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Tom Donoghue/DonoghuePhotography.com
Barbra Streisand’s “Back to Brooklyn” tour stop at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013 | 2:53 p.m.
Superstar Barbra Streisand is expected to be among the headline entertainers celebrating the lives and legacies of Quincy Jones and Sir Michael Caine at the 17th annual Power of Love Gala on April 13 at MGM Grand. Both stars are celebrating their 80th birthdays simultaneously with a celebration to raise funds in support of Downtown’s Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
The celebrity-guest lineup for the night includes the expected attendance by Barbra, who was in concert last November at MGM Grand Garden Arena, along with performances and tributes from Bebe Winans, Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Jordin Sparks, Terrence Howard, Patti Austin, Will.I.Am and Whoopi Goldberg. More names are to come, including at least one more superstar.
Celestial twins, born in the same year, same month, same hour and within minutes of each other, one in Chicago, the other in London, Quincy and Michael met decades ago and are great friends. The star-studded gala brings together music and Hollywood stars to mark the milestone year for the two marvels.
“We are incredibly excited and humbled to honor Quincy Jones and Sir Michael Caine with an extraordinary birthday celebration at this year’s Power of Love Gala,” said Larry Ruvo, founder and chairman of Keep Memory Alive, in a news release. “These two iconic men are helping shine light on the reason why we have this event every year: to support the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health’s continued work toward enhanced treatments and research of neurocognitive disorders.”
Named by Time as one of the six most influential jazz artists of the 20th century, Quincy has spent more than 60 years in the entertainment industry working with America’s greatest musicians, including Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, among many others. He is one of the most decorated entertainers of his time, garnering 27 Grammy Awards, a record 79 Grammy nominations, seven Academy Award nominations, a Tony Award nomination and an Emmy Award.
Academy Award winner Michael is most noted for his roles in “The Cider House Rules” (his second Oscar in 2000), “Miss Congeniality” and Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” Batman trilogy; his first Oscar was in 1987 for Woody Allen’s “Hannah and Her Sisters.” The Power of Love Gala will be the third time they’ve joined to celebrate.
In keeping with its 16-year history, the Power of Love Gala will include a celebrity chef dinner, a one-of-a-kind live and silent auction and star-studded performances. Past galas include honoring boxing legend Muhammad Ali with a 70th birthday celebration in February 2012 and the final performance of master illusionists Siegfried & Roy in February 2009. Generating the bulk of KMA’s revenue, the annual gala is imperative to the success of KMA and the brain health center in the mission to enhance treatments and research of neurocognitive disorders.
The evening’s festivities will begin with a Dom Perignon reception, followed by an extraordinary display prepared by chefs Wolfgang Puck and Gordon Ramsay, remarkable auction items and spectacular entertainment.
“Las Vegas is the perfect destination for a celebration of this magnitude,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “No other destination has the world-class entertainment, dining and exciting atmosphere like Las Vegas. It offers the perfect backdrop for such an influential party.”
Bill Edwards Presents Inc is producing the Power of Love Gala and is supported by LVCVA and KMA, the fundraising arm of the brain health center.
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.
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MGM Grand, a AAA Four Diamond resort, offers 5,044 rooms and suites.
MGM Grand features KÀ by Cirque du Soleil; Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club; and world-class entertainment at the Grand Garden Arena and Hollywood Theatre.
The resort offers signature restaurants by celebrity chefs including Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans Fish House, Wolfgang Puck’s Bar & Grill and Michelin three star and Forbes Five Star restaurant, Joël Robuchon.
As part of its ongoing “Grand Renovation,” MGM Grand has remodeled all rooms and suites in its main tower and is adding several new experiences to its lineup including Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub, a new upscale dining/nightlife concept (coming in April 2013).
MGM Grand also features a state-of-the-art, non-smoking conference center, the Grand Spa, Cristophe Salon, "CSI: The Experience" and an inviting pool complex featuring the tantalizing daylife of Wet Republic.
Upscale accommodations include The Mansion, an exclusive hotel within the hotel; the luxurious two-story SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand; and The Signature at MGM Grand, a luxury all-suite, non-gaming hotel located adjacent to the main resort.
This is great inviting celebrities to commemorate the celebration in raising funds in support of Downtown's Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. I wish they should invite the medical community, Dr. Neal Bernard, Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. T. Colins and to name a few, to buttress the pressing health problems of emerging brain diseases to discuss and give up-to-date information on the latest findings on how to treat brain anomalies.