Columnist Kate Maddox: Acosta to make big impression

Kate Maddox

Friday, Sept. 22, 2000 | 8:57 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Reach her at kmaddox@lasvegassun.com

It's official. After almost a year of back and forth, impressionist Bill Acosta is Flamingo-bound. Acosta, who has been at the Luxor for almost two years, is jumping over to the Flamingo Las Vegas -- a property that has completely overhauled its entertainment lineup.

From the sound of it, Acosta is making a good move by bowing out of his Luxor contract, and the separation was apparently amicable on both sides. His new show will be a spicier production.

Accompanied by a live eight-piece band (something he didn't have at the Luxor) and 12 dancers, Acosta will bring some sparkle to his classy show and perhaps give other Strip impressionists some real competition.

And, oh yeah, did I mention it's topless?

The lady dancers will go bare up there while backing up Acosta. This seems to be de rigeur for the Flamingo these days. The property was apparently looking for a topless show in addition to "Bottom's Up," its bawdy new afternoon laughfest.

Jeanne Bavaro, the producer/director of Acosta's show, insists that the Flamingo didn't require the nudity in its contract, but she did take the hint that this was the direction the hotel's entertainment department wanted the show to take. (The producers of a Polynesian-themed production, which was rumored to be the front-runner for the Flamingo spot, nixed the topless idea -- and shortly thereafter, the Flamingo nixed them.)

Acosta's show will take the 10 p.m. slot at the hotel, going on after "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus," which opens next week. The sexy new Acosta debut better get things up and running in a jiffy.The show is shooting for a soft opening Nov. 21.

MTV continued its love affair with Las Vegas this week. The music network held a casting call for a new show called "Fear." Hundreds of 18- to 23-year-olds lined up outside Planet Hollywood at the Forum Shops at Caesars for the chance to impress MTV producers.

The show, which is yet another reality-based adventure series, was described as a cross between "Road Rules," "Survivor" and "The Blair Witch Project." So, I guess candidates should be willing to travel to out-of-the-way places, get stabbed in the back by fellow castmates and have the daylights scared out of them. Sounds like a hoot.

A pilot episode is scheduled to air this week on MTV and, as soon as this little casting chore is finished, new shows should follow in a couple of months.

"An Evening at La Cage" celebrated its 15th anniversary at the Riviera on Thursday night. The men-doing-women-doing-celebrities production had a packed house and the show's star, Frank Marino, was at his Joan Rivers' best. Catty as ever.

Hotel heavies, media, hangers-on and a few of Las Vegas' assorted characters turned up to congratulate the "girls" on their big night. (One guest in particular, Sandy Murphy attorney John Momot, made the scene with blonde stunner and former "Enter the Night" showgirl Aki, who recently earned her law degree. So who better to hang with than the hottest attorney in town?)

And, OK, so it's not exactly a classy family show, but any production that kicks things off with a tuxedo-clad man sporting enough makeup and fake eyelashes to give Tammy Faye a run for her money while singing "I Am What I Am," is worth the $22.95 ticket in my book.