Category Archives: Entertainment

Plaza postscript; exit Liberace; Teller spooks!

Posted on September 16, 2010 by David McKee

One of my conjectures in regard to yesterday’s disclosure that the Plaza Hotel was tentatively scheduled to be sold at foreclosure auction on Oct. 1 was that a postponement of the auction from Sept. 1 betokened an in-progress renegotiation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Regulation, The Strip | 3 Comments

The Plaza’s $56 million question

Posted on September 15, 2010 by David McKee

Back in 2005, Mayor Oscar Goodman told a reporter — that’d be me — with “a local business publication,” formerly known as the Las Vegas Business Press — that he hoped to see the Plaza Hotel imploded to make room … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Oscar Goodman, Tamares Group | 4 Comments

Running silent

Posted on September 15, 2010 by David McKee

At the moment, I’m following up on some leads that might (I stress “might“) coalesce into a bigger story. I’ve also been trying to clear my desk of a flurry of Questions of the Day and sundry other essays. Topics … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, history, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 4 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 14, 2010 by David McKee

“You’re not going to Las Vegas to see the king of beasts, you’re going there for gambling and hookers! You don’t go to see two guys in MGM Grand T-shirts poking at lions! That’s not right!” — David Letterman, on … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, The Strip, TV | 1 Comment

Once before it goes

Posted on September 13, 2010 by David McKee

Today’s schedule is taken up largely with conducting an autopsy of the Liberace Museum, as well as transcribing an (unrelated) interview with Teller. In the meantime, for those of you who haven’t seen the Museum and can’t make it before … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, history, Sahara, The Strip, TV | 1 Comment

Girls! Girls! Girls!; Liberace has left the building

Posted on September 10, 2010 by David McKee

Columbia Sussex‘s Westin Casuarina, the place where shows go to be ignored, is trying again with one-two punch of bodaciousness. Our research staff is doing its best to uncover details on Burlesque: The Show, for which we have nothing more … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Columbia Sussex, Economy, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Movies, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 4 Comments

Harrah’s does it again (and again … and again)

Posted on September 9, 2010 by David McKee

Hey, Gary Loveman, don’t let the doorknob hit you in the butt as you skedaddle out of Kansas for the second time.  Ever-fickle, Harrah’s Entertainment turned tail and ran from the Sunflower State on the very date its Wichita-area proposal … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, California, Current, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Shuffle Master, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 6 Comments

Western Passage & the new Rat (Rod) Pack

Posted on September 8, 2010 by David McKee

Let’s try this again … Today’s guest blog hails from the keyboard of reader Jeff_in_OKC who recently paid not one, not two but three (brave man!) visits to the Western Hotel, on the fringe of downtown Las Vegas. The Western … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Archon Corp., Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Current, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Laughlin, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Oscar Goodman, Sahara, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 12 Comments

Murren vs. Angle

Posted on September 7, 2010 by David McKee

Taking a moment from fluffing Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren finally pointed out the elephant in the middle of the room, Sharron Angle‘s laughably primitive grasp of economics. (Except Murren used a nicer word than … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, New York | 5 Comments

Labor Day Massacre in Atlantic City

Posted on September 6, 2010 by David McKee

Heading into the weekend, Trump Entertainment Resorts continued its reorganization by sacking six top executives. They were preceded by Trump Plaza General Manager Jim Rigot, who wasn’t pushed but gave his notice a fortnight ago. One of the Trump Six, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Kansas, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 2, 2010 by David McKee

“You cannot keep putting up hotels with 3,000 rooms and expect not to smother one another. They will suffocate one another to the degree that 20 years from today, they will not be in business. Talk to me in 20 … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Economy, Entertainment, The Strip | 4 Comments

And then there was one

Posted on September 1, 2010 by David McKee

Scarcely had Steve Wynn and Victor Drai parted company than Wynn Resorts issued this curt declaration at 10 a.m. today: Cy Waits has been separated from the company and is free to pursue other interests. Wynn [Resorts] has no further … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, TV, Wall Street | 6 Comments

Venetian Oriental delayed again; Wynn & Drai divorce

Posted on August 27, 2010 by David McKee

Worker-recruitment problems in Macao are worse than Las Vegas Sands has been letting on. The company has now re-postponed its $4 billion, 6,000-room Venetian Oriental into late 2011, with its second phase debuting in mid-2012. The company’s verbiage, however, raises … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Encore, Entertainment, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Eastside Cannery, muse

Posted on August 27, 2010 by David McKee

The neon-bathed casino on the Boulder Strip seems to have quite an inspirational effect on artists, as seen in the music video above. “ECan” has also impelled a poem from the pen of local playwright and author Ernie Curcio, who … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boulder Strip, Cannery Casino Resorts, Entertainment, history | Comments Off on Eastside Cannery, muse

Sin City, look to thy laurels!

Posted on August 27, 2010 by David McKee

Warning: Adult content; viewer discretion advised. Boy, wouldn’t the Nevada Gaming Control Board go into apoplexy if, say, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino took a page or 12 from Casino Victoria, in Minsk. At least everybody seems to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, International, Morgans Hotel Group, Regulation | 1 Comment

Reid wusses out; Sucker bets, Sheldon & strippers

Posted on August 26, 2010 by David McKee

UIGEA repeal? Forget about it. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) has chickened out again. Pressed on the issue, he said he’d support the legalization of online poker but faintheartedly drew the line there. That still wasn’t good enough for some independent … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, CityCenter, Current, Dubai, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Harry Reid, International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, World Series of Poker | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 26, 2010 by David McKee

“This next song is about a place where I like to drink. Whatever. I said it.” — Katy Perry, introducing “Waking up in Vegas” during her concert appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. And people ask my wife … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Old cats, new tricks

Posted on August 26, 2010 by David McKee

After one near-eviction, followed by a lengthy reprieve, magician Dirk Arthur and his big cats got the heave-ho from the Tropicana Las Vegas. Where’s tiger-loving illusionist to go? In Arthur’s case, it’s to the Strip’s biggest litter box, O’Shea’s Casino, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Animals, Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, The Strip | Comments Off on Old cats, new tricks

Mothers of invention; Fernwood 2night

Posted on August 24, 2010 by David McKee

“Stacked” casino floors are a rarity in Las Vegas, usually necessitated by a limited footprint. That’s certainly the case with the Cosmopolitan, jimmied into a narrow slot just north of CityCenter (and often mistaken for part of that complex). However, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Architecture, Cannery Casino Resorts, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | 3 Comments

Readers are genius

Posted on August 20, 2010 by David McKee

A big shout-out goes to the S&G subscriber who has the best solution yet for reviving interest in Atlantic City: “Just put the cast of Jersey Shore on view in glass cages on the Boardwalk (like the Snake Guy on … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Marketing, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 5 Comments