Newman inks return to Nomad nights
Bis returning for his cool hang at Nomad Restaurant at Park MGM. Lady Gaga’s bandleader for more than a decade and a masterful showman, Newman is back with his “After Dark” shows for 20 dates from Oct. 17 to Dec. 30. The shows start at 11 p.m. Tickets are
$49 (fees included) and will be on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at ticketmaster.com.
Newman’s return lines up with Gaga’s next dates at Park Theater at Park MGM, adjacent to Nomad Restaurant. Gaga showed up, unbilled, three times at “After Dark” — including the night Tony Bennett sang with her — and performed several songs in the second set. Newman’s two-set performances also showcase burlesque numbers and include a splashy introduction with Las Vegas showgirls.
Newman’s wife, Angie Pontani, is a former Miss Exotic World champion in Las Vegas and is expected to perform in a few of the upcoming shows.
Leading the party on trumpet and vocally, Newman has plugged into the Vegas entertainment scene by bringing up singers Jaclyn Mcspadden and Ariana Savalas and tapdance ace Aaron Turner (in a truly classic moment) from “Postmodern Jukebox.” He’s also given guest spots to the comic clown character Puddles Pity Party.
New to the upcoming residency is a three-course, prix fixe dinner for $75 per guest (not including beverage, tax and gratuity). Seating for dinner is 9 p.m. only.
Newman appears onstage with Gaga in her terrific “Jazz + Piano” big-band production. He has been known for years in the New York club scene, headlining such haunts as
The Oak Room, Birdland, The Mckittrick Hotel and The Rose Bar. His most recent release,
“Showboat,” is a blend of such jazz greats as Miles Davis along with Newman’s own influences, among them Nirvana, Beck and Thin Lizzy . He and Gaga originally bonded over their shared love of jazz. They have the same tattoo on their right arms of Miles Davis’ trumpet, from a drawing by Bennett.
Strat’s reach
These are some high times at the Strat, and, yes, I meant the pun.
I toured the property Tuesday, a tall order (yes to that one, too) dialed up by Golden Entertainment Senior Vice President of Marketing Brad Goldberg and Golden Entertainment Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Arcana. Some of the highlights:
A Strip debate. Here we go again.
The Strat execs consider themselves part of the Strip, and I agree. The collective reason is, the famous tower serves as a logical tent post to the north end of the Strip, with the “Welcome to Fabulous
Las Vegas” sign to the south. “Whenever you see a photo of the Strip, this iconic building is part of it,” Goldberg says. Clark County officials might scoff, as the Strat is zoned in the city of Las Vegas, with the city/clark County border at Sahara Avenue. It is the only resort in the city that can justifiably claim to be on the Strip.
The Strat brass also reminds that their hotel is the logical gateway to downtown Las Vegas and the Arts District, the lone resort that can at least attempt to reach clientele downtown to the north and the Strip to the south.
An arch for that gateway. Yes, an arch over Las Vegas Boulevard is planned to formally welcome motorists and pedestrians to downtown Las Vegas. This piece is to be built just north of the hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard, replacing the sort of underwhelming sign over Sahara and the Strip that reminded folks there was a downtown area to the north. Specifics are to be determined, but the arch should be up next year.
Skywalk action. A glass walkway, looking all the way down from level 109, should be finished by the end of 2020.
Guest-rooms refresh. We checked out an extensively refurbished standard guest room, more modernized and looking nothing like the old guest rooms of the Stratosphere days. I learned that bathtubs in guest rooms are becoming passe. It’s all showers these days. About 1,000 guest rooms should be completed by the end of 2020.
New live entertainment havens. One is on the casino floor, still under development. Another is in the space of the old Stratosphere lounge. Goldberg is still thinking of a name for the spruced-up spot. Meantime, someone should develop an act called the Strat Pack and pitch a concept, pronto.
New Skypod amenities. Especially impressed with the 108 Eats restaurant, a partnership between the hotel and James Trees of the wonderful Esther’s Kitchen in the Arts District.
A Sartini sighting. Golden Entertainment Chairman and CEO Blake Sartini was behind the construction walls, consulting with workers in the under-renovation space at the hotel entrance. His imprints and fingerprints are evident throughout the hotel’s revamp and rebranding effort. The Blake, as a name for the renovated entertainment venue, would be a righteous move.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section.
His Podkats! podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/ podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal. com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @Johnnykats1 on Instagram. As of 9 p.m. Wednesday:
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