Producer tries to add shows at Tropicana

Is the Tropicana turning into the Riviera?

Producer-performer Anthony Cools hopes that's a bad analogy, considering $100 million has been pledged to upgrade the Tropicana under its new operator, former MGM executive Alex Yemenidjian.

But Cools wants to bring three new shows to the former comedy club now headlined by Bobby Slayton. That would bring the total Tropicana show count to seven, way top-heavy for the hotel's 1,876 room count.

Cools stepped in as producer of Slayton's stand-up act after Bill Voelkner exited last week, citing differences of philosophy with Slayton's manager, Sherry Marsh.

Voelkner says it also has been tough to launch Slayton's show during remodeling and the surprise addition of two titles in a separate area of the property: "The Soprano's Last Supper" and "Hypnosis Unleashed."

Cools wants to add titles to the club schedule at 6, 10 and possibly 4 p.m. He says it could work if the acts are in different genres and the marketing is "pulling externally" to the casino's hot-corner geography, a better location than the show-heavy Riviera.

"I'm taking over the town one show at a time," jokes Cools, who has two titles at O'Sheas and is about to introduce a 3-D film prologue to his own hypnosis act in an upgraded venue at Paris Las Vegas. ...

Meanwhile, the Riviera revives the odd genre of the topless magic show, not seen since "Showgirls of Magic" at the bygone San Remo.

Big-league choreographer Anthony Van Laast once recalled intense discussions on whether Siegfried & Roy's groundbreaking show at The Mirage would include topless showgirls, as their "Beyond Belief" had at the Frontier.

Producer John Lewis says the Riviera was looking for an adult show for its big room in the late evening, and he was happy to deliver one with "Scarlett: Abracasexy," which opens Wednesday.

But the single-named Scarlett may not be packing away her family-friendly matinee, where youngsters were recruited for a "Wizard of Oz" routine.

The Riviera has afternoon times available on weekends and "we're looking at costs," Lewis says. "We want (Scarlett) to be an all-around magician and not just do one type of show."

Scarlett is not among the topless in the show that will open with one male and two female dancers, choreographed by Bobby Boling. ...

Tuesday's news of a bankruptcy filing by Consolidated Resorts, owner of Tahiti Village and other time share resorts, could have serious repercussions for dozens of shows.

It's part of the show-business infrastructure, hidden in plain sight: Producers offer the condos discounted tickets, with no money upfront. Customers take a tour or listen to a pitch, then take their free-ticket vouchers to the box office. When the vouchers come in, the show producers bill the resort. V Theater operator David Saxe says Consolidated owes him about $100,000 just for a couple of months' worth of tickets.

The loss of Consolidated's information booths around town also means the loss of sales people talking up performers such as George Wallace. ...

Las Vegas has always been on the consumer end of the country music pipeline. But a new showcase hopes to bring us a little closer to the point of origin.

"Nashville Unplugged" on Friday at Green Valley Ranch is the first of a planned monthly series to put songwriters in the spotlight.

"It's a backstage look at how the songs are born," explains Aaron Benward of the group Blue County, who will co-host with Brian McComas.

The two are shooting for a vibe similar to Nashville's Bluebird Cafe by hosting songwriters Travis Howard, who collaborates with Miranda Lambert, and Chas Sandford, whose hits include John Waite's "Missing You."

"Many times the writer is a much better performer than the recording artist themselves," Benward says. And he's not worried about the logistics of importing the talent each month. "Their desire to play their music outweighs any problems with scheduling," he says with a laugh. ...

Antonio Restivo, the producer-star of "Ignite," says his Greek Isles revue plans to celebrate its 100-show mark -- no small achievement considering the location and economy -- with a benefit for the University Medical Center Burn Center on July 28.

Restivo also says stand-up comic The Chinaman (Mark Britten) soon will be joining him as a Greek Isles roommate in a venture produced by Pantera band drummer Vinnie Paul.

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