Tag: Las Vegas

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Las Vegas: Hunky “Dancing With The Stars” Pros Open DANCE WITH ME

Val Chmerkovskiy & Tony Dovolani celebrate the opening of Dance With Me studios in Las Vegas

I’ve long felt the true stars of Dancing with the Stars are the fab professional dancers.

Not only do they come up with the choreography for the celebs, but also the concepts, the lighting and the costume ideas.

And then there’s the fact that the men of DWTS are all so easy on the eyes.

I confirmed that last night when I attended the gala opening of Dance With Me dance studio – the ballroom dance studio chain founded by Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Val Chmerkovskiy and Tony Dovolani.

After years of watching at home, fans can learn the cha cha in private dance lessons, rumba in a group setting, and even mambo at social dance parties. Students at Dance With Me can learn ballroom, Latin, hip hop or contemporary dance moves, and can even take dance fitness classes.

According to press materials, all the instructors are hand-picked by Val, Tony and Maksim. And the space is gorgeous.

I chatted with Val and Tony on the red carpet (Maks’ flight was slightly delayed but he appeared about an hour into the event). Both Val and Tony were way charming, and super-comfortable with their fans.

And speaking of the fans – the line out the door went around the block. Hundreds and hundreds of DWTS die-hards had no problem waiting their turn to get to meet the ballroom boys.

Dance With Me now has nine locations now open across the country.

Val showed he’s also a selfie pro
Me with Val, Tony and hubby Michael on the red carpet
Quick interview with Val and Tony

Just one more question…

Tony Dovolani took plenty of time with every fan

Val Chmerkovskiy had no shortage of personality & charm interacting with fans
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Holiday Music: Melody Sweets “Santa Maybe…”

Las Vegas Strip star Melody Sweets’ new holiday single, “Santa Maybe…” gives much to purr about.

The acclaimed chanteuse brings the naughty this holiday season with the debut of her new music video for her seductive holiday song, “Santa, Maybe…”. Miss Sweets is joined by cast members from the Chippendales, members of the hit show ABSINTHE, and Ruby the 6-fingered, cookie-eating kitty cat!

Las Vegas Weekly said: “It sticks in your head after one listen, in a good way,” while the Las Vegas Sun called it “Adult in tenor and certain to fire up Yule logs across the great holiday landscape.”

The critically-acclaimed Sweets has been called “amazing” by music icon and Grammy Award-winner Sting, and has been featured in countless publications including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Las Vegas Magazine, and The Village Voice among others. An official objet d’art, Melody’s portrait can be seen hanging in museums nationwide, including the Smithsonian Museum of American History, Washington, DC and the Harvard Fogg Museum.

“Santa Maybe…” is available on iTunes.

For more information visit www.MelodySweets.com

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Las Vegas: Opportunity Village Opens “The Magical Forest 2016”

Easily one of the holiday season’s brightest highlights in Las Vegas is Opportunity Village’s “Magical Forest.”

From Thanksgiving to New Years, folks of all ages can enjoy the magic and fantasy of Christmas lights, music and more at the annual Opportunity Village attraction.

This past Friday, Australia’s most successful vocal group, Human Nature, and the world famous Chippendales joined Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus for the lighting of the “Magical Forest” Christmas tree.

“The Magical Forest” is a winter wonderland with millions of sparkling lights, nightly entertainment, great food and endless cheer not to be missed during the holiday season.

From the official website:

Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization serving children and adults in the southern Nevada community with intellectual disabilities, to enhance their lives and the lives of the families who love them. Opportunity Village is dedicated to helping people become the very best they can be. Through vocational training, community employment, day services, advocacy, arts and social recreation, citizens with severe disabilities are able to find new friends, realize future career paths, seek independence and community integration and unleash creative passions.

Through hard work, sweat, and a little luck, Opportunity Village has helped southern Nevada’s most vulnerable citizens integrate into the community through wage-paying jobs. These jobs provide opportunities for these individuals to display and be rewarded for their talent and achievement while gaining a measure of independence. It’s no wonder that Opportunity Village has earned the distinction of “Las Vegas’ Best Community Organization.”

Almost entirely self-funded, Opportunity Village is possible because southern Nevadans realize the value in supporting their neighbors with intellectual disabilities. In our society, people with disabilities live their live being told what they can’t do. Opportunity Village strives to break that stigma, encouraging the people it serves to follow their dreams.

As regular readers of The Randy Report know, opportunities for those folks with special challenges hold an important place on my blog. From my brother, who is a bright light as he shines through Autism Spectrum Disorder, to the amazing athletes who inspire us every four years at the Special Olympics.

If you’ve never been to the “Magical Forest,” you really should put it on your must-see list for December.  Check out some pics from the tree lighting event, then make sure you go get some Christmas cheer thanks to Opportunity Village.

Human Nature with Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman

Las Vegas’ Mayor Carolyn Goodman with Chippendales’ James Davis & Mikey Perez

Australia’s best selling vocal group, Human Nature, delivered the Christmas tunes

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman officially proclaimed “Magical Forest Day”

Who’s lap do you want to sit on – Santa’s?
Or the Chippendales’ Mikey Perez and James Davis?

Me and handsome hubby Michael take a stroll through The Magical Forest

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Early Voting Starts In Nevada

And…, DONE!

Now you KNOW I’m gonna get my vote on the very first day, the very first hour of early voting here in Las Vegas.

Long lines showing up all over the city (you can even vote at your grocery store!), but my polling place was moving along quite smoothly.

No shenanigans, no ugliness – just good, clean electoral processes happening on a gorgeous Nevada day.

Early voting accounts for nearly 50% of the vote in Nevada in presidential election years. And in those cycles with the presidency on the ballot, around 80% of registered voters show up to make their voices heard – 81% in 2012, 80% in 2008 and 79.9% in 2004.

If you need info about where to vote in Las Vegas, click here.

Now go vote, and if you’ve already voted come see me today at Las Vegas PRIDE in Sunset Park. I’ll be hosting the mainstage from 5-7PM!

Looks like a long line but it moved quickly

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Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Nyle DiMarco In A Tub

(photo: Tate Tullier)

Nyle DiMarco (America’s Next Top Model & Dancing With the Stars champ) gets all squeaky clean in a recent Las Vegas photo shoot with Tate Tullier, a deaf photographer who’s been acclaimed for his “Tub Time With Tate” series.

DiMarco just completed his run in Las Vegas as the latest “Celebrity Host” of Chippendales.

I got to grab a bite with Nyle before attending his last Chipps performance Sunday night (packed house), and loved seeing the vast diversity in the audience, including dozens of deaf community fans there to cheer the dashing DiMarco on.

I look forward to seeing what’s next for this awesome guy.

Sign language translator Ramon Norrod (L), Chippendales exec in charge Kristen Makhathini,
me with Nyle and hubby Michael
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Las Vegas: Nyle DiMarco Debuts With Chippendales

Sami Eskelin, Mikey Perez, Nyle DiMarco, James Davis and Jon Howes of Chippendales Photo – Denise Truscello

Last night I attended the first performance of America’s Next Top Model/Dancing with the Stars champ Nyle DiMarco as he took to the Chippendales‘ stage in Las Vegas at the Rio Hotel and Casino as the iconic male revue’s newest celebrity guest host. Continue reading “Las Vegas: Nyle DiMarco Debuts With Chippendales”

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Channing Tatum Brings “Magic Mike Live” To ELLEN

Huge exposure for Channing Tatum’s upcoming Las Vegas extravaganza, “Magic Mike Live,” as Tatum and his guys gave Ellen DeGeneres a live taste of what folks can expect in Sin City.

“Magic Mike Live” is scheduled to debut in March 2017 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.

First, Channing explained his reasons for doing the live show:

“I had a friend that had a girlfriend who went to Vegas and went to some of the male reviews there and she didn’t tell my buddy about it and he’s like why didn’t you tell me. She was embarrassed. She was like I don’t know it wasn’t cool. We just thought let’s go make something cool. Let’s go make something really for you guys (ladies) and hopefully we’re going to be able to do that.”

And then, the fun began. Watch the segment below:

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Radio Show: Talking With Dancing With The Stars Champ Nyle DiMarco

Nyle DiMarco

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to meet and interview the very handsome and charming Nyle DiMarco, winner of both  America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars.

 DiMarco is set to begin a run as the Chippendales‘ “Celebrity Guest Host” in Las Vegas at the Rio Hotel & Casino beginning September 22nd.

Here’s my radio show interview:

Dancing with the Stars/America’s Next Top Model champ Nyle DiMarco talks with me about his upcoming gig as next Celebrity Guest Host at Chippendales in Las Vegas at the Rio Hotel & Casino.

Along the way, Nyle shares some of his secrets to learning those amazing dance routines for DWTS; his plans for the Nyle DiMarco Foundation which aims to get American Sign Language learning access to deaf children and their families; the first time someone made a fuss about his most handsome face; plus, what his thoughts on the current fashion trends.

Most interviews you see or hear on TV are shortened to two or three questions, so this 20 minute interview is probably one of the longest, more detailed Q&As you’ll find of him, thanks to his generosity of time.

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Las Vegas Man Charged For Terrorist Threats To Kill “Gays, Faggots, Lesbians and Satanists”

Yesterday, in my town of Las Vegas, a 24 year old nut job named Bryce Cuellar was indicted for making terrorists threats including saying he wanted to kill “gays, faggots, lesbians and satanists.”

The radical, self-proclaimed “Christian warrior” posted a video to his YouTube channel (160,000 subscribers!) on July 2nd that outlined his plans.

From KTNV in Las Vegas:

Although Google had removed the video, they were able to provide a link for a detective to watch the video.

In the video, a man named Bryce Cuellar reportedly showed off two rifles and was wearing a military flak vest and night vision goggles. Cuellar reportedly said in the video that he is tired of the government trying to take away his First and Second Amendment rights and says that he cannot wait to use his rifle in the manner in which the founding fathers intended.

He also said that he wanted to kill “gays, faggots, lesbians and satanists” and claimed to be a Christian warrior. Cuellar also said that he is tired of America and would begin killing soon. Police also checked his Facebook page and found posts about the Orlando shooting and posts that outlines his anti-government, sovereign citizen and militia ideologies.

To give you an idea of Cuellar’s sensibility, this from his Facebook page:

The U.S. Government is now officially the enemy, and must be destroyed. They are murdering men,women, and children by dumping biological chemicals in our air which contains organisms that DON’T originate on earth…..that’s right, you read correctly, unearthly biological matter is killing us off!! The U.S. Government is now public enemy #1. America’s most wanted.

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Enter To Win Tickets To DURAN DURAN In Las Vegas

Multi-platinum superstars Duran Duran (over 70 million albums sold world-wide) bring their The Paper Gods Tour tour to the Mandalay Bay Event Center here in Las Vegas this Friday, July 29th at 7PM.

The Randy Report is giving away 2 pairs of tickets to this perfect summertime concert fare.

Contest Closed. Congrats to Adam and Cecilia on each winning a pair of tickets to the show this Friday!

Two winners will be chosen at random. Each winner will receive two tickets. Entries will be closed at 3pm PT Thursday, July 28th.

Duran Duran are joined on tour by CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers, and Tokimonsta.

Paper Gods, released worldwide on September 11th, debuted at No. 10 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album chart, earning Duran Duran its highest-charting album in 22 years.

The album features “Pressure Off” and “Last Night in the City featuring Kiesza.”

For more info, head on over to the Duran Duran official website.