Well, party time came and went.  My Xmas party last evening, Sunday, Dec 13 was a huge success. My host, Rick Belcastro, along with pals Nifty, Steve-o, TJ and the fabulous staff at Badda Bing helped to make this one the best parties I’ve ever given.  Thanks to Frediani’s Italian Restaurant, Great Buns  the Badda Bing kitchen, and some of my friends,  there was delilcious food served all evening.  Wine flowed and people were enjoying the comfort and ambiance of Badda Bing’s private party room overlooking the entertainment floor. The beautiful floral arrangements were furnished by David Filter and his English Garden Florist staff. Thanks to all for a great evening.

With the New Year fast approaching, we can soon say goodbye to one of our most challenging years in recent history. Yes, there are small glimmers of hope that the economy is making a welcomed recovery - and it can’t happen fast enough! After all, Las Vegas has ranked near the top when it comes to unemployment and foreclosures. With a decade of unparalleled growth behind us, we’re reminded there’s always a price to pay. So we welcome the New Year with open arms.

Speaking of the New Year, BB King’s jazz joint at the Mirage had a grand opening  last weekend. But the big entertainment buzz around Vegas is about Garth Brooks, who is opening at the Wynn. Of course, the Wynn has gone to great lengths to make sure the ticket prices do not become inflated by scalpers. This may be a new trend for Las Vegas.

There are very strong rumors flying about a pending contract with Beyonce to be a semi-regular at The Encore as well as Bette Midler after she completes her contract at Caesars Colosseum. Steve Wynn is being very selective about who will appear at The Encore.

Donny Osmond called yours truly after reading last week’s column, where my choice for #1 of my Top 10 shows went to Donny and Marie at the Flamingo. I’ve seen the show several times and each time their act goes to the top of my list. In nine years of writing for Gaming Today, it’s been Donny Osmond and Elton John who were both gracious enough to reach out and acknowledge the column. Thank you, gentlemen! In both cases it was evident these stars are  entertainers who enjoy performing for their fans, and the audiences love them right back.

Another response from last week’s column came from Anthony Cools who appears at the Paris. Anthony sent an e-mail regarding my comments about some of the shows that had come and gone at Paris. The column was about the theater where Barry Manilow will soon open. My apologies to Anthony, who is actually a hit at the Paris. His show is frequently SRO, and Anthony is the exception to the rule when it comes to Paris. Does that make you feel better, Anthony?

Steve Wyrick and The Steve Wyrick Theater at Planet Hollywood are among the latest casualties of the current slack in our economy.  Steve abruptly closed his show last week and vacated the theater, which has had its share of  of failures,    Producer David Saxe is reportedly taking over the theater. Let’s hope he can add to his successes with this addition.

Zowie Bowie is breaking up.  The duo, who perform Friday-Sunday at The Monte Carlo has split. They hope to keep performing together until September,  2010.  It seems the move to The Strip was their swan song, as Marley Taylor reportedly has a new significant other.  Sometimes moving up is really more like moving out.

My dear friend Charo continues with her physical therapy and is almost ready to go back to work. Charo may be part of a new project with yours truly. Sorry… I can’t divulge all the details yet.

CityCenter continues to make headlines all over the country and be featured on the evening news of all the major networks.  My trip to Crystals was like shopping at a great mall with high-end stores. There were lots of shoppers, or maybe just lookers, but a lot of foot traffic. Of course, I had to make my stop at the Louis Vuitton store, which is a favorite of mine. I haven’t had a chance to check out the condos that are part of CityCenter, but I understand the prices have been reduced by some 30% and financing is available. I also heard about 70% of the condos are already under contract. It’s expected we’ll be able to see the economic impact CityCenter will have on Las Vegas in about six months or so. Time will tell.

The grand opening of Aria, the only casino in CityCenter is on December 16. This will probably be the largest of the CityCenter openings.  We’ll give our take on this next week.

The first family was on display this week. President Obama in Oslo, Norway, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and Oprah’s Christmas at the White House,

while Sarah Palin continued her “bus” tour to sign her recently published book. She actually flies to the outskirts of these cities and then “buses” in. Fans are also charged to have their picture taken with the former governor - a move considered a tad greedy by veterans in the publishing biz.

The newly updated buffet at the Luxor offered a salad bar like no other. It was fabulous and the chef and manager should be commended. I’m not a foodie, but the Luxor’s More Buffet offers every type of salad that can be imagined. Another great feature is the ambiance. This is one of the few buffet locations where one can dine in relative peace and quiet. No sounds of kitchen noise here.

Two new restaurants had their grand openings this past week. Las Vegas Rocks at Neonopolis has Tony Saccca and Josette LeBlond at the helm. They feature many dishes dedicated to and named after the many celebrities who appear in Las Vegas.  This may be the “shot in the arm” that Neonopolis needs to succeed.

The other opening was Siena Italian, an Italian Trattoria.  Great ambience, and a great menu. The salads are phenominal as well as the rice cakes, the veal picata and a “to-die-for” tiramisu. Located at 9500 W Sahara, this is one of the best restaurants in The Lakes area, and that says quite a bit.

The holidays always prove to be a generous time of year, so it’s not surprising that I look forward to my annual White Party for my charities. It’s all about giving and I would invite the world…but space is limited.

As a columnist I always try to be fair and impartial when it comes to the Vegas landscape. Last week’s announcement that Greenspun’s Las Vegas Sun laid off some 40 employees was another sign of the current economy in our beloved city. It’s estimated that gaming is down about 30%.

On the brighter side, it was a great week to be here with the Vegas Marathon, the National Rodeo Finals at Thomas & Mack Center and NASCAR… all contributing to the Vegas scene in their own unique ways.

The Fontainbleau Hotel is still up for the bidding. They reportedly need about $1.3 billion to finish this building that’s already 70 percent complete. There are still some buyers who feel they can succeed with this undertaking. It would be nice to have another luxury hotel/casino on the northern side of The Strip.

MGM Mirage Resorts are ringing in 2010 in full swing. Each of their hotels are celebrating New Year’s Eve with spectacular nightlife, exciting shows and affordable hotel packages. Harrah’s and The Flamingo also have  many New Year’s Eve happenings.

The Rev. Monti once again wishes everyone a great week!

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