Columnist Joe Delaney: Future of Mirage attractions is in question

Joe Delaney

Thursday, March 16, 2000 | 8:34 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at joe@vegas.com or 259-4066.

With the public's knowledge of the acquisition of Mirage Resorts by MGM Grand limited to the $6.4 billion dollar stock price, one wonders what will happen to the Mirage plans for El Jardin in Atlantic City? ... Will Jerry Herman's "Miss Spectacular," due at the Mirage in 2001, come to fruition? ... Will this affect Siegfried & Roy's decision about whether to continue in 2002? ... If negative, what happens to their Secret Garden and the White Tigers Habitat?

Early bulletins indicate that the Bellagio art collection will be a casualty. ... We hope not. ... It sets Bellagio apart. ... It belongs in Las Vegas; closing the gallery would be a giant aesthetic step backward.

We were here when Howard Hughes acquired the Desert Inn, Frontier, Sands and completed the Landmark, then tried to acquire the Stardust and was stopped because it would give him too much control over our area's main industry. ... Is there a possible parallel here?

Holiday update

St. Patrick's Day is a weeklong observance in LV, thanks to the Sons and Daughters of Erin and this year's host hotel, the Sahara. ... The annual parade takes place at 9 a.m. Saturday, starting in front of the LV Convention Center and proceeding north on Paradise Road to the Sahara's east parking lot, site of the gigantic block party with Irish entertainment.

Irish Show Band regular D.J. Curtin and the Shamrocks are in the Sahara Casbar Lounge, tonight through Saturday. ... Thursday's Irish special is the Notre Dame Glee Club in concert at 7 p.m., St. Joseph, Husband of Mary Church on W. Sahara. ... Admission is a tax-deductible $10 donation to the Notre Dame Scholarship Fund. ... Do good and have a good time, too.

Friday's special at the Sahara is the annual Sons and Daughters of Erin dinner dance and entertainment. ... Admission is $30 per person. ... Monies earned go to local senior citizen and children's activities.

More holiday

Fitzgerald's hotel-casino goes all-out for St. Patrick's Day, featuring Irish food and entertainment plus the LV Highlanders Pipes and Drums, a 15-piece bagpipe corps, doubling as part of the Fremont Street Experience and at New York-New York, today through Saturday. ... The Fremont Street Experience will have special light shows and free concerts, Friday and Saturday. ... Call 678-5600 for times and details.

New York-New York, home of Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance," will have special processions through the hotel at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m., plus the bagpipers, Irish fiddlers, and special entertainment this weekend.

Arizona Charlie's has a post-St. Patrick's Day event with Tony Kenny's "Ireland's Call," with comedian Joe Cuddy, Dermot O'Brien and others from famed Dublin cabarets at 8 p.m., March 30, in the hotel's Palace Grand Theatre. ... Tickets are available at Arizona Charlie's.

Star-policy rundown

It's Gladys Knight, starring in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" (Caesars Palace); Dennis Miller (Desert Inn); Buddy Greco, Lezlie Anders and their big band, Fridays (Flamingo Las Vegas); Patsy Cline tribute (Gold Coast); Clint Holmes (Harrah's); Sinbad (LV Hilton); Bill Acosta (Luxor); and Carrot Top, plus Tommy Tune starring in "EFX" (MGM Grand).

There's more: Siegfried & Roy (MGM Grand); Jeff Dunham (Monte Carlo); Robben Ford (Orleans); David Cassidy-Sheena Easton (Rio); Wayne Newton, hot at the Stardust; and Andre-Phillipe Gagnon (Venetian).

One-nighters: House of Blues has Flogging Molly, Friday, and Young Dubliners, Saturday, while Kiss with Ted Nugent and Skid Row are Friday attractions in the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Boxing: world championship kick-boxing, Friday, and Floyd Mayweather vs. Goyo Vargas in a Battle of the Championships, Saturday (MGM Grand Garden Arena).

Thursday addenda

Nevada Dance Theatre's "Peter Pan," with artistic director Bruce Steivel's new choreography, will be performed today through Sunday (UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre).

"Dearly Departed" departs this Sunday (CCSN Little Theatre); and LV Little Theatre's "Visiting Mr. Green" plays Friday through April 2 at 3844 Schiff Drive.

The Kenny Rampton Sextet performs at 2 p.m. Sunday (Reed Whipple Center) and the Marv Koral All-Stars featuring Carl Fontana and guest sit-ins swing from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday (Pierce Street Annex). ... See you Friday.