Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Greek Isles is ahead in the ‘Count’

Simple. Obvious.

A daily, daytime game show that takes place in a Las Vegas casino.

In theory, everyone wins -- there are prizes galore for guests, plus an influx of patrons before and after the show to fill the casino floor during some otherwise slow morning hours.

"I don't know why no one has done it yet, but it seems like a good idea to me, so we'll give it a go and see what happens" Peter J. Shield told us Monday.

He is a veteran Australian television host and producer who has taken over the main showroom at the Greek Isles, which hosts the evening "Rat Pack" tribute show.

The new show is called "Count the Cash," and launches at 11 a.m. on May 1 in the 400-seat room. Also, the show will be available live on the Web at Casinoclubcash.com. Eventually, Shield says, he hopes to have the show broadcast nationally on regular TV.

Shields, who is also a professional magician, hosted a similar show in Australia in the 1980s and 1990s.

Prizes will range from new cars, diamond rings and color TVs to clunkers such as old calendars and used sneakers.

The 90-minute show features contestants from the audience who fall into categories such as "Women in Pink Underwear" or "Men Who Are Married But Wish They Were Single," and then they bid for prizes without knowing what they will be bidding on.

"Ba-Da-Bing" (Desert Passage at Aladdin) performer Kellie Karl will be the show's hostess, and Allen "King" Keller is the musical director.

Dance man

Veteran Las Vegas hoofer Jason Young has been hired as one of the 12 dancers who will share the stage with Madonna when she kicks off her world tour this year.

"I'm very excited," he told Call Back, the local entertainment tab. "The actual audition took three days, so she could get a solid idea of our personalities."

Some of Young's Vegas credits include a long run in "Storm," which played the Mandalay Bay Theatre before "Mamma Mia!" moved in. He was also an original "EFX" (MGM Grand) cast member.

Young, and Madonna, hit the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Memorial Day weekend. Both shows are sellouts.

Good egg

Celine Dion's Easter night performance of "A New Day..." at Caesars Palace raised nearly $1 million for Opportunity Village.

Dion donated proceeds from 3,700 seats to Opportunity Village. In addition, Dion and her husband, Rene Angelil, made a personal donation of $150,000. The proceeds from the concert seats, plus the cash, totaled approximately $500,000.

Caesars Palace also donated 400 seats to Opportunity Village to raise an additional $450,000 in solicited sponsor packages. All contributions will be used to help build a new $21 million campus in southwest Las Vegas for intellectually disabled adults.

"I am overwhelmed by the support Opportunity Village has received from Celine, Rene, Caesars Entertainment and the Las Vegas community," said Linda Smith, Opportunity Village's chief development officer, in a statement.

Free agent

VEGAS Magazine cover girl Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, 31, is back on the market.

The supermodel has split from her husband, John Stamos, 40, their spokesman Lewis Kay confirmed to us on Monday.

The couple were married in 1998.

Apparently, their bicoastal careers started taking a toll. Stamos has been gravitating toward Broadway, starring in "Cabaret" and "Nine," while she has has two movies, "The Punisher" and "Godsend," opening in the next few weeks.

Changes

"The Sirens of TI" has added another performance for the summer months, and edited out some segments of the show.

"We think audiences will really enjoy the revised show," TI President Scott Sibella told us. "We've edited out about eight minutes -- tightening the show and making it easier to follow the storyline."

The free show now plays nightly at 7, 8:30, 10 and 11:30 in Sirens Cove at the front of Treasure Island.

VegasBits

Happy: CNN newsman Wolf Blitzer and his wife, Lynn, celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary Monday night by attending Penn & Teller's show at The Rio with 10 friends and family members, including his mother, Cesia ...

Cy Young, 2006: Baseball phenom Edwin Jackson had to get up from his seat in Section 10 at the Las Vegas 51s game Friday night and retreat to the dugout. The Dodgers' star prospect was beseiged by autograph-seeking fans as he attempted to chart pitches. He is scheduled to pitch for the 51s again tonight, and then may be called up for a weekend start in Los Angeles ...

Fun: Actor and comedian Eddie Griffin ("Undercover Brother") partied Saturday night at Venus (Venetian) ...

Cure: Through May 15, Panera Bread will donate 25 cents to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation from each Pink Ribbon Bagel they sell ...

Divorce: The original New York production of the interactive dinner theater show "Tony N' Tina's Wedding" closes May 1 after a 16-year, 4,905 wedding run. The Rio's production of the show continues.

From Sun wires

Miss USA crowned: A fast-food loving beauty queen from Missouri who has two master's degrees and once wrestled a greased pig in a mud pit was crowned Miss USA 2004 in Los Angeles.

Shandi Finnessey, 25, won the title Monday night over 50 other contestants and will represent the United States at the Miss Universe pageant in Quito, Ecuador, on June 1.

Amanda Helen Pennekamp, Miss South Carolina, was first runner-up. Ashley Rachel Puleo, Miss North Carolina, was second runner-up.

Finnessey jumped up and down and pumped her right arm while steadying the crown with her left hand after it was pinned on by outgoing titleholder Susie Castillo.

Hutton in hospital: Actress and model Lauren Hutton was airlifted Monday to a heart hospital in Albuquerque because of chest pain that doctors determined was probably from indigestion.

Hutton, 60, underwent diagnostic tests at the Heart Hospital of New Mexico that showed her heart is strong, the hospital's medical director said.

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