John Katsilometes on the security (and international interest) in ‘The Beatles LOVE’ at the Mirage as Cirque du Soleil prepares to open in ‘Siegfried & Roy’s‘ old digs

Thursday, April 20, 2006 | 7:43 a.m.

The secrecy shrouding the new production "The Beatles LOVE," scheduled to begin previews on June 2 at the Mirage, is reflected in heightened security measures being taken at the venue.

Prior to rehearsals, the Cirque du Soleil performers themselves are required to pass through metal detectors before entering the showroom that was once home to "Siegfried & Roy." It is not because the company's assortment of acrobatic performers are particularly dangerous, but, as Cirque du Soleil Public Relations Manager Anita Nelving said, "It's to protect the music, mainly. They don't want it to be recorded in any way by anyone in the theater."

The show's music, or soundscape, is being assembled by Sir George Martin, the Beatles' original producer, and his son, Giles Martin. A soundtrack album will also be released later this year. As with anything related to the band's legacy, the musical content of the show is being tightly protected - but details of the Mirage production have finally been made public.

Announced Wednesday morning was that the Beatles/Cirque production's preview period would run through June 29, with performances scheduled nightly at 7 (with occasional 10:30 p.m. shows slipped in). Beginning July 1, "LOVE" will be nightly at 7:30 and 10:30. Tickets are on sale for $69, $99, $125 and $150; call 792-7777 or (800) 963-9634, or go to one of three Web sites: www.cirquedusoleil.com, www.thebeatles.com or www.mirage.com.

Nelving said there has been more international interest in "LOVE" than any other Cirque production to date, primarily because of a high volume of inquiries from the music press, which can be "fanatical" about Beatles news.

"We have hired an agency just to handle music inquiries," Nelving said.

Nelving listed the countries whose media reps were interested in news about the show - it would have been easier to list those countries not interested.

"We have heard from media all over the world," she said.

Recently Nelving's own world has been set to a Beatles soundscape. She was part of the crowd of about 4,000 VIPs at the opening of Red Rock Resort on Tuesday night - just prior to Wednesday morning's announcement of "LOVE" - when Sting played a version of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life."

"I thought, 'Am I going to get away from this?' " Nelving said, joking of course.

NoteMart

Here we go again: A film version of "Mamma Mia!" the tireless hit production at Mandalay Bay, is planned, the entertainment publication Variety reported Wednesday. Tom Hanks' production company, Playtone, is working on the project with Littlestar Services Ltd., which is run by producer Judy Cramer and original ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. The movie is expected to be released in late 2007 ...

On the Rock: New Station Casinos Vice President of Entertainment Joe Santiago has been on the job for just three weeks. So far all he's been asked to do is coordinate (and keep secret) a VIP opening-night party starring the already mentioned Gordon Sumner. Keeping the Sting appearance a secret was a challenge, but as Santiago (who moved to Station from MGM Mirage) said Wednesday, "Our directive was that it was a private show with a special guest, and we stuck to that. Our team did a great job of putting the wraps on it." ...

More from the show: Add to the Rande Gerber-Cindy Crawford and Jerry and Danny Tarkanian sightings from the Red Rock opening: Sen. John Ensign, Sheriff Bill Young, ever-present scene-stealer Robin Leach, boxing promoter Bob Arum, Las Vegas attorney/TV talk show host Ed Bernstein, Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy and outgoing Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins.

And even more from a long night at the Rock: A couple of odd dining sightings - Elaine Wynn and daughters Kevyn and Gillian at the Feast buffet, and Sting's party of 16 eating among the commoners (eschewing a private VIP table) at Terra Rossa after his hourlong set ... A good line from noted Las Vegas art collector Patrick Duffy, who responded to "What's new?" with, "Anything that's not used." It was the first time I'd heard it, at least ... Indefatigable music act Zowie Bowie rocked the house at Rocks Lounge despite working its 14th show in 15 days (including a stretch in their former home, Scottsdale, Ariz.) ... About 20 onlookers at Sun City Summit who hoped to catch the fireworks spectacular dispersed after a single-shot discharge of three fireworks were accidentally set off during Sting's performance; they thought, wrongly, it was the entire show ... Fans of Paul McCa! rtney instantly recognized Sting's drummer, Abe Laboriel, who has backed McCartney on tour and in the studio for the past four years ...

Bigamy news: Reported Wednesday was that a woman named Julia J. Bish of Greensburg, Pa., has been accused of marrying three men while she was already married with five children. Authorities say she married two of those men on vacations to Las Vegas in 2002 and 2004.

In an Associated Press story, defense attorney Larry Burns is quoted as saying, "As I said before, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and that means that Pennsylvania did not have jurisdiction over the contract of marriage that occurred in Las Vegas, Nevada." The deft attempt at getting the charges thrown out was rejected ...

Another Red Rock: Angry to the point of making two phone calls and two faxes to Fab Central is Monti Rock III. The self-styled former celebrity hairstylist/Las Vegas scenester was besmirched in a story by Entertainment Weekly writer Ken Tucker in Tucker's review of new DVDs of "The Merv Griffin Show."

Rock was a guest on Griffin's show, and Tucker writes, "... the most piquant (interview segment) is a 1966 glimpse of Monti Rock III, a no-talent of the sort that doesn't exist now - a parody of a long-haired rock star treated like a real one by Griffin and his baffled big-band-reared guests." (That no-talent claim can be refuted by two words: Paris Hilton.)

Rock's response: "I was the No. 1 hairdresser in the country at that time and now I am trying to be taken seriously as a journalist (Rock's name tops a column in Gaming Today). I have no use for these kids who don't know anything about the entertainment industry; I've been in the industry for 43 years and I don't need this." Preach it, brother ...

No drink for you! The new seats at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall will stay in like-new condition for years to come; no food or beverages are allowed inside the theater during performances ...

Sale away: Plate on a silver Honda Odyssey SUV: LUV2SEL.

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