By Judy Thorburn This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Owner/Editor in Chief/writer - Las Vegas Round The Clock
Owner/Editor in Chief/writer - The Flick Chicks
Director of Communications - Nevada Film Alliance
http://www.theflickchicks.com
Miss Asian Las Vegas Crowned at Inaugural Pageant
The Inaugural Miss Asian Las Vegas Pageant took place at The New Tropicana Las Vegas Saturday night, October 12. Several celebrities and VIPs in attendance included BMX star Ricardo Laguna, Patrick Lee who co-founded Rotten Tomatoes, Chris Phillips and Lydia Ansel of Zowie Bowie, magician Seth Grabel from America's Got Talent, Maren Wade from Vegas! The Show, Tropicana headliner Murray Sawchuck, and award-winning actor Hector Bustamante, who hosted alongside local anchor Patranya Bhoolsuwan. Local dignataries, Councilwoman Geri Schroder, Judge Cheryl Moss and Senator Ruben Kihuen also came to support the show, which opened with a beautiful cultural display of costumes as the delegates introduced themselves. The ladies then showed off their swimwear before dazzling the audience in their evening gowns.
Las Vegas delegates
As the contestants retreated backstage for another costume change, founder Annie Chang shared the impact that pageants had on her as a young woman. "Pageants inspired me to be more than I thought I could be and taught me about myself and my culture," said Chang. She then thanked all the people who supported her in creating Miss Asian Las Vegas including her sponsor, Mikimoto.
Founder Annie Chang
The audience was then treated to a video, in which each of the delegates shared what kind of animal they would be, if they had ever received a ticket while driving, if they had a favorite reality show, and their choice between eyes and smiles. The delegates than stated their platforms, which ranged from recycling to breast cancer awareness. Afterward, the top five delegates, Connie Tsang, Elisa Chan, Mira Chen, Catherine Ho and Alexandra Drechsler were chosen. The last portion of the pageant was questions from the judges in which the ladies were asked to randomly choose a card, that decided which question they would be asked. All the ladies demonstrated poise and confidence as they answered a variety of questions such as their opinion on cosmetic surgery and its impact on women.
Jennifer Nguyen
Mira Chen
Elisa Chan
Entertainment was provided by Jenny Cheng who sang "A Whole New World" and "Con Te Partiro" before the delegates were brought back on stage to hear the final results. In third place was Connie Tsang, Alexandra Drechsler came in second, first runner up was Elisa Chan and Catherine Ho was crowned the first Miss Asian Las Vegas.
Catherine Ho
Las Vegas title holders
Along with her title, Catherine received a $10,000 scholarship, $3,500 from Mikimoto, and will go on to compete in Miss Asian Global in San Francisco.
More than 200 Lovable Canines Take Over Marquee For Barquee Charity Event
TAO Group Cares (the charitable arm of TAO Group, including TAO/LAVO/Marquee) hosted its second annual BarQuee event at Marquee Dayclub on Thursday, October 10.
100% of the door proceeds from the event directly benefitted The Animal Foundation, a non-profit organization that operates Nevada’s largest open-admission animal shelter and pet adoption center. More than 400 guests attended the dogs-night-out, including over 200 four-legged companions.
After posing for photos on the poly-turf “green carpet,” owners sipped on specialty cocktails poolside, while mingling and visiting pet friendly vendor booths including Doggy Luxe, a high-end dog collar company, Doggie District, a popular local pet daycare, Earth Rated, makers of environmentally-friendly waste bags, and more. Those loveable pets didn’t miss out on drinking and socializing either, as Bowser Beer donated their dog friendly, non-alcoholic beer for a tasty dog libation. Due to the event's overwhelming success, BarQuee was extended an extra hour.
Entrance
Photo credit: Al Powers / Powers Imagery
BarQuee
Photo credit: Al Powers / Powers Imagery
BarQuee crowd
Photo credit: Al Powers / Powers Imagery
BarQuee carpet
Photo credit: Al Powers / Powers Imagery
BarQuee carpet
Photo credit: Al Powers / Powers Imagery
Bowser Beer
Photo credit: Al Powers / Powers Imagery
Hard Rock Cafes Las Vegas Presents Generous Donation to The Shade Tree
Continuing the corporate philosophy of “Take Time to Be Kind,” the Hard Rock Cafes in Las Vegas presented representatives from The Shade Tree with a check for $20,000 on Oct. 2, 2013.
The amount was raised through the Hard Rock’s 9th Annual Pinsanity Event, along with a portion of proceeds from every Hard Rock LIVE Grand Opening Pin sold.
“The Shade Tree provides such fundamental support to women and children in need in our community,” said Erin Ward, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager. “We are proud to select The Shade Tree as the recipient of this donation and thank the organization for all that it does.”
To help The Shade Tree and its mission of providing safe shelter to women and children in crisis, please visit http://www.theshadetree.org/Donate.
Additional recent and upcoming “happenings” in and around Las Vegas include:
HONEY SALT kicks off monthly cooking demonstrations at Williams-Sonoma (1001 S. Rampart Blvd. In Summerlin) Thursday, Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. – Noon. On the third Thursday of each month, Chef Brett Uniss will take shoppers on a culinary journey as they are shown step-by-step how to make two of Honey Salt’s signature items – the Turkey Meatballs and the Tuscan Bean Soup. Each month will feature two items – a Honey Salt staple and one seasonal offering. Everyone is invited to stop by Williams-Sonoma for this special event and join in on the festivities to learn the secrets (and the secret “weapons”!) used to create each dishes. The event is FREE to attend but attendees are asked to RSVP by calling Williams-Sonoma at 702-938-9480 Attendees will also receive a 10% discount off their purchases when attending the demonstrations (some items excluded).
On October 10, THE LAS VEGAS COMEDY CLUB at the V Theater joined the exciting lineup of shows inside the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. Nightly comedy will feature lineups of the best comedians from New York, Chicago, Boston, L.A. and Las Vegas. Each night, a different local host will kick off and emcee the show, offering a variety of the best local talent. Each show begins at 9 p.m.
The first month’s lineup includes:
October 10-15: Patrick DeGuire and Tim Metivier
October 16-22: Daryl Wright and Gary Caouette
October 23-27: Shawn Halpin and Tom Ayers
October 28-Sept 3: Robert Duchaine and Anton Knight
Twenty of the best American and Chinese competitive dancers will compete on stage at the MGM Resorts International on Friday, Oct. 18 for the title of best overall dancer in “SUPER DANCER BORN TONIGHT”. The one-time broadcast special will be filmed at MGM Grand Garden Arena and will air throughout mainland China in January. The event is FREE and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Hot on the heels of the successful first season of “So You Think You Can Dance China,” “Super Dancer Born Tonight” will allow dance fans to experience a wide range of high-caliber talent as these artists face off genre to genre…ballroom vs. ballroom, hip-hop vs. hip hop, modern vs. modern, etc. The competition will be intense as they battle for the ultimate title of “Super Dancer.”
On Saturday October 19th, Margaritaville Las Vegas will kick off its annual MARGARITAVILLE WEEKEND PARTIES to coincide with Jimmy Buffett’s Las Vegas concerts at the MGM Arena on October 19th and October 26th. Beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 19th and 26th, an all-day, outdoor FREE admission pool party at Flamingo Las Vegas Go Pool, will offer guests interactive games, great food and drinks, live entertainment by Tommy Rocker and exciting giveaways from Margaritaville including sunglasses, flip flops, frozen concoction makers and Jimmy Buffett concert tickets.
Fighters and match-ups will compete in Las Vegas for the WORLD AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS at Palms Casino Resort on Saturday, October 19. The top five (5) fighters of the evening will receive professional fighting contracts totaling $250,000. The World Amateur Championships is a first of its kind event with fighters from all over the world competing for their chance to become a professional MMA fighter for KING OF THE CAGE. The event will be broadcast live beginning at 6 p.m PST on MAV TV, Direct TV and Dish Network. Check with your local provider for the cable channel in your area. Viewer online voting, which will help determine the champions along with professional judges, will commence immediately following the first fight and continue until the last fight. The five winners will be announced immediately following the last fight.
Commonwealth and Cochon 555, a national culinary competition promoting heritage breed pigs, will join forces for ALL STAR-STAR COCHON, a late night Asian feast on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 5 p.m. The non-competitive pork tasting will celebrate the end of the Cochon 555 fifth anniversary tour. Featuring Chinese, Szechuan, Korean, Thai and Japanese fare, guests will devour the flavorful menu created by ten select chefs and butchers from across the country at the Downtown venue. Pork enthusiasts will also be treated to a head-to-head butcher demonstration. Priced at $100 per person, general admittance is available at 6 p.m. which includes food tastings, wines, beer, cocktails, ciders and the “Perfect Manhattan” Bourbon Bar.
“Rock of Ages” star, Mark Shunock, has announced that Opportunity Village will be the first charity to benefit from his new “MONDAYS DARK” series October 21, 2013, at 9:30 pm, at The Act inside The Venetian / Palazzo. In addition, some of the guests confirmed for the October 21st show include Dot-Marie Jones (Coach Beiste on GLEE) Jai Rodriguez (from MALIBU COUNTRY and QUEER EYE), as well as cast members from ROCK OF AGES and THE ACT in unique performances.
On the third Monday of every month at The Act at The Venetian / Palazzo, Shunock will gather an eclectic cast guests including stars from Hollywood, Vegas headliners, musical acts, athletes and celebrity chefs for 90 minutes of chat, entertainment - and a lot of laughs. Each month “Mondays Dark” will partner with a different Las Vegas-based charity and Shunock’s goal is to raise $10,000 per month for each charity, with an estimated grand total of more $100,000 over the next twelve months. Each evening will be professionally filmed and uploaded to the Mondays Dark website to further spread the word and raise funds for each charity. “Mondays Dark” will also feature musical director Lon Bronson and his Lon Bronson Band. Tickets are $20.
Two-time Tony Award-winning hit musical AMERICAN IDIOT, based on Green Day's Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum album of the same name, will be in residence at the intimate UNLV Judy Bayley Theatre Oct. 21-Nov. 9 as the Broadway director and designers work with UNLV students in reworking their tour. In addition, two special performances benefiting the Nevada Conservatory Theatre at UNLV will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, and 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 9. Tickets are just $30; $25 for students, seniors, and military.
The UNLV Performing Arts Center and the Department of Music welcome the FRY STREET QUARTET as part of the Chamber Music Series at 7:30pm on Tuesday, October 22 in the Doc Rando Recital Hall of the Beam Music Center. Hailed as “a triumph of ensemble playing” (The New York Times), Fry Street Quartet has performed for audiences from Carnegie Hall to Jerusalem, exploring the medium of the string quartet with “profound understanding,…depth of expression, and stunning technical astuteness” (Deseret Morning News). Tickets to Fry Street Quartet are $25 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 895-ARTS (2787) or by visiting pac.unlv.edu. Student rush tickets are $10 each (not inclusive of the facilities fee), and available one hour prior to each event, based on availability and with valid student I.D. UNLV faculty and staff discounts also are available. A $1.25 facilities fee, in addition to the ticket price, is charged on all Performing Arts Center tickets.
The beautiful ladies of FANTASY, the sultry revue at Luxor Hotel and Casino, will debut their 2014 “Unleash Your FANTASY” calendar Tuesday, Oct. 22.Shot by renowned photographer Oscar Picazo, “Unleash Your FANTASY” captures each FANTASY showgirl in stunning animal print body paint. Each showgirl was meticulously hand-painted by artists L’creme Giordanno and Carlos Marin. As a bonus, two months of 2013 also will be featured in the exotic calendar. The calendar will be available for purchase at various retail locations throughout Luxor, including the Atrium Showroom, for only $20.
“BEAUTY MEETS FASHION” on Thursday, Oct. 24 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. will feature a fashion show by Eccoci at Boca Park and medical aesthetics presentation by plastic surgeon Brian Juel Parker and aesthetic nurse specialist Sandra Bendavid. This FREE special event with unbeatable Botox and Juvederm offers will be held at 9499 West Charleston Blvd., Suite 200, Las Vegas, NV 89117. Reservations can be made by calling 702-240-9500.
LASERSPECTACULAR, a multi-media laser and light show, presents the Music of Pink Floyd “Live” Featuring a Live Performance by Brody Dolyniuk, 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 26 at the Henderson Pavilion, 200 S. Green Valley Pkwy. Tickets start at $15.
PBR Rock Bar & Grill inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will host a ‘HAUNTED HOE-DOWN’ Halloween celebration on Thursday, Oct. 31. In honor of the holiday, the Strip-side destination will present a costume bull riding competition at 8 p.m and a late night costume contest inside Rock Bar. Libations such as Jack-o’-lantern shots, mixing Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Fireball Cinnamon Whisky will be available for $5.
Celebrity Sightings:
Wednesday, Oct. 9...
Singer-Songwriter Franky Perez, known for his solo work and affiliations with Slash and Scars on Broadway, was spotted jamming with local band The Busker Kings at Cabo Wabo Cantina.
Franky Perez and Beau Doyle
Photo courtesy of Cabo Wabo Cantina
Shawn Eifferman and Franky Perez
Photo courtesy of Cabo Wabo Cantina
Thursday, Oct. 10...
Drummer and associate editor of Modern Drummer, Billy Amendola, stopped by the Saxe Theater to see BeatleShow! Amendola met with BeatleShow! drummer Bobby Taylor who performs in the role of Ringo Starr, and posed for photos by the BeatleShow! drum kit.
Billy Amendola, May Pang and BeatleShow's Bobby Taylor
Amendola enjoyed the show along with family and friends, including May Pang, who was a companion of John Lennon and influential in his solo recording career, particularly his album “Walls and Bridges” for which she was awarded an RIAA Gold Album Award for her contributions.
Breakout hip hop artist A$AP Ferg dined at TAO Asian Bistro with friends, before celebrating the recent release and growing success of his debut album “Trap Lord” at TAO Nightclub.
A$AP Ferg
Photo Credit: Al Powers, Powers Imagery
Trace Adkins, country music artist and actor, dined at Tacos & Tequila inside Luxor Hotel and Casino. After dinner at the popular Mexican eatery, Adkins and his friends attended the Carrot Top show.
Professional hockey player Ilya Bryzgalov was spotted enjoying Blue Man Group’s one year anniversary performance at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino Bryzgalov is a former Olympian, won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in the 2006 – 2007 NHL season and currently serves as goaltender for the Las Vegas Wranglers. The athlete was accompanied by his wife and two kids and attended a private VIP meet-and-greet with cast members following the show.
Ilya Bryzgalov and family
Photo courtesy of Blue Man Group
Friday, Oct. 11...
LAX Nightclub inside Luxor Hotel and Casino celebrated six successful years on the Las Vegas Strip with an exclusive performance by the world-famous dance crew Jabbawockeez ( including Jeff “Phi” Nguyen, Kevin “KB” Brewer, Chris “Cristyle” Gatdula, Ben “B-Tek” Chung, Phil “Swagger Boy” Tayag and Tony “Transformer” Tran).
Nearing their big finale and to officially commemorate LAX Nightclub’s momentous anniversary, Jabbawockeez paused for a moment as they pointed up to the ceiling where bursts of confetti and more than 600 balloons fell from the rafters.
Jabbawockeez
Photo credit: Karl Larson/Powers Imagery, LLC.
VIP Loft L-R Phil Tayag, Tony Tran, Chris Gatdula, Phi LAX Nightclub
Photo credit: Karl Larson/Powers Imagery, LLC.
Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson took center stage at Cabo Wabo Cantina to host the Tecate Pre-Fight Bradley vs Marquez Party.
The boxing legend and Las Vegas resident was accompanied by two Tecate models. The night also welcomed former boxer Marco Antonio “Baby-Faced Assassin” Barrera who stepped in the ring with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas six years ago.
Mike Tyson with Tecate models
Mike Tyson with announcer
Marco Antonio Barrera signing autographs.
Extra” host and actor Mario Lopez celebrated his 40th birthday in high style with fun, frolic and fine dining at Wynn Las Vegas. The weekend was the first major public appearance for Mario and his wife, Courtney Mazza Lopez, together since the birth of their son, Dominic, last month. The “Saved by the Bell” alumnus, Courtney, and a group of 10 close friends got the party started Friday night taking in a performance of Le Reve – The Dream. After the jaw-dropping show, Mario met the cast and posed for photographs. Mario and his party then dined at celebrity hot spot Andrea’s where they shared executive chef Joseph Elevado’s Asian fare. After enjoying an ice cream flight and cake pops for dessert at Andrea's, the group transitioned into the adjacent Surrender Nightclub at 11:30 p.m.
A boxing enthusiast since high school, set to announce the Bradley/Marquez fight the next night for HBO Boxing, Mario was surprised and delighted with a custom boxing themed cake which arrived with fanfare, complete with confetti, as it was presented by Surrender Nightclub's lovely cocktail servers and go-go dancers.
Mario Lopez with cast of LeReve
Photo credit: Erik Kabik/Retna
Mario and Courtney Lopez at Andreas
Photo credit: Erik Kabik/Retna
Mario and Courtney Lopez at Surrender
Photo credit: Erik Kabik/Retna
Saturday, Oct. 12...
Mario Lopez, wife Courtney and friends gathered at Botero, the steakhouse at Encore, for dinner.
Mario and Courtney Lopez at Botero
Photo credit: Erik Kabik/Retna
Afterwards, Mario and 15 of his closest friends gathered at XS to continue the star's 40th birthday. At the stroke of midnight, it was officially Courtney's birthday, and the XS staff surprised her shortly after 1 a.m. with her own parade of lights and confetti to ensure she had her own special moment. Shortly after, headlining DJ Afrojack took the stage for his dynamic set.
Mario and Courtney Lopez at XS
Photo credit: Erik Kabik/Retna
Renowned DJ Ruckus, celebrating his 30th birthday, and hip-hop legend Rev Run put on an unrivaled performance at the Ling Ling Club inside Hakkasan Las Vegas at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.
As Rev Run took a moment to wish the turntable master a happy birthday, a dozen Hakkasan cocktail waitresses appeared holding signs that spelled out Ruckus’ name while confetti flew through the air and the birthday boy was presented with his cake, that resembled a turntable with a Hakkasan branded record and topped with his neon Beats By Dre headphones.
While the birthday celebration continued in the Ling Ling Club, international DJ sensation Calvin Harris spun his heart-pumping beats in the main room.
Rev Run and DJ Rukus
Photo credit: Brenton Ho of Powers Imagery LLC / hakkasanlv.com
DJ Rukus with birthday cake
Photo credit: Brenton Ho of Powers Imagery LLC / hakkasanlv.com
Grammy award-winning R&B singer Ashanti dined with friends and family at LAVO Italian Restaurant, kicking off her night of birthday celebrations. Afterwards the singer took to the stage at LAVO Nightclub, performing a master medley of her biggest hits. In celebration of Ashanti's 33rd birthday, LAVO then presented the birthday girl with a shimmering pink three-tier cake adorned with a microphone and branded with the name of her upcoming album "Braveheart," which is set to release in November.
At TAO, Comedian Dane Cook started his night with friends in TAO Asian Bistro's dining room. They then made their way to a VIP table at TAO Nightclub where they partied to the sounds of DJ Vice.
Ashanti performing at LAVO
Photo credit: Al Powers, Powers Imagery
Ashanti with birthday cake at LAVO
Photo credit: Al Powers, Powers Imagery
Sunday, Oct. 13..
Criss Angel stopped by the Saxe Theater to catch fellow magician Nathan Burton’s production show, Nathan Burton Comedy Magic. The “Mindfreak” magician’s new Spike TV show “BeLIEve” will feature Nathan Burton on upcoming episodes.
Comedy Magician Nathan Burton with BeLIEve star Criss Angel
Photo courtesy of the Saxe Theater
Actor Ed Westwick, best known for his role on the television drama “Gossip Girl,” was spotted partying to the sounds of Dash Berlin at Marquee Dayclub’s season closing party.
Sunday night, two-time America's Best DJ winner Kaskade held a meet and greet with eager fans in The Library at Marquee Nightclub. He was announced onto the red carpet by the editor of DJ Times Magazine, Jim Tremayne, and the Senior Marketing Manager of Pioneer, David Arevalo. In the main room of the nightclub, Seven Lions took to the decks and got the party started. Later that night, Tremayne and Arevalo hopped on stage to address the crowd and present Kaskade with a plaque as the winner of America's Best DJ 2013 and a customized 24 karat gold Pioneer mixer.
At TAO and LAVO, R&B songstress Ashanti continued her birthday weekend with dinner at TAO Asian Bistro followed by a late night stop at LAVO Nightclub, where the club hosted her official celebration the previous evening. Afterward, Ashanti joined DJ Vice, who was also celebrating his birthday, in the DJ booth to surprised club goers with an impromptu performance of “Foolish” and “Happy.”
David Arevalo, Kaskade and Jim Tremayne
Photo Credit: Al Powers, Powers Imagery
America's Best DJ Party at Marquee
Photo Credit: Al Powers, Powers Imagery