Make way for the king … of the jungle

The Lion King" will keep a Broadway blockbuster at Mandalay Bay. Disney's hit opens in April after "Mamma Mia!" departs in January.

The open-ended production will be one of six resident companies around the world, but it will be the only stationary U.S. company besides the Broadway edition. Previews begin April 20, with the official debut on May 2.

The Las Vegas-bound version is described as "virtually the same" as the Broadway version that opened in 1997. That means it probably will play at full length with an intermission, and definitely will have stage elements that don't always go on tour.

"We think this is the right show, right time for us," says Scott Voeller, the hotel's vice president of marketing. "It fit well with the brand, fit well with a niche we think we own here at Mandalay Bay."

The near six-year run of "Mamma Mia!" -- which closes Jan. 4 -- cemented the Broadway brand the casino started when it opened with a big-name cast in "Chicago." Ticket prices for "The Lion King" aren't yet set, but will be comparable to the "Mamma" range of $49 to $110, Voeller says.

Cirque du Soleil also put in a proposal for the theater. Another top candidate was said to be an original Motown revue from the producers of Broadway's "The Color Purple."

"The Lion King" is not a new idea. Earlier regimes at both Disney Theatricals and Mandalay had discussions way back in 2000. "It was not necessarily the right time for the association with Las Vegas," Voeller says. "You see how broad-based in entertainment that Vegas has become over the years."

While not specifically commenting on Cirque, Voeller says the ability "to get out to the market quickly (is) a nice bonus." Cirque titles typically take two years to develop.

The casino will launch an "Untamed luxury" ad campaign just before the show opens, tying the musical to its Shark Reef attraction and other amenities. ...

Derrick Barry did his Britney Spears thing one last time for "An Evening at La Cage" on Monday, leaving the Riviera revue even before finding out if he will be part of the "America's Got Talent" tour that launches Oct. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden.

Barry already had decided to stay only another month with "La Cage," where he has performed since June 2004. But he resigned early, saying management balked at letting him go to Los Angeles on Wednesday to be part of the season finale of "Talent." Barry was a well-received contestant on the talent show, but didn't advance to the finals.

"I can't see sitting around wasting my best years," the 25-year-old says of a Britney tribute that shows a lot more skin than most drag acts. The national TV exposure didn't motivate "La Cage" producer Norbert Aleman to offer him special billing or an upgraded role.

"It was an awkward feeling" to clear out the dressing room, Barry says, "but I know that something great is going to come out of it."

Barry says he will have a guest appearance in ventriloquist Terry Fator's dates at the Las Vegas Hilton Oct. 13-15, part of ongoing talks about him being part of Fator's show at The Mirage next year. One thing Barry says he will retire is the lip-syncing. "It will be my live voice from here on out." ...

Wes Winters closed his "Musical Tribute to Liberace" last week. He said his landlords at the Steve Wyrick Theatre in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood had breached his contract on several counts, including crucial box office operations.

"I'm still glad I did it," Winters says of the show that opened in July. "We did our part of this right." Winters used to perform at the Liberace Museum, but doesn't think he will be going back there. He would rather move the show somewhere else on the Strip before he loses his momentum with ticket vendors. ....

Comedian Vinnie Favorito hosts the Meatball Awards at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Plaza. Last year's event was a fun, not-too-formal gathering of old-school Vegas enthusiasts, with the exact meaning of the awards less important than the post-ceremonial snarfing of meatballs from a variety of restaurants.

This year's gathering is again produced by Grant Griffin and expected to include entertainers Clint Holmes, Martin Nievera, Tony Ruivivar, Jeff Hobson, Kevin Burke, the Scintas and the Marvelettes, along with various politicos and media types including yours truly. Tickets are $33 and $44, benefiting the Ronald McDonald House. Call 386-2110 or 386-2444 for more information.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.