Patti LaBelle, a true diva, performed in Las Vegas over New Year's Eve and she will return to headline 9 p.m. shows, Feb. 7-10, at Paris Las Vegas. Tickets are $65, call 1-877-374-7469 or 702-946-4567.

LaBelle led The Bluebelles in 1961 to a million-selling hit with "I Sold My Heart To the Junkman." Since then, the Philadelphia native has been a chart staple. In 1985, the smash hit "New Attitude" followed by her duet with Michael McDonald in 1986, "On My Own," secured her superstar status. Her more recent hits include "Somebody Loves You Baby," "When You've Been Blessed," "The Right Kind of Lover" and "When You Talk About Love."

A mother of three sons, and with two children of her late sister Jackie, LaBelle's life has been filled with triumphs and challenges, both personal and professional.

The Brew Pub, located at the Monte Carlo, is one of the largest breweries in the nation and was the first one located in a resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

The beer there is brewed three to four times per week and bottled two or three times a month. Each year, the Brew Pub produces more than 3,000 barrels, or 93,000 gallons, of its signature beer that includes Silver State Stout, Jackpot Pale and an ever-changing Brewmaster Special. Each beer is aged in specially designed fermentors for as little as 14 days, or up to 60 days or longer, depending on the type of beer.

The beer is bottled on-site using a state-of-the-art machine consisting of a bottle rinser, labler and bottle filler. Guests are invited to view each step of the brewing and bottling process and can buy specialty six-packs to take home.

The Brew Pub opens daily at 11 a.m. Entertainment begins nightly at 9 p.m. with bands performing from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday-Thursday, and until 2:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. There is a $10 cover charge on Friday and Saturday that is waived for in-house guests.

The new bar/club called Hush is the old 19th floor Polo Towers lounge and it's becoming another Las Vegas "in-spot."

Comedian Louie Anderson will headline at the Rio's Samba Theatre Jan. 18 - Feb. 2 with dark dates Jan. 19, and 28-30. Anderson is currently hosting NBC's "The Family Feud." Tickets are $30 plus tax.

The next Broadway show coming up at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts is "Porgy & Bess" at 2 and 8 p.m. on Feb. 2. Tickets are $35, $55 and $75, call 702-785-5000.

The Broadway productions to follow at the Aladdin include: "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" starring Ann-Margret, April 2-7; "Rent" featuring a community of young artists, April 23-28; and "Guys and Dolls" celebrating its 50th Anniversary with Maurice Hines playing Nathan Detroit, May -14-19.

Tom Jones, who has been an industry icon for more than 30 years, is currently center stage at The Hollywood Theatre in the MGM through Jan. 23 and he will return again Feb. 7-20. The Welsh star first burst upon the music scene in 1964 with one of his signature hits, "It's Not Unusual." He has followed up with such hits as "What's New Pussycat," "She's a Lady" and "Delilah." Tickets are $70 inclusive, call 1-800-929-1111 or 702-891-7777.

Comedienne Judy Gold will headline the Improv Comedy Club at Harrah's with two fellow funnymen, Bill Dwyer and Benny Ricardo, Jan. 29-Feb. 3. Tickets are $24.95 plus tax.

Since her last appearance in Las Vegas, Gold has earned two gold Emmy Award statues for producing and writing the hit daytime talk show, "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." After leaving the talk show, Gold has been adding more television credits. She is currently playing Ryan Style's new girlfriend, Leslie, on the hit ABC series, "The Drew Carrey Show." She has also guest-starred on NBC's Emmy award winner show "Law and Order," playing District Attorney Peterson. The topper is almost every other week, she is on the popular syndicated series "Hollywood Squares" with Whoopi Goldberg

Her latest venture is "Multiplex with Judy Gold," her own HBO movie review show in which she takes a television crew out on the streets of America and asks filmgoers their opinions on today's films.

Every year the National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) visit Las Vegas for their annual conference. At this event, the executives make the decisions that determine what we'll be watching on television in the coming months. This year, the NATPE has asked the Riviera's "An Evening At La Cage" star, Frank Marino, to host their "Floor Talk" segments.

Marino will walk the exhibit floor at the Las Vegas Convention Center as his "La Cage" character Joan Rivers, Jan. 21-24, and profile what is happening at the conference. The five-minute "Floor Talk" segments will be shown daily at the NATPE membership booth, and put on the Internet at Web site www.natpe.org for everyone to watch.

The Stardust has added Vietnamese entertainment to its schedule, Jan. 19 and 20, in the Stardust Pavilion with two shows each night at 8 and 11 p.m. Tickets for "Asian Nights" are $15, call 702-732-6325.

TOP OF NEXT COLUMN

The Huntridge, which opened in 1944 to show movies and attracted the likes of Marlene Dietrich and Frank Sinatra, held its final public event on New Year's Eve with the band Guttermouth performing. The building was placed on the state Historical Register in 1999, six years after it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The state spent $1.4 million in grant renovations.

Unfortunately, the historic Huntridge has been sold for $925,000 to its next door neighbor, Cima's furniture store. The new owners can do whatever they want to the inside where they'll be selling mattresses. Meanwhile, the outside including the terrazzo tile entrance, the original brick portion of the building, the curved marquee and the trademark Huntridge sign must remain until 2017. This will allow people to view history for a few more years.

Some recent filming in Las Vegas include E! Entertainment and Travel Channel shows.

The "Wild On" E! Entertainment travel series shot scenes for "Wild On Sin City" at the Ghostbar and Rain in the new Palms resort. The show involves thrill-seeking host Brooke Burke visiting hot destinations and showcasing wild parties. The Vegas event features Robin Leach, longtime host of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," as the party host.

The Travel Channel's show called "How to Spend a Million," is a documentary about Las Vegas that took two weeks to shoot. Segments will include private jets, expensive Strip hotel suites, "La Cage" star Frank Marino on a shopping spree, and private parities with performances by magician Lance Burton and impersonator Danny Gans. This program is slated to air in March.

Super Bowl parties will be held all over town on Sunday, Feb. 3.

The MGM Grand will hold a Super Bowl party in the EFX Theatre beginning at 1 p.m. There will be an emcee with entertainment including Bud Girls, dancers and prizes to be given away throughout the game. A tailgate buffet will be served. Tickets are $50 inclusive with two drinks included, call 1-800-929-1111 or 702-891-7777.

Downtown, the Golden Nugget will host a party with a tailgate buffet in the Theatre Ballroom and it will begin at 2 p.m. Cost is $25 inclusive with two drinks included, call 1-866-946-5336 or 702-386-8100.

Harrah's is now offering dinner and show packages. A package featuring dinner, and singing headliner Clint Holmes is $75 per person; dinner and the Improv Comedy Club is $55 per person; and dinner plus the late-night adult revue "Skintight" is $65 per person.

Guests may book their entire package with show tickets and a dinner reservation at the restaurant of their choice: Asia, Cafe Andreotti or the Range Steakhouse. The dinners include a fixed menu, consisting of a salad or appetizer, choice of entree, dessert and one beverage. Reservations can be made by calling Harrah's Box Office at 1-800-392-9002.

Gaming lessons are offered daily at New York-New York. The schedule leads off at 10 a.m. with Roulette, followed by Craps at 11 a.m., Blackjack at noon, and Pai Gow Poker, Let It Ride and Caribbean Stud Poker, plus Mini Baccarat at 1 p.m. Blackjack is also taught at 3 p.m., Sunday through Thursday.

The Las Vegas Tourist Bureau, located on Las Vegas Blvd. next to the world famous Welcome To Las Vegas sign, offers a one-stop shopping service for the city. Assistance is given with booking airfares, car rentals, and sightseeing tours as well as reserving rooms at the best rates. Representatives can also help with group bookings and wedding arrangements.

There are three ways to contact the Las Vegas Tourist bureau. You can stop by their convenient visitor center, call in advance at 1-800-777-VEGAS (8342), or visit their Web site at www.lvtb.com.

Actor Tony Curtis is now a resident of Las Vegas and his artwork is being featured at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas campus in the Marjorie Barrick Museum. His exhibit is titled "The Prince: A Retrospective Exhibition of Work by Tony Curtis." It features paintings, prints, drawings and sculptural assemblages.

Curtis has had major one-man exhibitions in the United States and his London debut exhibition sold out before it opened to the public. Many celebrities own his works.

The exhibit will run through the end of this month. It is free and open to the public. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. For information, call 702-895-1402.

With the beginning of the New Year, "Splash" at the Riviera moved to a six-night-a-week schedule playing twice nightly Saturday through Thursday at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.

"Splash" is an eclectic production show highlighting energetic dance numbers and specialty acts. World Silver Medallist Cindy Landry-Davis and 2006 Olympic hopeful Jered Guzman perform ice dance, figure, and adagio skating routines on a custom-designed ice rink.

Other specialty acts include Argentinean entertainers known as Los Latin Cowboys, juggling trio, The Richard Brothers, and the four motorcycle daredevils, Bela Tabak's Riders of the Thunderdome, racing about in a 14-foot globe at 40-plus miles-per-hour.

CONTINUE ON TO...:
>THIS WEEK'S LAUGHLIN SEGMENT
>LAST WEEK'S LAS VEGAS SEGMENT
>VEGAS VIEWS FULL ARCHIVES
>Return to "Heard Around Town"
>Return to Las Vegas Leisure Guide