All-star athletes coming to town for ‘Players Club’ shoot

But there’s an all-star team on the field — make that fields — this week as “The Players Club” comes to town.

The hourlong TV special features a dozen major league veterans in action today and Tuesday, competing in everything from golf to go-kart racing.

And you’re invited to catch part of the competition.

The “Players Club” lineup: Wade Boggs, Joe Carter, Rob Dibble, Steve Garvey, Trevor Hoffman, Bo Jackson, Randy Johnson, Harold Reynolds, Gary Sheffield, Ozzie Smith, John Smoltz and Frank Thomas; David Wells hosts.

Headquartered at the Palms, competition gets under way on the Hardwood Suite’s basketball court, according to executive producer Bill Garnet of Wesley Morris Entertainment, which is producing the “CBS Sports Spectacular” scheduled to air May 6.

Today’s shoot is expected to move to the 16th hole of the Bali Hai Golf Club at 10 a.m., followed by a 12:30 p.m. skills showdown at Wilson Stadium at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where the all-star athletes will show how well they can hit a baseball, throw a football, kick a soccer ball and shoot an arrow.

Those events are open to the public, as is the Pole Position go-kart racing, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Tuesday’s grand finale: a poker tournament in the Palms Lounge, where players will gamble with chips awarded for points amassed during the previous rounds, Garnet explains.

“Las Vegas is the perfect place to do this,” he notes, adding that the Palms made equal sense as a home field.

“Any hotel-casino that has a basketball court in a suite is ready-made” for a show like “The Players Club,” he says.

A veteran of such shows as “Battle of the Network Stars” and “American Gladiators,” Garnet says he hopes “The Players Club” will grow into a franchise for all-stars from other sports, from the NFL to the NBA.

Silver State showcase: Speaking of all-star teams, there’s still time for local industry players to qualify for the Nevada Film Project, which will involve 10 filmmaking teams filming one 100-page script, featuring the same 10 characters, on location throughout the Silver State.

A “name talent” will play an on-screen role, working with all 10 participating teams, reports project developer Marko Sakren ; the result “will be circulated in Hollywood (and elsewhere) as a kind of state demo reel, showcasing the best Nevada has to offer,” he explains. Early-bird registration ($15) ends Feb. 7; regular registration ($25) ends Feb. 14, with late registration ($35) closing Feb. 22. To register or find out more, go to www.NevadaFilmProject.com.

QUICK TAKES: A variety of other projects also turn up on this week’s location calendar, from director Albert Pyun’s feature “Cyborg: Rise of the Slingers” to a “Travelers’ Tales” documentary, which is expected to shoot on the Strip and downtown. And another “Lounging Vintage Las Vegas Style” variety show is scheduled to roll at 9 p.m. Thursday at the Italian-American Club.

FAMILY TIES: An upcoming German TV documentary is looking for a Las Vegas family to host a German family for a two-week shoot, during which the visitors will learn about the host family’s life in Las Vegas — at work, at home and at play.

The show’s producers hope to find a family with a house big enough to accommodate a German family of two adults and two or three children. In addition, they’re looking for someone who works in “a typical Vegas business,” from casino workers to entertainers, store owners to motel operators.

The host family will receive a $5,000 allowance for the two-week shoot, which is expected to start Feb. 25.

If you’re interested, email casting agent Marilee Lear at
mlear­­@­­learenterprises.com.

Carol Cling’s Shooting Stars column appears
Mondays. Contact her at (702) 383-0272
or ccling@reviewjournal.com.