A quality hang at the revamped Westgate; The Scintas storm the East and Midwest

The KATS! Bureau is the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook. This hotel is expected to be the next performance home of Barry Manilow — none other than Manilow himself is talking freely about performing at the old Elvis theater. I hope he signs soon, or at least hugs it out with the Westgate overlords, to assuage all the “Fanilows” who keep asking about him.

Elsewhere, the new Drafts Sports Bar & Grill — an inspired, sports name — abuts the Superbook, with its black Jack Daniel’s pool tables. And here in the VIP area, I’ve just been delivered a fizzy water with a cocktail napkin the seems folded with a $100 bill. It’s uncanny how realistic that C-note appears on the napkin. Not one to typically notice cocktail napkin graphics, I’m suitably impressed.

More from the scene, starting with the family act that started at this hotel when it was the Las Vegas Hilton:

Scintas sell it

The Scintas have spent much of this month away from the Plaza, performing their annual holiday tour of the East Coast and Midwest. This year’s series was made emotionally wrenching by the death of Joey Scinta, who died Nov. 17 at age 69 after suffering a series of strokes.

But the grief suffered by Frankie Scinta, Pete O’Donnell, Janien Valentine and their backing band has been allayed by the outpouring of support fans have displayed on this tour.

“It has been unbelievable,” Scinta said Thursday during a phone chat from Akron, Ohio, where the act sold out three weekend shows at the Tangier events center. Previously, the Scintas have filled such venues as Turning Stone Casino Events Center near Syracuse, N.Y.; and the Riviera Theatre in their original hometown of Buffalo.

The crew returns to Las Vegas on Monday, and the Scinta family hosts a celebration of life for Joey at 11 a.m. Dec. 22 at Shadow Hills Church at 7811 Vegas Drive.

“I miss Joey so much, and I know he would be loving this tour. We’ve been playing these places for decades,” Scinta said. “We’re just very blessed, man. There are no other words.”

The next Scinta shows are Dec. 29-31 at the Plaza. The New Year’s Eve event features an in-showroom countdown from the East Coast, and a Vegas countdown post-show at Oscar’s Beef Booze & Broads.

Leach update

My friend and colleague Robin Leach continues his recovery in ICU as he and his medical team review rehabilitation facilities, his son, Steve Leach, reports. The family is proceeding with caution, making sure he is fully healthy before being relocated to begin a regimen that will likely take at least five weeks for him to return to full strength.

Robin continues to be weaned off a breathing tube, and following that process is to begin rehabilitation work. Steve Leach says he hopes his father begins that process “in a few days.”

New dates for “Alice”

The artistic vision of Anne Martinez, “Alice” has signed for 2018 at Rocks Lounge at Red Rock Resort. The dates, all Mondays, are Feb 12, April 9, June 11, Aug. 13, Oct 8 and Dec. 10.

Martinez is working on an entirely refurbished and rewritten Act II, featuring Ryan Kelsey — also of The Chippendales at the Rio — on guitar. The cast remains intact, though a violist is being recruited to bolster a band led by Aaron Fuller, whose wife, Ashley, swaps lead vocals with Martinez. The Red Queen character, and all of that aggressive aerial apparatus and choreography, remains in place. Oh, and also the hookah. There is to be hookah.

What of ‘Marilyn?’

Tegan Summer and his Vegas-based Prospect House Entertainment company is advancing “Marilyn: The New Musical” and other, yet-announced projects in Las Vegas. The company is shopping “Marilyn” to prospective partners, especially those who book shows in Caesars Entertainment venues. I’ve earlier reported the show is a strong possibility for Paris Theater, but this week “Inferno” was announced as the next residency production in that venue.

It’s a challenge for any large-scale production — and “Marilyn” is one — to share space with all the pyro effects employed by “Inferno.”

Prospect House is holding auditions for ensemble cast members for future projects Monday at The Space. Prospect House has just signed the licensing deal to produce a Bettie Page biographical production, which is why Summer and Bettie Page officials are planning to check out none other than Melody Sweets in “The Sweets’ Spot” on Tuesday night at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz. A burlesque purist, Sweets has been inspired by Page and is a natural for such a role.

Who Was Where

Golden Knights forward William Karlsson and his parents at “Mystere” at Treasure Island on Wednesday … Also Wednesday, Pittsburgh Penguins Kris Letang, Ian Cole and Ryan Reaves at the 8 p.m. showing of “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace … Melanie “Mel B” Brown — once again hitting the Strip — at “Magic Mike Live” at Hard Rock Hotel on Sunday … Also at “Magic Mike,” on Wednesday, burlesque pin-up fave Bettina May and Sweets … Golden Knights Karlsson, James Neal, Marc-Andre Fleury and Brendan Leipsic at Jewel Nightclub at Aria on Saturday. They reportedly grooved to DJ for the evening (and morning), Lil Jon.

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