The Strip: Las Vegas Podcast

The Finale

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 02:23:29 +0000

**NOTE: It is strongly recommended you not unsubscribe from this feed after you download this episode. The regular show is over, but it is possible some additional interviews and other specials might be placed in the feed from time to time.**

After six years, this is the final regular episode of The Strip. The show, which debuted on Sept. 1, 2005, was co-hosted by journalists and life partners Miles Smith and Steve Friess. In this emotional episode, the duo recount the top 10 moments of the show as voted on by listeners, talk about the changes in their lives and play some classic old clips including a never-before-published 6-minute rehearsal in which they discuss what they show should be about and how they'll go about doing it.

The top clips include great moments from Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Curtis, Jim Murren, George Wallace, Johnny Mathis, Sheldon Adelson and, of course, Steve Wynn.

SPECIAL REISSUE: The Very First Episode!

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:57:58 +0000

This is a special reissue of the first episode of what would become The Strip. We called it Vegas S&M when we debuted on Sept. 1, 2005. The final episode of the program was recorded on Sept. 5, 2011.

SPECIAL: Steve's Valedictory Speech To Lambda

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Steve addressed Las Vegas' gay chamber of commerce, Lambda Business and Professional Association, on August 10, 2011. In these comments, he reflects on the progress and challenges facing Las Vegas' GLBT community.

SPECIAL: Steve on LVW Radio Discussing the Jockey Club Story

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Steve appeared on the Las Vegas Weekly's Radio Mag on KUNV 91.5 FM on Aug. 11 to discuss the Jockey Club and his LVW cover story about it. The interviewer is LVW Editor Sarah Feldberg.

SPECIAL: Steve's KNPR Exit Interview

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:30:00 +0000

Steve Friess' exit interview on KNPR on 8/10/11 as he prepares to leave for a Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan.

SPECIAL: Steve On KNPR On Eureka, NV

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:00:00 +0000

The economy might seem mired in recession in Southern Nevada but elsewhere the sick economy is creating a boom - the gold-mining counties have little or no unemployment, construction work for those who want it and the good times are rolling. This counter-cyclical boom is the other side of the bubble that burst in 2008. Steve Friess has been up in Eureka County to experience first hand what is happening with the healthiest part of our state economy.

EXTRA BLOOPERS!

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:06:22 +0000

We had some extra bloopers. In this file, we fight and bitch at each other (lovingly, riiiight?) and there's lots about our studio antics. Fun stuff.

FINALLY! BLOOPERPALOOZA!

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:04:52 +0000

FINAL TRIVIA: What was the first major hotel-casino to open after Steve arrived in Vegas on 9/9/96 to begin working at the Review-Journal? If you know it, email us at TheStripPodcast@aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by 9/3/11. if you get it right, we send you something. Period. Everything must go.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

Open & Banter: Start to 36ish
Intro/End-Show Bloopers : 36:45-44ish
Wordplay Bloopers: 44:30ish-50ish
Banter/Midshow Bloopers: 50:50-1:07ish
Trivia/Poll/Feedback: 1:07ish-1:20ish
Interview-related Bloopers: 1:20:35-1:31ish
Cursing Bloopers: 1:31:20-1:35ish
Miles' Voices Bloopers: 1:35:30-1:40ish
TSTToTW: 1:40ish-end
Something Extra: 1:53-end

So we did a bloopers show on Aug 14. And the recording was all eff'd up. Steve screwed up a setting. Duh. Which meant we had to do it again. Which we did, bringing special guest Amy back in with another pizza. But this time, no chat room. Just the three of us. This is this year's bloopers show, and it's great. But it's also new, at least the non-bloopery parts, as compared to what the chat people heard. Which is kinda fun for them. Also, there's an Easter Egg at the end.

In Banter, we mulled our encounter with Mrs. Wynn in Sun Valley, talked about the de-Elvising at Aria and the likely implosion of The Harmon, we explained our strategy for packing and moving and much more. Near the end, we also discuss Steve's bingo adventure.

The Real George Wallace?

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:47:08 +0000

TRIVIA Q: Who has appeared on The Strip the most times in the history of the show?

Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by Aug 12. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Site: TheStripPodcast.Com
E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast

Open & Banter: Start to 18ish
George Wallace Part I: 24ish--51ish
Trivia/Poll/Letters: 51ish-59ish
George Wallace Part II: 1:00-1:26ish
TSTToTW: 1:26-end

George Wallace threw us for a loop back in the fall of 2005 when he claimed to be two different places and then unceremoniously dumped us. And he’s paid for it, at least in these parts, with us mocking him as the symbol of a bad guest and many listeners saying they’d avoid his show because of the shoddy treatment. But Steve can’t really leave well enough alone. As we conclude our run as Vegas podcasters, he wanted another whack at Wallace, and so he was over at the Flamingo today for a face-to-face conversation. It turned out to be very fun discussion in which Wallace spoke possibly vacating his berth at the resort when his contract ends this year, the feud over the moniker "Mr Las Vegas" and much more.

In Banter: Oscar Goodman Steak, Steve Wyrick woes, outdoor (?) summer theater in Vegas, obsessing over fake Spongebobs and more.

Charlie Palmer, Hall of Famer

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 01:29:31 +0000

TRIVIA Q: Who has appeared on The Strip the most times in the history of the show?

Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by Aug 12. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Site: TheStripPodcast.Com
E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast

Open & Banter: Start to 18ish
Charlie Palmer: 18-50ish
Trivia/Poll/Letters: 51ish-1:04ish
Hal Sparks Excerpt: 1:04-1:07ish
TSTToTW: 1:08-end

SYNOPSIS: The last time we spoke to celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, he used this program to break a WORLD EXCLUSIVE about his plans to build a hotel in Las Vegas. This time around, he joins us as one of the three newest inductees into the American Gaming Association’s Hall of Fame. Palmer talks about that, about the aforementioned hotel he still intends to build some day and about a particularly wild birthday meal he had on an island in Fiji. That’s all coming up. Also, we excerpt our interview with comic Hal Sparks, the former “Talk Soup” host and “Queer As Folk” star who appears this weekend at the Las Vegas Hilton. It was Sparks’ show, you might recall, that Vince Neil interrupted in order to confront a former girlfriend. The entire Sparks interview will be in our podcast feed as an extra edition, but we’ll play a taste of it this hour.

Two More Minutes With Roger Thomas

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Roger Thomas of Wynn Resorts explains the significance of the $18.4 million Chinese vases bought at auction in July and intended for display at the Wynn Cotai resort planned to open in 2015.

Thomas & Smack

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 21:55:46 +0000

TRIVIA Q: Go to TheStripPodcast.Com or VegasHappensHere.Com and listen to the 3-second clip, then tell us who the guest was for that show?

Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by July 27. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Site: TheStripPodcast.Com
E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast

The design genius behind Mirage, Bellagio and Wynn was supposed to have stepped down from the Wynn Resorts and pursue other long-deferred opportunities. But Roger Thomas ran into some financial troubles brought on by the economy and decided instead to stay put, so instead he’s right back where we left him: In the throes of conjuring up the look and feel of the world’s next most anticipated resort, this time in Macau. Thomas talks to our Steve in this episode about the artistic and hospitality theories behind the resort not due to open until 2015, but he also offers a surprisingly frank assessment of the Bellagio’s new room renovations. Also, what does he use his iPad for? What are they designing at Wynn now? How was Steve and Andrea’s wedding?

In Banter: Feuding over Lanni coverage, Sheldon hearts dollars more than elephants, the WSOP summer finale, some meal deals, Miles' new toy and much more.

SPECIAL VIDEO: NARRATED TOUR OF WYNN DESIGN HQ

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 21:45:02 +0000

Roger Thomas, chief of Wynn Resorts design, tours their new offices near McCarran Airport with Steve Friess of TheStripPodcast.Com and VegasHappensHere.Com.

STRIP EXTRA: JUBILEE'S TOP ALUM

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 04:57:46 +0000

In addition to our regular episode interview with Jubilee! showrunner Fluff LaCoque, we’re also marking the 30^th anniversary of the vintage vegas showgirl production with this conversation with the show’s most successful alumna, Tina Walsh. As you’re about to hear, Walsh came to Vegas from Texas as a young actress determined to put in a few months as a singer and dancer for Jubilee! Instead, she stayed in the show for eight years, then starred in EFX with Michael Crawford, Tommy Tune and Rick Springfield. After that, she opened Mamma Mia! at Mandalay Bay in the lead role of Donna and currently she appears nightly as Madame Giry in Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular. In this conversation, Walsh tells terrific stories of life backstage at Jubilee in the 1980s and 1990s, when she and her co-stars shared a backstage hallway at Bally’s with a showroom where the likes of Sammy and Dean performed regularly.

As always, don’t forget that our website is TheStripPodcast.Com, our e-mail is TheStripPodcast@aol.com, you can leave us voicemail at 702-997-3300 and follow us on Twitter at TheStripPodcast

And now, enjoy the interview.

Fluff LaCoque's Jubilee!

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 04:28:20 +0000

This former Nevada governor's dad had mob ties and invested with the likes of Dave Berman, Gus Greenbaum and a dude nicknamed Ice Pick. Who was it?

Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by July 20. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

Open & Banter: Start to 41ish
Fluff LaCoque Part I: 41-103ish
Trivia/Poll/Letters: 104ish-1:13
Fluff LaCoque Part II: 1:14-1:33ish
TSTToTW: 1:34ish-end

Thirty years is a blink of the eye in most places, but it’s an |eternity for the every-changing Las Vegas. This summer, the venerable, historic Jubilee! celebrates the start of its fourth decade at Bally’s, so we chatted with the 88-year-old firecracker who has ruled the land of massive headdresses and sequined skivvies with an iron fist for all this time. Fluff LaCoque talks to Steve about bruised thighs, chubby guys, fake boobs and so much more this hour. Also, we’ll hear an excerpt from our conversation with Jubilee’s most successful alumna, Tina Walsh, who was a principle singer for the show in the 1980s and is presently appearing as Madame Giry in Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular. The entire conversation with Walsh will be posted as an extra edition into the feed and on the website.

In Banter: Miles makes HIS big announcement, Steve has a WSOP adventure, several Vegas closures afoot, the Plaza has some odd new things coming, more MGM misfortune and a Titanically bad restaurant idea.

SPECIAL REISSUE: Terry Lanni From April 2008

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:44:01 +0000

Welcome to a special edition of The Strip. Former MGM Mirage CEO Terry Lanni has died. To commemorate the occasion, we are re-issuing our April 2008 interview with Lanni, who entered the gaming business as C.F.O. for Caesars World Inc in 1977 and went on to be president of that company before becoming president and C.E.O of what was then MGM Grand Inc in 1995. In 2000, he oversaw the buyout of Mirage Resorts, and in late 2008 he resigned his post at the helm of what by then was known as MGM Mirage. This interview was conducted in early 2008 as the recession was just beginning to take hold. At that point in time, Steve had broken the news that the company wanted to use the name ARIA for the CityCenter hotel but legal problems thwarted it. Obviously at some point after this discussion, those issues were resolved. Those caveats aside, we’d like to extend condolences to all within the gaming community and the Lanni family who mourn the loss of one of the industry’s most significant figures.

Annie Duke's New Deal

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 02:10:41 +0000

The father of what Pulitzer Prize winning former New York Times reporter was once the entertainment director of a major Vegas resort? Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by July 13. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

Open & Banter: Start to 20ish
Annie Duke: 21-51ish
Trivia/Poll/Letters: 52ish-1:01
Shelley Berkley: 1:02-1:12ish
TSTToTW: 1:12ish-end

The only poker pro who has any kind of serious name recognition in mainstream popular culture is Annie Duke, and she’d like to change that. Duke, who is history’s most successful female player with more than $4.2 million in live tournament winnings, is the founding commissioner of a new league that aims to use objective criteria to determine who the world’s best players really are. On the eve of the start of the 42nd World Series of Poker Main Event, we hear from Annie about how the league works and why it matters as well as chat her up about her appearances on Celebrity Apprentice and the game show 1 v 100. Later, we check in with U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, the Democrat who represents Las Vegas and has sponsored a bill that would once again legalize online poker wagering in the United States.

In Banter: It’s not Le Cock, Niles Crane on Vegas, Mandalay’s electric therapy, Amber Unicorn books at Cosmo, murder on the Strip and more.

SPECIAL: INSIDE THE PLAZA RENOVATION (NORMAL EDITION)

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:50:25 +0000

**NOTE: VISIT THESTRIPPOCAST.COM OR VEGASHAPPENSHERE.COM TO FIND THE FLICKR SLIDESHOW THAT CORRESPONDS/ILLUSTRATES THIS EPISODE. ALSO, IF YOU HAVE AN IPOD CAPABLE OF PLAYING ENHANCED FILES, CHECK THE PODCAST FEED AGAIN TO DOWNLOAD THAT VERSION OF THIS AND THERE PHOTOS WILL APPEAR TO CORRESPOND (MOSTLY) WITH THE DISCUSSION.**

This is audio from that walk-around, which also includes conversations with CEO Tony Santo about the process of buying all the furnishings from the never-to-open Fontainbleau and about why they opted not to call the property the Union Plaza again. Plus, he defines what a high-roller is at a place like the Plaza and explains why they won’t be opening the room balconies for guest use. The renovations will end up costing about $35 million, up from the original $20 million budget. Santo explains why. Finally, you may notice the main voice on this episode belongs to Santo, but the Plaza’s chief marketing officer, Steve Rosen, also chimes in from time to time.

Phil Satre Will Not Be Harrahfied

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:15:37 +0000

The father of what Pulitzer Prize winning former New York Times reporter was once the entertainment director of a major Vegas resort? Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by July 6. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

Open & Banter: Start to 25ish
Phil Satre Part I: 26-58ish
Trivia/Poll/Letters: 58ish-1:06
Phil Satre Part II: 1:07-1:48ish
TSTToTW: 1:48-end

This fall will be the 100th anniversary of the birth of William Harrah, the man whose name is on more casinos in the world than any other. His former company, which recently changed its name to Caesars Entertainment, has very little planned outside of some promotions at the original Harrah’s resort in Reno, but we decided he deserved a little more attention than that. Harrah died 33 years ago tomorrow at the age of 66, so Steve spoke with his successor, Phil Satre, who helmed Harrah’s for 21 years and is responsible for spreading that name around the world. Satre, who left Harrah’s in 2005 and is now the chairman of the board of IGT, talks about the quirks and visions that made the man what he was and then explains several decisions made in the 1980s and 1990s including the choice for the company to never build any new hotel-casinos in Las Vegas. Also, Steve introduces Satre to the term “Harrah-fy” and asks Satre whether he feels he degraded the quality of the resorts he acquired.

In Banter: Octavius, Plaza, Bellagio, Maloof, Hilton and an aquarium-related Vegas-set reality show.

EXTRA: Celine's Backup

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:08:14 +0000

What is the only Nevada lake to empty into the sea? Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by June 29. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

As always, our website is TheStripPodcast.Com, our voice mail line is 702-997-3300, email us at TheStripPodcast.Com and follow me on Twitter at TheStripPodcast.Com. And remember, a donation of $25 or more to the show will get you anything on our prizelist which presently includes a Celine thumbdrive and Celine opening night programs.

Synopsis:

The following is an interview I conducted earlier this week with Philippe Dunnigan, the head violinist and orchestra captain for Celine Dion’s self-titled production at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The show features Celine backed up by 31 musicians including a full orchestra, a longtime dream of hers. Playing the Strip in Vegas is a long-time dream of Dunnigan, who studied at the Montreal Conservatory and performed on several recordings of Cirque du Soleil scores including that of Mystere. In this conversation, Dunnigan discusses both the show and his varied career which more recently has also included performing for video games.

He's Got Celine's Back

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:28:15 +0000

What is the only Nevada lake to empty into the sea? Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by June 29. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

Open & Banter: Start to 24ish
Ken Ehrlich Part I: 24-58ish
Trivia/Poll/Letters: 59-59ish
Ken Ehrlich Part II: 1:00-1:25ish
TSTToTW: 1:25-end

This week on The Strip: It was by far the most hyped – and to our minds the best – new show to hit the Vegas Strip this year. Celine Dion has returned to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in a self-titled production that is radically different and vastly better than “…A New Day,” her groundbreaking first run in the vaunted showroom. Legendary TV producer Ken Ehrlich directed “Celine,” so we spoke to him at length about the intriguing decisions he, the singer and her husband made. Why didn’t they include the closing-number special effects when they opened in March? Was it weird to rehearse Celine’s duet with herself? What’s the story behind that French song that makes her cry every night? Why wasn’t the songstress at the United Center when Ehrlich produced two star-studded final-week shows for Oprah Winfrey last month?

In Banter: Anniversaries! Wynn Politics! TV Show Tapings! Maloofs! Monorail Bashing! and more.

SPECIAL: Steve Wynn Claims He Voted For Obama

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:47:04 +0000

Audio of Steve Wynn on Fox News with Frank Luntz before an audience on 6/19/2011 claiming he voted for Obama.

Fator vs Fator

Wed, 25 May 2011 17:44:15 +0000

What casino had the first eye in the sky? Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by June 6. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

Open & Banter: Start to 18ish
Terry Fator interview: 19-58ish
Trivia/Poll/Letters: 59-1:06ish
Melinda Fator interview: 1:07-1:24ish
TSTToTW: 1:24-end

Terry Fator makes a lot of money as the master behind a string of colorful, entertaining puppets who croon standards nightly at the Mirage. But was the singing ventriloquist himself nothing more than a dummy, controlled by his ex-wife and so-called “handlers” who hijacked his career following his triumph on “America’s Got Talent”? That’s pretty much what he tells us this week in a stunningly candid interview that paints his former wife of 18 years as a self-aggrandizing, hen-pecking shrew who alienated him from his family and refused to bear him children. Melinda Fator, not surprisingly, has a different version of the story, and she gets her say, too. Also, the performer outs Barry Manilow.

In Banter: Caesars wants to soak tourists for an arena, NV may nix its smoking ban, the FAA is silent about the Ferris Wheel, the hosts baffle over who the &*#@ attends pro soccer and more.

The Spawn Of Holly

Sat, 21 May 2011 21:34:15 +0000

What casino had the first eye in the sky? Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by June 6. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

Open & Banter: Start to 24ish
Angel Porrino interview: 25-53
Trivia/Poll/Letters: 54-1:04ish
Josh Strickland interview: 1:05-1:49ish
TSTToTW: 1:49-end

Oscar Goodman may be working overtime to ensure his wife replaces him as the official face of Vegas, but it's been a heckuva lot easier for the city's unofficial mascot, Holly Madison, to spread her fame among her minions. Her longtime personal assistant, Angel Porrino, is now a star in the new Caesars Palace hit "Absinthe" and her best gay boyfriend, "Peepshow" singing star Josh Strickland, recently landed atop iTunes with his first single. And, to hear them tell it, they owe a huge debt to one particular former Hugh Hefner girlfriend. Porrino met Holly while testing to be a Playboy Playmate and Strickland, who created the role of Tarzan on Broadway and was a contestant on the second season of American Idol, became fast friends with the blonde bombshell when she joined the Planet Hollywood topless production.

In Banter: Bye to Sahara and Jerry Lewis, hi to Rod Stewart, hi and bye to Lotto Express, a maybe-hi to Google’s driverless cars, yay to Absinthe and more.

SPECIAL: Barry Manilow

Sat, 14 May 2011 23:38:11 +0000

Welcome to a Strip extra. The following is a conversation recorded with Barry Manilow in advance of the Newsweek piece that I contributed to. Very little of this discussion made it into the piece, so we decided to edit it and post it here. The interview was in Manilow’s dressing room at the Paris Hotel-Casino and was conducted primarily by me with a few interjections from a colleague working on the story. During the interview, we delve into Manilow’s fears about being perceived to be “over” when he decided to headline at the Hilton, memories he has of opening for many major acts in the 1970s and what his digs are like when he does stay overnight here. Manilow also answered questions about lip-synching allegations, why he won’t do a Garth Brooks-like show and much more.

Don’t forget you can catch up on past shows at TheStripPodcast.Com or by subscribing via iTunes or Zune. Also, email us at TheStriPPodcast@aol.com or call 702-997-3300.

SPECIAL: MAY 11 LV MAYORAL FORUM

Fri, 13 May 2011 04:12:12 +0000

The following episode was recorded on May 11 at the mayoral forum that took place before a luncheon of Las Vegas’ GLBT chamber of commerce and was moderated by me. First you will hear Carolyn Goodman, wife of current mayor Oscar Goodman, give opening remarks, followed by about a 25 minute discussion with me that included some questions of my own as well as those submitted from the audience. After Carolyn’s turn, her opponent, County Commissioner, Chris Giunchigliani gave her opening remarks and sat for a 25-minute q-and-a with me as well.

This audio was edited only to remove either dead air or several instances when the microphones squealed.

If you have questions or comments, you may email me at TheStripPodcast@aol.com or leave a voicemail at 702-997-3300.

A Sweet Show With A Bittersweet Ending

Thu, 05 May 2011 23:56:00 +0000

As any dessert lover knows, there’s actually two Bellagio fountains, the one outside that gets all the attention and the one that flows of chocolate at the Jean Phillippe Patisserie around the corner from the hotel’s famed Conservatory. The second one, which owns the Guinness record for the largest chocolate fountain, is the brainchild of our guest this episode, Jean Philippe Maury, the French pastry chef who now has shops in both Bellagio and Aria and is responsible for overseeing the pastry kitchen for all of Aria. We’ve got a delicious dish of a discussion up ahead in which Maury explains why he refuses to make low-calorie desserts, why most chefs are incapable of making a simple pie and why Steve and my wedding cake was so disgusting. Also, has Chef Maury ever used a Betty Crocker cake mix? And, in lieu of the Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week, we have a major announcement regarding our future.

In Banter: Wedding mania in Vegas and elsewhere, transmania at the Cosmo, the Sahara shutdown begins and more.

1970s Pinups' Vegas Invasion With David Cassidy & Erik Estrada

Sun, 01 May 2011 21:20:20 +0000

Why did Harrah's name the top Total Rewards tiers the Seven Stars level and put seven stars on the Harrah's logo? Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by May 9. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

Open/Banter until 18:00
Cassidy 18:30-1:14
Trivia/Poll/Feedback - 1:15-1:29
Estrada 1:30-1:57
TSTToTW 1:57-end

Las Vegas used to be a place where past-their-prime entertainers went to die. Now, in the age of Cirque, Celine and Garth, there’s not that much room for them to do even that. So, instead, they just pass through. Two of the biggest heartthrobs of the 1970s, David Cassidy and Erik Estrada, will do just that this coming week, Estrada appearing at the Luxor for a Cinqo de Mayo celebration and Cassidy at the Orleans for two concerts. Both reflected on their heyday in conversations with Steve, and Cassidy – who starred in the MGM Grand spectacle EFX for two years in the 1990s – talks about getting fired by would-be presidential candidate Donald Trump in the first episode of this season’s Celebrity Apprentice. Cassidy also talks in detail about the EFX debacle he encountered, and Estrada discloses what he made from that soap in surprising detail.

In banter: Elton's coming back, Harrah's Reno's coming back, Sahara ain't coming back and more.

EXCERPT: Mayor Monster's Plan To Save Vegas

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 03:30:00 +0000

The VegasMate Stripper Poll in April found overwhelming support for Mayor Chuck Monster, VegasTripping.Com Guru, to become the next mayor of Las Vegas. It was tough, but we demanded a hard-hitting interview with Mayor-Elect Monster, and we, of course, prevailed.

(This is an excerpt pulled out from 5/1 episode of The Strip. Flock to TheStripPodcast.Com for the whole show, which is unbelievably AWESOME.)

Money On The Dance Floor

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 02:12:05 +0000

Trivia – How much did Judy Garland make each week at the Frontier Hotel in Vegas in 1956? (Closest answer wins if nobody gets it exact.) Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by 4/27/11

Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

This week, on the Strip: The nightclub industry in Las Vegas is a mystery to many, including us. It’s clearly not one to Rich Wolf who, along with Jason Strauss and some other partners opened Tao in 200x at Venetian. They’ve been making unthinkable piles of money ever since, even though the idea of a hip nightclub at a Sheldon Adelson business and convention resort seemed nuts when they spent $20 million to build it. Now they own Lavo at Palazzo and the newest hotspot, Marquee and the Cosmopolitan. In this conversation, we hear the mind-boggling numbers behind the business, try to get to the bottom of where – especially in this economy – all this money is coming from and what the appeal is of being in a club with a celebrity. Also, did stars really get those rumored six-figure paychecks at the height of the boom and how much are they getting now?

In Banter: Absinthe is a critical hit, Frank Marino’s spending habits exposed, Cosmo could be cooling off, show tickets rise, Marriott dreams big and how seriously do Vegas resorts intend their online responsible gaming efforts to be?

View From The Top Of The Stratosphere

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:10:23 +0000

TRIVIA: Prior to March 1931 when Nevada passed its six-week waiting perido for divorce, what state was known as the Divorce Capital of America? Know? E-mail us call 702/997-3300 by 4/11/11

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The announcement of the closure of the Sahara means a lot for Vegas historians and enthusiasts, but it also will have some consequences for one of the city’s most notable landmarks, The Stratosphere. As that resort turns 15 years old this month, it finds itself increasingly isolated north of the Strip right when new management has been spending millions to clean it up and modernize it. We’ll hear in this episode from Frank Riolo, the CEO of the Stratosphere’s parent company, American Casino and Entertainment Properties, about what’s in store for the fifth tallest structure in America. Will there ever a casino at the top of the tower? Why did Steve Wynn scream Riolo? And what does Riolo wish he could ask the ghost of Bob Stupak? In Banter: Getting to the bottom of Oscar Goodman’s drinking, looking at legalizing sports and mobile gambling, Expedia’s new loyalty program and Steve & Amy’s Liberace adventure.

SPECIAL: The Good(man) Wife

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:07:41 +0000

Prior to March 1931 when Nevada passed its six-week waiting perido for divorce, what state was known as the Divorce Capital of America? Know? E-mail us call 702/997-3300 by 4/11/11
Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

Welcome to a special edition of The Strip. The race for Las Vegas mayor is heating up with the April 5 primary, and the frontrunner by all accounts is none other than Carolyn Goodman, the wife of Mayor Oscar Goodman. Steve is working on several stories related to the race, so he sat down for this lengthy, thorough conversation with Mrs. Goodman on March 31. This interview has already become controversial because of how the candidate responded to questions about gay marriage and immigration reform, but here’s your chance to hear for yourself who she is and where she comes from. Carolyn Goodman opens up about her husband’s famed history as a defense attorney for several infamous mob figures, describes her upbringing and family life, responds tartly to attacks from her two main rivals and much more. The interview took place at The Beat Coffeehouse in downtown Las Vegas, which explains the background noise.

The Donny & Marie Show

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:41:43 +0000

Prior to March 1931 when Nevada passed its six-week waiting perido for divorce, what state was known as the Divorce Capital of America? Know? E-mail us call 702/997-3300 by 4/11/11

Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

As we record this episode of our show, the folks at the Flamingo Las Vegas are busy applying a spankin’ new wrap to the hotel’s Strip side. And while the faces will be the same – Donny and Marie, of course – they’ll look a little less cheesy, a little more rock n roll. As Donny Osmond explains this hour, the original wrap was thrown up in a hurry when the sibling duo opened there in 2008. But now they’ve weathered a withering recession and passed their 500^th performance, so it’s time for something more current and durable. How much longer can they dominate Vegas? Donny’s answer: Forever. Sort of. Stick around to hear what the big brother has to say about their future and hear him play some bits of their first album of new music in decades. Also, Marie chimes in a bit as well.

In Banter: Celine's return, Terry Fator's gay puppet, Loews LV's William and Kate deal, the ex-Rao chef's new gigs, and much more.

SPECIAL VIDEO EDITION: CELINE DION'S RETURN

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:23:09 +0000

Exclusive video reporting from Celine Dion's return to Caesars Palace on opening night, March 15, 2011. Includes photos, a singing interview with fans and an impromptu review from Robin Leach of VegasDeluxe.Com. In addition, there's some footage from Celine Dion's press conference after the show.

The video was shot on an iPhone and streamed via UStream. For more footage and reporting, visit VegasHappensHere.Com

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Twitter: @TheStripPodcast

Voicemail: 702-997-3300

A Caveman and A Chip Monk

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:10:26 +0000

Go to the blog (VegasHappensHere.Com) or the podcast site (TheStripPodcast.Com) and tell us what is "Vegas wrong" about the image from a stain glass window at the Guardian Angel Cathedral.

Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by March 21. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

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Twitter: @TheStripPodcast

Voicemail: 702-997-3300

A Caveman and a Chipmonk walk into a bar. Actually, they’ve never even met, but they have one thing in common: They both were interviewed by Steve last month. The Caveman is comedian and actor Kevin Burke, who has clocked more than 1,500 performances in “Defending The Caveman” first at the Golden Nugget, then the Excalibur and now Harrah’s Las Vegas. And the chip monk is the nickname earned by Arthur Nelson, the organist who has cashed in casino chips for Guardian Angel Cathedral on the Strip for decades.

In Banter: Sahara closing, Celine opening, geocaching shut down, earth-moving extravagance ramps up, Rumor for rent and Gladys on the cheap.

las vegas, gambling, chips, religion, caveman, history, shows, harrahs,

SPECIAL: A Chat With Richard Marx

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 06:48:53 +0000

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Welcome to a Strip Extra. Listeners of this show will NOT be surprised to learn that Steve is a big fan of none other than 1980s and 1990s pop balladeer Richard Marx. So when the opportunity presented itself to interview Marx today, he made it work. Since Marx plays the Orleans Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13, we didn’t want to wait until next week’s show to post it. So here we go.

Richard Marx, of course, is well known for some of the biggest pop ballads of the 1990s including “Hold On To The Nights,” “Now and Forever” and “Right Here Waiting.” Over the past decade, he became a music producer and songwriter for the likes of N Sync, Barbra Steisand and Luther Vandross. He lives with his wife, “Flashdance” and “Dirty Dancing” star Cynthia Rhodes, and their three sons in the Chicago suburbs. In his hey day, Marx sold more than 30 million records and was the first solo artist to see his first seven songs make the top 5 on the Hot 100 singles charts.

In this conversation, Marx explains why he stopped cutting albums of his own, expresses pity and annoyance at Phil Collins of Collins’ recent public diatribe against the music business and sings some of the very well-known advertising jingles his father wrote.

There She Was, Miss America

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:55:05 +0000

Go to the blog (VegasHappensHere.Com) or the podcast site (TheStripPodcast.Com) and tell us what is "Vegas wrong" about the image from a stain glass window at the Guardian Angel Cathedral.

Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by March 21. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

Less than two months ago, Miss America 1943 Jean Bartel was in Las Vegas for the pageant’s 90th anniversary celebration. She was the oldest living winner of the pageant and she had played the Strip as a singer at Bugsy Siegel’s Flamingo back in the day. Steve interviewed her for his Jan. 19 column for the Las Vegas Weekly, and she sounded hale and hearty then. But on March 6, she died at the age of 87, so we remember her by playing Bartel’s final interview. In it, she offers her recollections as a groundbreaking Miss America who led the charge to create the scholarship program that is now its hallmark. Bartel also was the first Miss America to go to college, sold the most bonds in 1943 to support the World War II and even helped the US with some espionage work during the Cold War. During this conversation, she tells of hanging out with Danny Thomas at the Flamingo, reveals that her crown is on display at the Smithsonian and recalls Beth Myerson, Vanessa Williams and many other former beauty queens.

In Banter: A Provo adventure, a word about cousin Paul Stanley, Ruffin doubts on the Cosmo, Caesars takes Fontainbleau’s castoff show and more.

SPECIAL: Gennifer Flowers' Vegas Residency

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:31:04 +0000

What is now where the Landmark Hotel-Casino once stood?

Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by March 5. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

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Twitter: @TheStripPodcast

Voicemail: 702-997-3300

To go along with our 1990s Tabloid Stars of Vegas theme from this week's proper episode of The Strip, we're also posting Steve's chat with Gennifer Flowers, Bill Clinton's original other woman. Flowers now splits her time between Vegas and New Orleans, two cities that she says are particularly welcoming to those, like herself, trying to live decent lives despite their controversial notoriety. Flowers rates the Clinton presidency, opines on Hillary's competence as SoS and as a fashion figure and explains why anyone would want to own jewelry or clothes from the Gennifer Flowers Collection. Flowers also explains how she can claim to have been the "Most Googled Name" of 2008, as her website suggests.

scandal, gennifer flowers, bill clinton, politics, las vegas, google

The 1990s Tabloid Stars Of Vegas

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:33:14 +0000

TRIVIA: What is now where the Landmark Hotel-Casino once stood?

Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by March 5. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast

Voicemail: 702-997-3300

We all know that Las Vegas has long been a haven for washed up show business stars, but in the past decade or so we’ve also become a mecca of sorts for 1990s tabloid fixtures, too. The list of Las Vegans who earned household-name infamy at the end of the previous century includes Heidi Fleiss, Mike Tyson, John Wayne Bobbitt, Gennifer Flowers and, most recently, Mary Jo Buttafuoco. Steve had lengthy, fascinating conversations with Flowers and Buttafuoco for a recent Las Vegas Weekly column, but they’re just too long, even for us, to put both in the same episode. So here’s what we’re going to do: In this episode we’ll hear the conversation with Buttafuoco, whose husband’s teenage girlfriend shot her in the head in 1992, and we’ll put out the interview with Flowers, Bill Clinton’s original other woman, as a special edition of the show.

In Banter: BMG moving, non-sports betting is coming, Wynn loves Chinese government meddling, Celine fans love Steve’s tweets, and more.

VegasDelivered.Com Trailer No 2

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

RateVegas.Com's Hunter Hillegas and VegasHappensHere.Com's Steve Friess join forces to present VegasDelivered.Com, a subscription service that will offer special and exclusive video and audio content. This is one of two trailers for our first project, a tour of Wynn Las Vegas' new rooms and restaurant, Lakeside Grill, as explained by Wynn uber-designer Roger Thomas.

Visit VegasDelivered.Com for more information and learn how to buy the videos.

TRAILER 1: ROGER THOMAS TOURS WYNN (80 sec)

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:14:10 +0000

Visit VegasDelivered.Com for more information and learn how to buy the videos.

Hi, Sierra

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 01:01:14 +0000

Which was the first Vegas casino to celebrate Chinese New Year?

Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by Feb. 18. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

This week on The Strip: If you rack your brain hard enough, you’ll still fail to come up with any star of the Vegas stage quite like Sierra Boggess. We’ve had plenty of hugely famous people perform and countless formerly famous people attempt to revive careers here. But Boggess is singular as an actress whose first big break was in a Vegas production, “Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular”, and who has then moved on to star in a major Broadway production followed, now, by opening the Phantom sequel “Love Never Dies” in London’s West End. Now the 28-year-old is about to return to Broadway as one of the most in-demand ingénues of her age. We visited our little Sierra in her dressing room in London last week, and we’ll play that conversation for you today.

In Banter: Our London sojourn, the Twitter Twerps drama, Super Bowl TV ad drama, Cher's goodbye

REISSUE: Sierra Boggess on The Strip in 2006

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

This is a reissue of our 2006 interview with Sierra Boggess, now the star of Love Never Dies in London as featured on our Feb. 10, 2011 show. It's a fun blast from the past.

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Two stars of Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular joined 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.

The Top 10 Moments of 2010

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 23:17:37 +0000

TRIVIA Q: How many hotel rooms did Circus Circus open with? Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by Feb. 4. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

This week on The Strip: We know we’ve been gone too long and we’re sorry. But we’re back to count down the 10 best moments of 2010 as voted on by you. And here’s a hint: there’s a dash of Oscar, a dollop of the Wynns and a whole bowl of me beating up on Steve for being an ill-spoken weirdo. That’s coming up plus news from Vegas, a new trivia question, a new poll, listener feedback and, as always, the top secret tourist tip of the week.

In Banter: Our staycation with PETS at Cosmo, Alex's closure, our newest dog, Aces, our recording troubles, Aria's wrap woes, losing the Trippies, MGM Resorts' M Life and more.

SPECIAL: STEVE ON KSNV ON NEW YEAR'S EVE @ PANORAMA TOWERS

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 20:36:11 +0000

An edited compilation of live hits at Panorama Towers where KSNV Channel 3 anchor Marie Mortera reported on a dinner party with her boyfriend as well as Panorama resident Amy Turner and Vegas journalist Steve Friess. Friess blogs at VegasHappensHere.Com, co-hosts TheStripPodcast.Com and Tweets from @TheStripPodcast.

The quartet dined on food from LBS Burger and Hachi at Red Rock Resort and drank Champagne provided by Southern Wine & Spirits. Each segment included a kitchen visit by Marie to the chefs who prepared the food, but that was removed to stay within YouTube's allowable time.

In these segment, Marie turned to Friess for commentary on the news of 2010 and what we can expect in 2011.

Twyla Dances With Sinatra, Wynn & Vegas

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:16:36 +0000

TRIVIA: Go to VegasHappensHere.Com and TheStripPodcast.Com, look at the trivia photo and tell us, what Vegas couple got married at that hotel. If you know, e-mail TheStripPodcast@aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by Dec. 17. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twyla Tharp has been that unusual New York dance figure who has long dabbled in popular culture, largely a result of being exposed as a kid to lots of movie musicals while working at her parents’ drive-in theater in California. She studied dance with such legends as Martha Graham, then formed her own dance company in the mid-1960s and by 1973 was having the Joffrey Ballet do numbers to Beach Boys music. She choreographed several Hollywood films including the dancing horse scene from “Hair,” and in 2001 her Billy Joel-scored production “Movin’ Out” became a Broadway smash. As you’re about to hear, Tharp, a Tony winner and Kennedy Center Honoree, has long been friends with Steve Wynn and has long been enthralled by Frank Sinatra music, so she’s excited to bring “Sinatra Dance With Me” to the Wynn Las Vegas was easy. It opened last weekend to an A-minus grade from Mike Weatherford and with blogger David McKee both liking it and wondering if it’s too artsy for Vegas audiences.Tharp, however, believes Strip tourists will understand the show better than show-goers in New York.

In Banter: A NYC adventure, a Cosmo adventure, a KNPR adventure, a Vdara adventure and more.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
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Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

SPECIAL: Steve Guests On Vegas Gang To Rap About Cosmo

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 04:30:33 +0000

Hunter Hillegas of RateVegas.Com graciously authorized us to put this episode of his program featuring Steve in The Strip Podcast's feed. Subscribe to The Vegas Gang in iTunes or Zune via VegasGangPodcast.Com.

#55: The Cosmopolitan Opens

Recorded LIVE from the 50th floor of The Cosmopolitan with Chuck Monster (VegasTripping.Com), Hunter, Dr. Dave Schwartz (DieIsCast.Com), Jeff Simpson, RateVegas.Com columnist and Steve Friess.

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Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
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Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Phone: 702-997-3300

SPECIAL: COSMO CEO UNWIN RESPONDS TO WYNN & MORE!

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:41:36 +0000

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Welcome to an interview-only edition of The Strip Podcast. We’ve been traveling this week but wanted to post Steve’s interview with John Unwin, the CEO of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, in advance of the resort’s opening on Dec. 15. In this conversation, Steve and John discuss everything from whether the city needs another megaresort to Steve Wynn’s criticism that the resort is quote “an extraordinary example of ill-conceived plans.” Also, what’s it like to now be one of Wynn’s peers?

One important note: About halfway into this conversation, Unwin begins laying out his theory as to why the Cosmopolitan is a different resort gunning for a different audience than the rest of the high-end Vegas market. To do so, he draws Steve a grid. You can find that grid either on your iPod if you’re listening that way or on Steve’s blog, VegasHappensHere.Com in the post he’ll put up for this episode.

Foodie Fight Three Ways

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 03:35:42 +0000

TRIVIA: What was the name of the first hotel that stood where the Las Vegas Club is now?
If you know, e-mail TheStripPodcast@aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by Dec. 17. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300
Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com

By now everybody who listens to this program, reads Steve’s blog or enjoys eating out on the Strip must know about all the controversy kicked up over this little book that recently came out that names the 50 quote-unquote essential restaurants in Las Vegas. Steve had some issues, so on this show he’s invited co-author and food critic Al Mancini into the LVRocks.Com studio to hash it out on the air, live. Before we get to that, though, Steve interviewed Franck Savoy, the 31-year-old son of Guy Savoy who was just named director of restaurants at Caesars Palace. Savoy dishes about growing up in Paris as the son of the famed chef, what’s really happening at rumor-riddled Bradley Ogden and, of course, what his fast-food guilty pleasures are. And, in a special INTERVIEW edition of the Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week, Ric Guerrero of Slidin Thru breaks some news.

In Banter: The mayor's Ferris wheel, Ruffin's Starbucks, Wynn's expo center, Rhumbar's kangaroos, Frank Marino's blood drive and other absurdities.

An Andy Williams Holiday Special - With Dog Food

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 02:03:52 +0000

AOL NEWS SPECIAL: GLEE'S INSPIRATIONS

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 01:58:52 +0000

Welcome to a special AOL News extra edition of The Strip Podcast. The following interview was conducted with David Karofsky, a Massachusetts business consultant whose name was given to a bully character on the Fox TV show Glee. It turns out, the real Karofsky attended Beaver Country Day School in Brookline, Massachusetts, with Glee creator Brad Falchuk. This conversation took place in advance of a piece for AOL News on Karofsky and other Glee characters named for Falchuk classmates and acquaintances.

As always, visit TheStripPodcast.Com to catch up on old shows featuring interviews with celebrities and other notables. You can also email TheStripPodcast@aol.com, follow me on Twitter at @TheStripPodcast and read my blog, VegasHappensHere.Com.

The Agony of Being Frank Sinatra Jr.

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:19:35 +0000

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Frank Sinatra Jr. has the voice, the stage presence and the look. So why is he not successful? Or, rather, why does HE say he’s not successful? In this conversation with Steve, the son of the legendary Chairman of the Board is stunningly candid about the disappointments in his life, including the fact that he never really felt close to his father and doesn’t know whether his dad was proud of him. Plus, find out what famous actor’s home he and his friends never visited on Halloween, learn how he felt about playing such off-Strip sites as Boulder Station and the Suncoast, and hear some intimate details about his 1963 kidnapping. Also, how did that unusual appearance on the pilot of the Vegas-set CBS show “The Defenders” come about?

Dancing With Rita At the 'PALOOZA

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

What famous photographer shot the classic portrait of Siegfried & Roy that appeared on the Mirage marquee for more than a decade? E-mail TheStripPodcast [at] aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by Nov. 5. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

THIS EPISODE WAS RECORDED LIVE OCT. 30, 2010 AT THE FLAMINGO LAS VEGAS AT THE VEGAS PODCAST-A-PALOOZA!

This week on THE STRIP: She’s danced on Broadway, told jokes in Carnegie Hall and, of course, headlined in Vegas for nearly a decade. And now, Rita Rudner is about to reach her career apex, appearing with us at the Go Pool at the Flamingo Las Vegas. That’s right, we’re LIVE at the third annual Vegas Podcast-a-Palooza to chat up the Harrah’s Las Vegas comedienne and her husband about their careers, their politics, living next to the carcass of the F'Blew and much more. Also, when will Rita be at Harrah’s? Answer: Probably sooner than later.

In Banter: Lion King is leaving, Lotus of Siam is exported, Las Vegans are out of their minds, Venetian-Palazzo checks into a new alliance and more.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

SUPERSIZED EP: Wayne's World

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:14:47 +0000

NEW TRIVIA: What famous photographer shot the classic portrait of Siegfried & Roy that appeared on the Mirage marquee for more than a decade? Know it? E-mail TheStripPodcast@aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by Nov. 5. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Wayne Newton is not broke. Really. Just ask him, and he’ll tell you all about it. We did so, as you’re about to hear, and Mr. Las Vegas is surprisingly forthcoming about all those recent lawsuits and much more. Steve visited Newton this week at his ranch, Casa de Shenandoah, to hear all about the plans to open his home and property to tours along with a nearby museum for Las Vegas entertainer history. Also, how does the Wayner keep his hair so darned black? Why does his left eye shimmer? Has he ever influenced a president? And how will he know when his voice has given out to the point he can't perform anymore?

In Banter: Sinatra dances with Wynn, Harrah's dances with an IPO, the Cosmo dances with pets and TV ads and the Gift of Lights banishes itself to the Speedway.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

A Very Rickles Friessmas

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:53:58 +0000

Current Trivia: Who did Barbra Streisand open for in her Las Vegas debut? E-mail TheStripPodcast@aol.com or call 702-997-3300 by Oct. 22. If we draw your correct answer, you pick from the prize list at TheStripPodcast.Com.

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Voicemail: 702-997-3300

This week on the Strip: Rickles. His name is synonymous with the so-called insult comic, a label he alternately embraces and cringes over. He is, he insists, a whole lot more than that. For one thing, his voice is in this year’s top-grossing movie of the year, Toy Story III. Don Rickles is our guest this hour, discussing the late Tony Curtis, the pranks Sinatra and the boys played on him, how he first got to Vegas and how other so-called insult comics like Brad Garrett learned the craft from him. Also, find out where his toughest Vegas gig took place.

In banter: Zipline mania, Hoover Dam bridge mania, Harrah’s mania and more.

A Sweeter, Thorn-Free Rose

Sun, 03 Oct 2010 05:02:17 +0000

Three years ago, Pete Rose was still pretty bitter when he spoke to Steve about his banishment from baseball and the inequity that he’s still not eligible for the Hall of Fame while the villains of baseball’s steroid era are. But these days Rose has mellowed and, as you hear, is humble and contrite about his past misdeeds as well as patient for the day when he might be reinstated. This interview was recorded in early September before Rose was honored for the 25th anniversary of breaking the all-time hit record, and he is clearly excited about that moment. He continues to sign autographs for pay 15 days a month at the Field of Dreams at the Forum Shops.

In Banter: Vdara death ray mania, F-bleau's fire sale, Rod Stewart, Wicked and EXPOSE!!! are coming, Miles hearts CityCenter, RIP the spunky Tony Curtis and more.

Web: TheStripPodcast.Com

Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com

Twitter: @TheStripPodcast

Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com

Phone: 702-997-3300

SPECIAL REISSUE: Tony Curtis, Revealed, Part II

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:57:37 +0000

FROM OCT 2008, REISSUED ON 9/30/2010 IN HONOR OF THE DEATH OF TONY CURTIS

If you thought Tony Curtis’ remarks on last week’s show were something, just wait till you hear the rest of it. The actor, out with a sex-soaked memoir of his career and life, offers some tough words this hour for a long list of Hollywood figures including Jerry Lewis, Angela Lansbury, Danny Kaye, Neil Simon and more. Then, later, he discusses his own mental health issues, his views of old and new Vegas and tries to explain why he’s so disappointed by his film career.

In Banter: Is Criss No. 1, Paris is for shopping and what really ails Las Vegas Sands?

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SPECIAL REISSUE: TONY CURTIS REVEALED PART 1 (10/08)

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:36:51 +0000

FROM OCT 2008, REISSUED ON 9/30/2010 IN HONOR OF THE DEATH OF TONY CURTIS

Fifty years ago, there were few Hollywood heartthrobs hotter than Tony Curtis. This month, the star of "Some Like It Hot" and "The Defiant Ones" published a memoir of those glory days in which he recounts in great detail his almost compulsive sex life, his troubled childhood, his celebrity feuds and his triumph over a late-career cocaine addiction. As gripping as the book was, the interview about the book was even better, more detailed, more telling.

In banter: Harrah's woes, smoke-free casinos and why didn't the Bellagio have a 10th birthday party.

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Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com

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SPECIAL: VEGAS' TOP CHEFTESTANT SPEAKS OUT!

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:49:22 +0000

Stephen Hopcraft, executive chef at Seablue at MGM Grand, gives us a rare inside look at what goes on behind the scenes of the hit show and gossips about the Loser House, Eric Ripert, Tom Colicchio, pea puree and much more.

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True Cloris, Shining Through

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 05:59:38 +0000

Betty White may be getting all the headlines these days as America’s elder stateswoman of comedy, but has she ever played Vegas? Another randy grandma, Cloris Leachman, hasn’t either, but at 84 she makes her debut on Sept. 18 and 19 at the Suncoast. The Academy Award winner, who has also won more Emmys than any actor ever, spoke to Steve at length in advance of that one-woman show and brace yourself because some of this is almost as sexually explicit as that Tony Curtis chat we gave you a while back. There are many highlights, including Cloris sharing her experiences with Marlon Brando, Jackie Kennedy, Judy Garland, the Reagans and Kathryn Hepburn, although an instant classic is Cloris’ hilarious re-enactment of a call from Joan Collins, who was having an affair with Cloris’ husband George Englund in the 1970s. Leachman also discusses her new Fox sitcom, "Raising Hope."

In Banter: Liberace’s closure raises tough questions, Oscar Goodman faces wacky questions, the NY-NY’s 9/11 Memorial is in questionable shape and more.

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The Nutty Prognosticator

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:54:26 +0000

Three years ago, at the height of the Vegas boom, Jerry Lewis predicted that the resorts were overbuilding and would eventually smother one another. He just didn’t expect it to happen so fast. Now, with the city in a world of hurt, the tough-talking, foul-mouthed comedy legend both commiserated with the current state of affairs and suggests some solutions. Steve spoke to the 84-year-old in advance of that much-cherished Labor Day tradition, the annual Jerry Lewis Telethon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the two talked about the mob, Steve Wynn and the current state of his career. Yes, he still has a career, and we’re likely to hear a lot more from him in coming months.

In banter: The R-J lawsuit campaign could hit the Strip, the Great Petcast Roadtrip, the screwy monorail directional signs and more.

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OUR FIFTH ANNIVERSARY BLOOPERPALOOZA!

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:48:17 +0000

Fights! Celeb Outtakes! Singing! It’s been FIVE years! Five years of brilliant, revealing interviews, witty banter and… oh, who are we kidding? It’s been five years of fuckups, stumbles, confusion, arguments and a whole lot of fucking cursewords. But most of that is behind the scenes except for once a year when Steve edits together the best outtakes and we revel in how badly we do this job. If you’re in the chat room weekly, you’ve heard most of this, but if not, this is your shot. Some of this is new, though, including outtakes with Jon Voight, Steve Wynn, Englebert Humperdinck, Daniel Negreanu and others. We’re blowing out show this week – no tourist tip, no interviews – so sit back, relax and enjoy the circus.

In banter: Madonna for $1 billion, veganism at Wynn and hula hoops on "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me"

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SUPERSIZE EP: Mafia Wars, Vegas Style

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:56:54 +0000

Immediately after Mayor Oscar Goodman was elected, he got into political hot water for suggesting the city open a mob museum. And yet in the next 18 months, Vegas will be getting not one but two of them. The Las Vegas Mob Experience is set to open at the Tropicana in December and the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas is due sometime in 2011. In this supersized episode of The Strip, we’ll hear from prominent proponents of both. First, Steve speaks to Meyer Lansky II, the grandson and namesake of the legendary mob boss who first sent Bugsy Siegel to Las Vegas. Then, later, we have a conversation with Dennis Barrie, the curator for the downtown entry into the mob-artifacts sweepstakes. Barrie created the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. and was at the center of a major controversy in the late 1980s over the display in a n museum of sexually explicit Robert Mappelthorpe photos.

In Banter: Banning hula hoops, some gay-straight observations about topless shows, the Cosmopolitan gains steam, news on the Garth Brooks scalping front and more.

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Rick Thomas Roars On

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:48:47 +0000

Seven years after an on-stage tiger attack ended careers of Siegfried & Roy, there’s still one magician on the Strip using the huge wild cats to stun and fascinate audiences. That’s Rick Thomas, who has bounced in his Vegas career from one resort to another and presently appears at the Sahara. Steve speaks to Thomas this hour about returning to the stage with his tigers after Roy’s injury, about what went wrong for Criss Angel, Hans Klok and Steve Wyrick and about why he hesitated before agreeing to take over the showroom at the Sahara.

In Banter: Gays stop traffic, Nora Ephron hearts SW Steakhouse, Louie Anderson gets a gig, Tony Curtis loses a gig, PA beats NV, Wynn unveils an app and Steve hunts for a car.

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(FIXED!) SPECIAL: MAMA GRINDER EXPLAINS THE MIZRACHI BROS

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:18:02 +0000

THIS EPISODE IS BEING REPOSTED BECAUSE OF AN AUDIO PROBLEM.

Welcome to a Strip extra. The following is my interview with Susan Laufer, the mother of the Mizrachi brothers, a quartet of poker pros who took this year’s World Series of Poker by storm. But don’t worry, this is not a technical conversation about the ins and outs of the game, it is chat in which Laufer explains how it was her kids all ended up in this unusual profession – together. This podcast accompanies a profile of the brothers that appears on TabletMag.Com, a website that focuses on Jewish issues

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(S)Talking Brad Garrett

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 06:41:30 +0000

The first line of his obituary will identify him as the put-upon brother in the classic sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” but before that role of a lifetime Brad Garrett was an accomplished stand-up comic who opened for Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglesias and many others. That’s why his decision to slap his name on the space at the Tropicana that has traditionally been a venue for comedians is less surprising than it appears at first. Garrett, who performed for the first two weeks at the club and promises to appear at least one weekend a month going forward, chats this hour about how he regards his quote-un-quote role of a lifetime, how awkwardness about his size led to his comedy career and how the liberal actor keeps the peace with his notoriously conservative former co-star, Patricia Heaton. Also, Brad and I dig into the question of whether he is being stalked.

In Banter: Lots of restaurant talk, the Harmon is stuck, Sheldon Adelson is defying expectations, the Main Event is still healthy, Dallas’ NFR/boxing gambit and the ATM companies want to help you lose more and faster.

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SPECIAL: BRAD GARRETT'S 'STALKER' SPEAKS

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to a Strip Extra. The following is two interviews conducted with a woman who stands accused by comedian Brad Garrett of stalking and impersonating him. The woman, whose identity and location are known to both Garrett and to me, has been using the Twitter name BaddGarrett. Search “stalker” on my blog, VegasHappensHere.Com, for more background on this case.

What you’re about to hear are two interviews conducted on July 6 and 7, 2010, and interrupted by a little music. It’s up to you what you believe.

The real Brad Garrett is our guest on the next regular edition of The Strip, so subscribe to The Strip Podcast in Itunes or Zune or keep watch on the blog, VegasHappensHere.Com. If there are questions or comments, email TheStripPodcast@aol.com.

NEW SHOW: The George Wallace Debacle Revisited

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:48:00 +0000

For years, you’ve heard Steve and Miles joke about it, for very, very few listeners have ever actually heard it: The mythical George Wallace interview of November 2005. Every now and then, when the hosts of this show need a reference to someone who treated them badly, it’s always the late-night comic at the Flamingo. But was it really as bad as we remember? We’ll replay that this hour.

In Banter: Vegas websites and analysts behaving badly, an awkward Brad Garrett experience, dinner with Vajohna & Co., and more.

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REISSUE: THE WHOLE 11/05 GEORGE WALLACE EPISODE

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 03:00:00 +0000

Since we're already revisiting the George Wallace show in the regular show this week, we thought it would be fun to also provide the original show as well so you can hear how different everything was back then. We had a different name, different theme music, different website and email and a very different ability to carry off the show. Enjoy!

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Hot Air In The Kitchen

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 01:47:48 +0000

You know what group of Vegas notables rarely, if ever, find themselves at the center of controversy? Chefs. Normally, they just oversee their kitchens, sell their books and show up on daytime TV feeding perky anchors delicious treats. That's why it was so jarring when Rick Moonen of RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay ended up in the middle of a feud with Top Chef Masters judge Jay Rayner this month over why Moonen came in second in the Bravo series. We'll talk to Rick about that and then turn to another outspoken Vegas chef, Jet Tila of Wazuzu at Wynn Las Vegas. Tila talks about his Guinness record attempts, local restaurant picks, and shows he loved and hated. Plus, he discloses the ingredients of Steve Wynn's special California roll -not on the menu but you can ask for it.

In Banter: Vegas downscaled with Ross Dress For Less and more, the wacko Jacko auction, the silliness in Vegas! The Show's advertising and a special cameo by a friend playing WSOP events this weekend.

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Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Phone: 702-997-3300
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast

Donny Osmond's Return

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:44:16 +0000

It’s been three long, productive years for Donny Osmond since last he joined us on this program. His first public hint that a Vegas deal was brewing was on that 2007 episode, and now he and sister Marie are major Strip headliners who have both also appeared on Dancing With The Stars. Donny, of course, won the ABC reality show last year, and he talks this hour about that triumph. He also talks about how he knew to buy the domain name donny.com way back in the 1980s and he and Steve touch on some current news of the day including the deaths of Marie’s son and Gary Coleman and his concern over Justin Bieber’s Donny Osmond-like popularity. Plus, someone famous once told him in the 1980s to change his name if he wanted to resume a show biz career. Find out who.

In Banter: MGM Mirage is now MGM Whatchamacallit, Louie Anderson traded the Excalibur or Palace Station, Rick Moonen got robbed, Vegas The Mall opens and Resort Fee Cancer spreads to Wynn and the Trop.

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BIZARRO SPECIAL: PHIL LAAK IN HIS 114TH HOUR

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:37:36 +0000

Poker star Phil Laak shattered the endurance record by playing 115 hours of poker at the Bellagio from Wednesday June 2 through Monday June 7. I spoke with him as the clock ticked down to 115 hours, nearly two days longer than the prior 72 hour record set in 2004. It's a weird chat but keep in mind the guy was up for five days. He finished up $6,766, which he'll split with Camp Sunshine, a camp for ill children and their families in Maine. Text SUNSHINE at 20222 to give $10 to the cause.

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A Vegas Favorito

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:10:45 +0000

Insult comic Vinnie Favorito is one of those Vegas headliners who doesn’t get a whole lot of fanfare. But he’s OK with that because his shows are doing such strong business that the Flamingo actually, recession be damned, raised his ticket price. And, as he announces for the first time this hour, Harrah’s just re-signed him this week to remain a Vegas headliner for until 2017. Favorito also talks about what other famous comics were passed over for him to get the Flamingo gig and why he’s owed a lot of money by the producers of the short-lived Real Deal show at the Venetian.

In Banter: Guest co-host and veteran entertainment scribe Joe Brown explains his departure from Vegas and gives his five favorite Vegas shows, Puck's turn towards pizza, Paul Rodriguez fallout and more.

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SPECIAL: PHIL LAAK & JEN TILLY ON POKER MARATHON RECORD

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:25:19 +0000

Poker star Phil Laak is attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the longest poker-playing stint. He's at Bellagio from Wednesday June 2 until, assuming he does it, Saturday, June 5 at 7 p.m. PT. He's going for 80 hours; the official record is 72 hours and the unofficial one is about 79 hours.

See Steve's piece at AOLNews.Com or via his blog.

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Paul Rodriguez Is Not Amused

Mon, 31 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

When was the last time you heard a newly minted Strip headliner complain that he’s unhappy with his host resort and already flirting with defecting to competing properties? Well, fasten your seat belts because never-shy comic Paul Rodriguez is about to knock your earbuds off. Rodriguez, who started at the Tropicana last week to middling reviews, explains – get this -- what’s wrong with his own show. Rodriguez, one of Comedy Central’s top 100 comics of all time, is also owner of the Laugh Factory in California where Seinfeld star Michael Richards had his racist meltdown which, he said, was incredibly good for the comedy club’s bottom line. He also had some new details about the Gloria Estefan-themed show expected to come to the Trop.

In Banter: Bye to Dennis Hopper, Gary Coleman and Woo Restaurant, hello to Surrender/Encore Beach Club, and eff-you to downtown's Plaza.

Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
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REISSUE: DENNIS HOPPER (6/06)

Sat, 29 May 2010 22:24:25 +0000

Dennis Hopper, the former chairman of the Cinevegas film festival, died on May 29. In his memory, we're re-issuing this episode from June 2006 featuring an interview with the legendary filmmaker and actor.

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Vince Neil, Inc.

Wed, 26 May 2010 03:24:52 +0000

For most of his life, he’s been known as the hard-partying, long-haired front man for the legendary metal band Motley Crue, but in recent years Vince Neil’s emerged as tattoo business mogul with a growing empire that includes tattoo shops, bar-restaurants and even an airline. And, to hear Neil tell it, he owes it all to Las Vegas. Hear all about it this hour in an interview recorded for Steve’s forthcoming Portfolio.Com piece.

In Banter: Two Vegas mob museums, the Trop’s renaissance, Girls Night, Hispanic marketing, LVS lawsuits, Camp Vegas, Perini v MGM, Norm v Robin and more.

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SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE: TOM SMOTHERS' EXIT INTERVIEW

Tue, 18 May 2010 22:09:00 +0000

A 17-minute interview with Tom Smothers recorded on May 18, two days after the Smothers Brothers stunned an audience by abruptly announcing their retirement from performing together.

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A Smothers Brothers Hour

Mon, 10 May 2010 05:23:00 +0000

The following is an abbreviated list of the people whose career lineage can be traced back to Tom Smothers: Bill Maher. Jon Stewart. David Letterman. Stephen Colbert. Weird Al Yankovich. Norman Lear. Steve Martin. George Carlin. Lorne Michaels. Penn & Teller. The Dixie Chicks. The Who. Simon & Garfunkel. Yeah, that’s all. All were either launched or deeply inspired by Smothers and his pioneering work as creator and co-star of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from 1966 to 1969. That landmark show, which was yanked from the air in its third season after constant battles with CBS censors, blazed the trail and set the standard for a mind-boggling list of innovative comedians and social commentators. Smothers and brother Dick Smothers are the subject of the brilliant new biography, “Dangerously Funny,” by author and frequent guest host of NPR’s Fresh Air, David Bianculli. The Smothers Brothers perform at the Orleans on May 15 and 16, so we chatted with Tom Smothers about all the famous people he helped launch – and those, like Bob Dylan and Steve Martin, who he didn’t quite “get.” Plus, of course, Smothers has a few thoughts on Vegas then and now.

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Gloria's A Vegas Star

Sun, 02 May 2010 21:21:21 +0000

Our first interview with Gloria Estefan back in 2006 was also the first time we ever did an episode of this show from outside Vegas. So it’s somewhat fitting that the second time around also is a first – the first time we ever conducted an interview for The Strip while standing, literally, outside on the Strip itself. Steve spoke with Estefan on Friday just steps away from where she had just unveiled her star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. The Latin legend teases about an upcoming Vegas venture -- and then Steve tells us what it's really all about -- but she also gets serious about immigration, Cuba and President Obama.

In Banter: Wynn and Adelson's foreign exploits, MGM Whatchamacallit changing its name, taxi tunnels, cheap buffets get a little less cheap, Chazz Palmintieri and Cheap Trick are back and the weird reality show Steve got a call on.

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AOL SPECIAL: Gehry Interview

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

This interview originally was posted on April 12 as part of an episode of The Strip Podcast.

You can love it or hate it, but there is no way to be indifferent to the swoopy, wacky shell over the new brain health center west of Las Vegas. That’s because it was designed by the man famous for controversial and often bizarre buildings the world over, Frank Gehry. This is the first time Gehry, 81, has designed for Vegas, and there are several reasons for that as you’ll hear this hour in a rare in-depth audio interview the architect did with Steve. You’ll hear who Gehry has turned down through the years and why, who he is willing to build for and why he isn’t much of a fan of the gambling business in the first place. Plus, as we discussed recently, he chooses the most unlikely of structures as his favorite on the Strip.

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Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Voicemail:" 702-997-3300
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Robert Earl's Exit Interview

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:23:29 +0000

Back when he was unveiling the former Aladdin as the new Planet Hollywood casino, owner Robert Earl made some pretty lofty claims about what his resort would mean for Vegas. That was then. Earlier this year, Earl turned over control of the property to Harrah’s Entertainment, unable to keep his head above water amid these unprecedented, perilous economic times. Earl, naturally, has no regrets as he explains in this episode what his role will be going forward and why the old one-property entrepreneur model of Strip ownership is, for the most part, dead. Other topics on the agenda: CityCenter, Prive, the Palms and his memorabilia stash.

David McKee of the Las Vegas Advisor fills in for Vegas, bantering about Macau perils, CityCenter data, Goss branding, surprising Strip charges and much more.

Web: TheStripPodcast.Com
E-mail: TheStrippodcast@aol.com
Phone: 702-997-3300
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
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Frank Gehry's Vegas Vision

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

You can love it or hate it, but there is no way to be indifferent to the swoopy, wacky shell over the new brain health center west of Las Vegas. That’s because it was designed by the man famous for controversial and often bizarre buildings the world over, Frank Gehry. This is the first time Gehry, 81, has designed for Vegas, and there are several reasons for that as you’ll hear this hour in a rare in-depth audio interview the architect did with Steve. You’ll hear who Gehry has turned down through the years and why, who he is willing to build for and why he isn’t much of a fan of the gambling business in the first place. Plus, as we discussed recently, he chooses the most unlikely of structures as his favorite on the Strip.

In Banter: Wynn quits Philly, Lance Burton quits Monte Carlo, Steve's new iPad, Lake Las Vegas' belated shuttle, various airline news and more.

Web: TheStripPodcast.Com
Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Voicemail:" 702-997-3300
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast

Wynnterview, The Podcast

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:01:23 +0000

It’s become a cliché on this program to say that when our Steve sits down to chat with Steve Wynn, you never quite know what’s going to happen. But it’s a cliché because it’s true, so fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a wild ride as the Steves pick over the Wynn divorce, recent art acquisitions and a spirited political discussion over the economy and health care.

In Banter: Miles – yes, Miles – goes on a Strip bender, the R-J thinks Pink’s is literally BEST, Frank Gehry thinks Excalibur is literally the BEST, Illinois and NJ think Macau is the WORST and much more.

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SPECIAL: ELAINE WYNN VIDEO

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 23:21:08 +0000

Here's our special video interview with Elaine Wynn from our live March 20, 2010 show from the Wynn Las Vegas during the NCAA's March Madness men's basketball tournament. The conversation ranges from hoops to Obama to Aria to who may succeed Steve Wynn at Wynn Resorts.

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The (March) Madness of Queen Elaine

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:40:04 +0000

Las Vegas is awash in March Madness, although for legal reasons nobody around here calls it that. So we’re webcasting live from the March – uh – Lunacy party in a ballroom at the Wynn in honor of the NCAA basketball tournament that even has the President of the United States going a bit bracket-crazy. And because we’re at the Wynn, who better to chat with than the property’s first lady, Elaine Wynn? Wynn, now divorced from Steve Wynn but as intimately involved in the details of the company as ever, joins us later this hour to talk about her obsession with college hoops as well as her views on Aria, Obama and Harry Reid. But first, Wynn sports book director Johnny Avello stops by to talk about how the tournament became one of the biggest events in sports betting and how he became known for creating wacky lines for everything from Dancing With The Stars to the Westminster Dog Show. That’s all coming up.

In banter: VegasHappensHere.Com wins an award, Jason Alexander's a jerk, pool season's here, Sheldon hearts Florida and a bunch of restaurant closures.

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Wynn's Design Alter Ego

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:37:11 +0000

After designing several of the most beautiful hotels in Las Vegas if not the world, what does Roger Thomas do for, no pun intended, an encore? Well, for one thing, this weekend the world’s most famous movie stars will lounge in a green room of his design before appearing on stage at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood for the 82nd annual Academy Awards show. Does this star turn mean that Steve Wynn’s gay alter ego is launching a new phase of his career? Maybe, but he’s still got his hands full with projects for Wynn Resorts as varied as an luxury resort in Macau, a new beach club at Encore Las Vegas and a non-hotel casino in Philadelphia. Thomas discusses the Oscars, the Wynns, CityCenter and a whole lot more.

Plus, Liberace's home is in foreclosure, Miles recounts his Carson City trek, Steve chats about the Grand Canyon Skywalk, some good and bad news on CityCenter.

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A Presidential Podcast

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:31:12 +0000

What’s it like to host the president in your home? What’s it like to play the piano for the president at his home, that big white mansion in Washington D.C.? We’re about to answer both those questions, Vegas style. Palms owner George Maloof explains how he came to know President Obama and describes the hoopla around hosting him Thursday night for a Democratic fundraiser. Then Bellagio’s pianist David Osbourne talks about performing for six U.S. presidents including the last three at the White House. And while presidents are interesting, Osbourne’s story about the last vice president, Dick Cheney, is particularly bizarre.

In Banter: Harrah's gets P-Ho, Vegas gets Obama love, CityCenter does NOT get Obama love, another Lake Las Vegas closure, Chinese New Year is fun, the Viva Elvis party was not fun and why red ketchup is the new blue tape.

Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
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The Franco Files

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:08:03 +0000

Up until the end of the 1990s, Franco Dragone was Cirque du Soleil. He had created most of their productions and was responsible for the signature look that had defined the French-Canadians troupe. But after Mystere and O, he went his own direction. This hour, for the first time, hear why, what he thinks about Cirque’s massive expansion and get some details on his latest project, the $280 million production for a Macau casino. When it opens later this year, it will be the most expensive live production ever.

Plus, Celine's coming back, Obama's coming back, FAO Schwarz and Ritz-Carlton are going, the Ruffins are with child, Chippendales does it 3000 times, candy is all the rage and the NFL and Vegas are at odds yet again.

ALSO: A special LIVE INTERVIEW edition of the Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week with "Jersey Boys" star Travis Cloer, who appears at the Liberace next month.

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E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com
Phone: 702-997-3300
Twitter: @TheStripPodcast
Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com

Cirque's Big Top Man

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:07:13 +0000

The head-scratching and bellyaching began way, way back in 2003 with Zumanity. Then came Ka, Love and Criss Angel Believe. But despite naysayers who think Cirque du Soleil is overextended in Las Vegas, here comes show No. 7, Viva Elvis at Aria, officially opening on Feb. 19. What’s the deal? Steve sat down in Montreal last month with Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre, who says he wouldn’t mind having 50 shows on the Strip, if only they had the time and available showrooms. But the company is busy elsewhere these days, planning permanent productions at Radio City Music Hall and the Kodak Theatre, not to mention trying to fix the disastrous Criss Angel show at the Luxor.

In Banter: Aria room rates falling some more, Super Bowl weekend is up, Obama steps in Vegas poop again and Bill Clinton is a headliner.

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Kenny Kerr's Hard Fall

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:16:37 +0000

He was the longest-running solo headliner in Las Vegas history, but just a few years since the end of his last gig, he’s probably largely unknown to most of you. Kenny Kerr was the first female impersonator to go mainstream on the Strip, opening in the late 1970s at the Silver Slipper, paving the way for Frank Marino. But Kerr’s story is that of great success and constant financial problems, and when Steve spoke to him in December he had left a gig at a small Italian restaurant miles from the Strip because the owner hadn’t paid him. This hour, hear Kerr provide some fascinating history about Las Vegas, go into some shocking detail about drag queen life and, of course, some delicious slaps at his archrival.

In Banter: Drama at Casino Montreal, a visit to Cirque's mothership, Aria v Bellagio, news on the Fontainebleau, Matt Goss and Krave and more.

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The Real Mr. Las Vegas

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:42:17 +0000

Could there be a better way to kick off a new year than with Mr. Las Vegas himself, Mr. Wayne Newton? The Wayner needs little introduction, so let’s just say that you’re about to hear the answer to all your questions including whether he’s had plastic surgery, what he thinks about his weathered voice and much more. Newton, who is performing at the Tropicana at least through April, also addresses his Norm Clarke plagiarism flap, explains how he recovers memorabilia stolen regularly from his Vegas home and for the first time ever reveals the scene from Vegas Vacation that he had nixed. Plus, is his Trop show profitable? What does he think of others who call themselves Mr. Las Vegas? Why doesnt' he want to see Viva Elvis? What was it like to meet Howard Hughes? And much more.

In Banter: Garth's amazing NYE on the Strip, Zowie Bowie's partial demise and more.

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The Vegas Juniors

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:14:10 +0000

Nowadays if you’re the offspring of an iconic celebrity, you can get work regardless of your talent as the subject of a reality TV show or by providing vacuous interviews on red carpets. But some of those who were born famous actually spend their lives trying to both make their own mark on the world and protect the legacies of their parents. In this episode, we’ll hear from two men who have done just that, Louis Prima Jr and Sandy Hackett. Prima continues to try to rescue the dying Vegas lounge act that his father made so great and Hackett is a comic and musician in his own right whose Rat Pack production at the Sahara bounces off of his own family history with Frank, Dino, Sammy and Joey. Both have struggled with and enjoyed perks from their famous names and both speak openly about that mixed blessing as well as their fascinating Vegas histories.

In Banter: The Aria buffet, Phil Ruffin’s Bellagio play, the Build It Bigger on CityCenter, Forbes on Adelson and Ruffin, the MGM Mirage Xmas Day outage and more.

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More Celebrity, More Puck

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:39:00 +0000

He can hardly keep track of how many restaurants bear his name, so he’d be forgiven if he found opening yet another one in Vegas to be run-of-the-mill. And yet Wolfgang Puck, seemed as giddy as ever as he inspected the construction site that will, in one month’s time, open as Puck Brasserie at CityCenter. Amid the hullabaloo surrounding Aria’s opening day, the 60-year-old restaurateur found time to chat with Steve about his childhood food memories, what the most famous celebrity chef in the world means by his “less celebrity, more chef” advertising tagline and why he’ll never open a restaurant in a Steve Wynn resort.

In Banter: A recap of the Aria opening, the latest on the P-Ho/Harrahs transaction, Wynn’s art purchase, Trump and Adelson’s CityCenter hate and more.

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SPECIAL: OPENING ARIA

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:58:36 +0000

A special 5-minute video montage from the opening of Aria at CityCenter in Las Vegas on Dec. 16, 2009. Includes footage of MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren ringing the NYSE closing bell via satellite, fireworks over Aria and the public descending on the resort. Also featured are EXCLUSIVE photos throughout the property. The episode is scored by "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley and "Las Vegas Remixed" by Strange Radio.

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Murren's Opening Aria

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:56:36 +0000

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In case you haven’t heard, there’s a little company opening up a few new attractions out there on Las Vegas Boulevard this month and the guy behind all that is a fellow named Jim Murren. The CEO of MGM Mirage was, for better or worse, the visionary behind CityCenter, the $8.5 billion project that is finally a reality and has already opened the hotel-condo Vdara, the Mandarin Oriental and the mammoth Crystals shopping mall. In the interview you’ll hear in this episode, Steve challenges Murren on several ideas behind CityCenter and Murren offers some surprising boasts – that CityCenter will singlehandedly save the Nevada economy, that he’s never set foot on Encore or Palazzo and much more. Plus, Murren admits that the problems of Fontainbleau and Echelon are good for CityCenter, has tough words about Harrah’s and Station Casinos regarding overleveraging and describes the green elements of CityCenter as “a gift to the United States.” Also, Steve asks, much to Murren's chagrin, if CityCenter is a Vegas version of EPCOT.

That’s coming up. Plus RateVegas.Com’s Hunter Hillegas is here to discuss being Steve’s date at the Mandarin Oriental gala last night, to tell all about his exclusive Aria tour and to explain how this Harrah's-Planet Ho thing makes sense. Or not.

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Doyle Brunson Loses A Bet

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:57:07 +0000

Even if you know or care nothing about professional poker, it is hard to imagine you’ve never come across the name Doyle Brunson. Poker’s elder statesmen was there when Texas Hold ‘Em came into being, was there when the concept of the poker tournament was invented and was there when they added hole-card cameras to poker tables to make it interesting for TV viewers to follow the action. Now, at 76, he’s published a surprisingly frank autobiography appropriately titled “The Godfather of Poker” in which he reveals the violent early days of his gambling life, his strained relationship with his father and much more. When Steve spoke to two-time World Series of Poker Main Event champ this week, he opened up some more about the Binion family, mob enforcer Tony Spilotro, Annie Duke, Joan Rivers and Phil Hellmuth, among others. Plus, Steve did the seemingly impossible – he won a bet off Doyle.

In Banter: USA Today’s CityCenter piece, New Year’s Eve is back on top, Harrah’s is buying P-Ho but with what?, Hash House A Go Go is opening a Strip location and more.
 
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Frankie Goes To Vegas

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:30:00 +0000

You may not be all that familiar with the name Frank Caliendo, but it will become hard to miss it the next time you’re on or around the Las Vegas Boulevard. The 35-year-old impressionist known for his work on MADTV and on Fox NFL Sunday just started a 10-year deal to appear nightly at the Monte Carlo, so Steve chatted with him this hour about how that happened, about how he felt about the cancellation of his TBS sketch comedy show and much more. Plus, he explains why he wasn’t at his best the night the media came to review his show.

In Banter: More pre-CityCenter thoughts, the future of non-smoking casinos, Lily Tomlin's show and slots, strippermobiles, Mirage's 20th, Golden Nugget's non-price-cutting price-cutting and more.

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SPECIAL: WYNN DESIGN TEAM SPEAKS!

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:27:32 +0000

Audio from a panel discussion moderated by TheStripPodcast.Com host Steve Friess at the Global Gaming Expo that featured Roger Thomas, DeReuyter Butler, Andrew Kreft and Todd Avery Lenahan. Thomas is the mastermind behind several Wynn property designs going back to Mirage, Butler has been drawing up the architecture for Steve Wynn for 20+ years, Kreft oversees all the horticulture and Lenahan designed the Wynn Buffet as well as the Encore rooms and spa. The conversation includes new details of the plans for the Switch Beach Club area, some surprises about Wynn's initial intentions with both the Dunes and Desert Inn properties and some thoughts on Wynn/Encore versus CityCenter.

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Good Ol' Boyd

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:50:15 +0000

At 77, William S. Boyd could just sit back, count his money and let his children carry on his family’s casino and philanthropic legacies in Nevada. But for Boyd, retirement from running the company means being active in it in other ways, and he remains very much involved in the important decisions of Boyd Gaming. Mr. Boyd speaks to Steve this hour about halting construction of Echelon, making a play for the properties of bankrupt rival Station Casinos and old versus new Vegas.

In banter: Frank Caliendo opens, Steve bets on Cotto for a friend, WSOP ratings are flat, the Rio is NOT all suites, three popular attractions are now neighbors, crazy Bette fans attack and Jim Murren claims he listens to this show.

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Ungilding Lily

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:43:24 +0000

She’s conquered Hollywood and Broadway and won over the hearts everywhere in between so at 70, Lily Tomlin has finally decided it’s time to become a Vegas headliner. For nine nights, from Nov. 10-18, the comedienne brings her cast of famous characters – Ernestine the telephone operator and bratty 5-year-old Edith Ann among them – to the stage. Tomlin explains this hour her illustrious career never before included the Strip and chats with Steve about her roles in Desperate Housewives, West Wing, Damages and the X-Files. Plus, she explains why she walked off the Dick Cavett show in 1972 in a feminist huff and why she and her longtime partner Jane Wagner won’t be getting married.

In Banter: A CityCenter tour, Bette's departure, the WSOP final table, Miles' Oval Office adventures, the disgraceful debasing of The Harmon, a Top Chef viewing party and some we-toldja-so's.

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Top Chef's Bottom Line Effect

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:57:25 +0000

Four years ago, a San Francisco chef took a gamble and opened up his San Francisco kitchen to the first challenge of a new Bravo TV show called “Top Chef.” At the time, Hubert Keller came across as tough and grouchy but the show was a hit and his Fleur de Lys in California became a place of intrigue for its fans. Fast forward to this year when warmer, cuddlier Keller appeared first on Top Chef Masters and then in an episode of the current, Las Vegas-set season of the show. Business at Fleur de Lys – long an underperformer at Mandalay Bay – is booming. Keller speaks this hour about that, about what it smelled like to grow up above his family’s bakery in Alsace, France, and about how a Frenchman became one of the biggest things ever in the burger cuisine. Plus, as usual, Steve asked Keller about his food guilty pleasures.

In Banter: Ticket scalping issues, Barry Manilow, the Podcast-a-Palooza, Harrah's dumb iPhone app, DB leaves Wynn, DB opening at Sands in Singapore and who is the Maori Hi Five?

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PodcastaPalooza2: Take A Chazz on Us

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:49:25 +0000

When the idea first came up, nobody -- and by nobody we mean Steve -- thought it could possibly work. Chazz Palminteri was a career character actor with modest name recognition next to the likes of, say, Holly Madison, and his plan was to bring a serious autobiographical one-man play to the Strip? Fuggedaboutit. But Palminteri has faced down doubts about "A Bronx Tale" before, and here he is now in the middle of a two-week run at the Venetian that has been extended by popular demand. Palminteri joined us live at the 2009 Vegas Podcast-A-Palooza to discuss the show, his friendship with Frank Sinatra and the chronological problem in his play that only three people have ever asked him about in 20 years.

In Banter: Rating the Garth deal, revealing some new slot machine ideas coming to G2E.

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CSI Interviews: The Experience

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:26:59 +0000

It’s the biggest TV show ever set in Las Vegas, but can CSI: Crime Scene Investigation succeed as a permanent Vegas attraction? The folks at MGM Grand decided to find out. On the occasion of the opening of the interactive solve-it-yourself CSI: The Experience, Steve sat down with both Vegas-raised creator Anthony Zuiker and the show’s longtime star, Marg Helgenberger and Helgenberger expressed some disappointment with her role.

In Banter: Debate over the notion of a Top Chef restaurant, Miles' redux on those effing curtains at Switch, A Bronx Tale is excellent, Wynn's new flight deal, post-MJ career notes, weird lights on the Cosmo and more.

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Cheap Trick Hopes You Will Enjoy The Show

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:12:50 +0000

In a city of knockoffs and impersonations, how do you go about reinterpreting a great piece of music without being tainted as a copycat? Well, it helps if you’re already a legendary rock band in your own right behind you, too. That’s how Cheap Trick’s doing it anyway, landing at the Las Vegas Hilton for nine performances of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band before a full orchestra and assisted by such other pop stars as Joan Osbourne. Cheap Trick’s guitarist and vocalist Rick Nielsen joins us this hour to talk about the band’s relationship with the Beatles, about growing up in Rockford, Ill., and whether this swing of shows could portend a resident Vegas gig of some form soon.

In banter: Mindy Kaling gets Vegas whiners whining, Terry Fator puts puppets on cabs, Amy gets a Vegas welcome on her European cruise, Top Chef's been good to Hubert Keller and more.

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Hal Prince: The Las Vegas Spectacular!

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:00:25 +0000

Welcome to a special interview edition of The Strip. The first-ever Phantom Fan Week is coming to Las Vegas in mid-September, so Steve decided it was time to check back in with legendary Broadway producer and director Hal Prince. That event marks the first time Prince has returned to Vegas since the 2006 opening of “Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular,” the shortened, high-tech version of the opera-house squatter tale that is the most successful musical of all time. At that time, Steve irked Prince by saying the “Phantom” story is “a bit of a downer,” a debate the two comically revisit in this hour. They also address Prince’s recent stroke, his close encounter with the Cirque du Soleil gang, the coming Phantom sequel and Patti LuPone’s recent on-stage outbursts. Prince, who at 81 has won a record 21 Tony awards, was instrumental in the creation of Phantom, Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, Fiddler on the Roof, A Little Night Music, Evita, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret and countless other classics. He plans to open his long-awaited next musical, Paradise Found with Mandy Patinkin, next year and, as you hear, he expects the Las Vegas version of Phantom to run “indefinitely.”

We’ll be back with a regular episode next week, but as always you can email us at TheStripPodcast@aol.com, read Steve’s redesigned blog VegasHappensHere.Com and leave us voicemail at 206-424-4737.

SPECIAL VIDEO: Elijah's Big Break

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:37:16 +0000

Raw footage courtesy of KLAS-TV in Las Vegas of Elijah "Lil Elijah J" Johnson of The Lion King performing "Dancing Machine" at the Pearl in the Palms on Aug. 29, 2009 for the "Las Vegas Celebrates The Music of Michael Jackson" benefit concert. The concert raised more than $100,000 for the Clark County Public Education Foundation earmarked for music education programs in Las Vegas-area schools.

The concert was produced by Erich Bergen of Jersey Boys and Steve Friess of VegasHappensHere.Com and co-host of TheStripPodcast.Com. See VegasLovesMJ.Com for more info or contact VegasLovesMJ@yahoo.com.

The MJ Benefit's Breakout Star

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:22:46 +0000

If you were at the Palms on Saturday for the Michael Jackson tribute benefit, you might want to put your ticket stub in a safe place. Years from now, the concert may very well be remembered in the same light as Motown 25, a magical moment when the world witnessed the birth of a major talent. This time, it was Elijah Johnson, the 11-year-old star of the Lion King at Mandalay Bay, who flew onto the stage in a burst of energy and confidence and sang and danced with an exuberance that now has the Tonight Show calling. Johnson, who leaves the cast of Lion King in October, joins us this hour with his father in the studio to discuss that magical moment last weekend and what it could mean for his future.

In Banter: MJ benefit follow-up, Earl Turner's peeps are jerks, McKee's Carmen Electra infatuation, MGM Mirage's condo issues and more.

Thanks to Stiffs & Georges blogger Dave McKee of Huntington Press for filling in for Miles. Read his work at http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/blogs/dmckee.

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Keeping Up With Joan

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:09:47 +0000

She’s been mocked mercilessly for her voice, her red carpet antics and, of course, her plastic surgery. And yet at 76 years old, Joan Rivers is somehow still relevant, with a new show on TV Land called How’d You Get So Rich and stand-up shows this weekend and next at the Venetian. Rivers returns to our version of The Strip, too, to gab about her recent slam on all poker players on The Celebrity Apprentice, about how she’s more famous today than her late nemesis Johnny Carson and about which stars she thinks have – get this – had bad plastic surgery.

In Banter: The fake Hotel 32 iPod app, more MJ-Vegas benefit news, what Holly's really like and a report on the Bootleg Canyon Flightlines attraction.

That’s all coming up, plus news from Vegas, a new trivia question, the poll, listener feedback and, as always, the Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week. You’re on the Strip.

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SPECIAL VIDEO EDITION: STEVE ON THE BOULDER CITY ZIPLINE

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:20:25 +0000

For an upcoming story for Vegas Magazine, I had to try out the Bootleg Canyon Flightlines, a four-ride zipline attraction outside Boulder City, Nevada, near Las Vegas. Here's some video -- watch us get stuck! Check out VegasHappensHere.Com for more photos and links to Trevor's Flickr album. Also see bcflightlines.com for more info. Follow me on Twitter @TheStripPodcast!

Daniel The Kid

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:29:16 +0000

You have until WEDNESDAY, AUG 26, to enter to win tickets to the Aug. 29 concert at the Pearl, “Las Vegas Celebrates The Music of Michael Jackson.” Here’s how: call 206-424-4737 and leave a message explaining which Michael Jackson song is your favorite and why. You can even sing a few bars. We’ll draw one winner and give you two tickets to the concert. But you have to call in by noon Pacific Time on Aug. 26.

As always, our website is theStripPodcast.Com, email us at TheStrippodcast@aol.com, visit Steve’s blog, VegasHappensHere.Com, and leave us any ol’ voicemail at 206-424-4737.

And now onto this week’s interview. Daniel Negreanu’s general demeanor is calm and breezy, which has earning him the demure nickname of Kid Poker. But the kid, presently No. 3 on the list of all-time earnings in poker tournament play at $11.6 million, has a bit of a wicked side, too. His Tweets during this year’s World Series of Poker were rife with snark about other players, Asian drivers and weird encounters with fans on the rail, and in this week’s conversation, Negreanu has some harsh words for fellow star Annie Duke’s representation of the game on the recent season of Celebrity Apprentice. Plus, is it true that most poker players are atheists? Negreanu answers that, too.

Take a listen and have a great week.

Under A. Cools' Spell (AAC version)

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:53:16 +0000

Whether you buy hypnotism or not, there's no denying that Anthony Cools has Las Vegas under his spell. The Paris Las Vegas headliner has become a somehwat unlikely Strip entrepreneur, responsible for four shows besides his own including Bobby Slayton and Penny Lane at the Tropicana and Mental and Freaks at O'Sheas. Cools explains how he became the king of middle-brow and why he thinks some of the more disgusting acts that take place at Freaks are really "quite romantic."

In Banter: Amy and Steve discuss Mental and Freaks, another MJ raid, Laughlin sees an uptick, Steve's Steve-O story and a Maggiano's deal for Amy, and more.

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Under A. Cools' Spell

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:06:52 +0000

Smokey's Awesome Aussies (MP3 version)

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:47:43 +0000

What’s a legend of Motown doing as the chief backer of a Vegas production featuring a white former boy band from Australia? Smokey Robinson explains that, talks about Michael Jackson and sings a few bars of the first song he ever wrote this hour. It’s no “My Girl,” but he was only 6 when he wrote it. That’s coming up, plus Andrew Tierney of that very band, Human Nature, talks about the group's transition from top-of-the-heap Down Under to headliners at, uh, the Imperial Palace.

In Banter: MJ concert details, the attack of the Chitown columnist, Beyonce v Anthony Cools, Prive's woes, Tao's interesting idea and more.

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Smokey's Awesome Aussies (AAC version)

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:14:47 +0000

SPECIAL: BOB SAGET INTERVIEW

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:40:47 +0000

Hey everyone! We couldn’t pull off a regular show this past week because both Steve and I had to work overtime on Tuesday, so instead we’re posting this interview with comic actor Bob Saget. The Saget interview was recorded back in April and never ran because Saget’s dates at the Pearl Theater at the Palms were canceled, but it’s actually a pretty interesting discussion. Saget became famous as a wholesome TV sitcom dad from 1987 to 1995 on “Full House” but more recently turned his own image inside out by being the filthiest, raunchiest comic to appear in the 2005 documentary “The Aristocrats.” In this conversation, Saget talks about his image, about clubbing with the Olsen twins and his new show, premiering this fall, called Surviving Suburbia.

As always, email us at TheStripPodcast@aol.com with comments or questions.

Cuchi Cuchi For Charo

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 05:01:07 +0000

You think she's just a blond, air-headed, surgically enhanced... oh, wait. That's last week's guest. This week, we've got Charo the giggly, jiggly Spanish singer and guitarist, who in the early 1970s was making as much as Sinatra for shows on the Strip, is back in town with a new headliner show at the Riviera. Steve chatted with Charo this week about plastic surgery, her affection for RuPaul and where her signature “cuchi cuchi” line came from.

In banter: A weird WSOP interview story, a weird Panorama Towers ad, a weird Caesars Palace sign, a baffling Monte Carlo strategy and more.

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Voicemail: 206-424-4737

The Smartest Little Dumb Blonde in Vegas

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:30:00 +0000

Holly Madison admits it: She wants to be famous. And she doesn’t mind being famous just for being famous – in the tradition of Pam Anderson and Marilyn Monroe, she says – but she wants to try her hand at a few things first. To that end, the ex-Playmate who appeared as Hugh Hefner’s No. 1 babe on “The Girls Next Door” and spent a few months as Criss Angel’s girlfriend, now stars as the innocent-turned-naughty Bo Peep in the Planet Hollywood burlesque production, “Peepshow.” In this conversation, Madison discusses her ambitions, the situations in which she is not comfortable being nude and – as odd as it may sound – what she’s reading right now. You’ll be surprised that it’s not in English.

In Banter: The big MJ tribute benefit concert, Peep v Crazy, WSOP and Twitter, Welcome to LV sign vandals, Prive/PHo fined, Harrah's latest Big Idea, MGM's CSI attraction, comings and goings and more.

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G-Force Winds

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:10:53 +0000

On stage and on your stereo, he is laid back and comfortable. But in tonight’s interview, saxophonist Kenny G shows other sides of his persona: arrogant, vain, opinionated and controversial. The musician, who has sold 75 million albums worldwide, also provides a fascinate behind-the-scenes story about his first time on Johnny Carson, discusses Bill Clinton’s influence on the popularity of the sax and has some terse words for audience-scolding showstoppers like Patti LuPone. Plus, a special INTERVIEW edition of the Trivia Question featuring Anthony Curtis, aka Curtis Flowers speaking for the first time about his alias. In Banter: Michael Jackson's memorial, Steve is Hispanic, the WSOP is off and running, The Hangover is Vegasly accurate and more Web: TheStripPodcast.com Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com Phone; 206-424-4737

Rolling With Dice

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:04:49 +0000

Hide the kiddies, brace yourself and, if you’re easily offended, you may want to skip at least the second half of this week’s show. Andrew Dice Clay is coming to Vegas in July for another set of shows on the Strip that may portend a headliner residency, so the controversial and foul-mouthed comic is our guest tonight. Is he, as he likes to say, the Elvis of comedy, or is he, as Steve put it in their conversation much to Dice’s annoyance, an overgrown Fonzie? Judge for yourself this hour as they go at it about the 51-year-old’s overactive sex life, about ejecting hecklers and about why he canceled some recent shows in Utah. Plus, hear his version of what happened when Saturday Night Live player Nora Dunn quit the show because he was hosting. In Banter: The Twin River racino, Michael Jackson’s death, Patti LuPone’s outburst, the Danny Gans 911 call, the tricky Brotastic ad, the survey about Vegas tourist walking habits and Lance Burton looks forward to six more years and (then?) the Monte Carlo’s implosion. Plus, the trivia question, poll, listener feedback and the Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week. Web: TheStripPodcast.Com Email: ThteStripPodcast@aol.com Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com Voicemail: 206-424-4737

A Tony Winner And An Oscar

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:39:41 +0000

This week, on the Strip: We spoke to her nearly two years ago and she was hinting at a comeback she didn’t want to jinx. And, in fact, Broadway legend – and Steve’s gayest obsession – Patti Lupone did have a trick up her sleeve: A few months later, she returned to the Great White Way in the title role of “Gypsy” and walked off with her first Tony award since her 1981 triumph for “Evita.” Lupone is back in Vegas on June 20 and 21 for shows at the Orleans, so Steve got her back on the line to see how her life has changed. Among other things, Lupone went on a bit of a rant about poor Susan Boyle and the nature of celebrity. That’s coming up. Also, we check in with Mayor Oscar Goodman about Obama’s recent visit and gives an update on plans to resettle the Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas. In Banter: Cinevegas, Sheer Madness, a listeners' Wynn visit, how Steve saved $400 on his Connecticut rental car, All-In: The Poker Movie, Charo, Larry King, MGM Grand Egypt and more. Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com Twitter: Twitter.com/thestrippodcast Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Phone: 206-424-4737

VIDEO SPECIAL: VOIGHT REVEALS 1981 TIGER-ROY INCIDENT

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:27:13 +0000

At a Cinevegas screening of the recut version of the 1982 Hal Ashby film "Lookin' To Get Out" on June 14, actor Jon Voight related a never-before-heard tale of a harrowing incident in which one of Siegfried & Roy's tigers tackled an elderly woman and had to be talked down by a member of the film crew. In the movie, Voight and Burt Young play pals and gamblers who come to Vegas to try to make back money Voight's character lost in a poker game. The film was made largely at the old MGM Grand (now Bally's) and Ann-Margret plays a woman from Voight's past. The characters played by Voight, Young and Ann-Margret, attend a show in what is probably the Jubilee! Theater and Siegfried & Roy are among the acts shown. According to Voight, Young was acting in the shot as though the tiger had startled him running about on the stage with Roy. Young was wearing sunglasses, and Voight surmised that the combination of Young's fake startling and the reflection of the lighting on the glasses caused the tiger to get scared and "he ran off the stage and on to a table." Watch the rest of the story or read it on VegasHappensHere.Com. E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Voicemail: 206-424-4737 Site: TheStrippodcast.com

Engelbert The Engaging

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:15:33 +0000

In our quest to cover all the classic old-timers of Vegas lore, one fixture we hadn’t yet caught up with was Englebert Humperdinck, the British chart-topper who was first brought to the Strip in 1968 by none other than Dean Martin. Humperdinck, now 73, talks about everything from Liberace to Lambert, recalls Howard Stern's playing with his hair, explains why James Blunt fits in the canon with Clapton and McCartney and discusses the fact that his rival, Tom Jones, has received a knighthood while he has not. Humperdinck performs in Vegas at the Orleans on June 11-14 playing his hits as well as the contemporary pop songs he covered in his 2007 album, “The Winding Road.” In Banter: Danny Gans’ cause of death, the Cinevegas passes contest winner, the future of the TI, Steve’s show spree, changes at Peepshow, Robuchon’s odd discount and the Chippendales do Paris. Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com Phone: 206-424-4737 E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Site: TheStripPodcast.com

Jon Voight Likes To Talk

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:55:54 +0000

Actor Jon Voight ‘s roles in Midnight Cowboy, Deliverance and Coming Home made him one of the most iconic movie stars of the 1970s. He’s also the father of one of the most iconic movie stars of this era, Angelina Jolie. Voight is being honored with the Marquee Award at Cinevegas at a ceremony where an overhauled version of his 1982 Vegas-set comedy “Lookin’ To Get Out” will be screened. The film, a critical and box office bomb when it first came out, also stars Ann-Margret and was Angelina Jolie’s first film role. In this conversation, Steve and Jon Voight discuss his experiences with everything from Midnight Cowboy to Coming Home to Seinfeld. Then Voight explains how he turned from being an anti-Vietnam War activist to a fan of George W. Bush and Sarah Palin. He also has some harsh words for President Barack Obama. We’ll be back with a regular episode next week, so join us at 6:45 p.m.ish Pacific for the lvie show at LVRocks.Com on Tuesday, June 9. Until then, enjoy the interview. Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Voicemail: 206-424-4737 Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com Site: TheStripPodcast.Com

Smooth Like Santana

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:04:15 +0000

It may be one heckuva a recession, but the Hard Rock Hotel has pulled out all the stops on its new version of The Joint, spending $60 million on the posh new concert venue and signing modern Las Vegas’ first resident rock ‘n roll act in Carlos Santana. The 61-year-old guitar legend granted Steve one of only a few interviews in advance of his first set of shows, which begin Wednesday night. Santana talks to Steve about playing the old Joint on the millennial New Year’s Eve, about his views about Vegas and about which athlete he thinks is more impressive than Tiger Woods. That’s coming up. Also, more on Steve’s explosive chat last week with Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson in which explains his company’s freefall and bats back against Steve Wynn’s criticism of their strategy in Macau. In Banter: More on Bethlehem and Adelson, Danny Gans memorial and curse, Wolfgang Puck, Obama: The Las Vegas Spectacular, Adam Lambert, Jeff Beacher and more. Thanks to guest-host Murphy for filling in for an ailing Miles. Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Web: TheStripPodcast.Com Phone: 206-424-4737

VIDEO SPECIAL: OPENING OF SANDS BETHLEHEM

Sat, 23 May 2009 06:39:52 +0000

Special coverage of the May 22, 2009 opening of the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. For Steve's NYT piece and KNPR appearance as well as lots of photos, search "sands" at VegasHappensHere.Com. Web: TheStripPodcast.Com E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Voicemail: 206-424-4737

It's Cranky Miller Time

Thu, 21 May 2009 15:29:49 +0000

Comic and political commentator Dennis Miller has a reputation for being cantankerous and on this week’s show, he lives up to that image to the fullest. More than three years after he came on this show and complimented us as erudite and astute, he’s back in a tense conversation that he ends abruptly because it’s, well, “too deep.” That’s coming up. Plus, news from Vegas, the trivia question, a new poll and, as always, the Top Secret Tourist Tip of the Week. You’re on the Strip, brought to you by. In Banter: No news on Danny Gans yet, is Lion King a wise Vegas move, British Airways opens daily nonstops, the pasties are gone from and Holly Madison is coming to Peepshow and Menopause finds a new home at the recently hipped-up Luxor. Thanks to Amy of GritsToGlitz.Com for subbing for Steve. Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com Site: TheStripPodcast.com Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Phone: 206-424-4737

SPECIAL: STEVE ON KNPR, MAY 15, 2009

Fri, 15 May 2009 23:57:39 +0000

Steve appears on KNPR to rap with host Dave Berns and R-J columnist Doug Elfman on May 15, 2009. Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Web: TheStripPodcast.com Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com Voicemail: 206-424-4737

Danny Gans' Muse

Wed, 06 May 2009 18:10:54 +0000

Las Vegas is in stunned mourning this week following the shocking death Friday of impressionist Danny Gans. We’ll talk about that at the top of the show, but it’s also fitting that our guest this week is comic Jeff Foxworthy because Gans spent at least 10 minutes in every show doing Foxworthy and his trademark redneck jokes. Foxworthy talks about Gans, about performing for presidents Clinton and Bush and about hosting dimwit adults on the hit TV game show Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? In banter: Danny Gans’ death, Jim Murren’s defense, China’s wacky swine flu response, Peepshow’s surprisingly great, Peppermill’s surprisingly classy and Vegas stocks are inexplicably way up. Web: TheStriPPodcast.com Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Voicemail: 206-424-4737 Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com

SPECIAL: DANNY GANS DIES

Fri, 01 May 2009 21:10:06 +0000

Reissuing our Danny Gans interview from 3/2/06 on the occasion of his death at age 52 on 5/1/09. Email TheStripPodcast@aol.com or call 206-424-4737 to offer condolences or relate memories of the Vegas legend.

Top Chef's Top Chef

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Some chefs are TV stars first, then Vegas restaurateurs. Tom Colicchio did it the other way around. The five-time James Beard Award winner already owned Craftsteak and ‘wichcraft at the MGM Grand when he was tapped to become the chief judge for the hit Bravo reality competition Top Chef. The show began filming its sixth season in Las Vegas this week, although this interview took place a day before that was confirmed. Still, Steve spoke to Colicchio at length about everything from his criticism of the show’s finale format to the late Natasha Richardson’s stint as a guest judge last season. Colicchio also retells how he saved the life of a famous food writer at an Obama inauguration party in January. Plus, as always, we asked him about his fast food preferences, if any. In Banter: Top Chef a'coming, Angel v. Perez, Fontainebleau's problems, coinful slots, changes to WSOP and more. Web: TheStripPodcast.Com Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com Voicemiail: 206-424-4737 E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com

Shecky's Complaint

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:31:57 +0000

When Steve makes a joke that’s so awful it’s funny, Miles refers to him as Shecky Friess. That’s because long before Steve was hamming it up badly, comic Shecky Greene was one of the legendary comedians who made Las Vegas what it is today. Greene, now 83, is back in town for a three-show gig at the Suncoast next month, so Shecky Friess chatted him up about being tackled by Buddy Hackett in the middle of Paradise Road, about crashing his car in the Caesars Palace fountains and about which of the current crop of comics he loves and which he hates with, as Shecky put it, “a purple passion.” Take a listen and have a great week. Web: TheStripPodcast.com Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Voicemail: 206-424-4737

Heavy Metal's Sweetest Star

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:27:00 +0000

In retrospect, Dee Snider was born to play Vegas. And finally, thanks to Monster Circus at the Las Vegas Hilton, that time has come for the long-haired, gravel-throated, lingerie-wearing front man for the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. The former choir boy from Long Island speaks this hour to Steve about the show, about just how subversive all that hard-rocking crossdressing was back in the day and about Barry Manilow’s reaction to sharing his showroom with this bunch. Plus, is Gene Simmons of Kiss really is as big a jerk as he seems? Snider has some interesting thoughts on that, too. In Banter: Le Reve's new ending, the Venetian's umbrella act, Wynn on TV, Hellmuth via chariot, bye-bye whore tax and a great new Vegas pay-per-view idea. Email: TheStripPOdcast@aol.com Web: TheStripPOdcast.com Voicemail: 206-424-4737 Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com

The Stevie and Marie Show, Part II

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:01:00 +0000

Stevie and Marie, Part II In Banter: MGM goes up and down, Tony Curtis is weird, CityCenter may seem cluttered and legislators ponder a whore tax. Last week she talked about genteel topics like Groucho Marx pinching her butt and brother Donny falling off tables. But this week, Marie Osmond gets controversial, particularly when she’s talking about what she knows about the behind-the-scenes world of Dancing With the Stars and American Idol. Blog: VegasHappenshere.Com Site: TheStripPodcast.Com Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Phone: 206-424-4747

FIXED: 4/1 SPECIAL: Friess v Elfman on KNPR

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:44:00 +0000

Steve appeared with the R-J's Doug Elfman for an hour on KNPR's State of Nevada with host Dave Berns. Fun, wide-ranging discussion.

The Stevie and Marie Show, Part I

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:55:00 +0000

She’s a little bit country and a little bit, well, you know the rest. But she’s also now a big bit of a Strip headliner. Marie Osmond, she of the gigantic gleaming smile stretched across the Flamingo, joins us this hour to talk about show business nepotism, performing with everyone from Groucho Marx to Snoop Dogg and the night she and Donny performed their Vegas show in the dark. In Banter: Freaks at O'Sheas, MGM drama, Follies bye- bye, Vegas impersonator jailed in Suriname. Web: TheStripPodcast.com Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Phone: 206-424-4734 Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com Twitter: Twitter.Com/TheStripPodcast

M Is For Money

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:55:00 +0000

His father built the Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas, Sam’s Town, the Rio, Caesars Forum Shops and countless other iconic structures. But now is 35-year-old Anthony Marnell III’s time, with the surprisingly successful opening of the $1 billion M Resort way, way, WAY south on Las Vegas Boulevard. Marnell the younger talks this hour about the future of his famous M Blimp, about growing up on Vegas construction sites and about why the new resort is in some ways a way for his father to receive the recognition he deserves. Plus, Steve confronts him about whether putting a pharmacy in a casino is, as Steve believes, predatory. In Banter: MGM Mirage's woes, Phil Ruffin's financing issue, Luxor billboards, hard-to-believe Lion King ticket sales, getting in trouble taking pictures in casinoes and thoughts on Terry Fator. Phone: 206-424-4737 Blog: VegasHappensHere.Com E-mail: TheStripPodcast@aol.com Web: TheStripPodcast.Com

SPECIAL: Steve on Vegas Entertainment on KNPR

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:53:02 +0000

Steve appeared on KNPR's State of Nevada on March 19 to chat about all things Vegas entertainment and business. Fun stuff.

Supersized Ep: The Race To Trump Mountain

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:48:03 +0000

This week, on the Strip: He’s bold, he’s brash, he’s arrogant. And he’s on this show tonight. Donald Trump spoke to Steve last month for a New York Times piece on the Vegas real estate crash that appears in the Friday, March 6, issue. You get to hear that conversation in full this hour, including Mr. Trump’s conclusion that the American economy is in a depression and his mockery of the stalled condo development at the Venetian. Also, we hear from the director of the new Disney adventure “Race To Witch Mountain� as he explains how a Vegas cab can get from Planet Hollywood to Fremont Street in 10 seconds flat. In banter: Siegfried & Roy's return, Vegas economic ups and downs, Elaine Wynn's In N Out fetish and M Resort has opened.Email: TheStripPodcast@aol.comSite: TheStripPodcast.comBlog: VegasHappensHere.comPhone: 206-424-4737

SPECIAL VIDEO EDITION: CIRQUE AUDITIONS

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:23:21 +0000

On Feb. 10, I observed Cirque du Soleil's open audition process for dancers. Here's some of the footage of what went on and how it worked. Read my Las Vegas Weekly column on the auditions by searching 'cirque' at VegasHappensHere.Com

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Dino's Boy

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:32:05 +0000

Before there was Shake-Your-Bon-Bon Ricky Martin, there was another singer by the same name, albeit spelled a little differently. Dean Martin's son Ricci joins Steve for a fun walk down memory lane, with some great anecdotes about Sinatra and Old Vegas and some thoughts on the children of celebrities.

This is an interview-only episode while we await the return of the LVRocks studio. And there will be a return! Stay tuned!

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The Impressionist Era of Las Vegas

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:16:21 +0000

Call it the impressionist period of Las Vegas. This month, three major impersonator acts open – or reopen. Danny Gans relocated to Encore, Terry Fator took Gans’ space at the Mirage and Gordie Brown, late of the Venetian, has returned to his old Golden Nugget haunts. Fator and Brown both join us this hour. Find out what Fator’s new Mirage-appropriate puppet will be and hear all about Brown’s early years as a celebrity stalker. Plus, Steve grills Brown on parts of his act he didn’t like.

In Banter: Behind the scenes at Cirque dance auditions, Oscar v Obama, Curtas v Encore, bye-bye La Cage and Heidi Fleiss, the Excalibur’s new deal.

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EXTRA: OSCAR GOODMAN PRESSER

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:08:27 +0000

Raw audio from LV Mayor Oscar Goodman's press conference on Feb. 12 about the flap with Obama. Very entertaining.

Poker's Hellian

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:33:19 +0000

He owns a record eleven World Series of Poker bracelets and has earned well over $8 million in his poker tournament career, but the reputed bad boy of Texas Hold ‘Em isn’t done yet. Phil Hellmuth, who has a forthcoming documentary and memoir, opens up this hour about his quest for bracelet number 12, about how why he stormed off the set of NBC’s Poker After Dark two years ago and about what the 2008 World Series of Poker final table contestants did wrong.

In Banter: Fishing in Vegas, a mea culpa and taxing the brothels.

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Diamonds in the Ruffin

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:37:20 +0000

Others may be more creative, more ambitious and more flamboyant, but nobody nobody on the modern scene today is as brilliant – or as fortunate – at making deals as Phil Ruffin. The 72-year-old Kansas billionaire sold the New Frontier land in 2007 for a record $35 million an acre before the real estate crash, and now he’s used a mere $775 million of that profit to pick up the Treasure Island. For the first time this hour, Ruffin discloses some new plans for the property, explains why he’s unlikely to ever buy a Harrah’s property and reveals the reason he’ll never build anything in Vegas. Plus, he dishes about Wynn, Trump, his young wife and the billionaires’ poker game he wins year after year.

In banter: Obama’s Vegas stage moment, Folies, Menopause and Scintas closing, Rita will go on and on, MGM Mirage’s reservation system woes, the F’Bleau will be finished, does anyone care about Joaquin Phoenix’s music career?

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The Top 10 Moments of 2008

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:03:38 +0000

Steve, Steve, Steve. Wynn, that is. We’ve tallied up the Top 10 moments of 2008 as voted on by you and, surprise surprise, Mr. Wynn is involved in some way in six of them. But, still, a few others made outrageously memorable remarks on this program during the year that was, and we take our annual look back at all of it tonight. For good measure, though, we’ve got some never-before-heard bits to keep it fresh. Plus, news from Vegas, a new trivia question and a poll. You’re on the Strip, brought to you by Priceline.Com and Hotels.Com, and we’re kicking off a new year with a new theme song!

In Banter: The mob museum, Octavius tower blues, our staycation at Trump and Encore and a very weird phone call.

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Mamma Mia Exit Interviews

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:17:50 +0000

The skeptics – including Steve -- said it would never work. A two-act, full-length musical scored by decades-old pop songs telling a convoluted story about parenthood and spandex could never, possibly succeed in Las Vegas. But succeed “Mamma Mia!� did, emboldening another half-dozen or so musicals to believe they, too, were Strip-worthy, only to find out that what Mamma Mia did so effortlessly was actually quite a feat. But all good things must come to an end, and on Sunday, Mandalay Bay said goodbye to Donna, Sophie, her three possible dads and the rest of the cast. We, however, aren’t done yet. Tonight we have live in the studio Brad Grey and Tim Tucker, the only two actors who stayed with the show for its entire, record-breaking Las Vegas run.

In Banter: New Year's Eve fireworks sucked, CityCenter's hiring, Stratosphere's laying off, The Harmon's in limbo, Tamara's stalled and Paris' empty showroom is a blessing.

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KNPR: Stratosphere Cuts

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:28:01 +0000

This is a clip form KNPR's State of Nevada hosted by Dave Berns in which James called during a discussion of economic problems this morning to report that half the employees at Top of the World restaurant at Stratosphere were told they're going part-time indefinitely.

...And A Wynning New Year

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:41:19 +0000

We’ve walked through Encore with him and chatted him up about everything from that damaged Picasso to the exact curvature of his resort towers. So what’s left to talk about with Steve Wynn? Well, it’s Steve Wynn, so there’s always more. We finish playing our pre-Encore interview tonight with discussion of Wynn’s athletic prowess, his concerns about the economy and a little Gandhi chit-chat, too.

In Banter: Switch at Encore, the view from Capital Grille, Criss Angel on Larry King, Danny Gans’ Encore poster and free coffee at Silverton.

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A Very Wynning Xmas

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:17:55 +0000

This is Steve Wynn’s week, no doubt about it. On what is traditionally one of the slowest nights in Las Vegas and in the middle of the worst recession in generations, he opened the doors to his $2.3 billion expansion, Encore. The results were a flood of curious explorers that led to bumper to bumper traffic on the Strip as far south as the Mandalay Bay and a line all the way into the Wynn casino. In honor of that milestone, over the next two weeks we’re presenting our interview earlier this month with Wynn in which he talks about everything from the shape of the buildings to the original plans for the Encore TV commercial.

In banter: Criss Angel woes, Encore first impressions, CityCenter shopping, the TI sale and more.

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