John Katsilometes notes the prehistoric turn of events at the Steve Wyrick Entertainment Complex

Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007 | 7:04 a.m.

Here's the latest from well-financed illusionist Steve Wyrick's theater/nightclub complex at the Desert Passage mall at the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood: The lineup of performers is ready to roll (except for "Defending the Caveman," which announced Wednesday morning it is bolting the theater), Wyrick's show opens Saturday (unless it doesn't) and Ronn Lucas is scheduled to follow Sunday (don't count on it).

Vocalist Martin Nievera is still a listed headliner, with Tuesday listed as his debut.

But the big news from the Wyrick Entertainment Complex is that repeated delays at the $34 million project have producers of "Caveman" seeking a new haunt. The production team is tracking a state-of-the-art, 400- to 700-seat showroom on the Strip (something akin to what was built for Gordie Brown at the Venetian). Meanwhile Lucas, the great ventriloquist, is still on board but doesn't anticipate being ready for his scheduled Sunday opening performance.

Oddly, Lucas was not even aware of the latest rumblings from the theater until I called him in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon to ask whether he is still part of the Wyrick vision. Out of town on personal business, Lucas said, "I'm shooting to open on Groundhog Day (Feb. 2). If my puppet comes out and sees his shadow, we have six more weeks to wait for the theater to open." (Wyrick did not return a call before deadline for comment.)

"Caveman," originally scheduled to open Feb. 10, centers on relationships between men and women. The production has played in 30 countries and has been translated into 16 languages. So the show is a proven winner - when it is performed.

As for Wyrick's 33,000-square-foot entertainment project, the box office was scheduled to be open this morning, and tickets for his opening show in the dazzling 500-seat Steve Wyrick Theatre are going for $65.95 and $87.95 (at least, that's the price listed at www.vegas.com ). But there is also talk that the opener will be a VIP invitation-only event. In any case, if the complex passes the occupancy inspection process this week it should be ready for action Saturday. And not a moment too soon.

NoteMart

During Tuesday's Epicurean Awards, Las Vegas Life magazine's annual program at the Renaissance Hotel honoring some of the best restaurants and chefs in Southern Nevada, emcee Clint Holmes divulged some news we noted a few months ago: He plans to bring his Broadway-targeted, autobiographical musical "Breathe" to UNLV for a set of preview performances. The shows would be staged at Judy Bayley Theatre from May 22 to June 2. Nothing has been signed (the agreement is what we call "verbal"), but if these dates are made official they would be co-produced by the Nevada Conservatory Theatre. (For a full list of Epicurean honorees, including me for Best Pop-Tart, check the February issue of the magazine and know that Las Vegas Life is owned by the Greenspun family, which also owns the Las Vegas Sun.) ...

Some great deals just never get made: A few weeks ago musical comedian Stephen Sorrentino had an idea to lease the old Holy Cow! building on Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue (which more recently was the headquarters for Ivana Trump's doomed Las Vegas high-rise project). Sorrentino's idea, Wyrick-esque in its inspiration, was to convert the space into a venue for six small showrooms and turn it into an entertainment complex. Sorrentino was told he could not lease the building, but could purchase the parcel for - chop it! - $50 million (space would be worth more if it offered parking). After clearing his throat, Sorrentino said, "No," and is instead focusing his energy on serving as the first host in the 24-year history of "Legends in Concert" at Imperial Palace. He takes the stage, as himself and as Elton John, on Feb. 12 ...

On the way: A fellow tailgater reports ENROUTE on a silver Chevy Malibu.