Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Joey Fatone shows up just in time for ‘Rock of Ages’; Felice Garcia adds five weeks to ‘MDQ’

Earl of Sandwich Grand Opening at the Palms

Denise Truscello/WireImage/DeniseTruscello.net

Joey Fatone and Holly Madison attend the Earl of Sandwich grand opening at the Palms on Monday, July 2, 2012.

'Million Dollar Quartet' Grand Opening at Harrah's

Robert Lyons, Carla Pellegrino, Martin Kaye, Marc Donovan, Felice Garcia, Tyler Hunter and Ben Hale at the grand opening of Launch slideshow »

The Kats Report Bureau at this writing is the 19th annual Jeff Molitz Super Bowl Party and Fried Food Extravaganza. This is the most prominent gathering of influential people anywhere in VegasVille, or Green Valley, which is where Molitz’s home/party compound is located.

This is where we ask: Who is this Jeff Molitz? He is the personal assistant of Carrot Top and a friend of many entertainers in town.

His parties have drawn the likes of the Topper himself; Joey Fatone; The Amazing Johnathan; Blue Man Group; Recycled Percussion; “Million Dollar Quartet”; “Rock of Ages”; “Jersey Boys”; hypnotist Anthony Cools; mentalist Gerry McCambridge; Lucky the Leprechaun at O’Sheas Brian Thomas; Christina and Patrick Vitagliano of KISS by Monster Mini Golf; and others.

Some info I’ve raked up around here and out there:

• There is an update for the lone female character in “MDQ.” Felice Garcia’s contract has been extended by five weeks, and she’ll remain in the cast at Harrah’s through March 8. Kristen Hertzenberg, who is taking over the lead role as Dyanne, is on vocal rest and scheduled to start March 9. Garcia will eventually move to San Diego and work on her first full-length album.

Away from that show, Ben Hale, who plays Johnny Cash, turned in two great shows at Cabaret Jazz in the Smith Center on Saturday night. I am guessing the second was great; I only saw the first.

But it was a real hillbilly party with Hale and his 10-piece band, and he was joined by castmate Rob Lyons, who contributed a groovy harp solo. And if you think that at least some of the motivation for this item was to write the word “groovy,” you would be write. Er, right.

• Meantime, Mr. Fatone — who is around here somewhere — is stepping in for Troy Burgess in “Rock of Ages” for nine weeks beginning Feb. 20. Fatone will play Dennis Dupree, Burgess’s role since the show opened two years ago at the Venetian, and the timing couldn’t be more fortuitous for the Burgess household.

Burgess and his wife, Yesiney Burgess, are expecting their first child in June. Yesiney is a performer in “Fantasy,” taking leave from the Luxor show this week, and the couple can use the time off. Troy will continue to work one show a week during Fatone’s run but make that full salary. Sweet.

2015 NBT Woman of the Year Debbie Allen

The 2015 Nevada Ballet Theater Black and White Ball honors Woman of the Year Debbie Allen, here with Berry Gordy Jr., on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Aria. Launch slideshow »

• During his appearance at the annual Nevada Ballet Theater Black & White Gala to introduce Woman of the Year Debbie Allen, Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. was accompanied by his daughter, Sherry. The Las Vegas connection between the Gordies and Las Vegas is that Sherry presents an open-mic, Motown revival Thursdays at 7 p.m. at Fiesta Rancho’s Club Tequila. Freddie Eckstein is featured this week. As they say, let’s groove tonight … or Thursday night.

• As is his wont, Bob Anderson hit the stage at Palazzo’s Label Lounge after his performance in “Frank: The Man, The Music” on Friday night. This was well past midnight, and Anderson unleashed a medley of impressions, including Andy Williams, Tony Bennett, Wayne Newton, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tom Jones.

The scene at was once Zebra Lounge is turning into a killer late-night hang, as on most nights Laura Shaffer’s Noir Nightingale Trio plays that room, and often Anderson and members of his orchestra fire up the crowd. Very Old Vegas, which is how Anderson likes it.

1923 Bourbon & Burlesque by Holly Madison

Holly Madison arrives at the grand opening of 1923 Bourbon & Burlesque by Holly Madison at Mandalay Bay on Thursday, May 1, 2014, in Las Vegas. Launch slideshow »

• On the topic of how any live scene is made greater with live music, the overlords of 1923 Bourbon & Burlesque have returned to a live band for the club’s end-of-Prohibition party on Saturday nights. Standout Las Vegas artist Shaun DeGraff led a five-piece band that played for a couple of hours, giving way to DJs just before the midnight champagne countdown.

Minus 5 Ice Director of Operations Noel Bowman, whose company runs the speakeasy at Mandalay Bay, said the return of live music was a test for 1923, which opened with a live band last March. DeGraff termed the gig a one-off, but the match of Buttercup Delight and a powerhouse band would give some of us a reason to return, regularly, to that club.

• Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling is here. We just chatted. Stuttering John and he joined Bobby Slayton for two capacity shows Friday and Saturday nights at South Point Showroom. The two were guests today on Penn Jillette’s podcast and toured Jillette’s home (“The purple grass! The Jacuzzi” as Martling noted). The Slayton-Martling combo could work in Las Vegas, and the hotel is interested in a return.

• Earlier, at this party, The Amazing Johnathan showed up and said he would regret missing the next “ENTSpeaks” showcase at Inspire Theater on Fremont East on Monday night. Johnathan’s poignant description of his heart ailment was a memorable moment in the first event last October, and in this event his friend and magician contemporary Mac King is among the speakers.

Johnathan has made a suggestion of how King should open his talk. I will not ruin it now, at the risk of spoiling the moment, and whether or not King follows through, I’ll update that suggestion on Tuesday. It’s brilliant, of course, same as everything that is produced in the mind of The Amazing Johnathan.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.

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