Las Vegas Ticket Stories

"TIX Corporation and Mannheim Steamroller Announce Two Year Touring Deal"

Las Vegas, NV (Tix Corporation) July 22, 2008 - Tix Productions, Inc. (TPI), a subsidiary of TIX Corporation (Nasdaq:TIXC), and Mannheim Steamroller today announced a two year touring producing partnership. Mannheim Steamroller is one of the largest selling Christmas artists of all time and is a holiday tradition for many families. The group has recorded seven Christmas albums, which have sold more than 35 million copies. The agreement will cover the 2008 and 2009 U.S. tours. Additionally, the agreement provides TPI with the exclusive ticket distribution and merchandising rights for the tour. Grammy Award winner Chip Davis, the creator of Mannheim Steamroller, will continue as the director and co-producer of the live show.

Tix Corporation produces and promotes live entertainment throughout the United States and Canada via its newly-formed subsidiary Tix Productions, Inc. TPI is led by longtime business partners and 24-year industry veterans, Co-CEOs Lee Marshall and Joe Marsh.

Rock lounge Wasted Space, part of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's $800 million expansion and renovation in Las Vegas, officially opens July 19 with a private VIP party and a special acoustic rock set from Gavin Rossdale.

Co-created by motocross racer Carey Hart, the 5,000 square-foot nightclub will hold 400-500 people and is co-owned by Hart, New York Yankee baseball player Jason Giambi, and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Rockers Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte are partners, and Hard Rock's Cory McCormack will act as managing partner.

Anti-establishment comedian George Carlin died on June 22 in Santa Monica, CA at age 71, from heart failure. Carlin had a long history of heart problems.

Carlin was still working and touring, and had performed at The Orleans in Las Vegas, NV the weekend before he died. He was one of the few comedians who could regularly sell out theaters. Best known for his irreverent social commentary and poignant observations of the absurdities of everyday life, Carlin was a topical comedian and a favorite of HBO having taped 14 specials.

The 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson may actually be forced to play Las Vegas for an extended period of time.

Colony Capital, a private equity group, recently bought the loan on Jackson's infamous Neverland Ranch in California for $23 million. Colony also owns the Las Vegas Hilton and is a major shareholder in the Station casino chain.

So to reclaim his ranch, which he once also said he would never return to after he was found innocent in child molestation charges in 2005, he may have to perform live to raise the capital. And the Hilton may just be such a venue. There are reports that he is residing in Pahrump, NV now, about 60 miles from the Vegas strip.

The Las Vegas Strip is getting a new dance revue featuring dancers, singers and musicians later this summer. "Raw Talent Live," a 75-minute, high-energy experience featuring interactive performances of the next generation of World Dance will make its debut at the Sahara Hotel & Casino in August.

The show features live, original music and exclusive, high-tech video illusions, and tickets go on sale the week of June 23.

R&B singer Toni Braxton has canceled the remainder of her Flamingo Las Vegas engagement, called "Toni Braxton: Revealed. No specific reasons for the cancellation were given, although her health may have been a factor.

Braxton had previously canceled a few shows in the engagement due to her health. She was hospitalized on April 7 after complaining of chest pains, and she has been treated in the past for pericarditis, a viral inflammation of the heart.

The reformed funk band The Time has set up three residency sets at the Flamimgo Las Vegas from June 24-28, July 1-5 and July 29-August 2.

The group reunited for the first time in 18 years at the 50th Grammy Awards this past February, and all original members of The Time -- Morris Day, Jerome Benton, Jellybean Johnson, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Monte Moir and Jesse Johnson -- will perform the 15 shows at the Flamingo Showroom. Jam and Lewis went on to become a top R&B and pop songwriting/record producing team, and have worked with Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Usher, The Human League, Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey.

She’s a little bit country… and he’s a little bit rock and roll. Popular ‘70s siblings Donny and Marie Osmond are headed for a six month residency at the Flamingo Showroom in Las Vegas beginning Sept. 9.

Their 90-minute extravaganza, presented by Danny Gans and Chip Lightman of GansLight Entertainment, will highlight Donny and Marie's greatest hits in a multimedia spectacle presented on a custom designed stage with multiple video screens and a large cast of dancers. It also marks the first time in 29 years that they will have performed an extended residency in Las Vegas.

Cirque du Soleil's newest Las Vegas production will be Criss Angel Believe, which will open in a custom built theater at the Luxor Las Vegas on Sept. 12, with preview performances beginning Sept. 1.

Angel is recognized as one of the most provocative artists in the world, and is paying homage to the late/great Harry Houdini with his latest live experience. On his deathbed, legendary magician and escape artist Houdini told his wife: "After my death, many people will claim that they are still able to communicate with me. If their claims are valid, they will be able to tell you a code word -- that word is believe."

Monty Python’s Spamalot has played at the Grail Theatre at the Wynn in Las Vegas since March of 2007, but the production will finish its run at the end of its contract, July 13. Guests enjoyed more than 500 performances in the “Spamalot Experience and Grail Theatre” designed by Tim Hatley and Eric Idle and built by owner Steve Wynn. The production was directed by Mike Nichols, and the theater will be converted this summer to the new Encore Theatre and will host entertainer Danny Gans in early 2009.

The musical is a send-up of the Arthurian quest to find the Holy Grail, and was written by Eric Idle of Monty Python fame, based on the classic movie comedy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” The name Spamalot refers to a line in the movie, “We eat ham and jam and spam a lot.”

This past weekend saw the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas debut an extended run of the hit musical Jersey Boys, one of the biggest shows currently on Broadway and winner of four Tony Awards in 2006 including Best Musical. The production was brought to Vegas by Dodger Theatricals, the original Broadway producers. The cast playing the famous singing group are: Nick Faugno as Frankie Valli, Erich Bergen as Bob Gaudio, Jeremy Kushnier as Tommy DeVito and Jeff Leibow as Nick Massi. John Altieri and Ken Krugman round out the cast.

Press notes state that Jersey Boys is “the story of . . . a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks who became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were 30.” The gala opening night is scheduled for May 3.

Music-themed cruises, whether dedicated to jazz, blues or rock, have been growing in popularity in recent years, so it comes as no surprise that the organizers of the Elvis Cruise, dedicated to the life, times and music of Elvis Presley, have announced the second annual excursion for Aug. 28. The Elvis Cruise of the Gulf of Mexico is the only Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE) approved and licensed cruise in the world.

Setting sail from New Orleans, LA, The Elvis Cruise, a full ship charter in partnership with Carnival Cruise Line, includes four nightly main shows and daily live onboard entertainment, with each night dedicated to one phase of Elvis’ life and career. The cruise includes one afternoon in the Cozumel port of call and many opportunities to interact closely with Elvis’ original cast musical artists.

Cher, who announced her retirement from touring in 2005 but not from performing, will headline the 4,100-seat Colosseum in Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for approximately 200 shows over a three-year period beginning May 6. The 90-minute show will be presented four nights a week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Cher will share theater time with Bette Midler, who begins her stint Feb. 20. Cher will take center stage May 6-June 1 and Aug. 12-31, while Midler is booked June 24-July 27.

Siegfried & Roy, for years one of Las Vegas’ premiere draws, plan to come out of retirement in February 2009 for the 13th annual “Keep Memory Alive” Alzheimer’s benefit for the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute. The appearance will mark the duo’s first return to the stage since Roy Horn was severely mauled by a white tiger at The Mirage four and a half years ago.

By Alfred Branch, Jr.

Several top floors of the 12-year-old Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas were on fire this afternoon, and at least three fire departments have been deployed to the scene. The fire was reported at about 11am local time, and while no injuries were reported, hundreds of guests have been evacuated, including at the nearby Bellagio and New York-New York hotel/casinos. Live video can be seen here.

By Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner

Tix4Tonight, the Las Vegas-based discount ticketer owned by Tix Corporation, continues on its roll of breaking its own records. It has now reported a new record for the fourth quarter ending Dec. 31, 2007 with sales of $10.9 million, up 50% over the 2006 fourth quarter gross ticket sales of $7.3 million.

By Stacey Willets

This week’s TicketNews Top Tens are brought to you by the letter “B.” Read on to see how Buffett, Bon Jovi, Barry Bonds, Bette, and all the other top events fared this week.

How appropriate that as we enter the season of beach bums, Jimmy Buffett finds his way back onto the Overall Top Events chart. His Bama Breeze Tour blows him all to way up to number seven. Bon Jovi is also new on the chart this week, debuting at number nine. The CONCACAF Gold Cup, which has appeared in various incarnations at the bottom of the chart over the last couple weeks, reaches number four.

While concerts appear to be moving up in the Overall Top Events rankings, baseball is moving down. The Boston Red Sox hold on to the number two spot, but the New York Yankees drop from number three to number six, knocking the Chicago Cubs from number six to number eight . . .

Prince's standing gig at the Las Vegas Rio Hotel & Casino is set to end this month after six final perfomances. Prince's website drops hints that a new album may appear this summer.

Prince's April 2007 Rio Dates
13/14 Las Vegas, NV Club 3121
20/21 Las Vegas, NV Club 3121
27/28 Las Vegas, NV Club 3121