For me, far and away the best part of covering the afternoon was the opportunity to meet six-time Emmy winner Justin Deas<\/strong> and tell him that his Mercutio at the Guthrie Theatre<\/strong> in 1979 was the best I’ve ever seen, the standard by which I judge all others. That was a very cool moment. And my Better Half got to get up close with Robert Newman<\/strong> (“Josh Lewis”), so all was right in her world.<\/p>\n *(For the record, the original draft reads: “The Rio event drew approximately 680 attendees \u2013 a relatively small turnout, according to Michael S. Gold, whose Celebrity Events Group organized the convention: a Pittsburgh<\/strong> Guiding Light<\/em> shindig had to be extended an extra day. ‘It was a totally different crowd than we got at the other events,’ he said, drawing the biggest turnout of Otalia fans to date<\/em> .”)<\/p>\n Earth to Vdara, Earth to Vdara …<\/strong> One can only imagine the fits Steve Wynn<\/strong> would have if Encore<\/strong>, say, had opened with as underwhelming a guest-service experience<\/a> as the one Hunter Hillegas<\/strong> experienced at Vdara<\/strong> (and for $309\/night, no less). Perhaps MGM Mirage<\/strong> CEO Jim Murren<\/strong> does not have the time to sample every new hotel on the Strip — he’s got bigger fish to fry, after all — but it would behoove his and CityCenter<\/strong> President Bobby Baldwin<\/strong>‘s lieutenants to familiarize themselves with what Steve ‘n Sheldon<\/strong> (and Phil ‘n Donald<\/strong>) are offering up the street, because it doesn’t sound like Vdara is at that level yet.<\/p>\n Steve Friess<\/strong> has also remarked on Vdara’s lack of a sundries store and, for a property that’s intended to be partly residential, CityCenter is strangely lacking in a number of day-to-day amenities … as though its conception was untethered to certain basic realities of everyday life. Same with the Crystals<\/strong> retail repertory, which seems to be tailored for people who exist only in small, plutocratic numbers. Sure, the Forum Shops<\/strong> and Fashion Show Mall<\/strong> have a lot of upscale product, too, but John Q. Customer still can avail himself of the Apple Store<\/strong> or F.A.O. Schwartz<\/strong> or California Pizza Kitchen<\/strong>. No such luck at Crystals.<\/p>\n Tiger, Tiger, burning (out) bright<\/strong>: Add Las Vegas Weekly<\/em> to the queue of pubs and blogs (like this one) weighing on The Myth Formerly Known as Tiger Woods<\/strong> and What Does It All Mean? For LVW<\/em>, the misadventures of Tiger’s one-eyed trouser snake are A Good Thing<\/a> for Vegas.<\/p>\n Not to be outdone<\/strong> by Eldrick Woods or Las Vegas, Missouri<\/strong> retaliates with a comparably skeevy sex scandal<\/a> of its own. Which I mention not because Missouri has casinos but because any news story that employs a Family Guy<\/em> clip to make its point simply must<\/em> be promulgated. (Question<\/em>: Who is hotter, Jessica Leccia or Lois Griffin<\/strong>? Discuss.)<\/p>\n Don’t tase me, Garth!<\/strong> It seems that my lady friend has been graced with a pair of tickets to see Mr. Brooks in concert at Wynn Las Vegas<\/strong> this weekend. I will report back on the security procedures … as soon as all the burns from the electric cattle prods heal and my DNA sample is verified by Wynn authorities.<\/p>\n Yes, Virginia<\/strong>, there is good, low-cost entertainment in Vegas, especially if you poke around the back streets of Chinatown<\/strong>, where Las Vegas Little Theatre<\/strong> hangs its shingle. Its studio production of Wonder of the World<\/em> by David Lindsay-Abaire<\/strong> demonstrates how you can get a laugh riot for $10-$12 and a no-drink minimum. Affordable shows in Vegas — what a radical concept!<\/p>\n Vegas revenue quickie<\/strong>: Those of us who are cautiously optimistic about a Las Vegas<\/strong> recovery (with the emphasis on “cautiously”) got more grist for our mills today. Visitation was up 4% in October but continued addition of hotel rooms meant 87% occupancy. Convention attendance was -8%, and (higher spending) fly-in visitors were slightly fewer and (lower-spending) drive-in visitors slightly greater in number.<\/p>\n So it’s hardly a shock to read that statewide gambling revenue was down 12% and -10% on Strip. A continued boom in baccarat play softened the latter blow — and “blow” is what Strip slot play most definitely did, down 14% from last October. Like I said the other day, any “bounces” we’re seeing are strictly of the dead-cat variety.<\/p>\n … and with that<\/strong>, I’m off to cover a program that puts violins in the hands of little Las Vegas tykes. Strike up the band, kids!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s shaping up to be a news-intensive day — and I have off-site commitments that will keep me away from the keyboard, but let’s see what we can cram in … “The kiss that rocked The Rio”: The steamy scene … Continue reading ![\"Noth](\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/12\/Noth-at-G2E.jpg\" "\\"Noth")
Something for the ladies<\/strong>. In case you missed him at G2E, here’s Chris Noth<\/strong>, helping to unveil the new IGT<\/em> Sex and the City<\/em> slot machine. The game sounds dynamite on paper<\/a>. My special consultant on one-armed bandits is also an avid SATC<\/em> watcher and she pronounced it (the game, not Mr. Noth) to be Dullsville. She especially didn’t care for the four-in-one game screens … and neither did I. Maybe the younger players will go for that particular “enhancement,” but those of us who have to wear glasses are wont to find it an annoyance — more squinting!<\/p>\n