Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014 | 6:15 p.m.
Dirk Arthur, with his snow leopard Putin, is back on the Strip with "Dirk Arthur's Wild Illusions" at the Riviera. The show opens Dec. 1.
The Kats Report Bureau this weekend has been ensconced at the Riviera, and that hotel is happening this weekend with a couple of conventions that helped fill the lobby with hundreds of guests on Friday afternoon.
Yes, the 59-year-old Riviera is positively bouncing with activity as we close out November. Soon to arrive at Versailles Theater, where the continuing renovation is apparent even at the vacuumed and polished entrance, are “The Rat Pack Is Back” and “MJ Live.”
These satisfying, resilient and adaptable shows are being swept out of the Rio’s Crown Theater to make room for the new “Duck Commander” musical, and I am tapping my watch while wondering when the contract will be signed and we can get to planning for that proverbial call of the wild.
Elsewhere, the property has installed signage in various locations as it pushes “Wild Illusions,” the Dirk Arthur comedy/magic show, which opens Monday night at Starlite Theater.
Arthur plans to use seven exotic cats in his act, blended with magic, such outsized illusions as a vanishing helicopter and a decent dose of comedy. But there is something of a movement afoot to protest Arthur’s return to the Strip, with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and some of Arthur’s fellow entertainers concerned about Arthur’s use of exotic cats in his act.
Among the performers voicing opposition is Elton John tribute artist Stephen Sorrentino, who has pushed an anti-Arthur campaign on Facebook.
Arthur has been in contact with officials before and since his show was announced for the Riv back in October. In December 2013 and again in February this year, he was cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for safety infractions against his productions at Harrah’s Laughlin and also in Reno (both of those productions, deemed “successful” by Caesars Entertainment officials, have since closed).
Specifically, the agency cited the inadequate size and conditions of his cages, and it issued a noncompliance warning against Arthur for using animals that had been declawed for reasons other than a medical condition as verified by a licensed veterinarian.
These citations were issued as warnings against Arthur, who addressed the caging issues (chiefly, wood-lined den boxes with splintered edges and a bobcat leash with a dangling metal ring) within a couple of days.
He says that he has declawed the cats in his production for safety reasons, and as a USDA spokeswoman explained to me that Arthur will be in compliance with the agency as long as he does not declaw another animal during his run at the Riviera. There is no law prohibiting a performer from exhibiting an animal that has been already been declawed.
The takeaway: Arthur has been using exotic animals in his stage show for 33 years, starting as a specialty act in “Jubilee!” at Bally’s before moving on to such resorts as Silverton Casino Lodge, Plaza, Tropicana and O’Sheas. According to the government agency that regulates wild animals in stage shows, he is in full compliance and allowed to put on his show on the Strip.
As it is, “Wild Illusions” represents the only show to use such exotic cats, made famous by Siegfried & Roy, on a Las Vegas stage.
With its glass, star-lit exterior, visitors can't miss the Riviera when driving down the Strip. As the first high-rise to open on the Las Vegas Strip, featuring a nine-story hotel, the Riviera has seen more than 50 years as an entertainment destination in Las Vegas. Top bill acts like Liberace, Dean Martin and the long-running Splash revue (closed in 2006) have graced its showrooms over time.
The Riviera still offers its share of entertainment options with topless revue "Crazy Girls," a comedy club and "Illusions," starring Jan Rouven.
The 100,000-square foot casino has been featured in many films like "Casino," "Austin Powers" and "21." Although the hotel has passed through a long list of owners over the years it has always held on to it's unique theme (for Las Vegas) in that it lacks any particular theme. It also features a William Hill Race & Sports Book walk-up betting window right off the sidewalk on the Strip.
The Riviera has dining options well covered, from seafood and steaks at R Steak and Seafood, a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner fare at Banana Leaf Café to an international cuisine at the R Buffet.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.
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