the time slot will be taken over by  John Bentham’s production of Defending the Caveman, starring Kevin Burke

“Vegas! The Show” at the David Saxe Theater in the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood is Old Vegas at its best. Great singers, dancers, and costumes plus several variety acts make for a most entertaining production. This is the type of show that helped  make Las Vegas the entertainment capital, and we need more of them..

Criss Angel is making more changes to his show at Luxor. There reportedly will  be more Criss and less Cirque  in the revised show, which will be finished by October. This could quite possibly be the shot in the arm that Criss needs. Let’s face it, his illusions are what made him, not the Cirque backgrounds. Criss will be back from vacation on July 17th and begin introducing the new material.

Bob Cayne, of Global Entertainment, has been named president of Live Nation Concerts, Las Vegas. which recently merged with Ticketmaster. One of their goals will be  to bring in the type of shows that the locals would enjoy. Bob has been booking Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and will contiue to do so.

Thanks to the efforts of our city officials and the Fireman’s Union, a new contract was ratified this week. Concessions by both sides will allow our great crew of firefighters to continue working to keep us safe.

Rock ‘n’ roll themed restaurants are very popular in this town. The newest, Rock & Rita’s Restaurant and Bar at Circus Circus, held a grand opening party last week. They feature the world’s best flair bartenders, rock ‘n’ roll, and an all-American menu by master chef Alsonso Contrisciani. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and late nite dining to be served daily.

As previously mentioned, Dennis Bono has moved his weekly radio show from Sam’s Town  to South Point. Variety Toast of the Town is the replacement. They held a grand opening “meet and greet” at Cafe in the Park at Sam’s Town.

Economic woes are still plaguing us here in  the valley. Town Square Mall, the beautiful shopping, dining, and entertainment center has gone into default.  Shoppers and everyday actilvities should not be affected, but it’s sad to see another attraction in trouble.

Speaking of trouble, Lindsay Lohan can’t stay out of it. Her recent sentencing to 90 days in jail followed by another 90-day stint in rehab is not, in my opinion, the answer. Three months in jail is a stiff sentence for a probation offense. Lindsay should be placed in long-term rehab that includes aftercare. I feel her parents are a big part of her problem, as they seem to seek publicity for themselves rather than be concerned with the welfare of their daughter.

And now a little note about me, (for a change).  I did my new one-man show at Hennessey;s Pub last week,  if I may say so myself, the show was a tremendous hit    Mimi Hines, choreograher Papote Varet,  pianist Paul Badia, and publicist Trish Williamson  helped make for a memorable evening.

Hopefully this show will be the first of more to follow.

PLEASE  REFER ALL BLOG RELATED CORRESPONDENCE TO:            revmonti@yahoo.com

What an evening it was when the Las Vegas Hilton hosted the Daytime Emmy Awards last week. It was a rare event, and for me one of the most pleasant I’ve experienced in a long time in Las Vegas. May I have the envelope please? And the winner is…… Las Vegas Hilton.

With the help of CBS network, the Hilton showroom stage was transformed.into a magnificent setting for the glamorous stars. Host Regis Philbin was at his best. Susan Lucci, who is truly ageless, Rachel Ray and Eric Estrada all managed to delight the audience with their live appearances, while Don Rickles and David Letterman were included with others in video spots. The evening became quite sentimental when Dick Clark was honored for his achievements and the importance to rock ‘n’ roll of his TV classic American Bandstand. Marie Osmond and Chubby Checker performed live and it was apparent a close relationship exists with Dick Clark and presenter Ryan Seacrest. In 1973, Dick Clark presented yours truly when I made my debut as Disco Tex. So it seemed only fitting that I attend such a special evening that acknowledged the contributions made by this man. Again, it was a great evening. Glamor, glamor, glamor.

There was a bit of drama after the awards show when Vince Neil regrettably got a DUI. Vince and his Lamborghini made the news. Vince, as you might know, recently opened his Tres Rios Cantina at The Hilton.

Rick White, VP of Brand Marketing & Entertainment.at The Hilton is recovering from back surgery and should return to work shortly. Rick has been instrumental in upgrading the entrtainment scene at The Hilton by bring in top acts just about every weekend ion addtioin to the residents such as Andrew Dice Clay, Steve Dacri, and of course, Lani Misalucha. We’re glad to see you getting better and getting back to work.

Television’s 2010 BET awards were the same night and the show was filled with Michael Jackson tributes. Thank heaven for the DVR. Bad boy Chris Brown’s renditions of Michael Jackson’s songs and dance brought down the house, and eventually brought down Chris whose sobs became uncontrollable. The lyrics of Michaels’ “Man In The Mirror” apparantly hit home for Chris. For me the highlight of the evening was when Patti LaBelle, who always gives her all, closed the show. Throwing off her shoes, she sang Prince’s Purple Rain while the audience cheered. Queen Latifah was stunning in her many gowns and the beautiful Alicia Keys showed the world her baby bump and held center stage several times, performing flawlessly.

Vegas! The Show at the Saxe Theater in Planet Hollywood was on my agenda this week. , and I was able to get to see it Thursday evening.This new production has been hailed as the new show in town. There’s a lot riding on this venture – I’ve been told it’s costing about $1.5 million for the performers and the state of the arts sound and lighting. The singers are amazing and the production is definitely “old Vegas”. Showgirls in great costumes, singers, dancers, and several variety acts make for a really entertaining show In an earlier column, I mentioned Las Vegas celeb Tony Sacca has a similar show downtown. And they say there’s no competition here!

Anita Mann, all things Fantasy at Luxor, was in town to catch David Saxe’s new show and invited me to join her, which would have been a delight. I’d be interested in her comments for sure. Unfortunately, my schedule couldn’t be changed. Anita and I will have to discuss this latest Las Vegas production at a later time.

Brad Garrett has opened his own comedy club at Tropicana, and from what I saw and heard the night I attended, Brad should become the Trop’s big hit. He’s a great entertainer and funny, funny. Most of us know Brad for his stint on TV’s Everybody Loves Raymond in which he showed his talent as a great comic actor. His standup shows him as a younger Don Rickles which, in itself , is an acheivement. George Bugatti, who I’ve seen around town singing and playing piano, was a delightful added attraction. Before the show, my partner and I were treated to dinner at Bacio. Two of my favorite dishes, calamari and rigatoni bolognese, were outstanding. I can say the renovation is well underway at the Trop and it’s beginning to take on that Miami’s South Beach look they’re shooting for. Nice change.

Queen Victoria’s Pub at The Riviera was another stop I made last week. This new jewel is an English style pub with a typical English pub favorites on the moderate priced menu. Homemade pies are made on premises and cooked to order. Sheppard’s Pie and Steak & Kidney Pie are a must as well as some of the best Fish & Chips in town. Among the appetizers is my favorite., Handmade Crisps”, the English version of American Potato Chips . Blackberry & Apple pie was my desert of choice. The British are coming!, the British are coming!

Economy trials and tribulations be damned! Take advantage of the offers being made! Tickets for Cher’s show at Caesars Colosseum are $50 for Nevada residents. Good seats, too. Also available are special performances at discounted prices for Frank Marino’s Divas. Contact Imperial Palace for dates,etc.

Yours truly, Monti Rock III, will be performing in concert for one night only, along with the Platters, on July 11 as part of the dinner show at Hennessey’s on Fremont St. Part of the proceeds will be going to Monti’s favorite charity. Please read the attachment.

The Juvenile Diabetes Relief Foundation, JDRF, is holding its Rockin’ Vegas charity show at “BB Kings Club on July 15. JDRF has been donating huge amounts of money to help find a cure for this dreaded disease.

Living legend Larry King announced his retirement from his nightly CNN interview show. Larry has been doing this for 25 years and is seen worldwide daily. He wants to devote his time to do specials, and more important, to his family. We will miss his show and wish him only the best. A replacement host has not yet been announced.

Hope you had a safe and enjoyable July 4th holiday. and, as always, the Rev. Monti wishes you all a great week

.Please refer all blog related correspndence to: revmonti@yahoo.com