Cosmopolitan silent on O.J. Simpson incident amid ban report

Notes from around the scene in VegasVille, where we need to catch up on a few enticing, upcoming hangs and the requisite O.J. Simpson update.

Follow along:

O.J.’s Cosmo experience

TMZ reports that Simpson, a Las Vegas resident (lucky us) was hustled out of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas late Wednesday. The celeb news organization — which is characteristically well-informed about celebrity buffoonery — said Simpson was “drunk and unruly” at the hotel’s Clique bar, broke some glasses and was invited to finish the night elsewhere.

The site also says Simpson has been banned from the property, though he was friendly to the security personnel who escorted him out of the casino. Late Thursday afternoon, Simpson’s attorney Malcolm LaVergne confirmed the ban in an Associated Press report.

Hotel officials would not respond to requests for details about this report, other than to issue this statement: “The alleged reports that are circulating are inaccurate. As a matter of company policy, we do not comment on patron information in respect to the privacy and security of our guests.”

The company declined to answer follow-up questions, such as, “What part of the report is inaccurate? That he was drunk? Unruly? Thrown out of the hotel? Banned from the property?”

We can report that a photo of Simpson at the Cosmo was posted on Twitter by Winnipeg Jets radio announcer Brian Munz at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Never know who you are going to see in Vegas.... yep, OJ Simpson pic.twitter.com/ginaBY6zwk

— Brian Munz (@BrianMunzTSN) November 9, 2017

LaVergne told AP that Simpson was not given a reason for the ban. He says Simpson contacted his parole officer Thursday and underwent drug and alcohol tests, which were negative. LaVergne denied that Simpson was intoxicated or belligerent.

We’ll update as events merit, but if the guy next to you at the Clique bar ordering a Tequila Sunrise looks like O.J., let us know.

Santa Fe is back

The long wait has ended for fans of Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns. The band will return to the stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Copa Room at Bootlegger Bistro. Santa Fe has not performed a weekly residency since ending its run at Danny “The Count” Koker’s Count’s Vamp’d Rock Bar & Grill at the end of June.

The band is booked Dec. 11, Dec. 18 and Jan. 1, a $10 cover with a full dinner menu (separate from the admission price) offered.

Band leader Jerry Lopez says he and room operator Ronnie Mancuso are investing in an updated sound system and upgrades to the space, which is a classically appointed showroom with table seating and capacity for 300.

“We’re both taking some risks financially and otherwise because we believe in live music, local music, and I dig that venue,” Lopez says. “You know, we’re going to toss the dice. Worst-case scenario, we tried. Best-case scenario, we have another awesome live venue in town.”

Dates will be added if the scene takes off. Based on the quality of the music and experience, it should.

Full circle at NBT

New Nevada Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Roy Kaiser helms his first production this weekend with “Classic Americana” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

The three works are Balanchine’s “ Serenade” and “Western Symphony” and Paul Taylor’s “Company B.” Aside from “Company B,” accompanied by recordings of the Andrews Sisters, the show is backed by a full orchestra (righteous).

Also, to loop one of the ballet’s full circles: Richard Tanner, who taught the NBT dancers and staged “Western Symphony” for these two shows, actually taught Kaiser the same ballet in the 1980s.

Torti expands ‘Brunch to Broadway’

Ex-“Rock of Ages” cast member Bob Torti is producing “Brunch to Broadway Christmas” on Dec. 10 and Dec. 17 at Rocks Lounge at Red Rock Resort. The show is an offshoot of the “Brunch to Broadway” production headed up by Torti and his wife, DeLee Lively-Torti. A total of a half-dozen singers and five-piece band have performed these shows at noon and 2 p.m. Sundays; tickets are $20, including a comp to the Red Rock Feast Buffet.

“Brunch to Broadway Christmas” will also be performed at noon and 2 p.m. Along with the two Tortis, the lineup features a super-strong cast of singers including Eric Jordan Young (a column frequenter, for good reason, lately), Ashley Fuller and Brandon Nix.

Post-holidays, a new version of the show, “Brunch To Broadway: Duets” is planned for January, February and March. Great deal, even without the buffet.

Elvis at IAC

Justin Shandor, late of “Million Dollar Quartet” at Harrah’s and winner of the international 2010 Ultimate Elvis Contest in Memphis, Tennessee, headlines the big room at Italian American Club at 8 p.m. Sunday. Shandor is spot-on as Presley, having developed the routine when he was just 16 years old.

Also at IAC, at 8 p.m. Nov. 17, Henry Prego will perform his long-running and quite popular Frank Sinatra tribute. If there is a place for a Sinatra tribute it is IAC, where Sinatra was once a member and where the website has a link to “Bocci Info.” Wonderful rigatoni dishes there, too.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.