Wayne Newton answers $100k wakeup call

The Kats! Bureau at this writing is JJ’s Boulangerie at Paris Las Vegas. It’s java time after Mr. Las Vegas participated in the World Series of Poker’s honorary Shuffle Up and Deal (SUAD) call-out at during the event at the Paris Ballroom.

The presentation opened the annual $500 Salute to Warriors — No-Limit Hold’em event.

The WSOP event straddles Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas (the former Bally’s). Newton also participated in a $100,000 donation from Caesars Entertainment to the USO. WSOP CEO Jack Effel and USO rep Tim Mullin joined the event.

Newton turned up for the early Sunday hit time after a late night Saturday at Flamingo after his “Up Close and Personal” show (believe it, I was there for that, too).

Newton didn’t earn the nickname “Midnight Idol” with a.m. curtain calls. As his wife, Kathleen Newton, said, “It takes a $100,000 in Wayne’s name to the USO just to get him up this early.”

Luenell’s near-miss

There might not be a bigger Wayne Newton fan than top-stand-up comic Luenell. Years ago, the comic took a selfie video while trying to sneak through the gates at Casa de Shenandoah.

“Do not start with me, about Wayne!” she says.

Luenell is currently headlining at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club on Sundays and Mondays. She was in the audience at Newton’s sold-out show Saturday. You couldn’t miss her. She was the one shouting “Wayne!” every 90 seconds. Those in attendance included Damian Costa, whose Pompey Entertainment company books Luenell at Kimmel’s club.

Afterward, during a chat in Newton’s green room, the comic told Mr. Las Vegas of how she attempted to audition for “The Entertainer” contest show Newton hosted in 2005. The aspiring performer took a Greyhound from Oakland to Las Vegas for those auditions.

Luenell intended to stay with an aunt the night before auditions began at 6 a.m. (she planned to be the first to audition that morning). But the aunt and the comic could not resolve the very early wakeup time. So Luenell ventured directly to the site of the auditions, at an off-Strip hotel, and slept in the stairwell.

“Security came at about 3 in the morning and kicked me out, so I went from floor to floor to floor, to be there for ‘The Entertainer,’ because if you won, you had a chance to perform with you, here in Vegas,” Luenell recalled, with Newton standing at her side. “I made it through the first round … But then I got drunk and (messed) it up.”

That line got a laugh. As we say, Luenell walks in, funny. Newton hugged her and she said, “I did that for you! I’m not new to you! I’ve been loving you for years.” We believe it.

May We Recommend …

“Ru Paul’s Drag Race Live” at Flamingo Showroom. We wound up at this spectacle after Newton’s show Saturday night (with Luenell energetically leading the entourage). This show is silly on multiple fronts. Silly performances. Silly crowds. Silly business, especially. The show burns up the box office, is tightly choreographed, expertly delivered, brilliantly designed and very funny. We’re not even the show’s demo, either.

Great stuff from “Drag Race UK” season two champ Lawrence Chaney, Nicky Doll from “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” Season 12, who now hosts “Drag Race France”; Pangina Heals, who competed on “UK vs The World” and also hosts “Drag Race Thailand”; Daya Betty and Jorgeous from Season 14; Derrick Barry from Season 8 and “All Stars” Season 5; and Kennedy Davenport from Season 7 and All Stars Season 3. Cosco, a Season 14 finalist, joins the show July 29.

The performers rotate in the show, which is beautiful, loud and proud.

Cool Hang Alert

The really great, and also really underrated, vocalist Eric Sean performs “The Music of George Michael & More at Stirling Club’s Spirits Lounge from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday. Sean can simply sing anything, with a deep VegasVille resume that includes time with Bee Gees Gold, and (reaching back a few) Dian Diaz at the old Fontana Room at Bellagio. The show is $35 for nonmembers, $25 for members, go to thestirlingclub.com for intel.

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.