Bette Midler has been entertaining America and the world in her unique, varied way for more than 30 years. She’s won four Grammys, an Emmy and a Tony and was nominated for Oscars for her roles in “The Rose” and “For The Boys.” Now she’s following in the footsteps of Celine Dion and Bette’s one-time pianist, Barry Manilow, by settling down for 100 shows a year for three years at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Steve spoke to Bette for a Vegas Magazine profile back in November as rehearsals for “The Showgirl Must Go On” were just starting and the show, at the time, had no title or director. In part one of the interview, Bette discusses her environmentalism, her film career and her new show.

In Banter: CityCenter's almost-name, McCarran changes, Palazzo's delay and a special visit from a couple from Florida who review their experiences this week at the Bellagio, Wynn and the Signature at MGM Grand.

Links:

Bette Midler tickets can be picked up here
Steve's blog entry about the fancy hospital in New York is here
Read more about the McCarran changes and the MIX ad here
CityCenter is Aria? Read about that here
The Palazzo's new delay is written about here
The New York Times report on Nevada's growth rate is here
Steve's piece from last year on the New Year's Eve Jesus freak is here
Newsweek on the new War & Peace here
Steve's explanation of what a Jewish atheist is can be found here
Dave Lifton's website and podcast "Wings to Wheels" is here
The site for the Signature at MGM Grand is here
The R-J's coverage of Vegas being considered the most expensive dining city is here

* * *
PRE-XMAS OFF-WEEK SPECIALS

SPECIAL #1: Debby Boone

SPECIAL #2: Vegas uberbuilder Tony Marnell Jr.

SPECIAL #3: CNN Anchor Wolf Blitzer

SPECIAL #4: "Sex & The City" actor Ron Livingston

* * *

Dec. 13: Celine's Director Tells Some!
SPECIAL: Dancer Naomi Stikeman, original "A New Day" performer

The queen of Las Vegas is abdicating. After nearly five groundbreaking – and highly profitable – years, Celine Dion is voluntarily flinging herself off her Colosseum throne and heading back out into the world of international touring, new albums and possible additional parenthood. So what has her reign meant for Las Vegas? Miles and guest-host Amy Turner of GritstoGlitz.Com talk live in the studio to Brian Burke, the artistic director of Celine’s A New Day as well as the Wynn production, Le Reve. Burke has also worked as a director or choreographer for Bette Midler, Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin and Harry Connick Jr., and has been involved with such Broadway shows as Aida and Victor/Victoria as well as a performance at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Plus: Donnie and Marie at the Flamingo, Caesars alters its betting maximums and Bette names her show. Also, where's Steve?

* * *

Dec. 6: Steve Wynn, Part II

Last week he talked mostly about business. This week, Steve Wynn talks about entertainment, revealing the details of his aborted deal with Bette Midler and disclosing just what he and Andrew Lloyd Webber have been doing together in recent months. In Banter: MEGACENTER, the Palazzo delay, more silliness from the free-ticket services, the Plaza v. Plaza scrum and Sig&Roy's possible return.

Links:

Steve's piece on the Plaza battle from the New York Times is here
The Wall Street Journal piece on MEGACENTER is here
The R-J's follow-up on the Palazzo delay is here
Information about the holiday lights at Sunset Park is here
The hullabaloo surrounding ShowTickets4Locals.Com is here
Norm's item on Sig&Roy's possible return is here

* * *

Nov. 29: Steve Wynn, Part I

Here we go – again. Steve Wynn returns to this program this week and next for an exclusive two-parter following his triumphant showing in the inaugural Las Vegas edition of the Michelin Guide. In this week’s portion, Wynn traces the rise of fine dining in Vegas, explains the Venetian’s failure to earn any stars from Michelin and reveals some shocking sales statistics for shops at Wynn Macau. In banter: Holiday decor, a new spur for the Strip, new tech at MGM Skylofts, cool new Mandalay Bay lounge EyeCandy, Jeff Beacher strikes back against a critic and bring your dogs to Mandalay Place.

Links:

The Skylofts at MGM Grand are here
EyeCandy Lounge's site is here
Jeff Beacher's website is here
The Lush Puppy shop's website is here
"Christmas In Las Vegas" songwriter Richard Cheese's site is here

* * *

Nov. 22: Ellen DeGeneres and Patti LuPone

It’s a Duo of Divas, Part Deux. First, Tony winner Patti LuPone talks about her long Broadway career, why she hated playing her signature role, Evita, and what she thinks (it's not good) of the stunt-casting trend on Broadway. Then, Ellen DeGeneres discusses the writer’s strike, her dog controversy and the TBS variety show she filmed in Vegas last week.

In Banter: Planet Hollywood opens, Robert Earl hates us, The Plaza may need a new name, Wynn's cheap on the drinks and the Crown keeps shrinking.

Links:

Ellen DeGeneres' website is here
Patti LuPone's website is here
Steve's piece in the Telegraph about Robert Earl is here
Steve's account of the P-Ho opening is here
The Grits to Glitz account of the P-Ho opening is here
The breaking news on Zumanity's Joey Arias is here
An R-J piece on the shrinking Crown Tower is here

* * *

Nov. 15: Joy Behar, Michelin Guide Director
BONUS!: FRONTIER IMPLODER SPEAKS!

If there was still a need to convince anyone that Las Vegas is now a major-league fine dining destination, the Michelin Guide put that to rest this week. Sixteen of the 127 restaurants included in the first Las Vegas edition from the world’s most respected food guide received stars, a higher percentage than San Francisco or Los Angeles. We speak this hour to the guide’s director, Jean-Luc Naret about the results. Plus, a somewhat crabby “The View” host Joy Behar banters with Steve ahead of her appearance at The Comedy Festival at Caesars Palace.

Links:

The Michelin Guides site is here
Our Frontier implosion video on YouTube is here
David Copperfield's Gaming Hall of Fame site is here
Steve's Las Vegas Weekly column on the Michelin stars is here

* * *

Nov. 8: Bob Eubanks, Chuck Woolery


On the TV, game show hosts are notoriously perky and pleasant, but, of course, that’s show business. Backstage, it’s more complicated. Just as with any other area of celebrity, there are feuds, disputes of money, petty jealousies and mood swings. Now that two of the legends, Bob Eubanks and Chuck Woolery, have landed in Vegas for the live game show at the Hilton, they both reveal to Steve this hour their never-before-discussed disputes with the recently departed Merv Griffin and much more.

In Banter: The WSJ boosts Steve's book, OJ Mania returns, Terry Fator is a $100K Man, Sexxpresso opens, Dolphin Habitat closes.

Links:

Get tickets to the $250,000 Game Show Spectacular here
Bob Eubanks' website is here
Chuck Woolery's website is here
Read the WSJ piece on gay Las Vegas and Steve's book here
Read about Terry Fator, Vegas' new $100K man, here
Steve's Newsweek piece on OJ's hotel woes is here
See more about the Sexxpresso coffee drive-thru here
Read more about the loss of the Tiger Habitat at the Mirage here

* * *

Nov. 1: Bonnie Tyler

Her voice isn't beautiful in a conventional way, but Bonnie Tyler’s scratchy rasp is full of a desperation and angst that has turned her into an icon and her biggest hits into anthems that never go out of style. Tyler, who this month does her first performance in Las Vegas since she sang "Holding Out For A Hero" for a David Copperfield special in the early 1980s, chats with Steve this hour about those kooks who lip-synch to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" on YouTube, running into Bruce Willis after he discussed her songs in the film "Bandits" and how her unusual voice got to be the way it is. Here’s a hint: It wasn’t whiskey and cigarettes after all.

In Banter: More on the MGM Mirage mess, fancy/slutty uniforms at some PHo restaurant, Robert Goulet's death, David Copperfield's voice mail and more.

Links:

Bonnie Tyler's website is here
Buy tix for Tyler's Nov. 3 show at the Santa Fe here
Two particularly silly YouTube versions of Tyler songs are here and here
A solid obit on Robert Goulet by Mike Weatherford is here
TMZ.Com on David Copperfield's voice mail is here

* * *

Oct. 25: Miley Cyrus' Pa

Call it the revenge of the one-hit wonder. Most of us thought we’d heard the last of Billy Ray Cyrus when he faded from the height of the pop culture scene in the early 1990s following his ubiquitous novelty hit, “Achy Breaky Heart.” But Cyrus continued to make music and even starred in a TV show of his own for the past decade. And now he’s back thanks to the huge success of his actress-singer daughter Miley, known to tweens the world ‘round as Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel TV show. The elder Cyrus, who plays Miley’s TV dad, chats this hour about working together, about his new album and about why Disney’s own bio of him is wrong.

In Banter: More on David Copperfield, Miles' exercise thing, the Ladies' Night complaint and the MGM Mirage Reservations Mess.

Links:
Billy Ray Cyrus' website is here
Buy tix for Cyrus' Oct. 27 show in Primm here
Miles' new workout thing is here
Steve's coverage of the MGM Mirage reservations mess is here
The latest on David Copperfield is here
The Las Vegas Weekly's piece on the Ladies' Night challenge is here

* * *

Oct. 18: A Very Cirque-ish Friessmas
BONUS: A Chat With An Original Mystere Performer

Steve wasn’t the only one celebrating a birthday this week. Tuesday was the ninth anniversary of the debut of perhaps the most successful show in Las Vegas history, the Cirque du Soleil production “O.” In honor of that, we chat with an original performer of the aquatic spectacle at the Bellagio, Russian diver Anastassia Dobrynina.

In Banter: American Idol and Cirque-Bono may be coming, the Scintas sucks, the weight-your-wife Vegas game and much more.

Links:

Buy tickets to any Cirque show here
An explanation of "Friessmas" is here
The NPR show "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" can be found here
Steve's report on Hans Klok's demise is here
All about Sheldon Adelson's lawsuit against John L. Smith is here
The Myspace page that Troy made for Miles is here
Get tickets to the Hilton's live $250,000 Game Show Spectacular here
Kayak.Com is here

* * *

Oct. 11: Pete Rose

From doping to dogfighting, illicit gambling to alleged armed robbery, this has been a year of sports scandal in America. And yet a recent ESPN poll found that the public still views the uproar that led to the banishment of Pete Rose from Major League Baseball as one of the five worst ever. Rose, probably the best player of his generation, now spends 15 days a month signing autographs at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, where he took a break to chat with Steve about everything from his gambling habit – or lack thereof – to his empathy for Paris Hilton.

In Banter: Harrah's hotel-room problem, Steve's gambling bender and more.

Links:

Pete Rose's website is here
Field of Dreams website is here
The ESPN poll on sports scandals, ranking Rose's #5, is here
Buy Pete Rose's book here
Nominate The Strip Podcast and The Strip Podcast Blog for a Trippie here
One of the R-J's pieces on the Rio remodel mess is here
Steve's blog post about the Larry Craig bathroom is here
Steve's blog post about the Golden Nugget's O.J. rate is here

* * *

Oct. 4: The Daily Shows
...with Ronn Lucas and Mac King

The nightclub scene may be giving Vegas shows a run for their money, but daytime entertainment is thriving like never before. Tourists flock to them to get out of the heat, to avoid those wretched Hoover Dam tours or maybe to take advantage of a great deal, but once they’re seated they more often than not feel they’re having a much better time than they might’ve expected. Two veterans of Vegas daytime, Ronn Lucas and Mac King, join us this hour to talk about their shows and their impressive careers.

In Banter: A Palms-based reality show, why Vegas paparazzi are tame, the Scintas make a move and Barry Manilow's View kerfluffle.

Links:

Ronn Lucas' website is here
Mac King's website is here
Buy tix for Ronn Lucas' show at the Luxor here
Buy tix for Mac King's Harrah's show here
Sonya Padgett's R-J piece on Vegas celeb shooters is here
Steve's column on Hans Klok and Sigfried and Roy is here
Info about Blansky's Beauties, the trivia answer, is here
Steve's piece on O.J. and Vegas publicity is here
A story about Barry Manilow's refusal to go on The View is here

* * *

Sept. 27: Neil Sedaka

He has written and performed some of the most enduring, most popular tunes of the 20th century. Neil Sedaka celebrates 50 years in show business next month with a star-studded concert at Lincoln Center in New York City, but first he returns to Las Vegas this weekend for four shows at the Orleans. Steve spoke to Sedaka earlier this month about his Vegas smackdown with Richard Carpenter, his American Idol appearance and his problem with a lot of modern music.

In Banter: O.J. wrap-up, what happened to Steve's hearing aid, the Hard Rock's second Vegas act, brunch at Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort.

Links:

Neil Sedaka's home page is here
Buy tickets for Sedaka's Orleans shows in Sept and Nov here
See Steve's dog-chewed hearing air here
Steve's NYT piece breaking news about O.J., Marcia Clark and more is here
The Wikipedia page for the Jimmy Kimmel performer who almost got into the NY Times is here
A news report on the Hard Rock's questionable plans for the Strip is here
The Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort site is here

* * *

Sept. 20: Steve Wynn

Steve Wynn. Need we say more? The always provocative Vegas visionary is back to talk about everything from the booming nightclub business to his latest fine art purchase to that flabby, uncouth pop tart he had tossed from the premises last month. Mr. Wynn also surprised Steve by dragging one of his prominent Vegas allies on the line with them for a bit. Plus, O.J. Simpson was arrested in Vegas -- or how our calm little Sunday was ruined by a maniac who should’ve been locked up in 1995.

In Banter: OJ, MGM Mirage's smut site and Rosh Hashanah at Piero's.

Links:
The site for the Wynn Las Vegas is here
Vegas club impressario Victor Drai's IMDb page is here
Steve's coverage in the NYT and on his blog can be found here
MGM Mirage's games for the Fantasy and Zumanity shows are here and here respectively
The legendary Piero's restaurant is here

* * *

9/16 O.J. SPECIAL: FRED GOLDMAN

* * *

Sept. 13: Peter Frampton

Back in 1976, when Steve and I were mere tots, the world went ga-ga over Peter Frampton, heartthrob. His record, Frampton Comes Alive outsold Fleetwood Mac’s classic eponymous album and was, at the time, the biggest selling live record ever. But the subsequent decades have been a rollercoaster that, strangely, brought him his first Grammy this year at age 56. Frampton, who appears at the Red Rock Resort and Casino on Sept. 14, chatted with Steve last week about what it’s like for him to be playing smaller venues now, whether his childhood chum David Bowie was weird even then, and why he hates that Will To Power medley of “Baby I Love Your Way.” But first, take a listen to perhaps the funniest first minute of an interview you may ever hear.

In Banter: Michelle claims no football drink, Steve discusses covering the Fossett case, Patti LuPone is coming, Hans Klok on sale and the Hilton comes up with a winning idea.

Links:

Peter Frampton's website is here
Tickets for Peter Frampton's Sept. 14 show at the Red Rock Resort is here
Info about the Las Vegas Hilton's brilliant new show idea is here
Listen to Five Hundy By Midnight here
Read all of Steve's blog entries related to his coverage of Steve Fossett here

* * *

Sept 10: Lynn Johnston Special

Departing from our usual Vegas-centric offerings, we present this lengthy chat with "For Better or For Worse" cartoonist Lynn Johnston for USA Today, the author of the most popular comic strip in North America. Johnston opens up about which comics she likes, what she thinks of her critics, why she's changing her format so radically, what may happen to the characters, what topics she may take on next and how her perspective has changed since she became so wealthy and famous for her cartoon. Think of it as "The (comic) Strip!"

* * *

Sept. 8: Steve Fossett Special...
...with Sir Richard Branson!

OK, so we didn't do a regular show this week. We've got something better. We just put together a special edition that features parts of four interviews related to the 9/1 disappearance of aviator Steve Fossett that include details and discussions that didn't make it into Steve Friess' print coverage. First up is Patrick Arbor, former three-term chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade and a close personal friend of Steve Fossett’s. Then it's a bit of a press briefing given by Maj. Cynthia Ryan of the Civil Air Patrol. After that is part of an interview with Gary Derks, spokesman for the Nevada Division of Emergency Management. And finally, Sir Richard Branson, the owner of the Virgin empire and friend and financier of Fossett’s record-setting efforts.

* * *

Aug. 30: Jerry Lewis

You heard all about the controversy. Now hear the interview. The legendary Jerry Lewis sits down with Steve to explain why Las Vegas is going to hell, why getting big stars for his Muscular Dystrophy Telethon is getting harder and which Strip entertainer he thinks is closest to the old-school Vegas performer. Plus, we’re celebrating our second anniversary – can you believe it? – with a visit from Review-Journal gossip scribe Norm Clarke to answer the trivia question, a montage of outtakes from the live show, listener feedback, the poll and as always, The Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week.

In Banter: A listener's wedding, the Wynn buffet, The Tank at Golden Nugget, why Tim and Michelle from "Five Hundy" didn't make lunch on Monday and more.

Links:

Jerry Lewis' website is here and the MDA site is here
Norm Clarke's site is here
Rick Saphire's weird site is here
Steve's blog items about the Jerry Lewis $20K interview is here
Pix of Jeff Leatherock's wedding at Flamingo are here
The press release about the AEG-Harrahs stadium is here
The ET story about Lewis and Griffin is here
Info at The Tank at the Golden Nugget is here and our pix are here
Read all about the Venetian Macao here
The YouTube clip of "Send A Salami" is here
The site Mike E used to answer last week's Trivia is here

* * *

8/20 STRIP EXTRA: A CHAT WITH CHIP COLLECTORS

Aug. 23: Macy Gray

She scaled the pop charts in the late 1990s with her soulful warble, but Macy Gray spent much of this decade struggling to be heard. Now the eccentric Grammy winner’s back with a critically acclaimed new album, Big, and a tour that brings her to Las Vegas on Aug. 24. Steve chatted with Gray earlier today about her music, her love of poker and, for a split second, her persona. It's an odd chat, but that's Macy for ya. Plus, the latest on the flap over the $20,000 Jerry Lewis interview and more.

Links:

Visit Macy Gray’s website here
Buy tickets to Macy Gray’s Green Valley Ranch show on Aug. 24 here
Steve’s blog trail about the $20,000 Jerry Lewis interview start here
Norm Clarke’s reports about the Jerry Lewis flap are here along with other media mentions here
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is here
Former Jerry Lewis rep Rick Saphire’s website is here
Steve’s news about the Frontier implosion is here
Robin Leach posted the gross Pam Anderson pix extending her Vegas gig here
A report on the latest shooting on the Strip is here
Steve’s blog post about the Mirage wrap going back up here

* * *

Aug. 16: Tony Danza
(SPECIAL: STEVE'S 8/15 KNPR CHAT IS HERE)

You know him as the lovable schlub from two long-running TV sitcoms, but Tony Danza is about to try to prove to he’s a Vegas star, too. Danza this week takes over the starring role of Max Bialystock in “The Producers” at Paris Las Vegas, a role he performed on Broadway as well. The performer talks to Steve this hour about and the varied aspects of his long career, why his “Who’s The Boss” co-star Alyssa Milano didn’t turn out like Britney Spears and about the time Frank Sinatra yelled at him on national television.

In Banter: VegasSeatFillers evolves, duck poop happens, the casino chip collectors convention, that bizarre foiled Caesars scam and more.

Links:

Buy tickets to "The Producers" at Paris here
The saga of Steve's duck-pooped keyboard is here
Steve's Chicago Trib piece on the chips collectors convention is here
Pictures of Steve's purchases at that convention is here
The R-J's piece in the bizarre Caesars counterfeit scam is here
VegasSeatfillers is now ShowTickets4Locals.Com, and that's here
Trumpets at Anthem, which Steve mentions in response to David G's question, is here

* * *

Aug. 9: Amazing Johnathan
See a partial transcript or hear the controversial segment here

He's one of the mainstay headliners in Las Vegas, and the Amazing Johnathan is known for his no-holds-barred approach on stage and off. Still, we weren't expecting this. The comic magician delivers scathing criticism of some of his Strip competitors, discusses his history of cocaine use and offers up a defense of Seinfeld comic Michael Richards that includes some racial and gender epithets.

In Banter: Another casino shooting, the Imperial Palace drama, Clint Holmes at the Excalibur, the odd plans for the Krave Theater and more.

Links:

The Amazing Johnathan's page on the Sahara site is here
The clip from the show of AJ slamming his competitors is here
A YouTube clip of the dramatic fall at the X Games is here
The R-J item on the Imperial Palace and Total Rewards is here
Steve's blog post clarifying the Harrah's-IP issue is here
An AP piece on the Caesars shooting is here
Hear the Andy Williams show in which he talks about his salary here
The R-J piece on Liberace's $300,000 salary is here

* * *

Aug. 2: Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton – Oscar winner, ex-husband of Angelina Jolie and now, rock star? The Arkansas-born actor this week released his fourth solo album and is supporting it with a national tour that comes to Las Vegas on Friday. Steve caught up with Thornton this morning for a chat in which he explains his music and slaps back at a Las Vegas critic. Oh, and he talks about movies, too.

In banter: Panorama Towers, Imperial Palace self-gratification, Viva Viagra, Elvis on the Strip and Robin Leach joins us to discuss the Britney Spears saga.

Links:

Billy Bob Thornton's website is here
Billy Bob Thornton's music Web site is here
Buy Billy Bob's music on Amazon.Com here
Steve's blog post on our Panorama Towers walk-through -- with pictures! -- is here
Robin Leach's blog posts following the Britney Spears saga is here
The Arnold M. Knightly's R-J piece on the Elvis-themed development across the street from CityCenter is here
The R-J story by Henry Brean on Hoover Dam-set movies is here

* * *

July 24: How Safe Is Vegas?
SPECIAL EXTRA: Part II of the Ex-Sheriff Chat

Departing from our usual celeb-driven format, this week we chat with former Las Vegas Sheriff Bill Young about securing the Strip following up on the car bomb at Luxor and the shooting at New York-New York. Plus, we speak to an Iraq War vet who helped tackle the New York-New York gunman.

In Banter: Caesars adds another tower, the "Today" show descends on Vegas, Toni Braxton gets an extension, Britney is supposed to make a comeback at the opening of LAX at Luxor.

Links:

The latest from A.P. on the NY-NY shooting is here
The L.A. Times report on the new Caesars tower is here
Robin Leach is chronicling the decline of Britney Spears in Vegas here
Steve's blog entry on the Today show debacle is here
Toni Braxton's contract extension is reported here

* * *

July 17: Jon Lovitz
SPECIAL 12-MIN BONUS: LIVE CHAT OUTTAKES

Jon Lovitz isn’t usually the type to make tabloid headlines, but his physical altercation with fellow comic Andy Dick at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles has the Saturday Night Live star back in the news. In one of his first interviews since the feud, Lovitz explains his conflict with his former “NewsRadio” co-star and the recent announcement that he’ll appear at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles every Wednesday night -- for the rest of his life.

In banter: Poker’s popularity is waning, the Luxor is trying to revive itself, cab use at the airport drops, a petition for Cher, Steve goes to the Trop pool and underage playing at the Venetian.

Links:

Jon Lovitz's MySpace Page is here
An article about Jon's Andy Dick altercation is here
An R-J piece on changes at the Luxor is here
Steve's blog post on his recent Tropicana pool visit is here
The Cher-for-Colosseum petition Web site is here
The R-J piece on the taxi-airport story is here
Jane Ann Morrison's column about the underage gambler at the Venetian is here

* * *

July 12: Donny Osmond

Barry Manilow and Bette Midler are already doing it, so why not Donny Osmond? As the 70s icon gathers his famous family in Las Vegas in August for a pair of 50th anniversary reunion shows, Osmond himself is imagining his own name in lights on the Strip permanently. Osmond talks candidly this hour about what kind of show he hopes to do in Vegas, about his life as a Mormon pop star and about the advice he recently gave American Idol star Sanjaya Malakar.

In Banter: A shootout at the NY-NY, the World Series of Poker begins, 777=666, Harrah's disavows the IP and ex-Barbary Coast, Clint Holmes takes on a critic, the tram from Bellagio to the Fashion Show and more. Also, Steve discusses his dramatic, emotional week.

Links:

Donny Osmond's website is here
The Las Vegas Weekly's brilliant piece on Vegas nightlife trivia is here
Steve's blog post about Harrah's and the IP/Barbary Coast is here
Steve's column about the Clint Holmes-Anthony Del Valle kerfluffle is here
Norm Clarke's report on Steve Wyrick's Anna Nicole claims are here
Steve's blog posts about his grandfather's death are here
An AP report about the New York-New York shooting is here
Howard Stutz' report on the thinning of the World Series of Poker field is here

* * *

June 28: Annie Duke
Bonus Interview: Howard Lederer

‘Tis the season. The World Series of Poker’s main event kicks off on July 6 with hundreds of pros and thousands of amateurs clashing for a shot at the biggest tournament prize in gambling. One person who will be there, of course, is Annie Duke, the most successful woman in World Series of Poker history. The 41-year-old divorced mother of four talks this hour about playing the tournament pregnant, about tutoring Ben Affleck and about some nasty Internet rumors that have dogged her for years.

In Banter: MGM Mirage's latest moves, WHHSH and YViS, McCarran's kiosks, the Frontier's fate delayed?

Links:

Annie Duke's website is here
Buy Annie's book here
Howard Lederer's website is here
The Grits to Glitz website is here
A story about Kerkorian's latest MGM Mirage move is here
Is WHHSH played out? Adweek Mag says maybe here
The AP's piece on the new Vegas slogan, Your Vegas is Showing, is here
Phil Gordon's daily WSOP podcast is here
Steve's blog entry on the WSOP VIP room is here and on the McCarran kiosk thing is here

* * *

June 21: Jackie Collins

A ruthless competitor attempts to sabotage the grand opening of his archrival’s neighboring Vegas megaresort! Could it be, perhaps, Steve Wynn plotting to bring down Sheldon Adelson’s Palazzo? Jackie Collins isn’t telling. The best-selling author insists she loosely based the characters of her latest novel, Drop Dead Gorgeous, on real Vegas figures she knows, but from there they take on a frothy, sexy, often outrageous life of their own. Collins, who appears at Harrah’s this weekend to launch her 25th book, talks this hour about writing novels she happily calls “guilty pleasures,” why she resisted her publisher’s urging that she open this tome with a blow job and why her own writing inspired the Dynasty character that made her sister Joan Collins a superstar. Plus,a special INTERVIEW edition of the Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week.

In Banter: The Mentalist, Tony Danza, Frontier closure, why airlines don't allow ticket transfers, is casino marketing to Asians racist and another Vegas podcaster slams "The Beauty of Magic."

Links:

Jackie Collins' website is here
Buy Jackie Collins' new book, Drop Dead Gorgeous, here
Grits To Glitz, the podcast by two of our best listeners, is here
Gerry McCambridge, a.k.a. The Mentalist, has a site. It's here.
Buy tickets to see the Mentalist here
HouseseatsLV.Com is here and VegasSeatfillers.Com is here
Steve's blog entry on the closure of the Frontier is here
The AP's Ken Ritter wrote this piece confirming the Tony Danza-Producers thing here
My L.A. Times on the Las Vegas Springs Preserve was here
The L.A. Times' Catharine Hamm explains why airplane tickets really aren't transferable here
Gary Rivlin's piece in the NY Times on targeting Asian gamblers is here
Our listener's resource for the Luxor light's actual cost is here

* * *

June 14: Jewel

Central Park in Las Vegas? No, we’re not talking this time about Steve Wynn’s plans for his golf course. We’re talking about that 180-acre spread of trails, exhibits and desert gardens about four miles northwest of the Strip that opened last week. We’ll talk this hour both the Las Vegas Springs Preserve’s director and to the singer-songwriter Jewel, who performed in the attraction’s amphitheater on Friday night as part of the opening-weekend festivities.

In Banter: Steve's in PA, we broke the Frontier closing story, HouseseatsLV.com flips out, Candy Spelling wins a pile at the Bellagio, Steve wins a podcast quiz show and Mike Weatherford pans "The Beauty of Magic."

Links:

Jewel's website is here
The Las Vegas Springs Preserve is here
Find blog posts about New Frontier here and HouseseatsLV.Com is here
Mike Weatherford pans "The Beauty of Magic" here
Read more about Candy Spelling's winnings at the Bellagio here
Steve's appearance on the podcast quiz show BONED is here

* * *

June 7: A Duo of Divas with...
Chaka Khan and Margaret Cho

It’s a duo of DIVAS! (Steve just wanted to make me say that.) Comic Margaret Cho and Chaka Khan are appearing – separately -- in Vegas in the next week or so, so we figured we’d talk to both of them about their careers, their low points and their large gay followings. Plus, Chaka has some tough words about Celine Dion you won’t want to miss. In between all that, we have a review of “The Beauty of Magic” with Pamela Anderson, a new poll, the trivia question and, as always, The Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week.
In Banter: The $500,000 Vegas bat mitzvah, panning Pam Anderson's show, some WHHSH news and we made Norm twice this week!

Links:

Buy tickets for Chaka Khan's shows at the Luxor on June 15-16 here
Chaka Khan's website is here
Buy tickets for the True Colors concert emcee'd by Margaret Cho on June 9 here
Margaret Cho's site is here
Read Norm's piece on the $500,000 Vegas bat mitzvah is here and see Steve's Bar Mitzvah pic here
Buy tickets for "The Beauty of Magic" if you really want to here
My blog post about the R-J's WHHSH violation is here

* * *

May 31: The Killers' Brandon Flowers
BONUS: Ronnie Vannucci Jr. Interview

They’re the biggest band ever to emerge from Las Vegas. The Killers exploded on the worldwide music scene in 2004 with a debut album, "Hot Fuss," that sold more than six million records and drew comparisons to U2 and the Rolling Stones. This week, s the band returns home for the final concert of their current tour to support their second, less acclaimed album, "Sam's Town," lead singer Brandon Flowers talks this hour about his musical influences, about life as a Mormon rock star and about the jealousy aimed at The Killers from other Vegas acts.

In Banter: Steve's night with Liza and Liza, lazy Vega tourists rent scooters to avoid walking and MGM Mirage plans to open non-gaming MGM Grands around the US.

Links:

The Killers website is here
Steve's NYT piece on the impersonator's convention is here
Steve's essay on the Liza-Liza night is here
The Sun's Q-and-A with Gamal Aziz on the future MGM Grands is here
The AP piece on scooting around Vegas is here

* * *

SPECIAL: Mel Brooks Interview!

Mel Brooks breaks a load of news about "The Producers" in Vegas and "Young Frankenstein" in New York, plus he opines about his career, smoking in movies, Don Imus and borscht.

Read the full transcript here or Steve's Newsweek piece here (after 5/25)

* * *

May 24: LVS President William Weidner

The times sure are achanging in the Las Vegas. In the past week, the Frontier Hotel was sold to the owner of New York’s Plaza Hotel for a staggering $1.2 billion and billionaire Kirk Kerkorian went public with his plan to buy the Bellagio and CityCenter, effectively spelling the end of MGM Mirage as we know it. Las Vegas Sands Inc. president William Weidner joins us to talk about which MGM properties teh Venetian's owners might want to buy, why they refused to support the Las Vegas Monofail and why the Palazzo hasn't been topped off yet.

In Banter: Misadventures in the MGM Grand valet, fun tales of the MGM Mirage shareholder meetings, Charlie Palmer is trying again and Roseanne is giving away 2-4-1 to locals to fill seats.

Links:

Steve's Reuters piece on the MGM Mirage-Kerkorian bid is here
William Weidner's corporate profile is here
Steve's scathing blog entry on the ReviewJournal.Com is here

* * *

May 17: Joel Robuchon
(Robuchon Uncut, his french included, is here)

He serves up the most expensive meal in Las Vegas. We sure can’t afford it – and probably neither can you – but Joel Robuchon’s restaurant at the MGM Grand never wants for patrons. We ask the French maestro this hour why his food costs so much, what his own culinary guilty pleasures are and what he thinks of Rachael Ray. But first, Steve takes us on a journey into the heart of the Rock, Paper, Scissors championships that took place this weekend.

In Banter: Phantom's doing good, Monte Carlo offers a Web-only Lance Burton discount, that diaper story and Wynn's apology.

* * *

SPECIAL, MAY 13: WYNN AUDIO FROM UNION MEETING (see blog post for explanation)

* * *

May 10: Steve Wyrick, Clint Holmes

Steve Wyrick is determined to be a Vegas star one way or the other. He arrived here 11 years ago for a show at the Lady Luck and moved on to the Sahara and now he has his own theater at Planet Hollywood. But after he and his investors spent $37 million on the Wyrick Entertainment Complex, which also includes the Triq Nightclub, the folks at Planet Hollywood announced they’d have a resident magic show of their own in the property’s main theater – and it would co-star Pamela Anderson. So how does Wyrick feel about all this? We asked him that and also got his response to critical reviews in this revealing chat.

Also, a special INTERVIEW edition of the Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week with longtime Strip headliner Clint Holmes talking about the upcoming three-week staging at UNLV of his autobiographical musical, "Just Another Man."

In Banter: Breaking the Bette and MGM Mirage sportsbook stories, the bomb at Luxor, evidence that Spamalot is struggling, why we love McCarran and RateVegas.Com and The Strip Podcast Blog take on the question of hearing assistive devices in Vegas theaters.

Links:

Steve Wyrick's site is here
Planet Hollywood's site, sans Wyrick as of May 10, is here
Steve's Newsweek piece on the Luxor bomb is here
Steve's blog post about hearing assistive devices in theaters is here
Steve's blog post on Spamalot's woes is here

* * *

May 3: "The Producers" star Brad Oscar

The Hoff’s stay in Vegas was short and sweet. David Hasselhoff departs this week and the producers of “The Producers” most now promote the show using – get this! – the actual stars of the show. Steve chats this hour with Broadway veteran Brad Oscar, who earned a Tony nod for a role in the original Broadway cast and stars here as Max Bialystock. Oscar dishes about Hasselhoff, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick and admits his disappointment in not being cast in the recent movie version of the show.

In Banter: Catholic bishops take Vegas, interviewing the other Vegas podcasters, "Glitter" city and Pam replaces Carmen.

Links:

Buy tickets to The Producers here
Our Hasselhoff chat is here
Brad Oscar's IBDB profile is here
Hear Podcast411 with Steve interviewing the Five Hundy folks here
Emily Richmond's turn in Norm! is here
A piece on the bishops taking Vegas is here
Our blog entry on Pam replacing Carmen is here

* * *

April 26: Paul Anka

Fifty years after Paul Anka burst on the pop music scene, he’s back on the charts again with an album on which he covers songs by – get this – Nirvana, Bon Jovi and Van Halen. Really. Anka, a Vegas legend who appears at the Las Vegas Hilton next month, talks to a fawning Steve this hour about a career that includes writing “My Way” for Frank Sinatra, launching Michael Buble and how he got a fair price from Kirk Kerkorian for his home at Tropicana and the Strip way back when.

In Banter: Stratosphere sold, Roseanne extended, the Monofail signs lie and Coco Bongo replaces Prince.

Links:

Paul Anka's website is here
Buy tickets to Anka's concert at the Hilton here
Buy Anka's CDs here
The Instead of Working blog is here
Jeff Simpson's column on Circus Circus' future is here
A report on the sale of the Stratosphere is here
Liz Bentsen's piece on the Planet Hollywood changeover is here
See Paul Anka sing "with" Frank Sinatra on YouTube here

* * *

April 19: Frank Fahrenkopf and Craig Ferguson

You may not know his name, but if you love Las Vegas then Frank Fahrenkopf is your man in Washington. Fahrenkopf is the executive director of the American Gaming Association and he spoke with Steve earlier today about how he deals with the foes of gambling and about the future of the Internet gaming ban and smoking in casinos. Then, “Late, Late Show” host Craig Ferguson, who headlines in Vegas this weekend, explains the nature of his comedy and why he’s decided not to make fun of Britney Spears anymore.

In Banter: Stomp Out Loud, MGM Mirage buys more land and changes afoot at Luxor.

Links:

The American Gaming Association is here
Frank Fahrenkopf's bio is here
"The Late, Late Show" site is here
The YouTube clip of Craig Ferguson on Britney is here and with Bill Maher is here
Other YouTube clips played on this episode are here and here
The R-J piece on the MGM Mirage land buy is here
Steve's blog commentary on Stomp Out Loud and Planet Hollywood is here

* * *

April 12: The author of WHHSH...
and Joe Piscopo

Steve’s been on a tear about this for weeks, so tonight we confront one of the creators of that ubiquitous Vegas slogan, “What Happens Here Stays Here” to explain where it came from and how he feels about how overused its become. Plus, comic Joe Piscopo is in the midst of an extended gig at the Las Vegas Hilton. The Saturday Night Live star joins us live to discuss his career and his possible plans to run for Senate in New Jersey.

In Banter: Hasselhoff's gone, Steve visits CityCenter and more news on the question of Vegas casinos and foreign language websites.

Links:

Joe Piscopo's site is here
Our blog posting on foreign-language sites is here
Pix of Steve's CityCenter visit are here and here
The YouTube clip of a young Piscopo on Carson in '85 is here
Mike Weatherford's thoughts about Hasselhoff's departure are here
Steve's latest blog posts on WHHSH are here, here and here
Steve's Boston Globe piece on WHHSH from 2004 is here

* * *

April 5: Best of Las Vegas Dissected...
and Wayne Brady

The Best of Las Vegas readers poll is out from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the only one of this ilk of surveys that really matters. So did Olive Garden, Outback and Red Lobster reign supreme once again? Well, yeah. But tonight Steve and I dissect that and some of the other interesting and peculiar results. Also, improv comic Wayne Brady is doing an extended run at the Venetian as a run-up to a possible headlining gig there. Brady gave a somewhat testy interview to Steve earlier this week and we’ll play that this hour.

In Banter: Steve hints at upcoming breaking Wynn news, we wonder why Vegas hotels don't have foreign-language sites and the Flamingo is getting a remarkable makeover.

Links:

The R-J's Best of Las Vegas results are here
Wayne Brady's website is here
Steve's blog entry on the WHHSH campaign is here
See the Thunder Valley billboard here
See the new rooms at the Flamingo here
Norm's column about the Planet Ho is here

* * *

SPECIAL APRIL 2 VIDEO EPISODE

Please, please be kind. Mark and I took some fancy equipment out to the Stardust on March 13 for the demolition and finally, we're ready to show you the "show" we did. It includes implosion footage we already put on YouTube as well as an interview with Bob Boughner, CEO of Echelon, the $4 billion project that will replace the hotel.

Please remember I'm not a TV person. The TV person in the family was at home in bed because it was the middle of the night. But he did dress me, awfully sportily in fact, and we produced this 12-minute show. And whatever you do, definitely stick around for the ending when Mark and I are in his car. Very, very Blair Witch Project.

* * *

March 29: Lance Burton

Las Vegas is going magician-crazy. No fewer than four new magic shows are opening in the next year, all with folks who aspire to be the next Lance Burton. So how does Lance Burton feel about all this? The seven-time Magician of the Year talks about the newcomers and his own career this hour. But first, we did a disappearing act of our own last week, so now we tell all about our wedding and the honeymoon.

In Banter: Legoland does Vegas, L.A. needs us for its 2016 Olympic bid and Steve visits the Grand Canyon SkyWalk.

Links:

Buy tickets for Lance Burton here
Lance's homepage is here
Here and here are some of the best honeymoon blog entries
Steve's CityLife piece on the run-up to the wedding is here
The blog post Miles mentioned about the Juneau legislator is here
The badly written Legoland meets Vegas story is here
The R-J's piece in the 2016 Olympic bid is here
Steve's blog entry on the Grand Canyon SkyWalk is here
The site for the Grand Canyon SkyWalk is here
Read about the Atlantic City smoking decision here

* * *

March 15: Nicholas Pileggi

The hotel and casino where Siegfried and Roy first headlined on the Strip did its own eye-popping disappearing act early on Tuesday. To finish off all the retrospectives about the storied Stardust Hotel-Casino, we talk to writer Nicholas Pileggi, whose nonfiction book “Casino” is a history of mobster Frank Rosenthal and his Stardust exploits. Plus, PIleggi reveals what other Vegas figure he plans to write about next.

In Banter: More chatter about the Stardust implosion, our upcoming nuptials and the El Cortez has slotside food.

Links:

Nicholas Pileggi on Amazon.Com is here
See Steve's big, fat gay wedding essay here
Steve's pieces from NYT and Wired or look at his Stardust pix and blog entries
Mark's superhot implosion video can be seen here
Pileggi's wife, Nora Ephron, wrote about the Wynn-Picasso mess and that's here
The Adelson-testicles thing can be found here
KVBC's El Cortez story is here
Find out how to see the De La Hoya-Mayweather fight here

* * *

3/12 Special: Stardust preview audio

March 8: Eric Idle and John O'Hurley

The Broadway hit “Spamalot” opens for previews tonight at the Wynn amid questions about whether it’s a good fit for Las Vegas. Among those who admit it could be a tough sell is the show’s writer, original Monty Python troupe member Eric Idle. Steve interviewed Idle and to John O’Hurley, who stars in the Vegas edition of the show, for this episode.

In Banter: More on the Stardust, the Sahara is sold, Bob Mahue is mistreated at the Wynn and hear as Terry Lanni boils over at R-J columnist Jane Ann Morrison.

Links:

Tickets for "Spamalot" are here
An Eric Idle fan site is here
Idle's Wikipedia entry is here
John O'Hurley's site is here
Jane Ann Morrison's column on the Ho hearing, making no mention of her dust-up with Terry Lanni, is here
Mike E's jet pix are here, here and here, and his blog is here
Steve and Miles' appearance on Podcast411 is here

* * *

March 1: Ex-Supreme Mary Wilson and Venetian Air

[Special 2/27: Steve on NPR]

Founding Supreme and Las Vegas resident Mary Wilson is both pleased and annoyed by the movie Dreamgirls, which won two Academy Awards last Sunday. Wilson discusses her love-hate relationship with the film, with Diana Ross and with Motown this hour. Later, the president of Las Vegas Sands Inc describes the fleet of private jets his company uses to ferry whales to Vegas from Asia.

In Banter: Twenty seconds of unbelievable Steve Wynn audio from Elizabeth Taylor’s 75th birthday party in Vegas and the mayor teachs a class on making martinis.

Links:

Mary Wilson’s Wikipedia bio is here
Buy tix to see Mary in concert at the Golden Nugget on April 20-21 here
Buy Mary’s book, “Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme” here
The R-J story about Mayor Oscar Goodman’s martini class is here
Steve’s Elizabeth Taylor story for Reuters is here
Hear Steve’s NPR piece on the Bellagio here

* * *

Feb. 22: 2006 World Series of Poker Champ Jamie Gold

World Series of Poker champ Jamie Gold has some regrets, but they’re not the ones you might expect. The 38-year-old Hollywood producer isn’t sorry about the legal mess that ensued after he won the record-setting $12 million purse last summer. What he does apologize for is some of his antics during the tournament, some of which have never been disclosed before.

In Banter: Dennis Rodman hearts Penny Marshall, OPM is checking out your gems, the NBA warns against Elton John, Palazzo to get "Jersey Boys" and we check out "Rounders."

Links:

Jamie Gold's website is here
Jamie's Wikipedia bio is here
See Jamie win it all on YouTube by going here
Buzznation, Jamie's company, is here
Listener Gregory Zephyr has a San Francisco-centric podcast. Check it out here
Mike Weatherford's scoop on "Jersey Boys" is here
Reviews of Binion's Ranch Steakhouse are here
Norm's report on the Rodman-Marshall thing is here
GSN's High Stakes Poker show is here
Buy the flick "Rounders" here or see the YouTube clip we played here

* * *

Feb. 15: NBA Commissioner David Stern

It's NBA All-Star Weekend in Vegas, so we talk to basketball commissioner David Stern about Vegas' pro-sports prospects as well as why the NBA, like Vegas, is so big in China.

In Banter: We review The Producers, we ponder that mammoth Barry Manilow and we analyze a chart from the LVCVA on the special events that have the greatest non-gaming economic impact on the city.

Links:

A handy schedule for all All-Star Game events is here
Our David Hasselhoff show is here
Steve's NYT piece on the Vegas animal shelter crisis is here
Rebecca Spencer's site is here, albums are here and special show info is here
The list of special events and their economic impact is here (see right rail)
Mike E's blog is here
Info on the Venetian dragon dance is here
Musician Adam Varona's site is here
David Stern's Wikipedia site is here
Get tickets for The Producers at here

* * *

Feb. 8: Paula Poundstone

The comedienne and author talks about the time she cursed in front of Hillary Clinton while drunk, about performing at Comdex in Vegas and about why she feels sorry for Michael Richards. She's appearing at the Boulder Station Hotel-Casino on Friday, Feb. 23.

In Banter: We mull this weird Paris Hilton birthday party ad, Steve's still sad about his Super Bowl bet but happy that Fresh Air is now on a podcast and we discuss StripSteak at Mandalay Bay.

Links:

Paula Poundstone's website is here
Buy tickets to her Vegas show here
Buy her very funny book here
Our first Paula Poundstone show from Nov. 2005 is here
Kats' column about our polls is here
The new Michael Mina joint StripSteak at Mandalay Bay is here
A piece from the NY Post on Celine playing the Oscars is here
Find Fresh Air's podcast here
John L. Smith's column on Herb McDonald is here
NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me is here
The icky Paris Hilton ad is here and the Newsweek cover story is here
The WSJ list from the poll of the top 150 architectural buildings in America is here

* * *

Feb. 1: Perez Hilton and the Gossip Gang
[See pix from the event here]

The Queen of All Media took on Robin Leach, the Review-Journal's Norm Clarke and former Sun gossip columnist Kate Bennett in a panel sponsored by The Strip at the Palms this weekend. Hear Perez explain why he goes easy on Paris Hilton, what the real reason Britney got married in Vegas in 2003 and how he gets the goods.

In Banter: Another gross massage idea, a bizarre press release about Mr. Celine Dion and Steve's annual Superbowl bet.

Links:

NLGJA, the group we raised $5,000 for, is here
PerezHilton.Com is here
Robin Leach's Luxe Life blog is here
Norm Clarke's Vegas Confidential column can be found here
The weird press release from Caesars on Mr. Dion is here

* * *

Special Jan. 24: Raw audio from Spamalot press event with Wynn, Eric Idle and John O'Hurley.

Jan. 25: Steve Wynn
and Caroline Rhea

He's baaack! Wynn sits down with Steve this week for a revealing chat about Spamalot, Le Reve, the golf course, Meryl Streep and that little-noticed incident with a certain Picasso.

Then, Caroline Rhea talks about nipples and nickels -- ahh, what's the difference? -- from a very noisy Starbucks in NYC ahead of her appearance in Primm this weekend.

In Banter: Has the Bwy-Vegas curse been sorta broken? Are ticket prices dropping? Why is Hooters a, uh, bust? Could it really be that Danny Gans is on only four nights a week? And what does a disastrously bad press conference question sound like?

Links:

The R-J story on the Spamalot press event is here
Buy tickets to Spamalot here
Caroline Rhea's website is here
Buy tickets to Rhea's 1/27 show at Whiskey Pete's here
The USA Today piece on Hooters' woes is here
The puzzling R-J piece on Macau v Vegas is here
Click on the names to hear our Austin Miller and Sierra Boggess shows

* * *

Jan. 18: Impressionist Gordie Brown

New Vegas headliners don’t come along every day and when they do, they’re usually already pretty famous. So you’re forgiven if you haven’t heard of Gordie Brown – yet. But the impressionist is now getting the shot of a lifetime as a marque player at the Venetian, and he joins us live in the studio to talk about the gig.

In Banter: Larry Flynt and John O'Hurley are coming to Vegas and another disgusting massage idea just in time for V-Day.

Links:

Gordie Brown's official site is here
Buy tickets to his Venetian show here
The YouTube clip of loopy Paula Abdul is here
See Sparky Goldstein, the underwater swimming dog, here or hear his owner, Tom, on The Petcast here

* * *

Jan. 11: The FOOD show with
Michael Mina and Rick Moonen
(and Miles' birthday party!)

Vegas is becoming a major culinary destination, but different celeb-chefs do it differently. Michael Mina is a major entrepreneur with four spots in Vegas and several in other cities. Rick Moonen gave up his New York spot to open up in Vegas when he could have kept both.

Plus, Miles is 35 and many listeners and relatives left voicemail for him. Hear all about it.

In Banter: The $100,000 package at the Ritz-Carlton, Vegas is No. 2 and Commander's Palace closes or moves.

Links:

Michael Mina's site is here
Seablue and Nob Hill at MGM Grand are here
StripSteak at Mandalay Bay is here
Michael Mina Bellagio is here
Michael Mina's cookies are here
Restaurant RM and rm seafood are both here
The awful George Wallace debacle is here
Listener David K. sent us here to resolve the Apple memory dilemma
The Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas' BANANAS $100K weekend package is here
The Wynn show about the toilet is here
Jeremy Stoll, who got us the Traveling Wilburys albums, has a blog here
Here's a story on the Vegas brand ranking
Check out Rao's site

* * *

Jan. 4: The Year's Best And More!

You don't have to wade through all of those hours anymore to hear the best parts of 2006 on the show. You voted on the list -- it's in the left rail -- and here's the verdict.

PLUS, a NEW THEME for 2007! Check it out and hear from the scorching hot singer-songwriter Kira Nichole! And Steve offers a montage of voices from the Strip on New Year's Eve.

In Banter: Mamma Mia calls it quits next year, the cost of extending a stay on New Year's Day at Bellagio and Circus Circus about to be imploded?

Links:

See list along left rail for links to these shows
Steve's NY Times piece on the preacher on New Year's Eve is here
The erroneous Circus Circus page on Wikipedia is here (for now)
i4Vegas.Com, which provided the stats about NY Eve room rates, is here
That lovely Auld Lang Syne rendition can be found on YouTube here

* * *

Dec. 28: Barry Williams
(aka Greg Brady)

It's New Year's Eve in Vegas, and who better to celebrate with than, uh, Greg Brady? Yep. Barry Williams leads a cast of former child stars including Leif Garrett and the Bay City Rollers for the debut of "The Original Idols Live," a song-and-dance revue at the Flamingo.

In Banter: What Santa brought, why the Xmas lights don't work anymore, who's where for New Year's, bye to James Brown and hello to Michael Jackson.

Links:

Barry Williams' site is here
Get tickets to The Original Idols Live here
More info about the show is here
The Brady Bunch clip of "Sunshine Day" from YouTube is here

* * *

Dec. 21: Heidi Fleiss

The Hollywood Madam now wants to be a Nevada Madam, offering male prostitutes to women clients. What's been holding up the plan and what wacky things has Fleiss been up to since she made her big splash in Steve's Newsweek article last year? Plus, Wet Design CEO Mark Fuller discusses designing the Bellagio Fountains.

Links:

Heidi's website is here
Wet Design has two Bellagio Fountain videos here
Steve's Newsweek piece on Heidi is here
See renderings of the Project CityCenter buildings in the graphics here
KVBC's story on the smoking-ban decision is here
An R-J story on the Harrah's deal to go private is here
The Traveling Wilburys are shockingly hot on Amazon
The site for Richard Cheese, who wrote "Christmas in Las Vegas," is here
A YouTube video of that song is here
The Grits to Glitz podcast is here

* * *

Dec. 14: Olivia Harrison

The Beatle widow discusses "Love," her late husband and why they didn't originally plan to stage the Cirque-Beatles show in Vegas.

In this week's banter, we're in NYC where we ate at the amazing Rao's, the impossible-to-get-into Italian restaurant in Spanish Harlem opening a supersized edition at Caesars Palace this month. We also saw "Spamalot" ahead of its Wynn debut next year.

Links:

"Love" at The Mirage is here
Buy the "Love" soundtrack here
See Rao's website here
Lyrics to that lovely Art Garfunkel tune "Heart In New York" can be found here
See the images of the tiny Soho loft we rented here

* * *

Dec. 7: David Hasselhoff

Just when it seems like David Hasselhoff couldn't conquer any more aspects of show business, the Knight Rider and Baywatch star is set to land in Las Vegas next month for a four-month gig as the gay director in "The Producers" at the Paris Las Vegas resort. In this chat, the Hoff talks about his future on the Internet, his international fame as a music sensation, his friendship with Pamela Anderson, his new T-shirt line and those off-the-wall music videos.

Plus, a planned 1,888-foot tower for the Strip is deemed "out of character with neighborhood" (huh?) and the new smoking law means no butts at McCarran.

Links:

David Hasselhoff's site is here
See YouTube clips of the Hoff's video for "Jump In My Car," "Hooked On A Feeling," "Looking For Freedom" and "Secret Agent Man"
See his ads for Pipex.Com here
A Las Vegas Sun piece on the new smoking law is here
The Las Vegas Business Press' piece on the Milam Tower is here

* * *

Nov. 30: Don Rickles

The ultimate insult comic talks about his long career from Vegas lounge act to Caesars Palace Walk of Famer, from Carson to Mr. Potato Head. Plus, Steve and Miles brave the Bellagio Buffet for Thanksgiving, the MGM Grand wants your DNA, Nevada is considering allowing casinos to alter slot machine payout based on who's playing and it is very, VERY cold in this here desert this week. Brr.

Plus, a special interview edition of the Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week with Tim Arnold of the Pinball Hall of Fame.

Links:

YouTube clip of Rickles' cigarette-box moment on Carson is here
Steve's Rickles Q-and-A in USA Today is here
Norm! reports that Bette and Cher are en route here
Britney's indecent exposures chronicles here
The Westin Casaurina's spa, Hibiscus, is here
The bizarre "Hooked on a Feeling" video by Hasselhoff can be seen -- and you MUST watch -- here

* * *

Nov. 23: Roseanne Barr

Roseanne Barr says she's back and has the HBO special to prove it. But she's also angling for a Vegas headlining gig and talks about her weekly Internet video call-in show. Plus, the winner of the Southwest Vacations sweepstakes is revealed.

Links:

Roseanne's website is here

* * *

Nov. 16: Bill Maher
[see a partial transcript here]
[hear a brief preview here]

Controversial comic Bill Maher mulls the election, CNN's censoring of his comments about GOP chief Ken Mehlman and why Hillary won't be president. Plus, Miles and Steve ponder some of the most disgusting massage therapies ever suggested, from a bizarre press release from the Treasure Island.

Bill Maher's website is here
Find the podcast version of HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher" here
Here's Steve's USA Today Q-and-As with Roseanne, Rickles and Maher
Steve's Newsweek piece in Whoopi is here
Listener Bernadette's review of "The Strip" is here
A YouTube clip of Bill Maher's unedited CNN appearance is here

* * *

Nov. 9: Whoopi Goldberg

Comedienne Whoopi Goldberg discusses the revival of Comic Relief in Vegas on Nov. 18, racism at Hogwarts, nose-picking, why she never flies and why rich actors do TV commercials. Then, Nevada passed a very restrictive anti-smoking measure on Tuesday, so we discuss it with the political consultant who got it passed, Michael Hackett. Also, Orthodox Jews at Bellagio, the Professional Bull Riders finals and Steve's backstage tour at Le Reve.

Links:

Whoopi and her radio show's website is here
Comic Relief is here
The Comedy Festival is here
Steve's NYT piece on the smoking initiatives is here
Steve's piece on Manilow selling CDs on QVC is here
PerezHilton.Com, which Miles loves, is here
The Professional Bull Riders' website is here
Tickets for Le Reve can be found here

* * *

Nov. 2: Sayonara, Stardust
Boyd Gaming CEO William Boyd

Boyd Gaming CEO Bill Boyd chats with Steve about Wednesday's closure of the venerable Stardust and the $4 billion Echelon Place planned to replace it. Boyd also talks a bit about his neighbors, Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson. Plus, longtime Stardust musician Mickey Jones amusingly reminisces about the loss of the property.

Links:

Boyd Gaming's website is here
Vote for "The Strip" in the Trippies by clicking here
Mickey Jones' website is here
Buy Dave Schwartz's book here
The UNLV Gaming Research Center is here
Howard Stutz's piece on plans for the Tropicana site is here
Steve's NYT piece on the smoking initiatives is here
Tickets to see Prince at his venue at the Rio are here

* * *

Oct. 26: Olivia Newton-John

The Aussie chanteuse opens up about missing her boyfriend, who disappeared last year and discusses why she's selling her newest album exclusively at Walgreens. Plus, Roseanne and Prince are the latest hot rumors for new headline acts, the Stardust is about to become dust and Steve's thoughts on Gordie Brown's opening at Venetian.

Links:

Olivia Newton-John's website is here
Tickets for Olivia's Luxor shows are here
Buy Olivia's new CD through Walgreens.Com by clicking here
A piece story about Olivia Newton-John's boyfriend's disappearance is here
A piece from the Las Vegas Sun on Jimmy Carter in Vegas is here
Jerry Fink's rave review of Gordie Brown's show is here
The chatter about Wynn v Adelson on RateVegas.Com is here
The new podcast by Hunter at RateVegas, which we recommend, is here
Hear listeners chastize KNPR for a segment on bottle service here

* * *

Oct. 25: SPECIAL EDITION

Help us pick a new theme and win. Listen to the episode or click here to find out how.

* * *

Oct. 19: Wynn on China, Adelson and the Strip

The Vegas mogul discusses Macau, responds to Adelson's comments from our Sept. 14 show and identifies what he believes to be "single biggest toilet" in Vegas. Also, guess where he originally planned to put the Mirage! This is audio from Steve's Newsweek chat with Wynn from Macau in late August.

Links:

The earlier shows with Wynn are here and here
Steve's photo montage of the Wynn Macau is here
The Wynn Macau is here
The Wynn Las Vegas is here
Coverage of Wynn's "Le Reve" accident is here

* * *

Oct. 12: A Phantom Spectacular

Two stars of Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular join us live in the studio. Sierra Boggess (Christine Daae) and Brent Barrett (The Phantom) discuss their careers off the Strip and what it's like to be in a shortened version of history's most successful musical. Also, Steve's mom is in the house and nearly makes Miles weep by singing Steve's favorite lullaby! Plus, opening night at the Playboy Club with George Maloof.

Links:

Brent Barrett's website is here
A bio and some voice clips from Sierra Boggess is here
Tickets for "Phantom" at the Venetian are here
Steve's mom's newsletter is here
More information about Sweet Adelines is here
Pix of Steve's Mom are here and here Rebecca Spencer, who plays Mme Giry, has several albums out. Find them here
Neonfest, Vegas' GLBT film festival, is Oct. 20-22. Find out more here.

* * *

Oct. 5: Rita Rudner

Comedienne and longtime Vegas headliner Rita Rudner discusses her new gig at the Harrah's Las Vegas and her new novel, "Turning the Tables." Plus, Review-Journal gaming writer Howard Stutz joins us to dissect the news of that Harrah's may be bought out for $15 billion.

Links:

Rita Rudner's site is here
Buy Rita's new book here
Get tickets for her new show here
Steve's pieces on the Portable Media Expo are here
A Howard Stutz piece on the Harrah's buyout plot and its fallout is here

* * *

Sept. 28: A Red-Hot Issue of Playboy

The first Playboy Club in 20 years opens atop the new tower at the Palms in October, so Steve has revealing chats with Hugh Hefner and his daughter, Playboy Enterprises CEO Christie Hefner. Plus, the SkyLOFTS will have a "music butler," I-15 is being torn up and readers sound off about the Adelson interview.

Links:

Steve's USA Today pieces on the Playboy Club are here and here
The Palms Hotel is here
The Playboy site is here
E!'s show on Hef is here
The MGM Grand's SkyLOFTS is here
A solid piece on the I-15 road construction from the R-J is here

* * *

Sept. 21: A CSI Special

As the top-rated Vegas-based CBS crime drama opens its seventh season tonight, we chat with star Marg Helgenberger and executive producer Carol Mendelsohn. Helgenberger reveals that she's unlikely to extend her contract and how she was very unhappy when the show added New York and Miami franchises. Plus, the winner of our Phantom tickets giveaway is revealed.

Links:

CSI's website is here
Marg Helgenberger's site is here
The R-J's story on the new Wynn golf tourney is here
An interesting new book about how casinos treat patrons is here

* * *

9/14: Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson
(and a little bit of Wynn)

The world's 14th wealthiest man explains his plans for Macau, has some choice comments about rival Steve Wynn and jokes -- yes, he's funny -- about the shopping at his newest resort. Plus, we play a piece of Steve's interview with Wynn that pertains to the controversy over tips at the Wynn Las Vegas. And we banter about Cirque du Soleil's first Vegas failure.

Links:

The Venetian Las Vegas is here
Sheldon Adelson's official corporate bio is here
Steve's picture of the Cotai Strip model is here
All Steve's pix from Macau are here
Here are links to the Raffles L'Ermitage Beverly Hills and Peninsula Beverly Hills, both mentioned by Adelson
The Sun's cool piece on casinos chasing deadbeats is here

* * *

Sept. 9: Gloria Estefan

We're in Miami, so we chat up the Celine Dion of South Beach. The Queen of Latin Pop has some spicy remarks about how the record industry screwed itself at the dawn of the Internet Age, talks about almost being an American Idol judge and opines about performing in Vegas. Plus, we chat about pool-crashing in Vegas, a possible smoking ban and the end of Vegas native Andre Agassi's career.

Links:

Gloria Estefan's website is here
The Cardozo Hotel, where we met Gloria, is here
AP writer Kathleen Hennessey's brilliant pool-crashing piece is here
Steve's piece grading Vegas pools for the LA Times is here
The R-J on the changing hours of "Phantom" is here (last item)
An R-J piece on the possible smoking ban is here
PodcasterPeers.Org, where The Strip is nominated for an honor, is here
A podcast about the podcast panel Steve hosted at NLGJA is here

* * *

Aug. 31: Palms owner George Maloof

For our first anniversary, we're joined live in the studio by our first guest, Palms owner George Maloof, to discuss the new concert venue, Playboy Club, Fantasy Villas and condo project. Plus, we discuss in depth Steve's trip to Macau.

Links:

The Palms' website is here
Steve's appearance on KNPR, re: Macau, is here
Steve's piece on Nevada Today about Macau is here
Steve's Holocaust story from the NYT is here

* * *

Aug. 24: The Chat From China

Steve is in Asia about to meet up with Wynn and Adelson on Macau, so Miles flies solo except for the 20-minute Skype chat that Steve is recording with him in the photo above. Also discussed is why the LV marriage license bureau won't be open 24/7 anymore, what's up with the poker champ's money and why is Wynn is redistributing tips?

Links:

Steve's Newsweek piece on Macau is here
Photos of the Wynn Macau and other Macanese-Vegas stuff is here
The R-J on Wynn's new tip program is here
An AP piece on new hours for the marriage bureau is here
The UPI on the poker champ's money woes is here

* * *

Aug. 17: Liza Minnelli

Liza cuts loose, giggling a lot and getting a little spacy as she talks about her upcoming Luxor appearances. Then, a surprise interview answer to the trivia question. Also, we discuss a wacky proposal for fixing traffic problems on the Strip, high-speed trains to LA and Steve's day on the set of CSI at the MGM Grand.

Links:

Liza Minnelli's official site is here
An R-J piece on the proposal to cut down the trees on the Strip is here
An R-J piece about proposed trains to LA is here
More on Sarann Knight Preddy is here
The site for CSI is here

* * *

Aug. 10: Gladys Knight

The former Flamingo headliner and Vegas resident reveals the real reason she left the hotel and how she encouraged Toni Braxton to come to Vegas. Also, she talks frankly about her gambling addiction and conversion to Mormonism. Plus, we discuss the trouble with Braxton's new show.

Links:

Gladys Knight's Wikipedia site is here
The Za Show blog is here
Vegas.Com's airport kiosks is here

Aug. 3: Chubby Checker

The "Twist" maven complains that he's not given the credit he deserves for his contributions to dance and music, comparing himself to Walt Disney and Alexander Graham Bell.

Links:

Chubby Checker's site is here
Read about the I-15 shutdowns here

* * *

July 27: Toni Braxton



Links:

Toni Braxton's site is here
Get tickets to her Flamingo shows here
Read Steve's piece on handheld gaming from Wired here
The Red Rock Resort website is here

* * *

July 20: Andy Williams
Caesars president Gary Selesner



In honor of Caesars Palace's 40th birthday, Andy Williams recalls how much he made to open the joint and the current president admits he might not have hired Celine.

Links:

Caesars Palace's website is here
Andy Williams' website is here
A photo of the $1 million fishing lure is here
More info on The Petcast is here
The story about the mayor and urinating in public is here
The website of the contortionist and one-time "O" star whose husband wrote us is here

* * *

July 13: Chris Moneymaker

Links:

Chris Moneymaker's website is here
MGM Grand's Signature website is here
Lynn Parson's podcast and site are here
Read about Homeland Security idiots here
McCarran's No. 1? Read here

* * *

July 6: Jennifer Tilly

Links:

Jennifer Tilly's IMDB listing is here
See pix of Jennifer Tilly in our studio here
Steve's USA Today piece following Tilly's WSOP victory last year is here
All the press we've had for the Joan Rivers and Liza shows is here

* * *

July 4: SPECIAL BREAKING NEWS EDITION! Liza With a...V?

* * *

June 29: Joan Rivers + Paige O'Hara

Links:

Joan Rivers' official site is here
Paige O'Hara's website is here
Tickets to "Menopause: The Musical" are here
Hear the Joy Behar and Shelley Berkley show, since both were referenced

* * *

June 22: Reba McEntire

Links:

Reba McEntire's site is here
Buy tickets to Reba's show in Vegas here
See Steve's Phantom piece in USA Today here

* * *

June 15: Dennis Hopper

Links:

Check out the Cinevegas website here
Learn about John Romeo's video podcast here
More information on the Hoover Dam is here
Get tickets to Jubilee! at Bally's here

* * *

JUNE 8: George and Giles Martin, Austin Miller

Links:

See "Love" images and video, here
Austin Miller's site is here
We break the news of Hairspray's closure here

* * *

June 5: SPECIAL EDITION! HAIRSPRAY CLOSING!
(See Norm Clarke's coverage here)

* * *

June 1: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Austin Miller

Links:

Andrew Lloyd Webber's site is here
Austin Miller's site is here
Steve's appearance on Future Tense is here
Tickets for Phantom in Vegas can be bought here
The USA Today piece on lobby odor is here

* * *

May 25: Cirque founder Gilles Ste. Croix

Links:

See Cirque's page, with "Love" images and video, here
Steve's Wired piece on tough-to-open packaging is here Mike Weatherford's R-J piece on Cirque is here
R-J story on the Venetian's mobile gaming devices is here

* * *

May 18: Hal Prince

Links:

Tickets for "Phantom" in Vegas are here
Read about Prince's lifetime achievement Tony
Hal Prince's Wikipedia page is here

* * *

May 11: Franco Dragone
Jesse Jackson

Links:

Franco Dragone's website is here
To buy tickets to "Mystere," "O," "A New Day" or "Le Reve" click on the show's name.
Jackson's Rainbow/P.U.S.H. Coalition is here

* * *

April 27: Louie Anderson

Links:

Louie Anderson's website is here
Buy tickets to his show at the Excalibur here
Guest host Geoff Dankert's cars blog is here

* * *

April 20: Jon Secada

Links:

Jon Secada's website is here
Read about Clara Bow's ranch in the R-J here
Hear Steve's KNPR commentary here
Pix from Engagement Weekend are here
Johnny Mathis' Wikipedia entry, referencing The Strip, is here

* * *

April 13: Johnny Mathis

Links:

Johnny Mathis' website is here

* * *

April 6: The Charlie Palmer exclusive

Links:

The site for Charlie Palmer's hotel is here
Steve's piece from Newsweek.Com is here
Steve's piece on NPR and podcasting is here
A shot of Eva Longoria from space is here

* * *

March 30: Howie Mandel + Kathy Griffin

Links:

Howie Mandel's website is here
Kathy Griffin's website is here
The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Best of Las Vegas is here
Listener John Romeo's video podcasts are here
Steve's piece on the World's Largest Buffet is here

* * *

March 23: Dennis Miller and the Lush

Links:

The Museum of the American Cocktail is here
The King of Cocktails' website is here

* * *

March 16: Liberace and Big Elvis

Links:

Wes Winters' site is here
The Liberace Museum is here
Big Elvis is here and at the Barbary Coast

* * *

March 9: Mamma Mia! Special

Links:

Mamma Mia! tix available at Mandalay Bay's site
Carol Linnea Johnson's profile is here

* * *

March 2: Danny Gans

Feb. 16: Joy Behar + Rep. Shelley Berkley

Feb. 15: Special Steve Wynn edition

* * *

FEB. 9: Comic Rich Little
Little Church of the West owner Greg Smith

* * *

DEC. 29: Harvey Fierstein

* * *

Dec. 22: David Copperfield

* * *

Dec. 8: Terry Lanni, MGM Mirage CEO

* * *

Nov. 24: A Thanksgiving re-run of our 9/15 Steve Wynn episode

Links:

Steve's Chicago Tribune review of the Wynn is here Steve's Wired report on his tour with Wynn, click here
Wynn Las Vegas: www.wynnlasvegas.com

* * *

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