Show to blend dance, comedy

Next fall, "Sin City Comedy" wants to give late-night channel surfers a comedy alternative to lame "Saturday Night Live" sketches.

The showcase that mixes stand-up with burlesque numbers is set to be part of a new Saturday-night block of syndicated TV programming from Rampage Media Group, tentatively titled "Stay Up Late."

John Padon, the comedian-turned-producer behind "Sin City," says 10 half-hours will be filmed in three days in mid-February. Each show will use two comedians, two dancers and a host, who is still to be determined.

The show could air in more than 100 TV markets and will probably be seen locally on KVMY-TV, Channel 21 ("My LVTV"). ...

The comedy show at the V Theater in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood is offering locals $10 admission -- and kicking in a free beer on top of it -- until the end of January. Greg Vaccarello is this week's headliner for those who want to combine laughs and last-minute shopping. ...

Speaking of the V Theater, operator David Saxe is shuffling some things around in there.

The Motown revue "Hitzville" will move downstairs into the main room starting Jan. 17, in a 5:30 p.m. time slot. The singers always seemed a little cramped against the bandstand in the second-floor venue they share with "Sin City," and the larger stage will let them spread out.

"Echoes of the '60s" will remain in the smaller room upstairs, but will move to a 6 p.m. time slot that should be more boomer friendly than the current 10:30 p.m. start.

"Beatleshow!" will move across the mall to sister property Saxe Theater. Saxe says he wants to expand the Beatles tribute into more of a biographical, "Jersey Boys"-style approach. ...

"Defending the Caveman" will move its Fred Flintstone set from the Excalibur to Harrah's Las Vegas next month. But in keeping with the work ethic of star Kevin Burke, there won't be a day off between the last one in the castle on Jan. 16 and the first one in The Improv comedy club on Jan. 17.

"Caveman" also will be performed more often; nightly at 7 and at 3 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays. The long-form comedy monologue by Rob Becker celebrates five years in town next June. ...

It wouldn't be "Christmas in Las Vegas" (as the Richard Cheese song goes) without "Merry Christmas Las Vegas," the annual Tony Sacca Christmas special airing at the end of your long Christmas Day, at 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning on KTUD-TV. ...

Don't write off the American Country Awards coming back next year, says the executive producer of the Fox TV awards earlier this month.

"It underperformed a little bit, but not a lot based on network expectations," Bob Bain said of the Dec. 6 broadcast from the MGM Grand that drew 6 million viewers; small enough for some trade reports to declare it one and done.

"The network was actually pretty happy with it for a first-year show. If I was a betting person, I'd say it's coming back," says Bain, who also helms Fox's New Year's Eve countdown show at Mandalay Bay.

Nashville might lend more industry support next year after seeing what Bain called "some pretty impressive sales gains" after the show. ...

For those hoping to walk away with magician Steve Wyrick's death crane in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court auction, there's still time.

Things apparently got complicated last Friday when Wyrick himself showed up at the auction. Attorneys questioned whether the magician was trying to buy his own stuff back and whether that would be fraud.

There also were questions of whether everything on the inventory list was accounted for. Another hearing to sort it all out was set for this week.

Rumors spread that David Copperfield or Criss Angel would buy the collection, perhaps because they are two (the only two?) who could afford the $150,000 minimum bid. Both denied any interest.

But Wyrick is apparently still sentimental about the stuff. Another local magician showed up, curious about whether the props were to be auctioned piecemeal, and was greeted with a killer death stare from the former headliner.

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