‘Magic Mike’ showroom getting primed
Aquick scan of the Vegasville scene, where on Wednesday night we observed a socially distant Humphrey Bogart statue wearing a face mask. Catch Bogie at the entrance of the dining room at the Italian American Club.
Magic Renaissance
Tapping into the city’s thirst for male revues, “Magic Mike Live” has announced its theater is under construction at Sahara Las Vegas.
The Channing Tatum- Base Entertainment production is moving to a spring 2021 opening. That time line is as flexible as the cast, given the COVID reopening uncertainties. “MML” had a strong run at the Hard Rock Hotel from 2017 through last fall when the show shut down to plan its move to the Sahara.
“MML” will be the hotel’s signature production. It is also its only production, at the moment.
Executive producer Vince Marini said in a statement, “Our goal for the flagship production in Las Vegas is to create our most unique, intimate and technically advanced venue in the world. We want to provide our fans with a revamped, electrifying show that is the product of years of creative evolution and is truly worthy of its new home on the Las Vegas Strip.”
Magic Mike Live Theater is set to seat 450, capacity increasing to 500 with standing-room only. The venue is up the escalators in the second-floor ballroom and convention-center space. Sahara general manager and senior vice president Paul Hobson noted the show would fit into the resort’s $150 million upgrade. As he said in a news release, “Like Sahara, ‘Magic Mike Live’ creates truly unique and memorable guest experiences, which is why the show is the ideal fit to serve as the centerpiece of our entertainment lineup.”
“Magic Mike Live,” “Chippendales” at the Rio and “Thunder From Down Under” at Excalibur all plan to return to the stage in 2021. I’ve long said that one of the few solid bets in Vegas entertainment are male revues. “Thunder” and “Chipps” have been around since the early 2000s, and “Magic Mike” has a commitment from its resort and an A-list movie star.
Three and out
Daredevil artist Jonathan Goodwin, sword swallower/ danger artist Brett Loudermilk and mentalist Max Major have all been eliminated from “America’s Got Talent” after Tuesday’s semifinal round. That leaves aerialist Alan Silva
from “Zumanity” as the city’s lone finalist. He’s in the finale at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The winner will be crowned on Wednesday.
No aerial artist has ever won “AGT” and no, we don’t believe in jinxing anyone’s action.
Xavier’s strategy
Xavier Mortimer conferred with fellow magician and social media star Rick Lax to build an online presence during the COVID shutdown. Mortimer had been posting quick clips to Instagram when Lax suggested moving to Tiktok.
“He said, ‘It’s going to be trending soon,’ ” Mortimer said during an episode of “Podkats!” that posted Monday. “I said to people, ‘This Tiktok, this is for kids,’ but I already had these videos so said, ‘Let’s just post them.’ ”
One of Mortimer’s first videos, of him checking out of a Walmart with a disappearing credit card, drew 4 million views overnight.
“I said, ‘What!’ “Mortimer recalled. “I got, from that one video, 150,000 followers. I have never seen anything like it.”
The key now will be to use that platform to draw about 300 actual ticket holders to The Magic Attic at Bally’s.
Roux for you
“Roux,” a mix of contemporary arrangements from Anne Martinez and Lisa Marie Smith, debuts at 6 p.m. Saturday from The Space.
“It’s big and brassy and pretty,” Martinez said. She re-arranged such numbers as Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” with trumpet great Isaac Tubb, who during the shutdown has become Smith’s fiance. Cue the band, as we say.
From Gaga
Billboard published an extensive, exhaustive and revealing profile of Lady Gaga on its current cover. But there is no reference to her sidelined, dual residency productions at Park Theater on the Strip.
Nonetheless, one noteworthy quote, referring to the influences on dance music and other artistic genres: “All music is Black music. That’s just a fact.”
Another memorable comment: “I have no idea what people think or don’t think. I really don’t have an actual perfect grasp on how I’m viewed.”
Ah. Well, I’ve viewed her with great admiration in her pop show and, especially “Jazz + Piano” and am eager for that return, along with Brian Newman’s late-night hang at Nomad Restaurant. And Gaga’s “911” short film is out Friday.