Can Vegas’ entertainment void be filled by The Space?
The fragrance of fresh paint in the unisex bathroom gave The Space that new-theater feel Friday night.
Beating an 8 p.m. deadline by, oh, nine minutes or so, Mark Shunock staged the first ticketed performance at the entertainment center in a one-time warehouse at 3460 Cavaretta Court (west of the Strip, in the shadow of City Center).
Shunock, a bit breathlessly, welcomed the audience. “Good evening. Thank you for being here,” he said. “You are all guinea pigs.”
Shunock, who played Lonny in “Rock of Ages” at The Venetian and Rio, booked one of the city’s master showmen for Friday’s lid-lifter: Travis Cloer, with his annual “Christmas At My Place” holiday show. The former “Jersey Boys” cast member teamed with that production’s ex-music director, Keith Thompson, for a swift night of Christmas tunes. “Let it Snow,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and a Cloer-Thompson original composition, “Christmas Is My Favorite,” were all unspooled.
Cloer was joined onstage by his wife, Jennifer (formerly of “Peep Show” at Planet Hollywood Resort); Niki Scalera (of “Hairspray” and “Tarzan” on Broadway); an Andrews Sisters-fashioned backing trio of Sandra Huntsman, Maren Wade and Sarah Lowe; and Shunock himself. Cloer performed selections from his 2015 “Christmas at My Place” release, and the audience was filled with friends from the Vegas entertainment community. Afterward, dozens of folks hung out at the lobby’s piano bar, making effective use of Shunock’s liquor license.
Shunock himself seemed amazed that he was able to execute a full show in the new fortress. “Everything is new. The chairs, tables, drapes, stage, artwork on the walls in the lobby, the bathrooms,” he said, his eyes canvassing the room after the show. “The last thing I did was measure the distance between the rows to make sure they were all exact.”
Shunock’s vision is to make The Space a true community events center. Along with the main venue, which can seat up to 400, he’s designed a 100-seat black box theater, a podcast room, and a lobby bar large enough for 20 cabaret tables. His “Mondays Dark” charity shows move into The Space on Jan. 9 (the final show at Hard Rock Hotel will be the third anniversary event Dec. 19 at The Joint) with a benefit for the Veterans Village Las Vegas homeless support organization.
In the run-up to the opening of The Space, Shunock has raised $250,000 on a Go Fund Me donation campaign. He’s seeking additional assistance through federal grants, and will use bar revenues from “Mondays Dark” to keep The Space in operation.
Eager to expand his show’s reach, Shunock is to host two “Mondays Dark” shows per month, doubling the schedule over the first three years. He hopes to book the room two to three nights per week. Many of Shunock’s fellow stage performers who are now out of work (or about to be) can book the room at a rate far less expensive than, say, Cabaret Jazz at Smith Center to showcase new projects. Cloer’s previous holiday shows were held at Cab Jazz; his involvement and belief in the project can only help Shunock optimize his chances at The Space.
“This was a real test, but I think we passed it,” he said. “I think we’re gonna pull it off, dude. I really do.”
Lonny would have to agree.
FLAAAV!
A sure sign that a night of entertainment is becoming “a thing” is when Flavor Flav shows up. The timepiece-donning, hip-hop icon sighting happened during the David Perrico Pop Strings Orchestra set at Cleopatra’s Barge at Caesars Palace on Dec. 3. The place was packed and the requisite bedlam ensued, with folks grooving on tables and violinists wading into the dance floor.
Perrico’s jammed jam session is 10 p.m.-midnight Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, no cover, in the former Gossy Room. Set to sit in next Saturday is famed drummer Danny Seraphine, long ofChicago, and the rare time you can watch a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, free of charge. Seraphine is in the lineup Friday for the U.S. Marines’ “8th Annual Toys for Tots Benefit Concert” at Orleans Showroom, which features Perrico and a host of Las Vegas entertainers. Tickets are $20; visit www.orleanscasino.com for info.
MARY J THE DJ
Mary J. Blige kept up her performance momentum after her co-headlining show with Maxwellat T-Mobile Arena on Friday night (be sure not to miss Jason Bracelin’s concert review on 7B). At LAX Nightclub at Luxor, she took the stage with DJ Eric Forbes and the crowd went bonkers as she posed for photos and met fans. LAX has found a niche by drawing artists who gained fame in the 1980s and ’90s. On New Year’s Eve it’s Ginuwine, Ying Yang Twins and Warren G.
A WESTGATE FAVORITE-O
A new thing at Westgate Cabaret: Vinnie Favorito is hosting NFL Sundays in the little showroom. The requisite beer-and-draft specials are offered ($3 for each), with $4 Patron shots and $7 margaritas also on the menu.
Favorito is the room’s comedy headliner and a great “roast” comic. Similar to the 49ers’ defense, he’s famous for insulting his fans.
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.