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John Katsilometes

Editor at Large

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Story Archive

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Taking a look at the latest production show happenings
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
There are plenty of exciting things happening, on and off the Strip.

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Highs and lows from Sunday’s 48th annual ACM Awards show
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Rocking performances, tired jokes (we're looking at you, Luke Bryan) and more!

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John Kats looks back: 10 highlights from the Colosseum's first 10 years
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Chris Rock, Celine Dion and more.

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Cabaret Jazz hasn't yet become a hip, intimate venue as envisioned
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Smith Center President Myron Martin says they're still introducing Las Vegans to the room.

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Standing ovation? Reflections on the Smith Center's first year
Thursday, March 7, 2013
For an organization that ballyhooed every dollar raised to build a performing arts center, cheered the arrival of 2,458 tons of Indiana limestone and posed for countless photo ops, the Smith Center for the Performing Arts seems, well, quiet this time of year. And just when there’s so much to get nutty about: 10 touring Broadway productions scheduled for next season; a lingering high from the six-week run of Wicked last summer, and who could forget the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s March performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony.

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'Pin Up' girl: Chatting with Playmate of the Year and new Strip star Claire Sinclair
Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013
21-year-old Claire Sinclair is the star of a sexy new show at the Stratosphere.

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Jonathan Fine keeps Rockhouse rockin' at the Venetian
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013
Fun and friendly bar is bigger and better at new Strip spot.

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Holly Madison ditches the 'Peepshow' corset and prepares for motherhood
Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012
Ready for her biggest challenge yet, the Queen of the Strip continues to keep everyone guessing. This spring, Holly Madison and the producers of "Peepshow," the adult revue in which she has starred as Bo Peep, announced she would leave the Planet Hollywood show on December 30. It was to be the end of an era, albeit a relatively short one, for the woman who arrived in town in the fall of 2008 and quickly embarked on a hard-focused campaign to become “Miss Las Vegas.”

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Cirque du Soleil bets on 'Zarkana' to bring back the magic
Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012
Having lost its way with Viva Elvis, Cirque is summoning the tried-and-true Zarkana for another go at Aria.

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Billy Joe’s eruption was far from iHeart's only memorable moment
Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012
"Don’t make me open up a can o’ country whoop ass up here.”

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The $1 million saga of Michael Grimm
What happens when you find success on national TV, win $1 million and hate the fame that comes with it?
Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012
What happens when you find success on national TV, win $1 million and hate the fame that comes with it? This is how it turns out: A man who wowed millions while winning America’s Got Talent in 2010 is back playing for a couple hundred fans in the same venues he frequented before even auditioning for the far-reaching TV show. He allows that he’s not built for the type of intense fame—much of it totally unrelated to his music—that winning AGT presented. In a way, this outcome was always Grimm’s destiny.

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In search of song: Headliner Frankie Moreno treks to Europe to find inspiration
Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012
The objective is two-pronged, like a tuning fork. The three brothers will write songs. The accompanying journalist will write about them writing songs. But how does this process begin, exactly? It’s unclear how the Moreno brothers will embark on this 10-day creative adventure, this lengthy overseas road trip. The sites are laid open: Vienna, Florence and Venice.

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Las Vegas headliners unite to perform at Stifler at the Palms
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
The all-star cast makes for a memorable night.

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The strange saga of the Stirling Club
A real estate mogul, a legendary venue and a deal snuffed out in the middle of the night
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Late at night on May 17, the fate of the Stirling Club at Turnberry Place was hanging in cyberspace. Stephen Siegel had committed to buy the club, but he needed to move quickly. Stirling Club was set to close May 18, a Friday night, hosting its “last dance” at 10:30 p.m. A day earlier, Siegel sent an email to the Turnberry Place Master Homeowners’ Association saying he had agreed to buy the Mansion — home to the Stirling Club and all of its amenities — for several million dollars.

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Four things to know about Surf the Musical, as it splashes down on the Strip
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Surf's up.

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Riviera CEO Andy Choy takes a gamble with classic casino
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Ask Andy Choy what he studied in college and he smiles slightly. “I was actually a probability major,” he says after a one-beat pause. “I was a statistics major. So, I actually study the odds and understand it beyond the periphery.” That quality, understanding odds beyond the periphery, is vital to the success of Choy and the hotel he operates, the Riviera.

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Riviera CEO Andy Choy plays the odds on a classic casino
Thursday, May 24, 2012
The Riviera CEO is betting on classic amenities (and one bingo-ball costume) for casino resurgence.

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Santana moves into House of Blues
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The House of Blues will feel more like a big club for his new residency, which began Wednesday night.

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Seven quotes from the Academy of Country Music Awards
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
John Katsilometes catches some words of wisdom on the ACM red carpet and in the media room

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Mike Tyson confronts ... Mike Tyson
Loved, hated or feared, Mike Tyson has always been the star of his own story. Now, he’s ready to tell the tale himself in a new one-man show
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Loved, hated or feared, Mike Tyson has always been the star of his own story. Now, he’s ready to tell the tale himself in a new one-man show.

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Hard-rock home sweet home: Motley Crue's Joint residency starts with a bang
Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012
Veteran quartet shakes off some opening-night snags to get its "Sin City" residency rolling.

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Show producer David Saxe is on a mission to bring vintage Vegas back
Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012
The son of Strip performers was born to build an entertainment empire.

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Joe Magliarditi, President of the Palms
Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012
Nothing happens at the Palms without his approval.

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Sam Nazarian, CEO, sbe Entertainment
12 to watch in 2012
Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012
This 36-year-old is making plans for the 'ultimate rebirth of the north end of the Strip.'

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Three questions with Tina Guo, cellist for 'Michael Jackson Immortal'
Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011
Three questions with Immortal cellist Tina Guo

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Weekly Q&A: Bellagio's Andres Garcia is a master of the holidays
Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011
Bellagio director of horticulture Andres Garcia keeps the seasonal displays stunning

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The inside scoop on Mandalay Bay's new Michael Jackson Cirque show
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011
'Immortal' tour stops for extended stay this month before resident show opens next year.

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Dragone's 'Le Reve' remains a splashy delight
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011
Le Rêve remains a splashy delight, comparable to any Cirque show, especially as the holidays approach and family-friendly options are at a premium.

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Is Oscar Goodman TV bound?
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011
Oscar Goodman could soon be getting his own television show

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A look back at the advertising magic of "What Happens Here, Stays Here"
Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011
It's hard to imagine Vegas without "What Happens Here, Stays Here." But the campaign almost didn't happen.

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'Absinthe' still flowing (and thrilling) at Caesars
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011
Like its alcohol-nipping co-host, Absinthe at Caesars Palace continues to chug away.

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A numerical look at the iHeartRadio Music Festival
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011
Kenny Chesney's pants, Pauly D's gum and Randy Jackson's dinosaurs.

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Race for the Nerf: Celebrity/media NFL Picks Week 1
No Lance Burton means a new champ is guaranteed
Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011
Two Goodmans, the Phantom, Carrot Top and more weigh in on Week 1 games.

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Even after 30 years, 'Jubilee!' still has plenty to offer
Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011
'Jubilee!' looks back on 30 great years, and looks forward to many more

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What I learned about wanking from Russell Brand
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Brit comedian Russell Brand was in usual form at Mandalay Bay, touching on Serena Williams' vocal charms and trying to behave while scrolling through the BBC website.

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NKOTBSB tour is everything their (slightly older) fans could hope for
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
What happens when boy bands unite? Sun and Weekly columnist John Katsilometes has the answer.

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Saying goodbye to the once-great Sahara
Thursday, May 12, 2011
If Las Vegas knows anything, it’s how to turn the lights off on history

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A moment from one of Sahara's better days
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A perfect Vegas storm, and it won’t be circling back.

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The New Face of Friendship
In the age of social media, we're surrounded by friends we never see—or even meet. Are we better or worse off?
Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011
“Sometimes, friendship is like art or pornography: I know it when I see it.”

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Thinking about Stephen Hawking, snorting bath salts and more
Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011
Also, Jeff Magnum announces two shows.

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Scenes from the rodeo
An outsider’s view from inside the greatest show on dirt
Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010
An outsider’s view from inside the greatest show on dirt

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Welcome to Wayne Newton's world
Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010
Once I was parked outside Casa de Shenandoah and a peacock sprouted at the top of the gold leaf-patterned gate.

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Talking shop with Joel Robuchon
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010
To use a cooking term, Joël Robuchon’s attire is “blackened."

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Steve Wynn: Viva Las Vegan
How the casino magnate became an unlikely evangelist for healthy, no-splurge eating
Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010
How casino magnate Steve Wynn became an unlikely evangelist for healthy, no-splurge eating

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Memories of Tony Curtis from his star-studded funeral
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010
Applause and laughter were far more prevalent than tears at Palm Mortuary on October 4.

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Thinking about the Tea Party, Lady Gaga and more
Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010
Also, how do we get invited to the Jay-Z/Coldplay concert at the Cosmopolitan?

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The Hilton Theater goes sports book on Sundays
Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010
The Hilton shows every morning and afternoon game on 11 screens.

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Thinking about shuffling cards, meth and more!
Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010
Also, we learn that Reno is a safer place to drive than Las Vegas.

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Las Vegas needs a timeout
Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010
A chlorine leak, a socialite's arrest and nightclub shakeups. Something weird is in the air.

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'Vegas! The Show' is a sampler platter of Strip productions
Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010
If you can’t make it to all of Las Vegas’ show, this one gives the audience a taste of all past and present hits.

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