Our Las Vegas
Although each of us came originally from east of here, we love Las Vegas — its variety, the mix of people, great restaurants, the easy access to entertainment and we don’t even mind the climate.
Since so many of you come here to see Tom, we thought we’d share some of our favorite people and places and link you to some interesting attractions in case you want to do a bit of exploring between shows. We’ve linked to many of the places we talk about so it’s easier for you to check them out.
If you have anything to add, please do and, if you choose to go someplace we recommend based on our recommendation, please let us know what you thought of it. We’ll be adding more very often.
And, to stay up-to-date with the local community — especially if you are considering a move here — check out Vegas Community Online. Our friend Marleen Marino has the best community site in the city — no cheesy gossip, just lots of news and columns that cover every facet of life here. Check it out!
— Ellen & Ursula
The City of Entertainment
Wednesday, March 8th, 2006
In this city that is so full of bad fakes, Steve McCoy, one of the premier Tom Jones impersonators, is a treasure.
A landscaper from New Jersey, Steve won a Tom Jones look-alike contest and since then has never looked back. He’s played Tom in venues around the globe, quite often with Las Vegas’ fabled Legends in Concert show.
The most unusual thing about Steve — yes, it is unusual — is that he has the vocal chops to attack Tom’s most difficult material. (It Looks Like )I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Till and 200 Pounds are all part of his act at one time or another because he also keeps it current.
As Tom himself said when he brought Steve onstage at the MGM, “He’s the best I’ve ever seen…he does me better than me!” If you have the opportunity to see him, by all means do so.
The production of Phantom of the Opera that opened in June at The Venetian is aptly titled Phantom: The Las Vegas Experience. As you can see from the shot of the theater’s interior, it looks nothing like any other production. All the songs are intact, but the show has been cut to 95 minutes. The performers who opened it here are all from Broadway and include Tony-Award winner Anthony Crivello as the Phantom. Not to be missed!
Cirque du Soleil has five shows running in Las Vegas — O, Mystére, Zumanity (“the adult side of Cirque” restricted to people 18 and over), KÀ and the newest entry, Love, at The Mirage. It seems you cannot get two people who have seen the Cirque shows to agree on which is the best. Like imploding buildings, Cirque arguments are real sport in Las Vegas.
For example, Ursula loves Mystére and Ellen — entranced with the sheer technology of the theater — chooses KÀ.
But, the newest show, Love, is just perfect, especially for someone not in love with all the mime, the people in body suits jumping around and the new-age Enya-like music. Love is Cirque’s interpretation of the music of the Beatles and came out of a suggestion about doing a Cirque show to this music made by George Harrison several years ago. Sir George Martin, who produced the Beatles recordings (and, not incidentally, worked with Tom on a recording of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood) recreated the music for the production directly from the original tapes. It is spectacular.
They’re all worth seeing but be warned, Zumanity is very explicit, so it is not for the faint of heart or the narrow of mind.
Photo of KÀ by Tomas Muscionico; costumes by Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt © Cirque du Soleil Inc.
The Bootlegger Bistro is the restaurant that, today, is a rarity in Las Vegas. It is open 24/7 and each night offers entertainment. We love it and it is favored by Tom’s drummer, Herman Matthews. It’s about three miles south of the MGM on the South Strip and is worth a trip. Lots of celebrities frequent the place, so be prepared to spot ‘em. The food at The Bootlegger is traditional Italian and their pizza is to die for. There’s no charge if you stay in the bar area; there’s a small minimum in the dining room. It is the best bargain in town.
Of course, it goes without saying that, for our money, the best show in town remains Tom Jones.
As the staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote in naming him the 2006 Best Singer: “Yeah, baby! The Tomcat turned 65 last summer. But you can take that AARP card and shove it — in your wallet, then head to the record store and try to get a seniors discount on Reloaded. Put on the greatest hits CD and let Jones blow the doors off your Oldsmobile with the opening notes of If I Only Knew. Or you can just go down to the MGM Grand every so often to watch him do it live.”
Couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
March 9th, 2006 at 10:25 am
Ellen & Ursula,
Thank you for all this information on Las Vegas. It is particularly helpful for us single women traveling alone who don’t feel safe venturing out alone to explore the options. I will still be playing for that always-elusive jackpot and, of course, salivating over Sir Tom Jones, but at least now I have some other features to check out.
P.S. Earl Turner sure is a cutie!!
March 18th, 2006 at 11:55 am
I was one of the few invited to Earl Turner’s press show on Wednesday night and what a night that was…..the show was a very fast and such an entertaining show. Earl is a terrific performer, so cheerful, fun-loving and so warm. He also has a great interaction with his band who are all very good musicians. Earl is a great singer as well as a good comedian and I agree with Laura that he really is a cutie!!!!!! I got the chance to meet up with him after the show and he is such a genuine guy and so friendly. So, if in Vegas, don’t forget to take in his show at Palace Station, I will be there again next time I am in town.
March 18th, 2006 at 9:55 pm
Earl really was a show stopper!
He had charisma, a fabulous voice and is, if I may say so too, HOT.
He had great interaction with the audience which enhances the experience.
You go Earl and give Tom a run for his money!!!!!!!
March 19th, 2006 at 11:02 am
All these comments are right on the mark….except for that bit about giving “Tom a run for his money.” Although we can see Sharon’s point, as we noted above we tell Earl he’s the second-best entertainer and singer working in Vegas today. And we all know who we believe the best is. But that in no way diminishes Earl’s tremendous gifts. He sings and moves beautifully, engages his audience and is almost unbelievably dynamic. You cannot beat his version of Leo Sayer’s When I Need You or his takes on the soul music that influenced him. And his band is great, some doubling as back-up singers. We cannot recommend Earl’s show enough. If you love Tom, it is the perfect show for you. And if you do see it, please let us know what you think.
—Ellen & Ursula