Tom Jones to mark milestone

Forty years ago, the women of Las Vegas were captured by a hot new name on the Strip.

Well, almost new. In one of the more bizarre coincidences of Las Vegas show business history, the Desert Inn lounge already hosted a topless spoof of the "Tom Jones" movie with Albert Finney that still was popular in 1968.

"The movie was so big that (people) thought I was going to act in a play," the Tom Jones more familiar to Las Vegas once recalled. And Flamingo Las Vegas executives hedged their bet for his March 21 debut by co-billing the Welsh singer with "America's Favorite Mother-in-Law," Kaye Ballard.

But that was before his TV show hit big in the United States. "They thought I was a pop singer, trying to be a nightclub entertainer," Jones noted.

He has done a pretty good job of both along the way. If Jones opens an MGM Grand stint as scheduled today, it will mark 40 consecutive years on the Strip, to the best recollection of local experts who run an unofficial fan Web site, Tom Jones International.

Don't be surprised to see the occasion marked at today's show, though the Web site managers wanted to retain the element of surprise in terms of specifics.

Over the years, the 67-year-old Jones recorded two live albums on the Strip, inspired Elvis Presley to reinvent himself as a showroom act and defended the city from flying saucers in "Mars Attacks!" ...

So much for "Music of the Rock and Roll All Nite." Publicists for "Phantom -- The Las Vegas Spectacular" shoot down reports of Kiss frontman Paul Stanley donning the mask at The Venetian.

It was a credible rumor, however. A source close to the production suggests the talk was generated by Stanley himself. The singer apparently has been eager to reprise his turn as the Phantom in a Toronto production.

And one of the two Las Vegas Phantoms, Brent Barrett, is leaving The Venetian cast on June 6. But the role was double-cast back when the producers thought they could field 10 shows a week instead of the current eight. Co-Phantom Anthony Crivello stays on as the sole keeper of the mask for at least a year.

Barrett bought a house here so you might still see him around. He plans to join current "Phantom" cast member Tina Walsh and "Monty Python's Spamalot" performer Reva Rice in an April 18 benefit for the Red Mountain Music Company in Boulder City. ...

Two recent show business gambles of no small risk appear to be paying off. Billboard magazine lists Bette Midler at the top of its concert grosses for early March, grossing $3.1 million and selling out four of five shows between March 4 and 9.

Though her shows raked in more than Bruce Springsteen and Rascal Flatts, her average ticket price was $165, compared with $92 for Springsteen and $58 for Rascal.

And the Las Vegas Hilton seems to be happy with comic ventriloquist Terry Fator, who was booked for multiple dates in the Hilton's big theater after winning "America's Got Talent" last summer.

The novelty hasn't worn off. Hilton officials extended the commitment from May through the rest of the year, bringing Fator to town one weekend each month. ...

The name Neil Aspinall will test who is a real Beatles fan. Aspinall, who died Monday at age 66, spent years as the custodian of the group's record catalog and related business interests.

It was a stamp of credibility when the press-shy Aspinall showed up in Las Vegas to confirm the deal for Cirque du Soleil's "Love" in October 2004.

At the time, Aspinall stressed that all four members of the Beatles or their widows had to sign off on the project. "It's almost like an inverted democracy. If somebody says no, we don't do it," he said. ...

Well, here's something different. Impressionist Gordie Brown will be singing to recorded tracks when he opens in the V Theater Tuesday. Where's his band? Why, at the Sahara, backing Trent Carlini's Elvis tribute.

David Saxe produces both shows, and explains that when he took over Carlini's tribute, the band wouldn't sign a new contract and he was worried about turnover.

Saxe's friend Brown was leaving The Venetian, and recommended the services of his band to keep them employed. But then, Brown decided to take on a stint at the V Theater. But he will leave the band at the Sahara because he "wants to try a different style, more raw comedy," Saxe says.

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