Flamingo adding Vannelli to lineup

Anyone who knows Harrah's executive Don Marrandino will tell you he prefers Bruce Springsteen to jazzy crooners. But he also knows an undervalued property when he sees one.

When Gino Vannelli played the Suncoast in March, Marrandino checked out one of the sold-out performances. He was impressed enough to offer the 54-year-old singer 12 shows over three engagements at the Flamingo, starting May 23.

The showroom is anchored by Toni Braxton, another "find" in terms of a singer with a high recognition level who hasn't oversaturated the local market. However, Braxton's voice hasn't sounded as sterling in the dry desert air as it does on her '90s hits. Adding Vannelli to the rotation will allow her to work three weeks followed by a week off, instead of four weeks before a break.

Vannelli had his share of hits ("I Just Wanna Stop," "Living Inside Myself") in the '70s and '80s, but has become more of a draw in Europe and his native Canada. He avoided Las Vegas back in the day because "every casino wanted me to play like an oldies show," the singer noted in March.

The Suncoast shows were a tight ticket, and the set list posted on fan sites looks as though he didn't stray far from the hits.

Marrandino also says hypnotist Marshall Sylver is the front-runner to fill the late-show berth at Harrah's Las Vegas, which has been open since "Bareback" closed in October. A pending deal with Sylver is likely to undergo more corporate scrutiny than usual, given a past dispute with The Venetian over gambling debts and criminal charges resulting from complaints about his self-help seminars. Jurors failed to reach a verdict about theft charges in 2003, resulting in a mistrial.

The Flamingo also hosts a Saturday concert by Vince Neil to help the Motley Crue frontman launch his new tequila brand. The 7 p.m. event is free, but tickets are required for admission. They can be picked up at Neil's tattoo parlor inside O'Sheas casino, adjacent to the Flamingo. ...

A lopsided trade? The Flamingo raided the Suncoast for Vannelli, but the Suncoast has booked The Original Family Stone on May 27. You might remember that last month, Flamingo late-night comedian George Wallace reunited Sly Stone with The Family Stone.

The eccentric R&B legend will perform with the group again for a July festival in San Jose, but the billing for this one means no Sly. It does include sister Rose Stone as well as Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini. ...

Versatile entertainer Wayne Brady has booked a hasty return to The Venetian, following his April run with a new stint May 17-July 1. Singing impressionist Gordie Brown will continue to share the theater with six shows a week in the 740-seat theater that was built for him. But somewhere along the way the venue changed its name from the Gordie Brown Theatre to the Venetian Showroom. ...

Ticket prices for "The Producers" will be adjusted in the customer's favor after David Hasselhoff leaves the Mel Brooks musical on Sunday. Continuing with no marquee stars, the musical will go from four tiers of pricing to three. The top ticket remains $143.50 but the second tier of $128.50 will disappear. Tickets in that section will drop to $99 and the cheapest seats will go for $69 instead of $75.50.

The musical also drops a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee to test two evening shows at 6 and 9 p.m. on Saturdays. ...

Don Rickles is scheduled to promote his quick-reading memoir "Rickles' Book" -- the kind with big type, lots of pictures and abundant use of white space -- with a May 26 autograph signing at Borders, 2190 N. Rainbow Blvd. He will be in town for shows at the Golden Nugget. ...

If Planet Hollywood and its adjacent mall are getting crowded with magicians, don't tell Nathan Burton. He's stepping up his afternoon show at the V Theater from six to eight shows per week, no longer taking a day off. If things go well, he may try to do 12 shows per week.

The move anticipates family traffic this summer and TV exposure from the second season of "America's Got Talent." Burton was a contestant last year, but will be back as an adviser to this year's crop of hopefuls when the NBC talent contest returns May 29.

Burton also is planning a stunt where he will be frozen inside a block of ice for 24 hours starting May 21, helping promote the Desert Passage mall's name change to Miracle Mile Shops. Showgirls will be incorporated, as they were with a similar stunt in 2005. ...

David Saxe, operator of the V Theater and producer of three of the five shows running there (including Burton's), is due to receive an award for Industry Executive of the Year today from UNLV's College of Hotel Administration. Saxe has taught a class about hotel entertainment as part of the college curriculum.

Bobby Darin fans will assemble May 11-14 at the Alexis Park for a fan gathering that will include a star for Darin on the Walk of Stars on May 14, the late singer's 70th birthday. The full schedule can be found at darinlifetimeevents07.org.

Mike Weatherford's entertainment column appears Thursdays and Sundays. Contact him at 383-0288 or e-mail him at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com.