Columnist Jerry Fink: Tranz steps up to Sahara

Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 | 8:47 a.m.

Hypnotist Justin Tranz needs to pinch himself to make sure he's awake.

After five years of preparation at a tiny showroom on the Strip, his dreams are finally being realized -- he has a TV series ("Extreme Truth" on the Playboy Channel) and a room that will more than triple the potential size of his audiences.

The Philadelphia native debuted in 1999 at the 150-seat showroom at O'Sheas (next to the Flamingo). He ended that engagement in May to star in the TV show, which taped a year's worth of shows in six weeks.

After he wrapped up the taping he signed an agreement with the Sahara to perform in the 550-seat Congo Room at 10 p.m. Thursdays through Tuesdays. He began Thursday.

"What happened is, I had been down the street at O'Sheas for the last five years," the jubilant hypnotist said. "That was a wonderful experience for me. It gave me the opportunity to hone my craft."

But while honing, he was planning.

"What I've learned in five years is that you have to have exposure," Tranz said. "What makes people really come to your shows, if you are not widely known, is TV appearances -- Carrot Top is wonderful and talented, but what made him was his commercials for AT&T.

"So for the last five years I've been trying to get my own series. If you have a television show, Vegas will take you much more seriously."

Tranz's perseverance paid off.

Playboy (a pay-per-view channel) held auditions for "Extreme Truth" to replace the hypnotist who starred in the year-old program.

"I auditioned with 30-plus hypnotists and was chosen," Tranz said. "We shot 13 episodes between May 8 and June 12."

The show airs at 11 p.m. Saturdays. Tranz says Playboy wants to sign him to a two-year contract.

The premise of the show is Tranz hypnotizing a couple in separate rooms -- a male and female in a relationship (married or otherwise).

"Under hypnosis they tell me what they're really thinking and feeling -- I get them to tell me their darkest secrets," he said.

The couple are then brought onstage and interviewed as they watch the tapes.

When he returned to Vegas, Tranz began shopping for a new room to accommodate all the fans he expects as a result of his television exposure.

"The Sahara is giving me the opportunity," Tranz said. "At O'Sheas I was turning away anywhere from 50 to 200 people a night. I needed a new room."

He noted that he will be able to draw from the Sahara's hotel guests as well as monorail riders.

"O'Sheas doesn't have a hotel to market to -- the Sahara does, and it is a monorail stop."

Tranz says his new room also has allowed him to make a few minor changes in the show.

"I have three or four dancers in the show now, who give it more of a Vegas production feel," he said.

General admission is $39.95; VIP is $49.95. The price of both shows includes a buffet.

Tranz says his live performance has nothing to do with the Playboy series.

"It's my own comedy show," he said.

Now that his career seems to have jumped into high gear, Tranz isn't resting on his recent successes.

"I'm negotiating with several networks and cable channels to do my own reality TV series," Tranz said.

Mark & Clark

Fans of twin pianists Mark & Clark Seymour will be happy to know that the entertainers have signed an agreement to perform in a showroom at a hotel/casino off the Strip (but not too far).

The Columbus, Ohio, natives are scheduled to premiere March 14. They say they are not ready to release the name of the property.

"We will perform at 9 p.m., six nights a week, Saturdays through Thursdays," Clark said. "It will just be Mark and I."

Mark & Clark have been playing piano since age 4. They turned professional at age 16 and worked their way through Ohio State University.

The 58-year-old brothers have performed in Vegas showrooms and lounges off and on since 1968, but most of their career was spent in Florida, where they owned several nightclubs (including the celebrity hangout Keyboard Cabaret in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).

They moved to Vegas five years ago, and since have made the lounge circuit, performing in such venues as the Cannery, Imperial Palace and Desert Passage at the Aladdin.

"Getting into a showroom is what we have been gearing up for," Clark said. "Showrooms are where we really shine."

Sardelli subs

All-around performer Nelson Sardelli and an army of his entertaining friends held down the fort at the Bootlegger last weekend for an ailing Sonny King.

While the King was away from his weekly "Off the Cuff" gig, Sardelli and his cohorts played -- regaling audiences with stories, jokes and music.

Friday night Sardelli was joined by (among others) Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, Dennis Bono, comedian/musician Peter Anthony, comedian Joey Villa, Darin Ames, Bonnie Graham and the Tommy Deering Trio.

Saturday his guests included Frankie Scinta, Buddy Greco and Lezlie Anders, Linda November and Artie Schoreck, Carme, puppeteer Tony Rayes, Michaelina, Duke Hazlett and Mario Davero.

Foxes feted

Several members of the Purple Foxes, an elite group of Marine Corps helicopter pilots and its crew, were given a Las Vegas send-off at Turnberry Place's Stirling Club on Saturday night.

Members of Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron (Light) 364 first were treated to a dinner catered by Charlie Palmer Steakhouse and then were entertained by several local performers, headed by the club's entertainment director, Kelly Clinton.

Joining Clinton were vocalists Grant Griffin, Jimmy Hopper, Mark Giovi and Clint Holmes, and impressionist Babe Pier.

Also performing was the Las Vegas Pipe & Drum Corps.

The party was given by airline pilot Bill McKelvey, a Turnberry resident and cousin to helicopter pilot Capt. Phillip Peche.

Peche, stationed at Camp Pendleton, has been with the Purple Foxes three years. He recently returned from his second tour in Iraq and is preparing to return.

Peche has seen his share of action.

"During the confusion of one battle we were given the wrong coordinates and ended up flying over all of the enemy positions, getting fired upon pretty heavily," he said.

The mission of the Purple Foxes basically is to rescue Marines. Peche said he once helped evacuate 25 casualties pinned down on a road.

"A lot of times during an offensive we fly in and get the wounded out right where they are hit rather than loading them onto Humvees," Peche said. "We fly right to the fight.

"We load the guys and try to get out without getting too shot up."

Capt. Tony Lumpkin, a former pilot with the Purple Foxes, said things are a lot different in Iraq than reported in the press.

"Don't believe everything you read in the paper," Lumpkin said. "Sure we're being shot at and there are casualties, but what they don't tell you is about kids playing in the streets again and families having water and electricity."

Kids Expo

Callback Entertainment News, the trade paper for entertainers in Vegas, sponsored a successful Entertainment Expo for adults at the Golden Nugget in November.

Publisher Minnie Madden is following up that success with a similar event for children, Callback Kids Entertainment Exposition.

Callback Kids will be an all-day event at the Golden Nugget on Feb. 26.

Madden described the Expo as, "a daylong cultural event for children, teens, and young adults for the purpose of exposing them to all of the cultural and entertainment opportunities that our city and metropolitan area has to offer."

There will be booths and demonstrations that will highlight the fine arts and services in Vegas, covering the gamut of entertainment: music, dance, art, theatre, acting, modeling, magic, singing and support services.

There will also be a talent showcase that will draw attention to the skilled youthful performers. The performances will be seen by agents and studios, with the possibility of being signed by these companies.

Madden said workshops and demonstrations will be held in puppetry, juggling, magic, circus and variety acts, storytelling, art and balloon sculpture.

Parents will be able to get information on schools and studios that specialize in the fine arts and cultural activities.

Show an illusion

First "Spellbinder: The War of the Wizards -- A Rock 'n' Roll Illusion Spectacular" (billed as the greatest illusion show in history) changed its title to "As Worlds Collide, starring Spellbinder, Live in Concert -- A Rock 'n' Roll Illusion Spectacular."

Then the producer of the $3 million magic show canceled its scheduled Jan. 28 premiere at The Orleans Arena.

Maybe it couldn't find tickets large enough to include the entire title.

However, a spokesman said the show was delayed because it could not generate enough publicity during the holidays to adequately promote the show. Because the arena is booked for several months, "As Worlds Collide" will not have a public debut until it can reserve space there or at another venue.

A private showcase is scheduled for Feb. 17.

Cutting edge

The Bandaz Brothers, who once appeared on the Guinness World Records Primetime television series, will join the cast of "Ovation" at Lady Luck on Thursday.

Ali and Massoud have astounded audiences with their knife-balancing routine -- each grips the handle of 14 1/2-inch daggers in their mouth and balances tip-to-tip, with Ali standing on the stage and Massoud in the air.

The brothers also throw knives as part of their act.

They join a cast that includes (among others) host/magician/comedian Fielding West, magician Jason Byrne, the aerial team of Cess & Caty, the balancing act of Tino Ferreira and puppeteer Christopher.

Performances are at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays (Dark Tuesdays).

Messy business

Retired actor Ben Norton's house and yard are a mess.

He knows it, and now the world knows it.

The southwest Las Vegas residence was the focus of a segment of "How Clean is Your House" on the Lifetime Network.

The show aired Monday and will rerun at 11 p.m. next Monday.

The premise of the show is to find a particularly messy house, film a crew cleaning it and then show the owner's reaction.

Norton, 59, said his house was so messy they could only finish four rooms of the 3,100-square-foot home in the allotted time.

The crew worked on the master bedroom and bath, living room, game room and kitchen.

"They brought in live potted plants, a new bedspread and new pillows. They changed the lampshades," he said.

They also did some decorating with throw rugs, candles and towels.

One room they couldn't do anything with was an office with off-white carpeting.

"You shouldn't have off-white when you have three dogs," Norton said.

They didn't even attempt to do anything with the three-acre yard, which is cluttered with classic and antique cars and trucks Norton sometimes leases to films being shot in Vegas.

"Sure, it was intrusive and invasive, but I agreed to it," Norton said.

The $4,000 cleaning was performed Nov. 2-5.

"After the first two days they kicked me out, sent me to a hotel," Norton said.

When they finish they brought him back and filmed his reaction.

"I got real corny, broke down in tears," Norton said. "It's supposed to be reality TV, but there isn't much reality to it."

Sheena joins cast

Sheena Easton has joined the cast of "Young Blades," PAX TV's new hourlong prime time series that premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday.

The Grammy Award-winner most recently was co-host of "Vegas Live!" on Cox cable channels 1 and 19. She also appeared with David Cassidy in "At the Copa," which was at the Rio in 2000, and did a solo at the Las Vegas Hilton Nightclub (now Shimmer Cabaret) from 2001-'03.

In "Young Blades," Easton portrays Queen Anne.

The series was inspired by "The Three Musketeers." It is an action/adventure series that focuses on a new generation of swashbucklers, according to promotional material.

"We're delighted that Sheena Easton has joined the series for multiple episodes as Queen Anne," says Executive Producer Billy Brown. "She has international appeal as a singing sensation and an actress."

Vegas vibes

Nearly $32,000 will be donated by the Palms and its employees to the Red Cross for victims of the tsunami in Asia. Palms owner and president George Maloof matched donations by employees dollar for dollar, bringing the total to $31,910. A check was to be presented to the relief organization at 11 a.m. today.

Ann-Margret will be honored Saturday night as the Woman of the Year at the Nevada Ballet Theatre's annual fundraiser, the Black & White Ball.

The event will be held in the Palace Ballroom at Caesar's Palace.

Crooner Brian Evans pulled the plug on his Jan. 15 show at the Stardust at the last minute, reportedly because of an overwhelming lack of ticket sales.

It was a bloody good response. Penn & Teller offered two tickets to anyone who donated blood to the United Blood Services. Between Dec. 17 and Jan. 1 a total of 4,223 fans received 10,304 tickets (a value of $850,040).

This was the second year for the magic duo's "Dreaming of a Red Xmas" blood drive.

Comedian Howie Mandel has added five days to his engagement at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre, which begins Feb. 7. He was scheduled to appear through Feb. 12. He now will perform at 9 p.m. nightly through Feb. 17 -- with an 8 p.m. performance Feb. 12. Tickets are $60. For information call 891-7777.

"Crazy Horse, Le Show," a DVD filmed at the Crazy Horse in Paris by the producers of that show and its clone ("La Femme," at MGM Grand), is being sold locally at Le Femme Theatre for $25.

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