A Righteous return at South Point; righteous preview for Bagelmania

The Kats! Bureau at this writing is Starbucks at South Point. This is a post-pandemic shutdown scene, taking over the old Seattle’s Best bureau. The hotel is abuzz, generally, and the showroom specifically for the return of the Righteous Brothers.

Bill Medley and Bucky Heard have sold out all four nights of the act’s comeback to live performance, which runs through Sunday night.

It’s a remarkable show of support for Medley, who still spins the turnstiles at age 80. As he told me in September, “This not working isn’t working.” Now they have some momentum for their return to Harrah’s Showroom, those dates to be announced. As someone once said, it’s righteous.

Bagel area

“Are you impressed?” Stephen Siegel asked former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman on Thursday, at the VIP preview of Bagelmania on Convention Center Drive. “Impressed?” Goodman answered. “I’m in heaven!”

Goodman and Mayor Carolyn Goodman, to whom he is married, enjoyed their namesake pastrami sandwich as dignitaries flowed into the new restaurant.

Scenes from today’s @bagelmanial #VIP event ... place is teeming w/ dignitaries, inc. @mayoroflasvegas @OscarBGoodmanLV #SteveSiegel & #JudiSiegel ... #RJNow @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/lj5slV3vhS

— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) May 27, 2021

Later, Oscar Goodman said, “What a great day for Las Vegas. I think that place is going to do very well.” He was especially proud to have consumed the first martini ever served at Bagelmania, which is not famous for martinis, but still.

Thursday offered the first handshake with Sherrif Joe Lombardo as a gubernatorial candidate. Lombardo seems to be easing into the networking role required to generate relationships with newsmakers, relevant citizens and those with money. He’s also easing into the fact that he has a “Bagelwitch” named for him, a pastrami-fried egg-hash brown creation that’s dang good.

The scene was further populated by influential individuals, including Bagelmania owners Steven and Judi Siegel, Penn and Emily Jillette, Piero’s Italian Restaurant founder Freddie Glusman, and none other than Las Vegas retail legend Art Marshall of the Marshall Rousso chain of women’s apparel stores. I had not seen Marshall in at least 15 years before Thursday.

This is the power of Bagelmania, which at its original East Twain Avenue location drew such icons as Desert Inn exec Burton Cohen and entertainment icons Shecky Greene, Nelson Sardelli, Cork Proctor and Marty Allen.

And importantly, the new spot is already benefiting from its location next to the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall. The restaurant is drawing interest from conventions coming to Vegas this year.

“We are already getting calls from people who want to book the entire restaurant for two, three hours at a time,” Stephen Siegel said. “I think it will take an entire cycle, a year of being out of COVID, to see convention business really start booming. But it will.”

Frederic in The Attic

The swift-selling mentalist Frederic Da Silva’s “Paranormal” is the first announced show (well, he has announced it) at The Magic Attic at Bally’s. Da Silva’s 4 p.m. show, which packs the place, is back July 1. Tickets should be on sale June 18.

No Mask Saloon

“Atomic Saloon Show,” the cowboy comedy-acrobatic sendup at The Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes, has shed masks, effective last weekend. No word yet on when its sister show “Absinthe” will do the same at Caesars Palace. Some of those effects could actually stay in the show. The Gazillionaire’s fish-aquarium headpiece, for instance. They are just funny.

Factory of the Laugh

Laugh Factory at Tropicana is celebrating its ninth anniversary this weekend. Club operator and headliner Harry Basil has 2018 “America’s Got Talent” finalist Vicki Barbolak headlining through the anniversary weekend. Her series runs through Sunday.

And column fave (and universal fave) Louie Anderson is still in play, as we say, for a residency run at the venue. He test-drove new material in the venue this month.

Chuckles? We got chuckles

On the topic of comedy clubs, the Comedy Cellar at the Rio expands its schedule to seven nights per week beginning Tuesday. Butch Bradley, Derek Richards, Nikki Carr and Michael Yo are onstage through Sunday. The reliably funny comedy vet Mark Cohen hosts.

Fast Freddie

On the topic of expanding schedules, Glusman has added to his dinner lineup at Piero’s and is now open Wednesdays through Sundays. We do expect Pia Zadora (and her bedazzled microphone) to return her Friday and Saturday night Pia’s Place shows, no date set. Likely in the fall, and also likely with ex-Checkmates legend Sonny Charles as co-star.

Cool Hang(s) Alert

Expert vocalist and showman Lou Gazzara is hosting Sunday night at Italian American Club. We met Gazarra in his days in “Vegas! The Show” and after he was a finalist on Season 2 of “American Idol.” It’s a classic dinner-show setup. Hit the club (but don’t hit anyone IN the club) at IACVegas.com for details.

And, Rush Lounge at Golden Nugget is re-animated beginning Saturday, with the all-female cover band Dollface playing 9 p.m.-1 a.m. The band is set for Saturdays in June. No cover, and no hassles, mon.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.