Marino, Make-a-wish reach agreement
Fand Make-a-wish Southern Nevada have made peace. The iconic Strip headliner and host of the drag revue “Divas Las Vegas” at The Linq Hotel and the prominent children’s charity issued a joint statement Wednesday saying they had settled the dispute that closed the show last month.
Marino has committed to an unspecified financial settlement to Make-a-wish covering donations he’d promised the charity. A provision of the agreement is the total amount would not be made public, but Marino has said the figure he offered would exceed what was owed “many times over.”
Since “Divas” opened at the then-imperial Palace in 2010, Marino had been announcing from the stage at the end of every show that funds from his merchandise sales would be delivered to Make-a-wish. An internal investigation by Linq Hotel owner Caesars Entertainment revealed Make-a-wish had not received those donations, as Marino himself said, “for quite some time.”
A 33-year star on the Strip, Marino made what would be his final performance June 26. He and Caesars confirmed the show’s closing June 30. Both Caesars Entertainment and Marino said the decision was mutual, with Caesars emphasizing that the Make-awish dispute was the reason.
The statement issued Wednesday, as approved by Marino’s representatives and the Make-a-wish Board of Directors:
“Make-a-wish Southern Nevada and Frank Marino and his company, Her-larious Entertainment, LLC, are pleased to report that they have entered into a mutually agreeable arrangement to resolve the issues surrounding the payments to Make-awish from proceeds derived through the ‘Divas Las Vegas Show’ that ran at The Linq.”
Marino, 54, has said he plans to keep the “Divas” brand alive and return the show to a Strip showroom. The production opened as “Evening at La Cage” at the since-imploded Riviera in 1985.
Emmet eliminated
A flawless rendition of “Caruso” was not enough for Strip performer Daniel Emmet in the “America’s Got Talent” judge cuts episode Tuesday night. Though Emmett’s spot-on performance drew a standing ovation from the audience and four of the five judges (with Simon Cowell seated as he clapped), he was not among the seven of 18 acts to advance.
One of those who did move on, vocalist Christina Wells, actually sang off-key during her performance of “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman.” The judges were heard making that point in a side conversation after she sang. But Wells, who is a fulltime nurse, is a highly appealing presence. The typically hardened Cowell was in tears during the song.
As for Emmett, he’s back at “The Cocktail Cabaret” at Cleopatra’s Barge at Caesars Palace, where Vegas has talent.
Piff at 500
Column fave Piff the Magic Dragon, loser of Season 10 of “America’s Got Talent,” has surpassed 500 shows at the Flamingo Las Vegas. He made the mark Tuesday night, and producers Matt and Angela Stabile of Stabile Productions presented him with a commemorative key before the performance.
But the couple had not sorted out what the key was to open until moments before handing it over onstage. They just had a key in a bag.
“Should it be the key to the hotel?” Angela asked. “Key to the theater?” Matt finally said, “Dressing room. He practically lives in his dressing room.” So Piff (legal name John Van der Put) and showgirl sidekick Jade Simone accepted the oversize, antique brass key and commemorative shirts reading, “I Did 500 Shows at the Flamingo and
All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt.”
Digit!
The Golddiggers were (ahem) wandering all over town last week. Dean Martin’s backing singers from his TV variety show in the late 1960s and early ’70s dropped into the Bronx Wanderers show at Bally’s Windows Showroom last Wednesday. The pop-in was part of the group’s 50th anniversary of its debut on Martin’s summer show, “Dean Martin Presents the Golddiggers.”
Bronx Wanderers founder and band leader Vinny Adinolfi departed the stage during that night’s performance, returning in a tux and launching into the Martin standard “Everybody Loves Somebody.” The Golddiggers — Liz Kelley of Kansas City, Missouri; Sheila Allan of Henderson; Patty Booth of New Orleans; Lynn Steiner of Sacramento, California; and Nancy Bonetti of Plano, Texas — joined the song.
The ladies later hit Kelly Clinton-holmes’ show at Piazza Lounge at Tuscany Suites. During their time together, they also dined at Casa Di Amore, hosted a meet-and-greet at Anthem Country Club and added another dinner party Saturday at Cili at Bali Hai Golf Club.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@ reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @ Johnnykats1 on Instagram. As of 9 p.m. Wednesday:
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