Revue fans get more variety

You might call Ed Mathews the King Off the Strip.

If you report to a cubicle each morning you might not be so familiar with "Hit Parade," the weekly afternoon revue Mathews produces at the Suncoast. But local retirees and entertainers will find it only natural that Mathews is doubling, perhaps tripling his efforts around town.

For more than four years, the young at heart have lined up on Monday mornings to get 500 or so tickets for the Suncoast variety show each Thursday afternoon. "We have a full house with only word of mouth," Mathews says. Residents of neighboring retirement communities "have made good friends there, and it becomes a social thing for them."

He assumes it will be the same with a twin production, "Toast of the Town," opening at Sam's Town today. (Mathews borrows the names of vintage TV variety shows as a nod to his pre-"retirement" career in the record industry.)

The new variety revue replaces "The Dennis Bono Show," the live radio program that also relaunches today in a new home at South Point. Both are free to members of slot clubs at the respective properties.

Bono and Boyd Gaming executives had mutual praise for one another. "We've been very happy there," Bono says of his five years at Sam's Town, but speaks of "an opportunity for growth." Speaking off the record, parties familiar with the situation said that at the end of a contract period, Boyd wasn't as generous in the budget it offered Bono for an extension, inspiring him to look around.

Bono says he is negotiating for national syndication, the next step from the separate contracts to air the program in 11 states and on the online radio station Stay Tuned America.

Mathews doesn't see the two shows at 2 p.m. Thursday as a big competition for either entertainers or audience. He says he has created "an afternoon A-list" of local performers that has been "self-sustaining and self-growing." Some acts, such as Lena Prima last weekend, generate sales for their ticketed shows (in her case, also produced by Mathews) by performing in the free revue.

As for the crowd, Mathews figures that much like a new restaurant, folks might drive a long way to check out something once. But eventually, "whatever you develop in the neighborhood, that's what it's going to be."

By that logic, Mathews believes he can do another show, "Cavalcade of Stars," on Fridays at the Gold Coast. The first six to eight weeks will be a test run, replacing "Hit Parade" while the Suncoast showroom goes offline for remodeling and technical upgrades. "But I have a feeling it will probably stay there," says Terry Jenkins, who oversees entertainment for Boyd. ...

Producers of "Triumph ... The Eternal Struggle" are still being cryptic and trying to sustain a campy teaser campaign about what's apparently a magic show with a Siegfried & Roy-like duo called LaRaf. If you feel lucky buying tickets for an unexplained entity, they're already on sale.

At least it has a confirmed opening date at the Las Vegas Hilton on Oct. 3 and a schedule that reveals it to be mostly a 4 p.m. matinee, with evening shows on Sundays. The Hilton will continue to "primarily focus on concert acts" most other nights, says marketing executive Rick White. ...

A good idea seems to have survived a failed theater at Town Square shopping center. Emily Jillette is relaunching "Matt Donnelly's Executive Monkeys" in the lounge at the Palms. It's an improv comedy showcase that includes a comic tarot reading of a celebrity. The first is Shannon Elizabeth on Wednesday. ...

If you can afford the best seats at "Le Reve," what's a few bucks more? The Wynn Las Vegas water spectacle is on its annual "drain the pond" (for maintenance) vacation through July 1. When it comes back, the top VIP tickets increase from $179 to $195, before taxes and add-ons.

Few shows dare to raise prices in this economy, but the top row of first-class seating was an instant hit. And because of the circular seating configuration, it would be a challenge to add more of the top-tier seats.

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