Andre Agassi’s return of service to be recognized at ‘Power of Love’ shindig

The Kats! Bureau at this writing is 35,000 feet above … let’s see, Amarillo, Texas, or thereabouts. I am aboard an American Airlines craft hurtling toward Washington, where for the next two-plus days I am to observe and chronicle the inauguration of Donald Trump as 45th president.

Until then, with the wind at my back and gogoinflight WiFi in my face, we’ll catch up to snuff:

ROOTING FOR HONOREE AGASSI

Andre Agassi is the type who would rather honor than be honored. “I love being honored about as much as root canals,” says the tennis legend, who does have healthy teeth to complement his innumerable honors from his playing days and also for developing Andre Agassi Preparatory School.

Agassi is to be lauded at this year’s Keep Memory Alive “Power of Love” gala with the organization’s Community Achievement Award for philanthropy and community service. MacAndrews & Forbes Inc. Chief Operating Officer Ronald O. Perelman is the central honoree for the April 27 gala at MGM Grand Garden Arena benefiting the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center.

Perelman is being honored for his 40-year career as a business giant who has given millions to philanthropic efforts and organization, especially in the field of medical research.

A Las Vegas native and international athletic superstar, Agassi founded his Andre Agassi Foundation for Education in 1994. He has since raised more than $185 million to aid under-served children in Clark County. His “Grand Slam for Children” gala and concert was an annual highlight among Las Vegas philanthropic events. In what was the final “Grand Slam” in 2011, Agassi’s idol Kirk Kerkorian announced an $18 million donation from his UCLA Dream Fund.

That staggering outlay, announced from Lafite Ballroom at Wynn Las Vegas, pushed that year’s total to $26.1 million and meant the Agassi Foundation would be funded in perpetuity. It also spelled the end of any further “Grand Slam” events – simply, the original goal of those galas had been meant.

Agassi spent Wednesday in Mumbai, incidentally, appearing on behalf of the Indian equity company True North, which announced it was changing its name from the former Indian Value Fund. Agassi appeared in an hourlong question-and-answer session for a crowd of about 800 at the suburban Hotel Trident.

Agassi was asked what it was like being married to Stefanie Graf, winner of 22 Grand Slam titles. He replied, “If you want to make sure you stay humble, marry someone who is better than you at everything.”

NIKI’S TIME

Well, if word-of-mouth can be trusted – and in this case, it can be – Niki Scalera’s “Bassey & Me!” tribute to Shirley Bassey at Cabaret Jazz at the Smith Center is fairly mind-blowing. And, good news for us who missed last weekend’s debut: The show returns once more at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Scalera, show starred on Broadway in “Hairspray” and also “Tarzan” (joining Josh Strickland of “Vegas! The Show” is backed by Keith Thompson and an eight-piece band. Numbers on this hit list include “This is My Life,” “I Who Have Nothing,” “I Am What I Am,” “The Greatest Performance of My Life,” “Never, Never, Never.” Also from the Bassey catalog: “Goldfinger,” “Moonraker” and “Diamonds are Forever” from the James Bond film series.

The show is directed by Randy Slovacek, a Broadway-show vet who won a Best Choreography Award and Best Director of a Musical from Broadway World magazine for “Victor/Victoria” in Palm Springs, Calif.

And, get this: Slovacek is a longtime friend of Vanessa Williams, and is to introduce Williams when she is honored as Woman of the Year by Nevada Ballet Theatre at the NBT Black & White Gala on Jan. 28 at Aria. As we say, all artistic relationships in VegasVille somehow run through the Smith Center.

THE RETURN OF THE FRANKIE

A first at Suncoast Showroom on Feb. 4: A show by Frankie Moreno. The start is 8:30 p.m., and Moreno – who has been bounding around the valley promoting his own wine label with acoustic performances – is headlining a beautiful, 500-seat showroom that has been host to full-house shows by Sheena Easton (back this Saturday and Sunday, in fact) and Earl Turner, among others.

Moreno plans a mix of originals and covers, including a performance of his latest single, “Dirty Deed,” the video for which features Lacey Schwimmer shimmying and grooving to great effect.

A KICK WITH THE SHINS

So I ducked out of Atomic bar the other night to retrieve a business card from my car. I needed to share it with that night’s bartender, who happened to be Tony Hsieh. I returned to the club, Tony was gone but my fizzy water was where I’d left it — near the tail of the mermaid laying across the bar.

As I grabbed the glass, a cascade of soap bubbles descended on the scene as someone shouted, “Hey! You’re in the shot!”

Just another night in downtown VegasVille, where Melody Sweets (playing the role of mermaid in this scene and a nun in another) and members of The Shins shot a video for the indie-rock band’s upcoming single, “A Name for You.” Producers of the video enlisted the help of Sweets and a few other Vegas performers – including Taras Shchygol and Lukasz Szczerba “Absinthe” and Marilyn Monroe tribute artist (and also a Melania Trump tribute artist) Mycki Manning. The video should be out by the end of the month, ahead of the release of The Shins’ new album, “Heartworms,” on March 10. I do make an appearance in this video, chatting up the club-goers, passing out my card and sipping fizzy water.

The video project is unrelated to Sweets’ next show at Cabaret Jazz, “The Sweets’ Spot: Lovers’ Edition” set for 10 p.m. Feb. 7. Lon Bronson is navigating the music, Sean & John Scott from “Absinthe” will be tapping to their hearts’ content, and many wondrous side acts are in the mix.

Someone will wind up blindfolded in this one, I expect …

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily 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.