Piff is feeling the holiday magic with charity shows at Flamingo

We’ve seen what hasn’t worked on Las Vegas stages this year: Puppets practicing improv. Rock-themed musicals. Adult revues. A collection of magnanimous illusionists.

What has worked? A sullen comic-magician dressed in a satin dragon suit, toting his similarly attired Chihuahua.

A headliner at Flamingo Las Vegas since November 2015, Piff the Magic Dragon is returning with his “Piff’s Piffmas Piff-Tacular,” promising a bag o’ holiday-themed tricks and a “special guest appearance” by Mr. Piffles the Red-Nosed Chihuahua. The themed exercise in holiday frivolity opened Monday and runs through Jan. 4 at Bugsy’s Cabaret.

During the holiday run, Piff has launched a “get fat quick” campaign for canines: Guests who bring an unopened bag of dog food receive a limited-edition poster of the star magician (and his pet), and guests are also encouraged to donate money to Three Square Food Bank’s virtual food drive at ThreeSquare.org/PiffForPets.

Piff is certainly radiating the warmth.

“I have Christmas cheer,” Piff said during a recent phone conversation. Then he sniffed and asked, “Do you?”

Piff is also set to return to NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” Dec. 19 for the holiday special, where he’ll be joined by his friends and sometime collaborators Penn &Teller. Linq headliner and former “AGT” champ Mat Franco also will be featured.

The 36-year-old artist legally named Jon van der Put is inarguably one of the Strip’s recent success stories. He toggles his recurring show rotation in Las Vegas with sold-out touring dates across the country, offering fans a different version of his show at Flamingo.

“I meet fans all the time who ask me about the Vegas show,” he says, “and weeks later, I see them again at the Flamingo.”

Even with swift sales at the Flamingo and elsewhere, he insists on promoting himself as “Loser of ‘America’s Got Talent,’” which is factual – Piff was runner-up to ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, who was unable to match Piff’s success in his “Mouthing Off” show at Planet Hollywood this spring.

So that’s a loss, technically. But Piff beat thousands of contestants just to make it onto the NBC show. As Piff says, “I needed maximum exposure and a minimum of contract concerns (the show exerts contractual control over its champions).” And the “loser” tag just fits the luckless dragon’s dour disposition.

“Winning is not good for Piff’s image,” Piff says. “Plus, everyone loves an underdog. Look at Mr. Piffles. How can you not root for him?”

OOH, BABY, BABY

Human Nature’s Andrew Tierney and his wife, Heather, have formally announced the birth of their first child: Daughter Violette Faith. Woman’s Day magazine broke the news of the Nov. 6 birth in Tierney’s home country of Australia. Tierney is the last member of the act to become a father. Human Nature is continuing its holiday edition of “Jukebox” through Dec. 23.

THE $10K SUNDAY

The 18th annual KLUC Toy Drive, piloted by the great Chet Buchanan of the station’s Morning Zoo broadcast, received a $10,000 donation Monday from Adam Sandler, who appeared with Rob Schneider and Tim Meadows at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel over the weekend.

Sandler learned of the DJ’s efforts to remain atop a scaffold for 12 straight days to collect toys, bikes and money for needy children during an interview with Buchanan earlier in the week. Sandler later sent his nephew Jared Sandler to the outpost at NV Energy on West Sahara Avenue to deliver the check.

“This will pay for a lotta toys,” Jared said. Buchanan’s answer, “Adam and I must have done some good work on the radio the other day!”

THE PARK PLACE

More on the new venue “as events merit,” as we say, but a snap review of the new theater at Monte Carlo: The video screens are ominous but not in a bad way, the sound system feels full without being too loud, and the seats are comfortable. There is a row of VIP bucket seats I’m already calling “The Impala Seats” after the roomy Chevys of the ’60s. The leg room between rows feels greater than at competing venues, too. All of this is important. I’ll be eager to Uber in and out of the Dec. 17 show featuring Stevie Nicks and the The Pretenders.

John Katsilometes’ column runs Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday in the A section, and Fridays in Neon. He also hosts “Kats! On The Radio” Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on KUNV 91.5-FM and appears Wednesdays at 11 a.m. with Dayna Roselli on KTNV Channel 13. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.