John Katsilometes

Story Archive

Dates set for Guns N’ Roses re-launch at T-Mobile Arena: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016; Guns N’ Roses is launching a reunion tour with a couple of Strip shows. The dates for the band’s reported appearances at T-Mobile Arena have been announced: April 8-9, or the first weekend of business at ...
Monday By the Numbers: J.Lo’s ‘All I Have’ and Bronson-Brody-Beatles: Monday, Jan. 18, 2016; This week, Monday By the Numbers summons those twin fortresses of Las Vegas entertainment: Axis at Planet Hollywood and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. This week, Jennifer Lopez begins her “All I Have” series ...
GNR dialed in for T-Mobile Arena; ‘Alice’ has date with Strip hotshots: Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016; The Kats Report Bureau at this writing is the Breakfast Club eatery in the downtown entertainment district of this Southwestern metropolis. The sun shines during 85 percent of the days in this city, and it is shining …
Pay-to-park in Las Vegas? We’re already doing it: Friday, Jan. 15, 2016; Over the holidays, I twice attended Nevada Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker” at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts at Symphony Park in downtown Las Vegas. On my way to the valet lane ...
Zowie Bowie’s odd, loose connection to David Bowie: Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016; The name once sparked confusion and prompted questions across Las Vegas: Who or what is Zowie Bowie? Ten years on, after headlining at many Las Vegas venues, Chris Phillips has established that his is not ...
The Kats Report: Brian Henson’s ‘Puppet Up!’ improv-comedy show prepares to invade the Venetian: Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016; This is not Avenue Q and the puppets are not Muppets.
Life of longtime Blue Man Group musician Jason Mackenroth to be celebrated Thursday: Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016; That time-honored saying about never missing a beat applied to Jason Mackenroth. He held fast to his characteristics of precision and personal power until the end of his life, which ended Jan. 3 after a battle with prostate cancer. ...
Monday By the Numbers: Scorpions whistle into the Joint; ‘Alice’ notches No. 17 at Brooklyn Bowl: Monday, Jan. 11, 2016; This week, Monday By the Numbers turns its attention to a pair of favored acts, one of them venerable and worldwide and the other relatively new and all about Las Vegas. We speak of ...
David Bowie was a master of reinvention, innovation to the very end: Monday, Jan. 11, 2016; Thirty-five years ago, Johnny Carson introduced David Bowie on “The Tonight Show” and was thrown off by screams from the audience. Thrown off his game, the talk-show legend called out to the shouting fans: “He better be good after this.” Johnny, bless him, ...
Signs point to Sands studying stadium project: Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016; A 100,000-capacity stadium rumored for the Strip has generated a ripple around town. An anonymous Las Vegas resort company reportedly has embarked on feasibility studies for such a facility. When you look at the …
Power, passion, precision mark John Fogerty’s opening of ‘Fortunate Son’ at Venetian: Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016; Before the start of John Fogerty’s rock show at Venetian Theater, a video clip of Elvis is played for the crowd. This is from his Las Vegas heyday, at the Las Vegas Hilton, and he’s dressed in ...
Save the date(s): Hook-up show ‘Never Sleep Alone’ set for Spiegeltent: Friday, Jan. 8, 2016; A production by the creators of the the ever-nocturnal show “Absinthe” are putting on a show to make some matches. “Never Sleep Alone” is headed for a layover at the Spiegeltent at ...
Winging it from L.A. with ‘Puppet Up!’; Penn & Teller have sweet 15 at the Rio: Friday, Jan. 8, 2016; “Puppet Up!” is a happy blend of the finer moments of “Avenue Q,” for its ribald humor and exposed human performers, and “Second City,” which played Bugsy’s Cabaret at Flamingo Las Vegas for a couple of years before ...
The Kats Report: Andrew Dice Clay returns, Britney refreshes and other entertainment notes: Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016; Plus: Jazz at SLS and Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns at the Smith Center.
John Fogerty is ready for full-throttle run at the Venetian: Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016; John Fogerty showed up for his headlining gig at the Venetian in a luxury vehicle. If a Harley-Davidson motorcycle can be considered a luxury vehicle. ...
Ta-da! Murray Sawchuck closes, reopens without missing a beat: Monday, Jan. 4, 2016; One thing about magicians: Keeping track of them away from the stage is like trying to follow some serious misdirection: My show is canceled? Hey, over here! Britney Spears is in the audience! Thus, ...
Monday By the Numbers: Penn & Teller hits 15; ‘50 Shades’ hits 69: Monday, Jan. 4, 2016; The 2016 lid-lifter for Monday By the Numbers actually starts with a 15 thanks to one of our very favorite entertainment teams. Also in play is a “joke” dish as described by the staff at the Omelet House and ...
Pitbull is bringing back his party to Axis in March: Monday, Jan. 4, 2016; Pitbull is returning to Planet Hollywood in March in a show aptly titled “Time of Our Lives Las Vegas.” The run of dates at Axis at Planet Hollywood is ...
Sixteen takeaways as Michael Buble glides into 2016 at MGM Grand: Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016; You wonder while watching Michael Buble waft through an arena performance as if he were hosting a gig at the Sands 50 years ago if the guy was not born at the wrong time. The ...
Ol’ Blue Eyes led us through a swingin’ 2015 in Las Vegas: Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015; This was the year I discovered Frank Sinatra. Not just “listened to” Sinatra. I’d already done that. But this was the time I really learned about the greatest saloon singer of them all. This was achieved through ...
The Kats Report: Huge productions are history as Vegas gets cozy in 2016: Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015; What to look for on the Vegas entertainment scene in 2016.
Motley Crue’s Las Vegas sendoff a real blast from the past: Monday, Dec. 28, 2015; It is tough to say what outnumbered what during Motley Crue’s performance at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday night: F-bombs or real bombs. Profanity and pyro, that’s ...
Six wishes for a healthy Strip, wherever that is: Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015; John Katsilometes shares his thoughts on ways to make Southern Nevada’s top resort corridor healthier and more vibrant than ever ...
Santa Fe hails Cabaret Jazz; Vince Neil has but one New Year’s resolution: Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015; Here’s how staying in VegasVille during the holiday works at The Kats Report Bureau. I just texted Jerry Lopez of Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns to see if he had time to talk about ...
Monday By the Numbers: The Cosmopolitan flips the calendar: Monday, Dec. 21, 2015; This week, Monday By the Numbers recalls the great opening night of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Dec. 15, 2010. I met Gov. Brian Sandoval that night before he was yet governor. He ...
James Canfield ‘Drossed’ up for ‘Nutcracker’; Toy time at Orleans; David Saxe still hits the notes: Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015; The Kats Report Bureau at this writing is Starbucks at the Forum Food Court at the Palace of Caesars, where a heavy complement of families have turned out to enjoy some late-night, pre-holiday noshes. We have ...
Christmas in Las Vegas: Now, it’s officially home: Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015; Since he moved to Las Vegas in 1996, the holidays have been the one pocket of time when columnist John Katsilometes hits pause as a Las Vegan. He hadn't fully embraced the holiday spirit here until this year ...
Kidney failure kills 2 cubs at Siegfried & Roy’s sanctuary: Friday, Dec. 18, 2015; A pair of the tiger cubs introduced to Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden at the Mirage in October have died. According to a post today on the legendary entertainment team’s Facebook page, the cubs named Liberty and Justice have ...
Viva Las Vegas (Arena): Wayne Newton eager to jam with The Killers on opening night: Friday, Dec. 18, 2015; Many of the venues Wayne Newton has played in Las Vegas have been knocked down. But the next is being built, even at this moment. Mr. Las Vegas is opening ...
Larry Rudolph reigns over Fifth Harmony; Toys for Tots at Orleans; ‘Mondays Dark’: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015; The Kats Report Bureau is recalibrating after a wild stretch where I rambled around at an array of events beginning with Eric Jordan Young’s surprise birthday party at Distill in Summerlin (formerly Agave) on ...
The Kats Report: The holiday single ‘Santa Maybe…’ is Sweets’ sexy stocking-stuffer: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015; Unchained Melody (Sweets).
Aria convention expansion leads to closing of ‘Zarkana’: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015; Announced today are plans for a massive new expansion of the Aria convention center, which will cover an additional 200,000 square feet and overtake the lavish theater that has been home to “Zarkana” since ...
Monday By the Numbers: AC/DC hits MGM Grand; Spago celebrates at Forum Shops: Monday, Dec. 14, 2015; This week, Monday By the Numbers celebrates those two dissimilar Kats Report favorites: Legendary hard rockers AC/DC and legendary Caesars Palace restaurant Spago, which turns a specific age this month ...
The end is near, but ‘Jubilee’ still shines: Monday, Dec. 14, 2015; This show has been a Las Vegas institution for 34 years, so entrenched in the city’s entertainment mythos it could be one of the state’s historic places. The Old Mormon Fort, Hoover Dam and “Jubilee.” But for the first time ...
Wynn pushes resort opening back to original date: Monday, Dec. 14, 2015; It was at the launch of his daughter’s slipper line that Steve Wynn performed some deft footwork to explain the timeline for opening Wynn Palace in Macau. The $4.1 billion resort ...
Toasting No. 100 with Sinatra’s awestruck response to Pavarotti: Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015; Longtime Frank Sinatra music director, friend and confidant Vinnie Falcone recalls a couple of great tales as entertainment legend Sinatra's 100th birthday is celebrated ...
Toy drive has Chet Buchanan on ride of his life: Friday, Dec. 11, 2015; KLUC-FM 98.5 personality and tireless philanthropist Chet Buchanan is hosting the 17th annual KLUC Toy Drive. ...
Occasionally, Wynn’s place is Lim Las Vegas; Bennett swings to No. 90 at ‘Power of Love’: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015; Steve Wynn, in a recent interview, spoke of the timeline for construction for his hotel on Macau’s Cotai Strip. That opening date was originally stated as March 25. Now it is June 25. Find out why ...
‘Jubilee’ icon Fluff LeCoque dies at age 92: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015; One of the great tales involving the great dancer and choreographer Ffolliott “Fluff” LeCoque, who died today at age 92, did not take place on a stage. It happened beneath one. ...
A question for the holidays: Is two Toys for Tots too many?: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015; The Kats Report Bureau at this writing is researching the prices of toys for the holidays. I’m learning so much. For instance, a “Star Wars: The Force Awakens Kylo Ren Deluxe Electronic Lightsaber” goes for $29.95 at Toys R Us ...
The Kats Report: With 10 years at Luxor and a new five-year contract, Carrot Top keeps his grip on the Strip: Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015; Like the comic, the laughs never get old.
Andrea Bocelli’s voice, Robin Leach sit-down highlight Ruvo Center fete: Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015; The Sunday “Brunch With the Bocellis” at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health drew 150 folks to the clinic’s Events Center. A function of Ruvo Center’s Keep Memory Alive charity division, the brunch served as an unveiling of ...
Monday By the Numbers: Getting dirty with National Finals Rodeo: Monday, Dec. 7, 2015; Monday By the Numbers this week turns to the land of steers, tears and beers. That is, naturally, the 2015 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. ...
The Killers and Wayne Newton to christen Las Vegas Arena with Vegas flair: Monday, Dec. 7, 2015; Announced today, The Killers are opening the next great Las Vegas venue, Las Vegas Arena, on April 6, and listed as the band’s “special guest” is “Mr. Las Vegas” himself, Wayne Newton. ...
Sinatra’s 100th stirs memories of The Rat Pack: Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015; Steve Wynn insists there will never be another era in Las Vegas to match the heyday of The Rat Pack. That group has been top of mind lately for Wynn …
VegasVille stampede with Great Santa Run, NFR and, yes, L.V. Philharmonic: Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015; There is a term used in rodeo, and also in life, that applies to this day in Las Vegas: Buckin’ out stock. It means to saddle up and go fer a ride. Practice some rip-roaring rodeo action. I have done that today, leading ...
Who’s he to judge? Simon Cowell eyes Las Vegas production as ‘AGT’ seeks talent: Friday, Dec. 4, 2015; There is no more “open” a process than the nationwide cattle call of performers invited to audition for “America’s Got Talent.” The sea of hopefuls includes a deep pool of talented folks in Las Vegas, where ...
Frankly, it takes bevy of stars to properly honor Sinatra in CBS special: Friday, Dec. 4, 2015; The conclusion is reached fairly early in this made-for-TV extravaganza: What Frank Sinatra achieved onstage was brilliant, and it is not so easily duplicated. As we say today, “Well, duh.” But apart from his cultural impact, his ...
Terry Fator’s life keeps moving, even if his lips don’t: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015; We kind of take Terry Fator for granted around here, sometimes forgetting that he is one of the most successful performers in his craft of all time. That craft, of ...
Holiday haps from Travis Cloer, Clint Holmes; Andrew Dice Clay goes for Laughs; Melody Sweets says ‘Maybe’ to Santa: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015; Travis Cloer has put all of his ample talent and energy into his new release, “Christmas at My Place,” and brings that new CD to life Monday night for two shows at Cabaret Jazz. Times are at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.; tickets are ...