John Katsilometes talks entertainment and charity with Penn Jillette, who lives up to his role as the nonsilent member of Penn & Teller

Monday, April 16, 2007 | 7:35 a.m.

A few minutes before the official start of Sunday's 2-mile Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) Walk, Penn Jillette offered his thoughts on the competition among entertainers and production shows on the Strip.

Characteristically, the vocal half of Penn & Teller, who have been performing at the Rio for a little more than six years, was fast to share his opinions.

"The shows that hurt us are the (crummy) shows," Teller, wearing one of the Penn & Teller "Tied Together" T-shirts worn by the 235 participants who signed up for the duo's walk team. "If you go to a show on the Strip in 2007 and see someone doing a George Burns impersonation, you are not going to want to see another show on the Strip. That hurts us. But if you go see 'Blue Man Group' and love it, you'll come back and see Penn & Teller."

Jillette also said that Penn & Teller has always drawn a unique, adult audience that differs from those who attend traditional illusion shows. "The people who come to see David Copperfield are not our audience. Lance Burton is a classy guy does a great show that appeals to kids, but that is not our audience. I doubt people are looking at a brochure wondering, 'Am I going to go see Penn & Teller or Steve Wyrick?' We are not part of any trend whatsoever."

Penn & Teller agreed to match funds raised through donations to their walk team. That sum was about $25,000. "The AFAN Walk is going to bring Penn & Teller to their knees!" Jillette joked. He added that the duo decided years ago (this year marked their sixth AFAN Walk) to lend their names to the project because, "We're into people helping people. We're always been very careful to make that our goal."

NoteMart

More from the walk: Riviera's "Evening at La Cage" star Frank Marino showed off the customized VW Beetle that Findlay Volkswagen has loaned him as part of an endorsement deal. The car is wrapped in a Marino mural and worth about $30,000. Marino was also taping a segment of the reality show (now there is a concept whose time has come) called "My Way," scheduled to start in June on the Vegas-centric Web site Vegas Entertainment (thev.tv). Marino's is a half-hour show and good luck editing that one. Wayne Newton is also planning a talk show on the Web site, aptly titled, "The Wayne Newton Show." ... Roller skating in single file were members of the Sin City Rollergirls Neander Dolls roller derby team. The squad's next bout is May 5 against the hated Brew City Bruisers of Milwaukee at Flamingo Banks on West Flamingo Road and Jones Boulevard. No betting line has yet been set for that contest ... Organizers' original start/finish line was to be the Clark County Government Center, but it was rejected because no pets are allowed on the property. That was a good move, as dozens of participants walked the route with their pooches. Production shows taking part were "Blue Man Group," "Phantom - Las Vegas Spectacular" and "Jubilee." For the first time, the Barry Manilow Fund for Health and Hope participated. About 6,000 walkers took part and $477,000 was raised, both records for the 17-year-old event ...

High-wire act: Circus Circus, always keeping ahead of the entertainment curve, recently and quietly launched the nightclub Luna y Sol (Spanish for sun and moon, as the club boasts a Hispanic motif). The nightspot opened three weeks ago and is in operation from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Local ladies are free, local men are charged $5 ...

Rick Kelly, one of the city's great radio talents, has moved from his midday slot at KSTJ 102.7-FM (Star 102.7) to the morning show on KCYE 104.3-FM (The Coyote), where he is paired with the similarly monikered Tom Kelly on "Tom and Rick in the Morning." A personal note: Rick Kelly once cold-called by using his uncanny Nicolas Cage voice and it took me several minutes to get my bearings ...

Hi, hi, Birdy: "Birdy's Bachelorette Party" opened Saturday night at PollyEsther's at the Stratosphere. The audience-participation show is produced by the same crew that brought "Tony n' Tina's Wedding" to the Rio. The timid beware: The production is pretty raunchy, full of wild antics and accessories. It kicks off at 9 p.m. each Saturday, and tickets are $39.99 ...

For Schorr: Cox Communications Vice President of Public and Government Affairs Steve Schorr has been named chairman of the Las Vegas-Clark County Urban League's board. The Urban League is a nonprofit organization that helps teach career skills to financially disadvantage individuals. Schorr, whose term as chairman runs through 2009, has already had an eventful year. In March he was honored as one of the Nevada Cancer Institute's Vegas Dozen, which is a collection of the top movers/shakers in Las Vegas, and in February was honored by the Clark County School District with the dedication of the Steven G. Schorr Elementary School in southeast Las Vegas ...

My recent correspondence with Double Down Saloon owner P Moss has unearthed this nugget: One of the tavern's famous drinks, a shot with "juice" in its title, has been federally trademarked, a process that took three years to complete. Twice Moss has had to unleash attorneys to prevent other bars from using the drink's name ...

Weekend vanity plate sighting: A bronze-colored Chevy pickup with MUT8D.

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