Monday, Oct. 2, 2006 | 7:35 a.m.
A couple of years ago the Samaritan House was scrambling for funding, which was not a unique reality. The 40-bed, live-in recovery home on North 4th Street for men recovering from alcoholism is periodically short of cash - at least on paper - mostly because of rising insurance costs and an ongoing shock-and-awe campaign against an infestation of bed bugs (mission accomplished on that one).
In 2004 and again last year, in an attempt to keep the House open, the facility's board of directors (which at the time included yours truly) staged a show called "Hands Together" at the Boulder Station Railhead. The 2005 production was emceed by Vegas native Jimmy Kimmel, who was an easy "get" because of his long relationship with Father Bill Kenny, who volunteers at the House and who is also the pastor of Christ the King, where Kimmel attended church as a child.
When it came time to secure the entertainment for "Hands Together," two of the first to respond were Clint Holmes and Bill Fayne.
When the volunteer assigned to lining up performers told me Holmes and Fayne had committed, I said, "We're home." And we were. With the help of many other performers - specifically Jimmy Hopper, the cast of "Midnight Fantasy," Rick Thomas, the men of "Forever Plaid" and Amazing Johnathan - the House was able to pull in enough funding to stay afloat. Holmes, who was not long removed from colon cancer surgery at the time of "Hands Together," drew a standing ovation after he and Fayne performed two numbers (and I can't recall even what they were), then bounded out.
This was nothing new for Holmes, who makes dozens of such appearances throughout the year. I would guess he does more good work than any other Vegas headliner.
On Saturday night Holmes performed his 1,872nd and final show at Harrah's, where he had headlined for 6 1/2 years after a brief stint at the Golden Nugget. He is off to London to open the autobiographical musical "Breathe," which he plans to bring to Broadway within two years. Holmes' final performance was both spirited and melancholy - several members of his powerhouse backing band (which includes Holmes' sister, Gayle, who is a backup vocalist) shed tears from the stage. But more than his talent and showmanship, I think we'll miss Holmes' willingness to give back to the community.
His departure has created a philanthropic void, and he deserves a measure of thanks, from the guys at the Samaritan House and many others.
Notemart
Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson spent 11 years to make his first billion, but he's earning money at a much faster clip today. Forbes magazine estimates that Adelson - boosted by his success in Vegas and Macau - has been getting rich faster than anyone in history. Over the past two years he has made $23.6 million a day, or just under $1 million an hour. At that rate, in 2012 he would surpass Bill Gates as the wealthiest man in the country ...
An observation from a friend well-educated in entertainment clubs/venues and acts: As it prepares for the Cirque du Soleil production opening in a couple of years, the Luxor would do well to book Earth, Wind & Fire as the permanent show in the former Hairspray Theater. The dance-happy crowd brimming with 30-to-50-year-olds (flush with plenty of disposable income) that attended the show a few weeks ago filled the theater and spent considerable time pre- and post-show in the casino ...
Christmas season has begun - at least at Treasure Island, which has the first holiday display I've seen anywhere in the city. A fully decked-out Christmas tree stands and shelves full of Christmas decoration are on display in the Treasure Island Gift Shop ...
Back in Halloween mode, Monster Mayhem - The Haunted Village opens (appropriately) on Friday, Oct. 13 on Interstate 215 and Las Vegas Boulevard (across from Fry's Electronics, where I understand there is a sale going on). Monster Mayhem is a partnership of two of the city's longest-running Halloween entertainment companies , Haunted Enterprises and Great White Entertainment. The Mayhem includes seven haunted houses and other features and is trying to gain notice in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest outdoor haunt ...
Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria is known primarily for his sharp commentary on world affairs. Seems he has some culinary underpinnings, too, as he comments in the latest edition of Newsweek that the best restaurant in Vegas is Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace. He says of Savoy and Joel Robuchon (who operates the Mansion at MGM Grand), "These two chefs have moved Las Vegas into a new era." ...
The Killers' performance on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend was marred by the show's typically bad audio. The vocal balances and harmonies were (technically speaking) out of whack, a problem that has plagued music acts on the show since it began ...
Arch support: vanity plate on a gold H2 reads IFXFEET.
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