Las Vegas Weekly

July 18, 2008 · 8 AM

Weekend tease: A veritable fast break awaits Vegas visitors

By Robin Leach

The film version of Mamma Mia!" opens this weekend, and the musical version continues to hum along at Mandalay Bay.

Now its time for us to tip-off the weekend highlights, shoot straight, avoid a penalty and grab a 3-poiner with a bonus we lovingly referee around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

Friday July 18:

* It’s opening day of Mamma Mia! the movie with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Julie Waters and Christine Baranski -- and if you love it and haven’t seen the musical, then call the Mandalay Bay box office immediately.

* Three huge classic rock acts -- Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick -- are the triple threat to kick off the weekend at Mandalay Bay. Ann and Nancy Wilson are in the starry lineup with Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Ross Valory, Deen Castronovo and Arnel Pinedr. Also appearing there for two nights is D-List comedienne Kathy Griffin, who will skewer both herself and a host of other celebrity names about their gossip and blunders with her unique words of wisdom and wit savagely mixed with sarcasm. Her fourth season of Life on the D List debuted a month ago on Bravo.

* Country star Trisha Yearwood brings the dysfunctional stories of love lost and won in her three-day reign as Queen of Country at The Orleans.

* For humor, comedy and laughter -- remember they are all different -- comedienne Wanda Sykes serves up her sassy set at Planet Hollywood for two nights.

* Earlier we told you about Brody Jenner hosting the Ditch party at the Palms pool, but later this evening David Banner has his release party for the hit single “Get Like Me” at Rain in the Palms.

* The mix of jazz and rap from De La Soul at the Hard Rock Hotel is also fused with old-school pop, funk and soul. The New York Grammy Award-winning hip-hop group will perform tracks from their 3 Feet High and Rising albums … For smooth jazz and sweet, silky sounds, Rick Braun on trumpet and Richard Elliot on saxophone place an oasis in our desert at the Green Valley Ranch.

* As part of the British invasion weekend at The Club at the Cannery, the Zombies kick off all the “hip-hip hooray” excitement … While in another return to yesteryear, The Lettermen begin a three-night run of shows up at the Suncoast … And 70’s Soul Jam takes us back to that disco era out at Texas Station with the Stylistics, the ChiLites, Main Ingredient with Cuba Gooding Sr. and Jimmie “JJ” Walker as the guest host.

* ESPN resumes its Friday night boxing telecasts from the Star of the Desert Arena out at Terrible’s Casino in Primm.

* Please support our Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth “Bachelor & Bachelorette” auction at Prive in Planet Hollywood starting at 6 p.m. It is a wonderful way to contribute to a worthwhile cause. All the singles up for bid are described as “smokin’ hot.”

* For platinum parties, check out the Penthouse Fashion Showcase at Prive and MTV’s Shot of Love 2 winner Kristy Morgan at Torrid in the Hawaiian Tropic Zone at Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile.

* Here’s the Friday rundown of the NBA Summer League b-ball tip-offs at Thomas & Mack: 1 p.m.: Suns vs. Knicks; 3 p.m.: Bobcats vs. Pistons; 5 p.m.: Cavaliers vs. Wizards; 5:30 p.m.: Lakers vs. Raptors; 7 p.m.: Kings vs. Warriors; 7.30 p.m. Rockets vs. Nuggets.

Saturday July 19:

* Coldplay is hotter than our sizzling temperatures right now -- and they perform their phenomenal blockbusters at the MGM Grand.

* Doubtful that baby-bump Gwen Stefani will be on hand to watch her British musician husband Gavin Rossdale, but there’ll be an all-star turnout for him before he joins them for the opening of Wasted Space, where he’s due to perform an after-party acoustic set. The bass guitarist, who was formerly the lead singer of Bush, just had his new Wanderlust album released with its hit track “Love Remains the Same.” As I type this there is still confusion if he will host an after-concert bash at the new Club Christian Audigier at TI, but if he does show there too he won’t be performing.

* UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will move up to light-heavyweight to battle James Irvin inside the octagon at the Pearl Theater in the Palms –- and just watch the fisticuffs fly along with all the other fighting body parts! It will air live for the first time on Spike cable TV at 6 p.m. here and 9 p.m. on the east coast. “Sandman” Irvin just tied the record for the fastest KO in UFC history with his destruction of Houston Alexander in just eight seconds in April.

* The British Invasion weekend continues at the club in The Cannery with both the Peter & Gordon and Chad & Jeremy singing duos.

* Psychic Sylvia Brown returns to peer into the future and “over there” as audiences at the Excalibur try to communicate to the “after life.”

*Actress Whitney Port from The Hills hosts a bash at Prive in Planet Hollywood and actor and rapper Ice-T and his blond bombshell, curvy Coco, will host the fifth annual “Players Toast” awards at Torrid in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile.

* Here’s the Saturday rundown of the NBA Summer League games at Thomas & Mack: 1 p.m.: Knicks vs. Bobcats; 3 p.m.: Warriors vs. Raptors; 3:30 p.m. Lakers vs. Nuggets; 5 p.m.: Wizards vs. Rockets; 5:30 p.m. Timberwolves vs. Bucks; 7 p.m.: Trail Blazers vs. Suns; 7.30 p.m. Hornets vs. Cavaliers.

Sunday July 20:

* Shapely Playboy cover model Susie Feldman, who is married to actor Corey Feldman, hosts the Pittsburgh Slim party at the Playboy Club in the Palms.

* Cristian Castro will provide the musical excitement for a unique Sunday night show at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

* Here’s the final rundown that brings an end to 10-days of NBA basketball with 21 teams at the Thomas & Mack Center: 1 p.m.: Timberwolves vs. Knicks; 3 p.m. Suns vs. Wizards; 3.30 p.m. Bucks vs. Cavaliers; 5 p.m. Trail Blazers vs. Hornets; 5.30 p.m.: Kings vs. Rockets.

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