PodKats!

Our guest this week is Ken Henderson, who has opened Notoriety on the top floor of Neonopolis. The multi-theater annex takes over the old Galaxy Theaters and Krave Nightclub space. Notoriety has hosted comedy, magic, and live music throughout COVID. Henderson told us of his vision for the venue, what’s coming next, and also his history as a Vegas native, including his time portraying Caesar at Caesars Palace.

Our guest this week is Sam Wills, better known as the comic mime Tape Face. The “America’s Got Talent” alum has been headlining at Harrah’s Showroom throughout COVID. He has added some speaking, some new props, and fake fans to his new socially distant show.

Our guest this week is Anne Martinez, who arrived in town in 2012 to sing in the adult revue “Bite” at the Stratosphere. She has since appeared in several top-notch productions on and off the Strip, including “Baz” at the Palazzo and “Fantasy” at Luxor. She is currently the main singer at “Sexxy After Dark,” at Larry Flint’s Hustler Club. The show is an offshoot of Jennifer Romas’ topless revue at Westgate Cabaret. Martinez has been busy throughout COVID, singing and performing at multiple venues, showing off her ample talent, versatility, and work ethic.

Our guest this week is the amazing Chris Wink. The inventive artist helped establish the Blue Man Group, which has headlined in Las Vegas since 2000. He split with the Blue Men in 2017, to take a creative position at Area15. He also developed Wink World: Portals To The Infinite.” The 15,000-square-foot, multisensory art experience is a celebration of Wink’s neon dreams

Our guest this week is a legend in the world of entertainment. He’s a 40-year performer and headliner in Las Vegas headed up his own show at Monte Carlo for 14 years ending in 2010. He’s since moved back to his original family farm in Kentucky, no longer a Las Vegas resident. But he made his mark in the magic world on the Strip. He is Master Magician Lance Burton.

Our guest this week is a longtime standup comic and also the manager of Laugh Factory at the Tropicana, Harry Basil. Harry has a history of headlining in Las Vegas dating to 1984 when he shared the bill with such rising stars as Louie Anderson, Andrew Dice Clay, and Jim Carrey. These days he is booking veteran comedians, including Dice Clay. He tells us of the challenges he has running the room during COVID, and also some memories of Rodney Dangerfield AND Jerry Lewis.

Our guest this week is the champion of Season 9 of “America’s Got Talent” and a five-year headliner at Linq Hotel, magician Mat Franco. Mat is set to return to the stage on December 17th. He tells us how he’s worked to keep sharp during COVID with online performances. He’s also adopted meditation over the long break in performances.

Our guest this week is MGM Grand headliner and TV star Brad Garrett. Brad has returned to Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, which has moved from the Underground at MGM Grand to Studio A & B at the entrance of MGM Grand Garden Arena. Garrett has returned to the stage for the first time in eight months. He is getting accustomed to the spaced-out seating arrangements, and pandemic protocols. He also talks about how he ran afoul of the Disney HR department during the taping of his ABC sitcom “Single Parents.”

My guest this week is the co-owner of Circa Las Vegas, and also co-owner of the D and Golden Gate, on Fremont Street, Derek Stevens. We met with Derek just a couple of days after Circa’s opening, at Victory Burger overlooking the Circa sportsbook. Derek explained his vision for the property, the challenges of opening during a pandemic, his signature amenities -- including Stadium Swim -- and who exactly is his clientele. This interview was also a Review-Journal Facebook Live broadcast, which Derek learned DURING the interview.

I am on the prowl, indeed! Welcome to PodKats! This is Kats, John Katsilometes, of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. My column is called Kats!, fittingly enough. Find it on page 3A every day, and online all the time. This is a landmark episode of PodKats! No. 100. We have collected a compilation of some of our favorite moments since debuting PodKats! in November 2018. Part 4 of 4

I am on the prowl, indeed! Welcome to PodKats! This is Kats, John Katsilometes, of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. My column is called Kats!, fittingly enough. Find it on page 3A every day, and online all the time. This is a landmark episode of PodKats! No. 100. We have collected a compilation of some of our favorite moments since debuting PodKats! in November 2018. Part 3 of 4

I am on the prowl, indeed! Welcome to PodKats! This is Kats, John Katsilometes, of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. My column is called Kats!, fittingly enough. Find it on page 3A every day, and online all the time. This is a landmark episode of PodKats! No. 100. We have collected a compilation of some of our favorite moments since debuting PodKats! in November 2018. Part 2 of 4

I am on the prowl, indeed! Welcome to PodKats! This is Kats, John Katsilometes, of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. My column is called Kats!, fittingly enough. Find it on page 3A every day, and online all the time. This is a landmark episode of PodKats! No. 100. We have collected a compilation of some of our favorite moments since debuting PodKats! in November 2018. Part 1 of 4

My guest this week is the first headliner to return to the Las Vegas Strip since the pandemic reopening, Piff The Magic Dragon. The comic magician whose legal name is John van der Put is moving from his self-named theater at Bugsy’s Cabaret to the Flamingo Showroom. He can play to 250 people, socially distant, and is returning with showgirl Jade Simone and Mr. Piffles, who turns 13 next month. Piff tells us what it feels like be ahead of the pack in returning to the stage in Vegas.

My guests this week are two acclaimed artists in Las Vegas, Brody Dolyniuk and Nina DiGregorio. He is the founder of the popular rock-cover band Yellow Brick Road. She is the founder of the rock-violin company Bella Electric Strings. They have performed around Las Vegas and across the country for many years, but their lives were turned upside down by the COVID shutdown. But the couple has found a silver lining in the arrival of their daughter Raina Marie, as they build a family during the pandemic.

My guest this week is the man forever known as Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton. Our chat takes place at his residence of Flathead Lake in northwestern Montana. Wayne talks of his early days in Las Vegas, his defining song “Danke Schoen,” and his relationship with Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, and how he hopes to return his “Up Close & Personal” show to Caesars Palace.

My guest this week is the man in charge of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Richard Bosworth. We call him “Boz.” He is presiding over a $200 million hotel-wide renovation of the old Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The resort is set to reopen January 15th, nearly a year after the original Hard Rock closed. There are many 16 new restaurants, an expanded casino floor, a giant pool deck, and renovations coming to the former Joint music hall.

My guest this week is an NFL legend, a pro football Hall of Famer and co-host of Fox Sports NFL coverage. He’s also the star of “The Bradshaw Bunch” reality show on E! Entertainment, and the “Terry Bradshaw Show” at Luxor. He is four-time Super Bowl champion and -- as it turns out -- something of a Las Vegas Raiders fan. He is Terry Bradshaw.

My guest this week is a rock and roll legend and co-founder of the Righteous Brothers, Bill Medley, who has been met with several challenges during the pandemic shutdown. The Righteous Brothers show at Harrah’s is sidelined. Bill underwent surgery to remove a growth from his throat in May, and he also lost his wife, Paula, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. Medley is eager to return to the stage, and has been performing live-stream shows with partner Bucky Heard at The Space in Las Vegas. Medley also turns 80 this week and talks about how he feels as he reaches that milestone.

My guest this week is Xavier Mortimer, the first Cirque du Soleil performer to ever headline his own show on the Las Vegas Strip. He has been the star of “Magical Dream” at two Las Vegas venues, most recently The Magic Attic at Bally’s. That’s where this interview was held, as we talk magic, social media, and reality TV with the great Las Vegas Strip magician.

My guest this week on a very special episode of PodKats! Live is burlesque star Melody Sweets, late of “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace. Sweets left the show in October of 2017 and is developing her own headlining show with Matt and Angela Stabile of Stabile Productions. This episode was originally a Facebook Live staged in the backyard of Sweets’ home in Las Vegas. So, you will hear drop-ins from John Di Domenico as Donald Trump, Piff The Magic Dragon, Xavier Mortimer, and Jennifer Romas of “Sexxy.” Enjoy.

My guests this week are Matt and Angela Stabile of Stabile Productions. Their company produces the adult reviews X Burlesque, X Country, X Rocks, and as Piff the Magic Dragon. All of those shows are in Caesars Entertainment hotels. Angela Stabile started her career as a dancer in such stage shows as Minsky’s Folies and Crazy Girls; Matt is an accomplished video editor and producer, and he comes from a famous entertainment family. His father, Joe, managed an entertainment legend for nearly 50 years.

Our guests this week are the two singers at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. supper club at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Skye Dee Miles, and Savannah Lynx. Miles has been a Vegas favorite for more than a decade, arriving to co-star in “Menopause The Musical” at Las Vegas Hilton and also performing for years at the Tropicana Lounge and 1923 Bourbon & Burlesque. Lynx joined Rose. Rabbit. Lie. last year and has been featured in Fantasy at Lu

Our guest this week is Brent Barrett, an original Phantom in “Phantom -- The Las Vegas Spectacular” at the Venetian. Barrett was in that role for two years, and has an extensive Broadway and touring resume. He has portrayed Billy Flynn in “Chicago” more times than any other actor, and also appeared in “The Producers” “Camelot” “Kiss Me Kate” and “La Cage Aux Folies.” He is currently entertainment director at The Vegas Room, the city’s new cool hang. The supper club is in the famous Commercial Center on East Sahara Avenue, and serves dinner with live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. The schedule expands to Thursdays on Labor Day weekend, with a show headlined by Barrett himself.

Our guest this week is Matt Goss, an 11-year Las Vegas resident headliner and a superstar in the U.K. During the COVID shutdown, the Bros. co-founder had been talking directly to fans on Instagram Live. He joins Kats at his home in Las Vegas to talk about those conversations, share some memorable moments from his career and discuss what’s next for him in Las Vegas and beyond.

Our guest this week is Italian siren and multi-language singer Giada Valenti, who has made her mark in Vegas in a short period of time. She hosts her own singing, interview and cooking shows on Facebook Live, has appeared on her own special on PBS and happens to have been the last headliner at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz at the Smith Center prior to the shutdown.

Our guest this week is the president and CEO of Fremont Street Experience, Patrick Hughes. Hughes has headed up the upgrade to the Viva Vision Light Show and advanced the promenade’s extensive live entertainment program, including the Downtown Rocks series of free concerts. He has announced unexpectedly that he will be leaving his post on Halloween of this year.

Our guests this week are Las Vegas power couple Kelly Clinton Holmes and Clint Holmes. Clint arrived in town in 1999 to headline at Golden Nugget and has been in residency at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz and Palazzo Theater. Kelly is the pride of Clark High School who sang with Wayne Newton and currently performs on Wednesday nights at Tuscany’s Piazza lounge.

Our guest this week is Rick Harrison, co-star of History channel's 'Pawn Stars' and co-owner of Gold & Silver Pawn in downtown Las Vegas, among other titles. Kats sat down with Rick at Gold & Silver Pawn, where they donned masks to discuss Pawn Stars, the pandemic and more.

Once again, we are joined by Adam Steck, founder of SPI Entertainment, which produces Thunder from Down Under, Hans Klok and the Australian Bee Gees show at Excalibur. This is part two of Kats's interview with Steck, so if you missed last Monday's episode, be sure to check it out before continuing on with this one.

Our guest this week is Adam Steck, the founder of SPI Entertainment, which produces Thunder from Down Under, Hans Klok and the Australian Bee Gees show at Excalibur. Steck also produces Boyz II Men at The Mirage and Human Nature, most recently at the Venetian. He’s looking to return to action as soon as possible at Thunderland Showroom, where this interview takes place.

Our guest this week is Big Elvis himself, Pete Vallee, whom Kats sits down with at the Piano Bar inside Harrah's Las Vegas, where Vallee has been a headliner since 2012. The city’s longest-running Elvis tribute artist, Vallee has been a headliner in Las Vegas since 1997.

Returning to PodKats! this week is Ross Mollison, the founder of Spiegelworld and producer of Las Vegas Strip production shows “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace, “Opium” at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and “Atomic Saloon Show” at The Venetian’s Grand Canal Shops. Mollison has become a leading entertainment figure in Las Vegas since arriving on the scene with “Absinthe” in 2011.

Our guest this week is David Saxe, the founder of David Saxe Productions, which has shows on stage at V Theater and Saxe Theater at Miracle Mile Shops. He has been in Vegas his entire life and joins PodKats! to share his perspective on the city's past, present and future.

My guest this week is the man behind the Mob in Las Vegas, The Mob Museum President and CEO Jonathan Ullman. Ullman outlines the museum’s new health and safety measures, describes some of his favorite exhibits and retraces the museum's history in the former federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas.

'Mobbed Up: The Fight for Las Vegas' is a brand-new podcast from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, chronicling the rise and fall of the mob in Las Vegas through wiretap recordings, archival audio and interviews with those who were around during the mob days. The first two episodes are available now. Subscribe by searching for 'Mobbed Up' wherever you listen to PodKats!, or visit www.reviewjournal.com/mobbedup for more information.

This week, we were record a socially distanced episode at the Las Vegas residence of Murray Sawchuck, also known as Murray the Magician, a veteran Las Vegas Strip headliner who debuted at The Frontier in 2002. He’s currently at the Laugh Factory at Tropicana and is the guest performer in Fantasy at Luxor. He also recently visited the Oklahoma zoo that was the center of the Netflix phenomenon “Tiger King.”

My guest this week is Earl Turner, a 30-year entertainer in Las Vegas who known as one of the top live performers in the business. Turner has headlined at such hotel-casinos as the Dunes, Rio, Las Vegas Hilton, Westgat, Aladdin, South Point, Suncoast and the Smith Center. He is heading up “Heart And Soul” on May 23, a benefit for the youth theater company Broadway in The Hood, which you can learn more about at www.broadwayinthehood.org. The online show will run live from 5-8 p.m. Pacific on Earl Turner Facebook fan page and the Broadway In The Hood Instagram.

Our guest this week is an international recording star, but so much more. She has dedicated her art and fame to mental health wellness. She also has a new album coming out, as well a rich history in Las Vegas. She is the one and only Jewel.

Our guest this week has the distinction of being the backup quarterback to Randal Cunningham at UNLV. He also has a long history of venue and event management in Las Vegas, most recently as Arena Director at South Point Arena. He is Steve Stallworth.

Our guest this week is Jon Taffer, who has spent 45 years in the hospitality business, saving bars while often employing some inhospitable methods. In his club-salvaging “Bar Rescue” TV series, he can be rough, even brutal, in his on-site assessments. Today, he is on a mission to “reset” the Las Vegas hospitality industry.

Our guest this week is accomplished Las Vegas nightlife executive Sean Christie. He has worked with such companies as the Light Group, Wynn and most recently, MGM Resorts International, where he signed on in 2017. During his time with MGM, Christie led the launch of such Park MGM clubs as NoMad Restaurant and Bar, Mama Rabbit, Moneyline and Mayfair Supper Club at Bellagio. Christie left the company on March 27, and he has ambitious plans for the future of Las Vegas nightlife.

Our guest this week is Travis Cloer, a former member of the Las Vegas cast of “Jersey Boys." Travis performed in the show from 2008 at Palazzo Theater through its closing at Paris Las Vegas in September 2016. Travis has been active on social media during the Coronavirus outbreak and has launched a series of performances, called 'QuaranTunes,' on his Facebook page.

Our guest this week is the creator, director and star of “Sexxy” at Westgate Las Vegas, Jennifer Romas. Romas has lived in Las Vegas since joining “Splash” at the Riviera in 1997. She has since been a favorite dancer and choreographer in the city and launched Sexxy in March of 2015. She talks of the family endeavor, how she has kept up the spirits of her cast, and where contracted entertainers can find financial support during the coronavirus outbreak. Resources for self-employed 1099 workers in Nevada: https://detr.nv.gov/page/covid-19_(coronavirus)_information_for_claimants_and_employers Disaster relief loan information for small business owners: https://covid19relief.sba.gov

Our guest this week is Las Vegas royalty, Myron Martin, who joins us to chat about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Las Vegas performing arts community. Martin has served as the director of Liberace Museum and as the director of the UNLV Performing Arts Center. Today he’s president and CEO of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts at Symphony Park in Downtown Las Vegas, which on March 12th celebrated its eighth anniversary.

Surprise! We're releasing the rest of our crossover episode with Penn's Sunday School a few days early, seeing that we could all use a little extra at-home entertainment during this period of social distancing. We'll be back with another new episode for you on Monday.

This week, we are joining forces with our friends at Penn’s Sunday School, the powerhouse podcast hosted by Las Vegas legend Penn Jillette, to release a crossover episode on both of our podcast feeds. Here is part one of my conversation with Penn and his co-host, Michael Goudeau. Part two will be up next Monday. (NOTE: This episode was recorded in February, prior to the coronavirus scare taking hold in Las Vegas and around the country.)

Our guest this week is the owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Mark Davis. He joined us at Sid’s Cafe inside Westgate Las Vegas to talk about the team's transition to Las Vegas, the coronavirus scare, free agency rumors, Neil Diamond and more. Note that this episode was recorded on March 9, and news on the coronavirus scare has moved quickly since then. For the latest news on the coronavirus, visit www.reviewjournal.com/coronavirus. All of the Review-Journal's coronavirus coverage is free for all visitors to the site.

Our guest this week is entrepreneur, fashion plate and fitness expert Austin "Chumlee" Russell. You may know him as an original co-star of “Pawn Stars” on History channel. The series originates from Gold And Silver Pawn in Las Vegas, where we sat down to talk about the Chumlee's weight loss journey, some of his side projects and the future of "Pawn Stars." 

Our guest this week is Lorena Peril, the star of and lead singer in “Fantasy” at Luxor. Peril has been in the show for about seven years, off and on. She has worked in Las Vegas since the early 2000s, including stints at the lounge at Planet Hollywood, Shimmer Cabaret at the Las Vegas Hilton and American Superstars at the Strat. She’s also a singer for Terry Bradshaw’s show at the Luxor. Peril talks of growing up in San Francisco, her time performing on cruise ships and how she became a star on the Strip.

Our guest this week is a Strip headliner since 1985, first at Evening at La Cage at the Riviera and later in Divas Las Vegas at Linq Hotel. His show was unceremoniously closed by Caesars Entertainment in June of 2018, amid a controversy centered on mismanagement of his relationship with Las Vegas charity Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada. All sides have moved on, and he is now the permanent host of “Legends In Concert” reviving his famous Joan Rivers portrayal. Legends is also a Las Vegas institution, dating to 1983. He is Frank Marino, and I talked to him about his career, his show’s closing and his revival as a star on the Strip.