Columnist John Katsilometes: Wondering if Vegas as Broadway West is a concept that can become a reality in Sin City

Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006 | 7:56 a.m.

Fabulous Las Vegas runs Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach John Katsilometes at kats@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-2327 or (702) 812-9812.

A story in the upcoming issue of Newsweek magazine, and posted today on newsweek.com by Las Vegas freelance journalist Steve Friess (host of interview show The Strip at podcasts.lvrocks.com), casts doubt on whether our city can fulfill the dreams of such resort moguls as Steve Wynn to become Broadway West.

Four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein, playing Edna Turnblad (and rumored to be receiving a seven-figure salary) for three months in the 90-minute Vegas version of "Hairspray," which opens Feb. 6 for previews at the Luxor, told Friess: "Las Vegas could be like the old Vaudeville circuit, a place where lighter entertainment could find a home. To the people who say that's a bastardization of Broadway: We're in the entertainment business. That's what we do."

Vaudeville? Maybe. Also quoted in the story is former "Avenue Q" cast member John Tartaglia, who finished his run in the musical at Wynn Las Vegas last month, and came away confounded by Vegas audiences.

"I'd think to myself, 'What is wrong with these people?' " Tartaglia said, referring to material that drew laughs on Broadway but sank here. "Then I'd realize, these people may never have seen a Broadway show before. They don't know how to react."

The story notes something a friend of mine who saw "Avenue Q" last week also reported: The show, which is terrific, has sadly been playing to half-empty houses in its $40 million theater at the Wynn.

So far, the only Broadway musical that has truly taken hold here is "Mamma Mia!" at Mandalay Bay. Producers are watching with great interest how the next wave of Broadway-styled productions -- cleaved versions of "Hairspray," "Phantom of the Opera" (opening in May at the Venetian) and "Spamalot" (opening in early 2007 at Wynn) -- will be received.

NoteMart

But we love Disney: The Orleans Arena will be positively teeming with families next week with the Disney on Ice production "Finding Nemo." The arena is very close to being sold out for all 11 shows running from Wednesday through Sunday. That's about 70,000 tickets ...

Having a blast: Making the rounds Wednesday morning at the Castaways implosion was Dr. Lonnie Hammargren, who has secured ownership of the Castaways marquee and plans to include it in his lavish backyard tribute to Las Vegas history. Hammargren's collection of memorabilia includes signs from the original Castaways (which stood at the spot now occupied by the Mirage), Showboat, Dunes, Marina, Hilton and Landmark, among hundreds of other eye-catching items ...

Remember her? In an interview with the Palm Beach Post last week, Linda Ronstadt was asked about the night in July 2004 when she was escorted off the property at the Aladdin after dedicating "Desperado" to Michael Moore during a performance at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Said Ronstadt: "(After praising Moore) I said, 'I would now like to sing Desperado for you,' and everyone went 'Yay!' and then I left. There were no drinks thrown at me. There were no drinks allowed in the concert hall! Now, were there some drunk people in the lobby of the Aladdin Hotel, maybe throwing drinks around because they were drunk? How shocking that there were drunk people in a casino! That's never happened before!"

Remember her, too? The Feb. 24 House of Blues performance by Sinead O'Connor has been canceled. The official reason is illness.