John Katsilometes on how illusionist Steve Wyrick continues to work his magic on theater-nightclub at Desert Passage mall

Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006 | 8:34 a.m.

Planning a multifaceted $34 million, 33,000-square-foot theater-nightclub project in the middle of a mall that itself is due for a makeover is not easy. So we cut illusionist Steve Wyrick a break as his theater and nightclub at Desert Passage mall has developed at a slower pace than he initially envisioned.

Several opening dates have been mentioned by ticket brokers and by Wyrick himself, only to be pushed back as construction has moved forward on the intricate yet expansive project. Today Wyrick says it will be early January before he is ready to open at Desert Passage .

"Nobody wants this theater to be open more than me," Wyrick said on Thursday afternoon as he led me on a tour of the still-under-construction Steve Wyrick Theater Complex. "Nobody. Trust me on that." Wyrick's entire workforce of 224 employees is already in place, and he'd like nothing more than to begin entertaining and turning a profit.

As Wyrick noted, making a Lear jet disappear is nothing compared to dealing with the minutiae of building a multipurpose entertainment venue. "I've always been detail-oriented, even as a little kid, so I need to have a hand in everything."

The long process makes sense when you consider that Wyrick's project stands three levels and features state-of-the-art video screens, sound systems, design elements, staging and a club called Trick. Most impressive was Wyrick's concept of morphing the theater into a nightclub each night. The theater stage will be backed by what Wyrick calls a "Celine Dion-type of LED screen," and Cirque du Soleil-styled acrobats will perform high above. The stage itself will be a dance floor, and there will be no shortage of seating - all 500 seats will be made available for club patrons. Those onstage will be dancing to DJ-driven music and performing for those seated, and the skywalkers will be putting on a show for everyone in the club.

"This is for people who can't pay $1,000 for bottle service, people who in effect are paying for seating," said Wyrick, who used the now-defunct Club C2K at the Venetian as one of the models for his project (but with a more coherent floor plan than at C2K, which was more a nightclub with a theater component). The plan is for a regular schedule of ventriloquist Ronn Lucas at 3 p.m., singer Martin Nievera at 5 p.m., Wyrick's "Real Magic" show at 7 and the comedy production "Defending the Caveman" at 9. The venue turns into a club after "Caveman." (Fridays will be turned over to a rotating schedule of top-flight comics. )

The cover charge for Trick's after-hours club will be just $20. Wyrick's preview prices will be $59.95 and $79.95; the prices will be raised after four to six weeks, he said. (No word on what those prices will be.)

"I have so much respect for people who have done this type of construction on the highest level, the Steve Wynns and George Maloofs," Wyrick said.

NoteMart

More magic: Wyrick is a good friend of Lonnie Hammargren, who is going to allow a few of his vintage Vegas signs to be used in Wyrick's green room at the theater ...

During my visit to Desert Passage, I ran into Richard Kiel, who played Jaws in "Moonraker" and "The Spy Who Loved Me" (among many other film and TV roles). Kiel is in town signing photographs and copies of his autobiography, "Making It Big in the Movies" and will be seated in front of Gallery of Legends until 5 this afternoon. The 67-year-old Kiel, whose listed height is 7-foot-2, suffered a head injury in an auto accident in 1992 and his mobility has been limited in recent years (he uses a motorized wheelchair these days). But he remains a powerful presence - his handshake nearly fractured my right wrist. Of the stainless steel teeth he wore in the Bond films, he said, "It was nauseating, like having a car bumper in your mouth." ...

During Thursday 's People Magazine Grammy Awards kickoff party at Jet at the Mirage, event host Jamie Foxx said his favorite Las Vegas movie is "Very Bad Things," the comedy-thriller from 1998 starring Cameron Diaz, Christian Slater, Leland Orser and Jon Favreau. "It didn't do that well (at the box office) and was really dark, but I really liked it. You should check it out," said Foxx, who was wearing a tan suit and sunglasses while gripping an adult beverage. Foxx was in a celebratory mood, having turned 39 on Wednesday. "I feel great, but time's flying by," he said. "I was talking to Jay Leno about this, and he said that time really flies when you're doing well. And time is flying for me." A late-night set featuring Fergie, John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting and Josh Kelley capped the festivities ...

Time is flying on West Tropicana Avenue: On Monday the Orleans celebrates its 10th anniversary. Cake and champagne will be served for casino guests from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Loveshack will play at Brenden's Irish Pub and the Wranglers take the ice at midnight ...

In time for the holidays: A 1932 Mills Roman Head 25-cent slot machine at Showcase Slots at the Desert Passage mall, $2,995 ...

Sighting! A reader reports a vanity plate YANNI on a Saab convertible leaving the Palms parking lot .