Saturday, July 18, 2015

Penn & Teller Donald Trump Feud

Las Vegas showmen Penn and Teller are currently doing a run on Broadway in New York City. Las Vegas hotel owner Donald Trump randomly insulted Penn on twitter saying "I hear @pennjillette show on Broadway is terrible. Not surprised, boring guy (Penn). Without The Apprentice, show would have died long ago."

In response to the Trump insult, someone created this mock advertisement for the Penn and Teller Broadway show. To which Penn responded on twitter, "You know, this makes me laugh a little:"

Friday, July 17, 2015

Skyfall Lounge and Rivea Restaurant

Skyfall Lounge and Rivea restaurant are opening this fall at Delano Las Vegas. Skyfall and Rivea will be located at the former Mix Restaurant and Lounge location on the top floor of Delano (formerly The Hotel at Mandalay Bay).

Description of Skyfall Lounge:
Coming Fall 2015 With unparalleled 180-degree views of the city below, Skyfall Lounge will offer an evolving nightlife experience that gradually increases in tempo as the night progresses. The warm and inviting space will make it possible for guests to sip a glass of Champagne while watching the desert sunset or dance the night away as DJs spin Electro and dance music in the vibrant space from 10 p.m.

Description of Rivea:
After Saint-Tropez and London, Rivea comes to Las Vegas offering a renewed take on a French and Italian influenced cuisine from internationally celebrated Chef Alain Ducasse. A breezy, laid back atmosphere of white and maritime blues welcomes guests and sets a relaxed vibe while offering unparalleled, 180-degree views of the city below. Menu items inspired by the delectable food markets of Provence and Italy create the casual and vibrant nature of the Riviera, with a focus on simple, fresh plates by Executive Chef Bruno Riou and the best seasonal ingredients from the West Coast.

Sources: Skyfall Lounge job posting and Delano Las Vegas.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

New Monte Carlo Theater in 2016

A new 5,000 seat theater will be built at Monte Carlo and open in 2016 according to a MGM Resorts International Press Release. The new theater will be adjacent to The Park development and MGM-AEG Arena.



The theater construction will cause some of MGM Resorts' signature shows to be shuffled around. Blue Man Group will move from Monte Carlo to Luxor this fall, while Jabbawockeez will move from Luxor to MGM Grand. This means both of these shows will be moving back to the properties where they first performed in Las Vegas.

With a 5,000 seat theater it looks like MGM Resorts is looking to attract the type of headliners who currently reside at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and the AXIS Theater at Planet Hollywood - both owned by Caesars Entertainment.



The Monte Carlo theater will also help attract even more people to restaurants and bars which will be a part of The Park development. Between the arena and the theater there should be an event going on almost every night of the week.

Monte Carlo has been rumored to undergo a re-branding that could include a new name. It would make sense if this renaming takes place around the time of the theater and arena opening in 2016. We will have to see if Monte Carlo gets a new name, or if they decide to keep it as Monte Carlo.

Renderings: MGM Press Release.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

2015 WSOP November Nine Final Table

The 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event is down to the final table. The remaining November Nine players will continue to battle for the title this fall at Rio Las Vegas. 6,420 players started the tournament, each putting up a $10,000 buy-in.

The biggest story however might be the player who didn't make the final table. Daniel Negreanu was by far the most famous poker pro in contention, and was likely the only recognizable name to casual poker fans. Negreanu finished in 11th place taking home $526,778. Negreanu knows what it feels like to come up just short of the title - he also finished 11th in 2001. I'm sure he's disappointed but just making it that far in a field of 6,420 players is a huge accomplishment.

PlayerCountryChips
Joseph McKeehenUSA63,100,000
Zvi SternIsrael29,800,000
Neil BlumenfieldUSA22,000,000
Pierre NeuvilleBelgium21,075,000
Max SteinbergUSA20,200,000
Thomas CannuliUSA12,250,000
Joshua BeckleyUSA11,800,000
Patrick ChanUSA6,225,000
Federico ButteroniItaly6,200,000

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Mirage Volcano Cutting Showtimes

The famous volcano in front of The Mirage will be reducing the number of times it erupts per night. The volcano showtimes will be 8 and 9 pm on weekdays (Sunday through Thursday) with an additional 10 pm show on weekends (Friday and Saturday).

Previously the volcano had erupted every half hour from dusk until midnight. It has operated since the hotel opened in 1989. The volcano was upgraded in 1996 and underwent another major renovation in 2008.

Unfortunately this marks another reduction of free attractions on the Strip. The MGM Grand lion habitat,the Pirate Show at Treasure Island, and the Rio Show in the Sky were some other free attractions that closed recently. While the volcano isn't closing completely it's upsetting nonetheless.

It appears MGM Resorts International is reducing the volcano's hours as a cost cutting measure. MGM has also been selling assets recently. It seems like they need money for something. I guess they are watching their pennies closely with the $1.2 billion MGM National Harbor starting construction, along with Massachusetts and Macau projects underway.

Monday, July 13, 2015

UFC 200 at MGM Arena

UFC 200 will take place at the new MGM-AEG Arena on July 2, 2016.

With a successful UFC 189 this past weekend in the books and a long history of hosting events at MGM owned arenas (MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay) it only makes sense that UFC would hold events at the new Las Vegas arena.

The new MGM arena could potentially be the home arena for the Arizona Coyotes and the Milwaukee Bucks. Another Mayweather fight has long been rumored for the arena, and there will likely be some college basketball tournaments held there as well.

Aside from sports, the arena will certainly host a number of concerts throughout the year. Having a high number of events will be key to supporting the many restaurants and shops near the arena.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Wesley Snipes Las Vegas TV Show

Wesley Snipes is set to star in a new Las Vegas TV show called "The Player." The show will be produced by the executive producers of "The Blacklist" and will also be starring Philip Winchester.

"The Player" is set to debut September 24, 2015. It's regular time-slot will be Thursdays at 10/9c.

Despite being set in Las Vegas, it seems this will be more of a standard action-crime drama and probably won't have much to do with Vegas itself.

One interesting tidbit from the trailer is a "fake" hotel on the Strip across from Wynn - on the site where the new Alon will be. Las Vegas TV shows and movies are notorious for using creative license with the fictitious creation and placement of Vegas hotels. It looks like the fake hotel in "The Player" is called Occam.