Judy Thorburn and Debbie Hall

This was a week of legends, including living legends, a legendary restaurant, a legendary business figure, a show working to become a legend and a new restaurant that is striving to become a legend in Las Vegas.

Pampas Grille, located in Desert Passage at the Aladdin Hotel, opened on Memorial Day, and already word is getting out. Pampas Grille is Brazilian dining with servers coming to your table with a variety of meats on sizzling skewers and an array of vegetables buffet style available to accompany your meal. Media Diva Judy doesn’t eat red meat, so she sampled the chicken and the wonderful salad bar, but Media Diva Debbie tasted all of the meat dishes offered including smoked sausages, smoked turkey, noble sirloin, top sirloin, beef ribs, ham, lamb and chicken. The vegetables included hearts of palm, jumbo asparagus, sun dried tomatoes, zucchini, field greens, salads and smoked salmon. The restaurant itself is open and airy with a glass enclosed private dining room and full service bar.

The price is $29.99 per person (doesn’t include drinks, dessert or gratuity) and to make reservations, call 737-4748.

A true legend in restaurants, Casa di Amore Italian Restaurant has been in business for a long time at 2850 East Tropicana at Harrison (east of Eastern) and there is a reason why. Their motto “Vegas: The Way It Used To Be” says it all, with utmost attention to customer satisfaction, just like the old days. The food and service are beyond excellent with nightly fine entertainment to add to the meal. A small intimate dining establishment (with a full service bar and dance floor) Casa di Amore offers an affordably priced extensive menu that starts off with appetizers and continues with Italian entrées such as seafood specialties, chicken, steak, veal, or pork dishes, A Touch of Italy, which consists of traditional pasta dishes, stuffed shells or eggplant parmigiana and, of course, magnificent desserts. Each generously filled dinner plate comes with fresh baked homemade bread and a tossed salad or homemade soup. For those who like a glass of wine with their meal, there are a wide variety of domestic and imported wines for your liking. If you are hungry for REAL Italian dining like Sinatra and his buddies enjoyed back in the Las Vegas of yesteryear, Casa Di Amore can’t be beat.

A legendary organization, it began as Variety Clubs, but now it is Variety International, The Children’s Charity, and for the first time held its convention with black-tie gala at Las Vegas at Bally’s Hotel and Casino. What an elegant evening to honor William Austin, head of Starkey Hearing Foundation, as Humanitarian of the Year. Celebrities such as Monty Hall (Let’s Make a Deal and Variety International Chairman), Comedian Norm Crosby, Louie Anderson, Clint Holmes, the cast from Menopause The Musical (Vita Corimbi, Denise Miles, Laura Lee O’Connell and Satomi Hofmann, and local radio/TV personality Lark Williams (97.1 FM) were there to celebrate this big event. It all began with a private cocktail party in one of Bally’s penthouse suites. The champagne flowed with an incredible spread presented in a unique style of the food dishes integrated with exotic plants.

Afterwards, we attended the second cocktail party held in the ballroom of Bally’s with the opportunity to mix and mingle with everyone, many of whom travel many miles to attend this event. The sit down dinner was held in the grand ballroom with gold centerpieces high above the tables (easier to see our companions sitting at the table), gold trimmed plates and wines to go with our dinner of either filet mignon, chicken or pasta primavera. For dessert, we were treated to lemon dacquiose with honey roasted peaches.

After dinner, Michael Reilly, International Past President, lead us in the Loyal Toast and Memorial Day Tribute to our troops. An inspiration, Josalyn Tishner, afflicted with Cerebral Palsy, graduate of UNLV and an FBI agent, spoke about how Variety International has made a difference in her life. Pianist, Garin Bader, and his wife, Vanessa, entertained us with music and dance. The highlight was the presentation of the Humanitarian Award to William Austin by Variety International President Michael E. Forman. What an inspirational evening to benefit the children of the world and our state in particular.

Variety International the Children's Charity’s commitment to improving the lives of children is accomplished by offering financial assistance and support to organizations and agencies that benefit children in need. Funding is also used to provide needed medical services or equipment for seriously ill and physically challenged children.

Variety was founded in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1927 when a group of eleven gentlemen affiliated with show business agreed to financially underwrite the care of a baby girl found abandoned in one of the local theatres. Today, Variety – The Children’s Charity, known as the “Heart of Show Business,” has grown into a multi-million dollar philanthropic organization that spans the globe with 52 chapters in 14 countries. For more information, go to www.varietyinternational.org.

During a press conference at the Orleans, entertainment legend Jerry Lewis sat down with us to make several announcements. In fact, if you watch the news, you would have caught a glimpse of Media Diva Judy sitting next to Jerry in news clips (and it wasn’t very nice that she locked Media Diva Debbie in the bathroom – JUST KIDDING). Lewis opened the press conference with, “What a perfect day for a press conference. 6-6-6 (referring to the date of the conference).” After telling us about his weight loss of 79 pounds (due to medication), he was happy to make the first announcement about the return of the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon to Las Vegas following a 10-year absence. After looking for the right venue, he found it at The South Coast Hotel & Casino who will host to this year’s telethon on September 3 and 4, 2006. The next announcement was that Jerry will return to performing beginning July 13 at the Orleans. He then spoke about producing The Nutty Professor as a Broadway musical, which he plans on debuting at San Diego’s Globe Theatre in January of 2007, before opening in New York in October 2008. Jerry said he was thrilled to have found the perfect young actor named Michael Andrews who will perform as the star of the show.

Jerry Lewis with The Media Divas - Photos by Lindsay Hebberd

Lewis told us that, “I feel great. I stopped taking the medication and I live with the pain.” He said, “I viewed clips of all of the physical comedy I performed in my movies and I counted 87 falls. No wonder my back is so screwed up.” He continued, “I got the pills and pills beget pills. No more. It’s so good to be better. I have to exercise and I have to diet.”

The legendary Muscular Dystrophy telethon was first broadcast from Carnegie Hall in New York in 1950 with Dean Martin and Lewis. “We raised $11,000. But, I was embarrassed so I added $4,000 of my own money to the total to make it $15,000.” He spoke about the success of the telethon in London, Australia and Paris and while CBS in Hollywood has been very good to him, “after 2003, I realized I missed Las Vegas. Something in Vegas, that’s intangible, had me bring the telethon back here.”

Six years ago, at the age of 74, Lewis signed a 20 year contract with Michael Gaughn and Coast properties. After battling illness, Lewis is excited to return to performing July 13 at the Orleans.

A show that should be a legend is “V” at the Variety Theater at Desert Passage inside the Aladdin Hotel and Casino. The evening began with a carnival-like atmosphere to celebrate its two-year anniversary at Desert Passage. There were men on stilts, a dunk tank (with show producer David Saxe as one of the dunkees), a tent to bounce in, and carnival games like ring toss, tic-tac-toe and knock the clowns down. The comfort food included cotton candy, peanuts, hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, onion rings, French fries and all of the junk we could eat without mom and dad yelling at us. But the show was truly the highlight.

We laughed SO HARD. Jeff Hobson, the master of ceremonies, or host, is one funny guy who calls his choice of glitter filled suits ‘a Liberace starter kit’. Hobson has the wit, facial and body mannerisms, quick quips, and delivery that had the audience laughing so hard we cried. A true variety show, the cast includes the very likeable, adorable, and funny Wally Eastwood, who has appeared in a number of production shows. A juggler with the fastest hands in show business, Eastwood, who describes himself as a redneck Mexican- his mother is Mexican, father white, and he was raised in Alabama - demonstrated how three hats or three rings can entertain an audience as much as a multi-million dollar Cirque productions. “While other shows spend millions on special effects, I use only three hats, which saves the show money,” he said with a laugh. Other specialty acts, each in themselves a crowd pleaser, included Yuri and Nicolei, an incredible hand balancing act from Russia, comedy and illusions from Nathan Burton, and former American Idol finalist with an amazing voice, Trenyce. But, it was Ross Merlin who had the crowd in stitches watching him work with audience participants who join him on stage for a “masked performance”. Four male volunteers have no idea what they are in for, but, it is all in innocent fun and absolutely hysterical. Last, but not least, was Joe Trammel, a fast paced prop comic with enough energy to rev up an engine. His lip syncing, dancing and parodying of top pop tunes, movie icons and themes from the 70’s through the present which includes the likes of Michael and Janet Jackson, Jackie Chan, and films such as Jaws and Titanic, to name a few, grabbed the attention of everyone in the audience. So, if you are looking for some variety in your life, this show aims to please. Just one letter says it all. “V” - easy to remember and one show you won’t forget.

On June 7, Las Vegas Legendary Real Estate Developer and Humanitarian Richard MacDonald Sr. was honored by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars during a private party held in his penthouse suite at the exclusive Turnberry Place. His commitment to the development and expansion of Las Vegas has added significantly to its worldwide prominence of Las Vegas.

Richard MacDonald Sr. founded MacDonald Ranch in l970. Other of his developments include The Sunset Ridge Professional Plaza, Green Valley Parkway Center, MacDonald Ranch Center, Sundridge and MacDonald Ranch Country Club.

Since moving to Las Vegas in l959 with his wife of 62 years, Frances, they have supported many charities and the arts including The American Heart Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society. Richard was knighted by H.R.H. Prince Henri Constantine Paleolongo for the many charitable functions that he has supported.

The State of Nevada and the City of Las Vegas Proclaimed June 7, 2006 as Richard MacDonald Sr. Day. A replica of the star was presented to MacDonald (with the real one due to be placed in front of New York-New York Resort and Casino). Peter Anthony entertained the invited guests, which consisted of other notable Las Vegas performers such as Cork Proctor, Nelson Sardelli, Frankie Randall and Larry Taylor. Richard and Francis were the perfect, gracious hosts, and know how to throw a party. There was incredible food, a busy bar and an offering of a surrounding breathtaking view of the Las Vegas valley from their residence, which can be enjoyed from floor to ceiling windows or the gorgeous outdoor patio. Congratulations to Richard MacDonald, a true and most deserving Las Vegas Legend.

Remember, The Media Divas make entertainment news DIVALICIOUS!