John Katsilometes

Story Archive

Olivia Newton-John remembers groovin’ in ‘Grease’ as she accepts NBT Woman of the Year honor
Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016
Flamingo headliner Olivia Newton-John readily recalls the daily rehearsal time she put in for the dance scenes in “Grease,” principally the “You’re the One That I Want” number at the end of the film with co-star John Travolta and ...
SLS Las Vegas has a fighting chance with the Foundry
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016
The Foundry is the latest flurry offered by SLS Las Vegas and its parent company, Stockbridge Capital. The 1,800-capacity music hall was formally unveiled last Thursday with a set by multi-instrumentalists Daniel Park and Ben Carey of Lifehouse ...
Tyson revisits Lewis dustup in new podcast; Fator had a hand in ‘Puppet Up!’
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016
Always expanding his business horizons, Mike Tyson is about to launch a podcast with co-host Peter Rosenberg of the Hot 97 Morning Show in New York. One of the early guests, already recorded, is Lennox Lewis. ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
Ken Ehrlich has world on a string with all-star lineup in ‘Sinatra 100’ telecast
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015
In amassing a wish list for those who would pay tribute to Frank Sinatra in a nationally televised spectacular, seeking Tony Bennett makes perfect sense. ...
Garth Brooks sets four-pack at Las Vegas Arena for July ’16
Monday, Nov. 30, 2015
Garth Brooks is the third country superstar act to be booked at Las Vegas Arena, following the announcements of George Strait, who performs six shows April, September and December; and Dixie Chicks, set for a July 16 stop ...
Vegas diva still waiting for wax treatment
Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015
Who might or might not be depicted in wax at Madame Tussauds is an inexact, if exhaustive, science. Up next for wax-ian treatment are dissimilarly matched, but similarly famous, Las Vegas newsmakers Donny and Marie Osmond, and Mike Tyson. But left out of the parade is ...
It’s a spin through the circus as Jerry Lewis hits ‘Absinthe’
Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015
This Friday night visit has been long in the making, and Jerry Lewis brings along his wife, Sam, and daughter Danielle, who works for David Saxe Productions. Lewis recently watched the DSP production “Vegas! The Show” and came away impressed ...
Bathtubs, bass solos and ‘Bang Bang’: What to be thankful for this Thanksgiving
Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015
A list, off the top of my noodle, about what makes me so thankful to call VegasVille my home. ...
April comes early for Sin City Theater; ‘Alice’ bounds back to Brooklyn Bowl
Monday, Nov. 23, 2015
On the topic of shows featuring Leopardi, “Alice: A Steampunk Rock Concert” has a date for its next performance: Jan. 12 at Brooklyn Bowl in the Linq Promenade. ...
Old mobster is at peace with his past
Monday, Nov. 23, 2015
Frank Cullotta was a famous hit man for the Chicago Outfit, a self-described former “gangster, burglar, murderer, extortionist, arsonist” who admitted to the 1979 killing of con man Sherwin “Jerry” Lisner in Las Vegas. Today, the 76-year-old Cullotta earns a legal living as an expert in the culture that led him underground ...
Human Nature’s Christmas gift: Holiday revival with Broadway-bound Ruby Lewis
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015
Ruby Lewis electrified "For the Record: Baz" but was left without a show after that production closed. Suitors on the Strip and Broadway soon called, and Lewis, who blew minds as Daisy Buchanan from “The Great Gatsby,” ...
Rockie Brown takes a night for ‘Brand New Day,’ China is fine for Mike Tyson
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015
Column favorite Rockie Brown is celebrating the long-awaited and eagerly anticipated release of her debut album titled “Brand New Day.” ...
Trio of barnburner events proves that it’s never dark in Las Vegas
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015
This stretch of VegasVille events started Sunday afternoon, either after church or during the afternoon NFL games, depending on your religious practices. It began with Keith Thompson in tears ...
Civillico rides into Rio with ‘Headliners Bash’; Bennett backs Bob Anderson; Cullotta a hit in DLV
Monday, Nov. 16, 2015
Jeff Civillico is hosting his Win-Win Entertainment’s “Headliners Bash” at 9 p.m. Friday at Rio’s Penn & Teller Theater. ...
Monday By the Numbers: Spanning Southern Wine and L.V. Philharmonic
Monday, Nov. 16, 2015
This week, Monday By the Numbers is on the case and cases at Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada. In a case of offering equal space to those not old enough to imbibe, we also track ...
Mirth, music set for Colosseum as Steve Martin, Martin Short to play the Strip
Monday, Nov. 16, 2015
For one night in March, the Colosseum at Caesars Palace will be the home of the Martins. Steve Martin and Martin Short are performing a one-night headlining show, “An Evening You Will Forget For the Rest of Your Life,” on March 6. ...
Dixie Chicks: Reunited and ready to roll at Las Vegas Arena in ’16
Monday, Nov. 16, 2015
Dixie Chicks once headlined at a Las Vegas neighborhood casino. In July, they play the big room ...
New partnership gives SLS hope for turnaround
Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015
SLS Las Vegas just turned a year old in August, but the hotel’s ownership and image have morphed considerably. This month, hotel officials disclosed a new partnership, which will result in the 289-room tower closest to Paradise Road serving as the first W hotel in Las Vegas. President Scott Kreeger outlines the next phase for the hotel he took over in September 2014 ...
Monday By the Numbers: A look through the window of Keith Thompson’s ‘God Lives in Glass’
Monday, Nov. 9, 2015
For many years, the ever-optimistic Keith Thompson has been seeing this glass as half full. It should be close to the brim this weekend at the Smith Center. Set for 3 p.m. Sunday at Reynolds Hall ...