Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Tom Donoghue/DonoghuePhotography.com
The Canadian Tenors flank Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf on the Andre Agassi Grand Slam red carpet at the Wynn on Oct. 9, 2010.
Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 | 6:53 p.m.
More arts and entertainment
- Check out Robin Leach's VegasDeLuxe.com for more celebrity and A&E coverage.
It isn’t all about ghosts and goblins this Halloween weekend, as Las Vegas has many alternative entertainment choices to combat the evil spirits on the Day of the Dead. Our hometown hero tennis legend Andre Agassi brings it all to life and keeps it going with his 16th Annual Grand Slam for Children at the Wynn with an all-star lineup promoting his Foundation for Education’s incredible education work.
Las Vegas is home to Andre and Smokey Robinson and a former residence for Jimmy Kimmel, and the tennis ace reached out to Canada to draw Michael Buble, Nashville for Martina McBride and San Francisco for Pat Monahan and his band Train.
Since 1995, Andre’s Grand Slam has raised nearly $92 million, including last year’s $8.5 million. As Andre told me this week for our story posted Wednesday, he believes that tomorrow night will surpass the $100 million milestone ensuring that his charter school Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy will live in perpetuity and launch other U.S. schools.
It also is the weekend that talk show titan Jerry Springer brings the only live appearance of this season’s new stars from America’s Got Talent to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace spotlighting the amazing soul sounds of winner Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.. Las Vegas’ Michael Grimm, who won AGT last season, will be on Celine’s stage. Perhaps Season 2 winner Terry Fator will swing by from the Mirage for a reunion?
Music runs the gamut with Flamingo headliner Donny & Marie’s singing siblings The Osmonds at the Orleans to rocker Bret Michaels at the Riviera and George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic at Fiesta Rancho.
There is a slew of sounds to wake the dead, and the list of 100-plus hours of ghoulish grandeur in our Holy Horrors Halloween rundown was posted yesterday. We’ll ignore the spooky skeletons and sexy shenanigans of All Hallow’s for our regular Royal Robin Rundown of the stars at work and play:
Friday, Oct. 28, 2011
Martina McBride arrives a day ahead of Andre’s Grand Slam to perform her hits at Green Valley Ranch; America’s Got Talent Live headlined by Season 6 winner Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. and a guest appearance by Season 5 winner Michael Grimm is at Caesars Palace hosted by Jerry Springer; Osmond brothers Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Jimmy perform at the Orleans all weekend; George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic are at Fiesta Rancho; Pogo with That 1 Guy jam at Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip; The Letterman perform all weekend at South Point; Bayside, Saves the Day and I Am the Avalanche are at House of Blues in Mandalay Bay; and Elvis Crespo is at Eastside Cannery.
For laughter in large doses, George Lopez entertains for two nights at the Mirage (Senior Editor John Katsilometes posted an interview with him today; Andrew Dice Clay is at the Riviera all weekend; Howie Mandel debuts for two nights at the Venetian and talked with me about his battle with OCD that was posted yesterday; Bill Engvall clowns around at Treasure Island; Rodney Carrington continues his humor all weekend at MGM Grand; and NBA star Ron Artest hosts a comedy lineup with Red Grant, Mark Viera, Alex Scott and Maronzio Vance in Planet Hollywood.
Of Special Note
Professional Bull Riders go for the belt and the $2 million prize all weekend at the Thomas & Mack Center; the cast of Cirque Du Soleil’s Mystere throw a free family fun party with performances and face painting at Fashion Show; the Las Vegas Fight Shop in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile hosts a meet-and-greet with UFC Octagon beauty Arianny Celeste, Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate and MMA ring girl Natalie Skyy; the North America Model Boat Association holds remote-control boat races at Lake Las Vegas all weekend; the Las Vegas Wranglers are at Orleans Arena; the MMA Regional Battle is at Las Vegas Hilton; and tickets go on sale for Drake’s New Year’s Day concert at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.
Party Patrol
Benji Madden of Good Charlotte DJs at the Headrush Fortune Favours the Brave and DCMA Pre-Party at Tropicana’s nightclub; Laidback Luke performs at Haze in Aria; and MMA fighters Chael Sonnen, Joseph Benavidez, Anthony Pettis and Chad Mendes kick off fight weekend at Eyecandy in Mandalay Bay.
Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011
Sublime with Rome performs at Mandalay Bay Beach; Bret Michaels rocks at the Riviera; DJ Tiesto is at The Joint; Sonny Turner, former lead singer of The Platters, is at Suncoast; the Urban Legends II concert at Planet Hollywood features Keith Sweat, Mint Condition, Blackstreet and Ginuwine; Eric Church is at Desert of the Star Arena in Primm; and comedian Louis C.K. is at The Pearl in the Palms.
Of Special Note
UFC 137 is at Mandalay Bay Events Center; Marie Osmond celebrates the 20th anniversary of her signature doll collection with a signing at the Flamingo from noon to 2 p.m.; and Gretchen Rossi of The Real Housewives of Orange County dances in the Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Saloon at Planet Hollywood, while PCD creator Robin Antin has an autograph signing with dancers Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry and Jamie Ruiz for their workout DVD Dancers Body at their pit alongside Pure in Caesars Palace. The trio will perform two workout numbers choreographed to “When I Grow Up” and “Wait a Minute.”
Las Vegas’ School of Rock celebrates its grand opening with music, tours and free trial lessons; Nevada Ballet Theater and Hubbard Street Dance of Chicago celebrate NBT’s 40th anniversary with “Dance, Dance, Dance!” for two nights at the Paris; the Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Expo is at Riviera; Las Vegas Fight Shop hosts meet-and-greets with UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and Tito Ortiz; and tickets go on sale for Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Dec. 30.
Party Patrol
Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz host the official UFC after-fight party at Gallery Nightclub in Planet Hollywood; UFC 137 fighter Donald Cerrone hosts his after-party at Tabu Ultra Lounge in MGM; fighter Urijah “California Kid” Faber hosts at Mix atop The Hotel at Mandalay Bay; 2007 Playmate of the Year Sarah Underwood parties at Rok Vegas in New York-New York; and the Rock ’n’ Roll Wine Blast with Barry Black is at Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip.
Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011
Minus the Bear with The Lonely Forest at House of Blues is the sole challenger to the Halloween happenings.
Be sure to check back throughout the weekend as we post photo galleries and reports, and then again early next week with the wrap-up of the best of the rest.
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.
Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.
All these photos and not one of Martina McBride. You should be ashamed of yourself's....
Medic_us, allow me to recommend Kyle Ellis' review of Martina McBride at Green Valley Ranch Resort: tinyurl.com/McBrideConcert