Vegas365 Magazine Vol. 3

VOICES IN THE NIGHT

Gordie Brown is setting Las Vegas on its ear

THE SPA THAT LOVES YOU

Enjoy a new philosophy with the Spa at Mandarin Oriental and Spa Vdara

CSI: THE EXPERIENCE

Anthony E Zuiker clues you in

LV QUICK BITES Flavors of Vegas

A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO SHOES: “Sole” Talk from Sex and the City

CONTENTS

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VID Snapshots

For Grandma Lee, It’s All in the Family; It’s Hip to Be Cools -Anthony Cools, and afternoon’s Big Mac, comedy illusionist Mac King. By Bobbie Katz

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LV Quick Bites

Eat, drink and be merry at Las Vegas’ newest food and drink venues.

By Barbara J. Nosek

Voices in the Night

Comedy Impressionist Gordie Brown is a man with many personalities.

By Bobbie Katz

Shopping

Sex and the City 2 gets to the “sole” of the matter.

By Susan Stapleton

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The Spa at Mandarin Oriental and Spa Vdara Offer a New Level of experience and philosophy.

By Lark Ellen Gould

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Fashion El Segundo, the brand new restaurant at Fashion Show Mall shouts “Ole, Mexico!” and even has a taco “shack.” By Barry Berlin

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CSI: The Experience

A brand new Las Vegas scent and doing what comes naturally with summer accessories.

By Susan Stapleton

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Attractions

Dive with Sharks – Everyone into the pool?

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Culled from the TV show, it’s putting its own handprint in the desert

Night Heat

RHUMBAR raises the bar on a rum experience.

Editor Bobbie Katz (bobbie@vegasinsiderdaily.com) Associate Editor Ginger Tafoya (ginger@vegasinsiderdaily.com) Writers Barry Berlin Lark Ellen Gould Bobbie Katz Barbara J. Nosek Susan Stapleton Ginger Tafoya Photographers Jeff Green Photography (jeffgreenphoto@mac.com) Design Brand, Ltd. (virginia@brandltd.com) Web Implementation Grant Dunmire, Attention Media Group

(grant@attentionmediagroup.com) Publisher Vegas Insider Daily, LLC (www.vegasinsiderdaily.com) Member/Advisor Ron Slay

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The Spa that Loves You

8 Restaurants

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3-4

Borderline

Sky Zone will have you jumping with joy. By Barry Berlin

Vegas 365 is published monthly. Reproduction of any portion of Vegas 365 is prohibited without prior authorization in writing from the publisher. Vegas 365 is not responsible for the views of contributing journalists. All editorial correspondence should be addressed to bobbie@vegasinsiderdaily.com For advertising inquiries for Vegas 365, Vegas Insider Daily or Mobile Vegas Insider Daily, please contact: Barry Berlin at barry@vegasinsiderdaily.com 702.271.4541 Tom Raspanti at tom@vegasinsiderdaily.com 702.528.0718 Judy Robinson at judy@vegasinsiderdaily.com 702.308.3633 Vegas 365 assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions appearing herein. All Rights Reserved. Vegas Insider Daily, LLC, Copyright 2010.

SNAPSHOTS

It’s All in the Family Grandma’s loose again

It’s 9 p.m. Do you know where Grandma is?

If her name is Grandma Lee, then she’s on stage at the Bonkerz Comedy Club at Palace Station showing audiences what the true definition of a “blue” hair is.

The spunky, irascible 75-year-old that charmed America as a grand finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent last season is unleashed and uncensored at Palace Station, performing her off-color hilarious humor at the hotel nightly (except Sun.) through the summer. She may be sitting on a stool instead of in a rocking chair, but she’s guaranteed to rock your chair with laughter.

“My comedy is observational and I’m dirty but not graphic,” Grandma Lee, whose actual name is Lee Strong, explains about her humor. “I take things from everyday life – my family, the news, TV, everything— and I keep up with what’s going on so that I can update my routine. My act is all true – except when I talk about being divorced from my ex-husband named Duane and my eight children and twenty-some grandkids. I actually have four children and ten grandkids, ages 7 to 30, and my husband passed away.”

Oh, and there IS that story about David Hasselhoff and thong underwear, too.

Grandma Lee says that she doesn’t sit down and write an act, rather things come to her at any given moment and she will write them down. She will add in new things on a nightly basis when she’s performing.

“I like everything about what I do, especially making people laugh,” Grandma Lee sums up. “I get the message across to older people to never give up on their dreams or think they’re too old to do what they want to do.”

After all, age is relative. BK

It’s Hip to Be Cools

Magic’s Big Mac

The Chair-man of the boards

Taking a bite out of afternoon fun

There was a time when a chair was just a chair.

That was before hip adult hypnotist Anthony Cools entered the picture and turned this object de furniture into a question such as, “Is she or he really doing THAT to it?”

Yes, if he and/or she is on stage at the Anthony Cools show at Paris Las Vegas along with other willing audience participants, they all could very well be momentarily off their rockers, at least in the entertaining sense. That’s because Cools, billed as “the world’s best uncensored hypnotist,” goes where no hypnotist has gone before – and takes the entire crowd with him.

Happily at home in his own theater at the hotel called the Anthony Cools Experience, the entertainer ensures that, from beginning to end, the adult evening can be classified as a mindblowing experience. Black-hairs to blue-hairs do things one wouldn’t expect them to do even in the privacy of their own homes, surviving to tell the tale in a most relaxed and unabashed manner. If they don’t feel like talking, a video of the evening’s happenings for sale at the end of the show tells it all. It’s all just good clean dirty fun that, needless to say, defines the very essence of mesmerizing an audience.

“I have about eight hours of different material,” says Cools. “Every show is different.

Each is also 100 percent interactive because I use volunteers from the audience.

It’s an uncensored, very adult-oriented show. One of my trademark skits is that I tell the people on stage that they are auditioning for a porno movie and that their chairs are the people they’re auditioning with. When people become hypnotized, all their inhibitions are lifted. When I tell them something, it is the truth and it makes sense, no matter what it is.” BK

Now you see him; now you’ll see him again and again. For the last 10 years, comedy illusionist Mac King has been showing audiences why afternoons in Las Vegas can be transformed into something magical, with no two ever being the same.

Creativity is King every day at 1 and 3 p.m. (except Sun. and Mon.) at the Improv at Harrah’s, where the comedy magician performs. His is not your run-of-the-mill magic show but rather it contains a combination of quirky humor, visual gags, and sleights of hand. It’s serious magic delivered in a tongue-in-cheek manner, spiced with a lot of ad-lib fun.

“This is a show for eight-year-olds to surly teenagers, grandmothers and bikers,” King laughs. “I’m really proud that my show has such a wide appeal.

There is a lot of audience participation in my show and I bring five people up on stage every performance. That’s one of the things that keeps it entertaining for me. People do different things everyday and I play into that. The show audiences are seeing that day is the only time they will see that particular show.”

King says that his inspiration for his magic varies from illusion to illusion. He finds it in everything from old magic books, movies, friends’ help, or simply waking up in the morning with an idea that he writes down.

“Everything has my own twist, which is the big idea,” he smiles.

Known for his engaging personality and original illusions, among his signature tricks is King’s Cloak of Invisibility, which is an ordinary raincoat that possesses extraordinary powers.

Let a smile be your umbrella. BK

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Voices in the Night Gordie Brown is the lives of the party

By Bobbie Katz

One look at Gordie Brown and it’s immediately apparent that he’s more than 100 people rolled into one.

While that might tend to make other folks, well, quite lumpy, with Brown it just makes him one very wellrounded guy. And there’s no need to be concerned about his obvious case of multiple personalities --, ultimately, it is those observing him that end up “cracking up.”

The right-on comedy impressionist who is the mainstay headliner at the Golden Nugget, has been treating people to his own special brand of voices in his head combined with humor at the property since February 23,2009. During the course of an evening, he will do more than 65 personas, from movie and TV personalities to politicians and singers. His personas include the likes of Nicholas Cage, Ray Romano, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Joe Cocker, Tom Jones, Green Day, Maroon 5, and John Mayer, just to name a few.

Brown says that he is working on an impression of President Obama (quipping that it’s only fair to the other presidents he’s done) and he always keeps his classics – Elvis, which is Brown’s ultimate favorite, and Michael Jackson, which he is currently revising and will return this summer – in the show. Brown writes every piece he performs and parodies everyone, finding humor in everything to make it an entertaining piece.

“One move can turn a character into a whole personality thing,” he observes. “I’ll look at videos to get someone’s mannerisms. When I learn an impression, I start with what hits me most about that character. Once I get that down, it’s where can I go from here?

For Joe Cocker, for example, it was his gravelly voice.

For Gary Shandling, it was that face. It hurt at first to do his face but after two weeks, it became second nature. It’s amazing how your body and muscles can adapt and contort.”

“I have a sense memory of certain characters and my body just shifts into them,” he adds. ”I actually feel like the character I’m doing and not like Gordie. I can shift very quickly from one character to another, which is another exercise, another skill. I have triggers for each one and I just envision that person in my mind.

All my senses of that person when I was practicing and learning are still there and I can shift quickly because I’ve studied. All these characters are there inside me and it’s a pretty awesome thing.”

Once an impression becomes second nature, Brown can go beyond it and stretch and exaggerate the character. He will also allow himself creative freedom and often ad-lib whatever comes into his mind while doing a particular celebrity’s voice and mannerisms. He calls that creative freedom the magical part of his show and says that he feels free to jump off wherever he wants and has the ability to get back to where he was.

“If you exaggerate the character by 10 percent, people will see it more clearly,” Brown explains. “It also adds the element of making it more comical.”

Brown says that he can get an impression down with a good week of study, one hour a day, and that he practices in front of a mirror. In the early days of his career, he did all singers because no other impressionist in Ottawa, Canada, where he is from, was doing them. It was actually in 1983, when he saw the performance of another Canadian, famed impressionist Rich Little, that Brown first knew what he wanted to do. Although he was working as a cartoonist for an Ottawa newspaper at the time, Brown went home and figured out how to study impressions and learned 50 voices within two months. Then his newspaper entered him in a media lip synch contest. Brown did Elvis and won.

For the next two years, he worked clubs in Canada, filling up rooms every night. Then one morning, after seeing “The Al Jolson Story” and finding it inspirational, he packed up, gave notice to his newspaper, and moved to Las Vegas, leaving everything behind, including his girlfriend.

“When I got to Las Vegas, I wanted to meet Paul Anka, who is also from Ottawa,” Brown recalls. “I didn’t have a car, so I hailed a cab and asked the driver if he knew where Paul lived. I went to his house and waited outside with my guitar. Finally, I went up to his door but his secretary wouldn’t let me in. I went and bought flowers, chocolates and a teddy bear for him and came back but she wouldn’t accept them.

But she gave me his business umber and I went to the clubhouse in his development and called. She answered and said he’d call me but he never did.”

“Then I went to see Paul perform at the Golden Nugget,” he continues. “I gave my card to the Maitre ‘d and he took me backstage. Paul was standing there with his hands on his hips and said, ‘So you’re the guy.’ We ended up talking about my career, hopes and dreams and he was totally supportive. He told me that he had heard about my show and then hired me to open for him without having seen it. All together, I spent two-and-a-half years on the road with Paul. With this incredible destiny I’ve been blessed to live, Paul’s dressing room at the Golden Nugget is now my dressing room in The Gordie Brown Theater.”

Ironically, Brown had also met Rich Little when he did a caricature of the master impressionist in Canada and later was hired by Little to perform in his show “Copycats” at the Sahara in the early 90’s. Now, in the true sense of what goes around, comes around, Brown has come full circle.

Speaking of circles, Brown has also just released a CD of his own self-composed pop rock songs called As I Am, sung in his own voice produced by L.A. producer Peter Amato. He also has out a book of his caricatures of famous people called “Gordie Brown in Caricature.”

But then, they are only further testimony to the fact that Brown may be many people, but he truly knows himself – no identity crisis here. VID

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THE SPA THAT LOVES YOU

Soul-Centering at CityCenter Peace in the middle of the strip

By Lark Ellen Gould

Detoxing in Sin City need not be an oxymoronic punch line, especially if indulged in at one of the three new CityCenter spas. But sybaritic scintillation would necessarily come in flash and circumstance in the forwardleaning CityCenter that opened in December to as much fanfare and fest as Sin City could conjure up in the middle of a whopper recession.

As each hotel shouts an “aria” of its own in artful design, noteworthy guestroom technologies and innovative sustainability operations, each spa provides a complete environment of its own, unduplicated by any other spa facility at CityCenter or in Las Vegas. This month, we step into the Spa at Mandarin Oriental and Spa Vdara and find ourselves one step beyond in experience and philosophy.

Mandarin Oriental True to the Mandarin Oriental chain, which specializes in high-end personalized service, the Spa Mandarin Oriental keeps things tidy and intimate with a 27,000-square-foot facility spanning two floors, all in dark woods, thin lines and crystalline Feng Shui. Consider this: out of 17 treatment rooms, seven are couples suites.

Treatment themes lean toward Asian twists such as Thai Massage, Mahjong Balance and the Jade Enzyme Facial, with a pre-treatment Chinese foot massage for good measure. Treatments start at $100 for a 30-minute scrub Post-treatment or facility amenities can hold their own against the other spas in town with such treats as a hammam ($100 with treatment, $150 without), an ice fountain, a laconium, and relaxation chairs lined up in front of a floor-to-ceiling window over the action on the Strip. The real crowd-pleaser here is the “experience shower” – a geek-loving chamber that offers sounds, lights and real rain experiences – from Arctic Mist to Tropical Rainshower – per flick of a touchsceen.

For the wellness-inspired, yoga classes are offered in the evening for $35. Or guests can have their very own Swami. A Vegas local, who has spent most of his life studying Oriental languages and culture, teaches wisdom on demand for $150 per session per guest in a wonderfully windowed studio overlooking CityCenter and Las Vegas. A sunrise

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session will start with a candlelit room and chi-waking exercises that can be customized for interests and skills. With meditations and discussions, the session can work wonders for body and spirit and bring valuable insight to guests, channeled through a man of many loves.

(888) 881-9530 (702) 590-8888 www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas Spa Vdara Spa Vdara goes for the green. The 18,000-square-foot, two-level spa, salon and fitness center themes itself around the calming power of water and remains the first and only Green Spa (certified by the Green Spa Network) in Las Vegas. That means only organic or wild-crafted products -- no paraben anywhere -- and only natural and cruelty-free products (even nail polish is all natural and vegan). In addition, the spa recycles and uses recycled paper for spa materials.

Just because you are nice to the environment does not mean you can’t be a little naughty. The Champagne Bar in the spa lobby is open for business all day, seven days a week.

Treatments at Spa Vdara keep an eye on the holistic twist and use natural organic products, such as Naturopathica, Dr. Obagi’s ZO Skin Health, Akhassa, Chocolate Sun and Red Flower. The salon uses Aveda products and elixirs from Moroccanoil. Massages start at $140 for 60 minutes.

Guests at Vdara have the use of the spa included in their resort fee and may avail themselves of the spa’s extras, such as the water relaxation room. Cabana massages can be had by the pool for an added $35.

Personal training sessions and in-depth nutrition consultation can be arranged at the fitness center for an added fee. VID (866) 391-7111 (702) 590-2030 www.vdara.com

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LV QUICK BITES

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry All the news that’s fit to eat

By Barbara J. Nosek

Coming in August to Boca Park - Sambalatte, a coffee lounge, tea house and espresso bar with “Brazilian and Italian influences, organic and sustainable options, and gourmet flavors at a reasonable price.” Plan on froth art, fresh pastries, and space to work, relax or socialize.

Also part of the mix - music with jazzy overtones, free wi-fi, patio seating, a pet-friendly ’tude, and great roster of special events. www. sambalatte.com.

Everybody loves Smashburger, or at least that was sure the consensus at the opening event, thanks to beautifully grilled patties on the signature butter-toasted egg bun with various interplays of classic toppings. Or choose Smashchicken, Smashdogs, even – if you must! – Smashsalads. Then Smashfries and other Smashsides, along with malts, soft drinks, beer, and wine, wrap up the menu.

For sure order the haystack onions. The newest at 9101 Ft. Apache joins LV’s first at 7541 W. Lake Mead Blvd. www.smashburger.com.

Dine in style even later. At Society Café in Encore, folks can now enjoy star chef Kim Canteenwalla’s fine cuisine well into the wee’s on Fri. and Sat. when such goodies as mac ‘n cheese bites, lollipop chicken wings, burgers and designer flatbreads are served from 11p.m. to 3a.m. The stylish eatery, named one of Esquire magazine’s “Best New Restaurants of 2009,” is also open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. www.encorelasvegas.com.

After “think big” all day, how about “drink big” in the evening? That doesn’t mean imbibe a lot, but rather experience the “El

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Gigante,” Hussong’s tasty new libation. How’s it made? First, Corzo Reposado Tequila is infused with grilled ruby red grapefruit, ginger, and lemongrass. Then two ounces of that infusion is mixed with a half ounce Cointreau or Citronage, juice of half a lemon, hibiscus syrup or simple syrup, and a pinch of salt, and then topped off with ginger beer or ginger ale and eased into a glass that’s been flamed with bitters and garnished with thin slices of lime. Eh, may want to just leave it to them. In Mandalay Place. www.hussongslasvegas.com.

Have it your way . . . ice cream that is.

Atomic 7, “the first and only ice cream parlor in Southern Nevada to offer made-to-order ice creams, milkshakes, hot puddings and smoothies,” has opened at Galleria Mall. Selections can be organic, vegan or gluten free, thanks to a patented nitrogen process that customizes frozen treats, from the milk to the sweetener to the flavorings to such organic toppings as blueberries, crystallized ginger & peanut butter cups, in cups, bowls, or waffle cones. www.atomicnumber7.com.

Yay. Those overflow crowds at Yardhouse in Town Square will now have an alternate location to tap into the popular American fusion cuisine, this second one in the chic Red Rock Casino on far west Charleston. As devotees already know, the Yardhouse mustlist includes a centerpiece oval bar, beers up the – uh, lots of beers – patio dining, cutting edge artwork, and local charitable endeavors, www.yardhouse.com. VID For more foodie delights, Barbara Nosek’s blog, Celebrity Chef Connection, can be found on the bottom right of this homepage.

RESTAURANTS

A Full Plate of Mexican Ambiance El Segundo brings tradition to the strip

By Barry Berlin Here’s a mouthful: Lettuce Entertain You Enterprise’s El Segundo Sol Taqueria and Margarita Bar! Just use the shortened version---El Segundo.

This is the new Mexican restaurant at the northeast corner of the Fashion Show Mall, on the west side of Las Vegas Blvd., next to Strip Burger and across from the Wynn. Featuring a bright and colorful interior, El Segundo’s various food offerings range from fried padron peppers to homemade sweet corn tamales to crab tostadas and traditional Mexican dishes.

Street Taco Just outside the front door is a Strip-side taco “shack”, similar to those found in Mexico.

Step up to the shack made from reclaimed wood with a corrugated roof and enjoy the wide selection of tacos ranging from $ 2.09 to $2.29 each. It’s a cozy setting with bar stools, yet wide open to the ever-passing parade on the Strip!

Tequila Tasting There is also an area encased in chicken wire and bordered by boxes that shed light on some of Mexico’s finest tequilas. Over 100 varieties of the native potion are available with “flights” featuring Cazadores Blanco, Caza-

dores Reposado and Cazadores Anejo ($20).

Sangrita, the traditional Mexican non-alcoholic accompaniment, highlights tequila’s crisp acidity and cleanses the palate.

I was there for a media party, thanks to gracious host, Rebecca Kozdron, who spends her time between El Segundo locations, including Chicago, so I didn’t get to go to the tequila room. NEXT TIME!!

There is also a wide variety of beers, margaritas (like Cucumber-Mint and Prickley Pear), and various other libations…and flat screen TVs so you won’t miss your favorite sporting event. Ole! EL SEGUNDO HOURS: Mon.-Sat 11:30 a.m. - midnight Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

STREET TACO: Sun.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m. - 1 a.m.

Fri. & Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Complimentary valet available on Fashion Show Drive or park underneath or just walk on up!!!

Enjoy…..I think you will. VID

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FASHION

Doing What Comes Naturally The outdoors is “in” in accessories

Diane von Furstenberg Octavia wooden wedges, $295, Diane von Furstenberg at the Shoppes at the Palazzo

By Susan Stapleton Add a Bohemian flair to your summer accessories with touches of raffia, wood and cork. Natural fibers in your handbags and shoes are an easy way to go green and look chic for summer. Wood adds a natural neutral to your look and raffia looks at ease on sandals, espadrilles and handbags, while cork textures your accessories with its pitted look.

Here’s a view of some of the hottest accessory styles in their natural state for summer:

Bottega Veneta raffia ankle-tie wedge sandals, $820, Bottega Veneta at Crystals at CityCenter

Hervé Léger Fabiana cork ankle boots, $595, Hervé Léger at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort

Fendi Twins woven raffia shopper, $2,560, Fendi at Via Bellagio

Lanvin satin pompom raffia sandals, $585, Lanvin at Crystals at CityCenter Paloma Barceló Acacia wedge sandals, $295, Nordstrom at Fashion Show mall

Stella McCartney cork and faux-suede wedges, $865, Barneys New York at the Shoppes at the Palazzo

Marni wood and Swarovski crystal bracelet, $470, Marni at Crystals at CityCenter

Miu Miu wedge leather espadrilles, $585, Miu Miu at Crystals at CityCenter

Tory Burch Beckett denim wooden wedges, $295, Tory Burch at the Forum Shops at Caesars

Stella McCartney wooden accordion clutch bag, $2,045, Barneys New York at the Shoppes at the Palazzo

Not pictured: Kenneth Jay Lane wooden charm bracelet, $85, Intermix at the Forum Shops at Caesars

Making Scents

Bond no. 9 comes out with a limited edition Vegas fragrance

By Susan Stapleton What does Vegas smell like? Bond No. 9 says it’s warm, a combination of fruity and floral with hints of peach blossom, jasmine, amber, vanilla and spicy woods. The boutique fragrance company that has been finding the scents of every neighborhood in New York came out with a limited edition version of Las Vegas, available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. The 3.4-ounce glossy black bottle is encrusted in Swarovski crystals in the shape of, what else? -- a die.

Bond No. 9 worked with four Saks Fifth Avenue stores across the country to develop the signature fragrances. Snag this one while you can for $325. For more information, call 702-733-8300.

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SHOPPING

A Woman’s Right to Shoes

Carrie wears Brian Atwood Loca studded pumps, $800, Shoe In at Wynn Las Vegas

Sex and the City gets to the “sole” of the matter

By Susan Stapleton Carrie Bradshaw is having an affair with a new man in Sex and the City 2. He’s an unspoken lover showing up in scene after scene, but he’s there, and he ousted what was a major character in the TV series and the first film. Nary a word is mentioned about this silent new man; he just flashes his red soles. Yes, Bradshaw seems to have dumped Manolo Blahnik for Christian Louboutin.

Could it be because of Blahnik’s distaste for the fame his shoes found on the series? Last year, he told the Sunday Telegraph, “If people talk to me about Sex and the City, I get sick ... It becomes too much and I don’t feel comfortable.”

Even more, the Something Blue royal blue pumps with a crystal buckle that had a starring role in Sex and the City: The Movie, may have played another major part – in real life.

“We had a very good year last year, thanks to those stupid satin shoes,” Blahnik told the Sunday Telegraph. “That shoe saved our company.” Clocking in at $895 and seen in Bradshaw and Big’s home together and on her feet at her wedding, the shoes have been a bestseller at the Manolo Blahnik boutique at Wynn Las Vegas.

Manolo Blahnik has been such a big character on the TV show. In season four, episode 17, Bradwash finds herself in the Vogue closet, uttering, “Oh my God! Do you know what these are? Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes! I thought these were an urban shoe myth!”

In season six, episode nine, Bradshaw’s $485 Manolo Blahniks are stolen at a baby shower where the hostess insists everyone removes their shoes. She even goes so far as to register herself at Manolo Blahnik in recognition of her just-announced marriage to herself. The only item that she registers for is a single pair of the missing $485 shoes.

When Bradshaw’s rent-controlled apartment goes condo in season four, episode 16, she doesn’t have a down payment to buy it. ”I’ve spent $40,000 on shoes and I have no place to live? I will literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes!” she cries.

In the new film, however, Bradshaw dons the Christian Louboutin Pigalle heels, the Gino T-strap, Studio 120 peeptoes and even a pair of lace booties with the Christian Dior newsprint dress, the same one she wore in season three, episode 47, while confronting Big’s ex-wife Natasha.

So maybe after her love affair with Manolo Blahnik, it’s time for Bradshaw to move on to a new man. Here’s a look at some of the shoes in Sex and the City 2 and where you can find them in Las Vegas. As Bradshaw likes to say, “Sometimes it’s really hard to walk in a single woman’s shoes.

That’s why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun.”

Carrie wears a pair of Christian Louboutin’s $865 Gino T-strap heels, available at Christian Louboutin at the Shoppes at the Palazzo

Carrie wears these Christian Louboutin Studio 120 peeptoe pumps, available for $1,895 at the boutique at the Shoppes at the Palazzo

Miranda wears a pair of Yves Saint Laurent Triumph platforms, $795, Yves Saint Laurent at Via Bellagio

Guiseppe Zanotti found a home on Samantha’s feet. She wears a bootie version of the designer’s Lyric peep-toe Platform with crystals in a black suede with pink metallic piping, available for $795 at the boutique at the Forum Shops at Caesars

Carrie dons a pair of Christian Louboutin Pigalle heels, $565, Christian Louboutin at the Shoppes at the Palazzo

Not pictured: Samantha carries a $1,300 VBH Palm clutch in shocking mastice drip python, available at Bags Belts and Baubles at Wynn Las Vegas

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RHUMBAR Raises the Bar on Caribbean Culture Get ready to rum-ble

Picture yourself in Las Vegas with a minty mojito in your hand, sitting on a white beach, surrounded by cool Caribbean mint leaves. No, you’re not having a mirage -you’re simply in The Mirage.

Of course, that would be The Mirage casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip where the rum lounge and outdoor patio called RHUMBAR was recently unveiled by Michael Frey and Craig Gilbert of Drive This! Entertainment. Thanks to the design

by New York-based Alvarez-Brook Design, when at RHUMBAR, guests feel as though they’re in a place where the cool mood of the Caribbean meets sizzling Sin City, erupting in a blast of contemporary island ambiance.

“RHUMBAR is a modern interpretation of classic Caribbean culture,” says Frey, managing partner of Drive This! Entertainment. “Through an eclectic soundtrack of lounge and world music and contemporary architecture, RHUMBAR delivers a 011 VEGAS365

distinctive atmosphere with a Latin vibe.”

RHUMBAR, which is located near the main entrance of the hotel just off the Las Vegas Strip sets the mood from the minute guests arrive. The entryway is lined with blocks of slate tile and there is a highly stylized frozen daiquiri bar featuring a chic counter with embedded mint leaves backlit with neon green lighting. While it looks like a piece of art, the counter is fully functional and equipped to handle the large volume of guests that walk by RHUMBAR every day.

The design of the venue was actually inspired by the image of a minty mojito on a white beach overlooking a teal ocean.

RHUMBAR’s design-centric concept encompasses 2,000 square feet and accommodates up to 100 guests.

To bring to mind sand on a Caribbean beach, white is the prevailing color at RHUMBAR. There are also touches of cool greens throughout. The 20-foot- tall glass walls are adorned by abstract white mint

leaves and the arched ceiling displays 15 Jeff Koons-esque sculpted chrome fighting cocks encased in glass protruding from the wall above guests.

RHUMBAR offers an array of specialty rum cocktails, as well as other classic libations served by stylish cocktail servers and bartenders. The rum lounge also features a humidor offering an ample selection of cigars.

Enhancing the tropical theme is that spacious outdoor patio framed by lush landscaping that offers the atmosphere of a Caribbean retreat. There, guests can enjoy the fresh air and views of the Las Vegas Strip skyline.

RHUMBAR is the second hospitality and nightlife venture for Drive This! Entertainment, following T&T, the tacos and tequila mecca that opened at Luxor last summer.

RHUMBAR is open from 10a.m. until midnight Sun. through Thurs. and 10a.m. until 2a.m. Fri. and Sat.. VID

ATTRACTIONS

Everyone Into the Pool?

Sink your teeth into a new experience

Just when you thought it was safe to back into the water…. ….Mandalay Bay gives its guests the opportunity to swim with the sharks at the Shark Reef Aquarium at the hotel.

This depth-defying experience is courtesy of the property’s new Dive with Sharks program, specifically for guests staying at Mandalay Bay and THEhotel. Certified divers 18 and older who opt to take the plunge will have the thrill of diving alongside dive guides and more than 30 sharks, including sandtiger, white tip and sandbar sharks, in a 1.3-million-gallon exhibit. All dive participants must present a valid certification card from a recognized dive instruction agency such as PADI or NAUI. To make the experience more intimate, the program is limited to two participants and one dive per day. Every dive is different as the sharks’ needs change daily. In developing this program, Mandalay Bay’s top priority was the safety and health of the animals and participants. A team of dedicated dive guides teach participants various safety procedures before the dive and provide a 2-to-1 guest to dive instructor ratio, ensuring personalized attention and safety throughout the experience.

The adventure begins at 3 p.m. A program facilitator greets participants and takes them on a guided tour of Shark Reef, sharing intriguing facts about the predator-based aquarium’s inhabitants.

Participants then receive dive and equipment orientation before changing into wetsuits and beginning their underwater journey Dive with Sharks is a four-hour experience in which participants

have the rare chance to connect with these powerful creatures and learn about shark health and behavior. This up-close and personal educational program, which provides a deeper understanding of marine life, also provides insight into the Shark Reef Aquarium research projects that aid in the preservation of endangered species “The dive sessions we have created are very unique,” says Shark Reef General Curator Jack Jewell “During dives in the ocean, it is uncertain whether one or more sharks will swim close or appear at all.

The Dive with Sharks program guarantees the opportunity to observe many sharks as well as a variety of other creatures, including green sea turtles, sawfish and mesmerizing schools of fish.”

To commemorate their experience, guests receive a Dive with Sharks Certificate of Completion and a video of their dive. Participants can bring up to four observers – who receive complimentary admission to Shark Reef and can join in the behind-the-scene tours -- to view the dive from outside the exhibit.

Hotel guests of Mandalay Bay or THEhotel can book the exclusive tour for $650 for a single diver or $1,000 for two divers booked together. The Dive with Sharks program includes a guided tour of Shark Reef Aquarium, supervised 45-minute dive and a post-dive snack. Shark Reef Aquarium provides all equipment – a wetsuit, protective stainless steel chain maille as well as a mask, fins, tank, buoyancy-control device, regulator, weights and booties.

Dive with Sharks is available four days a week – Tues., Thurs., Sat. and Sun.. VID 012 VEGAS365

HAVE YOU GOTTEN Interactive exhibit leaves a handprint in the desert

By Bobbie Katz

The MGM Grand has an attraction that would be a crime to miss.

Literally.

The popular CSI: The Experience interactive exhibit opened in August at the hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, the setting of the original top-rated CBS series CSI, created by longtime Las Vegas resident Anthony E. Zuiker. The attraction gives guests the opportunity to play the role of a crime scene investigator via hands-on science in a multi-media environment with special effects direct from the TV series.

“I think that through this exhibit that people will look at the TV show differently and have a new appreciation and respect for what CSI’s do for a living,” says Zuiker. “They are the unsung heroes of crime solving that bring peace of mind and closure to people on the worst day of their lives. The civil service that crime scene investigators provide is incredibly important work. The closure they give to a survivor of violent crime is very important to the sanity of that human being in being able to move forward.”

At CSI: The Experience, people will learn scientific principles and real investigative techniques as they try to solve one of three crime scene mysteries, “A House Collided,” “Who Got Served?” or “No Bones About It.” From DNA to fingerprint analysis, forensic anthropology, and toxicology, two state-of-the art crime labs will help them piece together the evidence.

their results to those of expert crime scene investigators. A personalized CSI Diploma completes the experience.

Of course, there would be no CSI: The Experience without another kind of scene – Zuiker initially creating the TV show. It all began back in the mid-90’s when he was working as a stockbroker and, finding himself not good at working with intangibles, he decided, on a lark, to write a script for a friend. It sold to a local producer in Hollywood and broke Zuiker into the business. That movie, “The Runner,” starring Courtney Cox and John Goodman, went right to video but it netted Zuiker his first job -- writing a script for Columbia Pictures called “The Harlem Globetrotters Story.”

Although that movie did not get made and Zuiker came back to Las Vegas to reassess his writing career, somehow the screenplay ended up on the desk of Jerry Bruckheimer, who happened to like its voice. Bruckheimer then called Zuiker into a meeting and asked him if he had any interest in television.

“I had just watched a show on the Discovery Channel called ‘The New Detectives’ – it was actually my wife’s idea to watch it,” Zuiker reveals. “It was a docudrama that featured different crime scene cases. The episode I saw was about Oakland Raiders cheerleader Linda Sobek, who had been killed by a photographer on the beach.

It showed how forensic evidence helped to solve the case -- the photographer had said that he had accidentally run over her with his

YOUR CSI TODAY? Zuiker, a partner in the exhibit from the beginning, notes that his contribution was to make sure it doesn’t feel like a typical museum.

He suggested hands-on activities such as analyzing tire tracks, putting clay on bones for facial recognition, and the witnessing of an actual autopsy.

“I think in that way I was instrumental,” he acknowledges.

The fun begins with a video introduction by CSI cast members, who welcome guests and lead them through the experience. The “new recruits” enter one of the three crime scenes – a car crash through a house, a female body dumped behind a dumpster, and a skeleton found in the desert -- where they identify evidence and record findings on a special investigation card. The crime scenes vary in intensity, with the mildest being the presentation of the skeletal remains discovered in a remote desert (“No Bones About It”).

Upon leaving the crime scenes, “sleuths” have access to a large wall of crime scene photos and clues they may have missed. They then analyze evidence in two highly interactive lab areas, each featuring multiple stations that allow for testing of the various evidence.

At the conclusion of CSI: The Experience, guests present their findings in a re-creation of the office of Gil Grissom, CSI head investigator. Located in this area are touch screens on which people answer a series of multiple choice questions based on their scientific findings, A case summary is then generated so that they can match

jeep but the evidence depicted a struggle in the car, signifying that he had lied. Seeing that show eventually led to the creation of CSI – I presented the idea to Jerry Bruckheimer, who loved it.”

Admittedly, when he set about writing the CSI pilot, Zuiker knew “zero” about forensics. So he proceeded to do a lot of research and to ride along with real CSI’s so that, as he gained knowledge, he could create interesting and convincing characters and make sure that his evidence was correct in the script.

“It was a very intensive research project to do the pilot,” Zuiker recalls. “I grew up in Las Vegas, my family having moved here from Chicago when I was six months old, and it felt like the natural backdrop for a crime drama – it’s a 24-hour town and three million people visit every month. I felt that setting the show in a graveyard shift in a 24-hour town with all the transient people coming in and out would make for a compelling crime drama. Plus, Vegas is a sexy city.”

“I believe that we finally found a way to tell a modern-day mystery in a compelling manner,” Zuiker expresses about the reasons behind the show’s popularity. “We’re dealing with a forensic point of view in a procedural drama, constructing what happened without being there through the power of evidence. On top of that, our amazing cast of high-quality actors comes into your living room week after week and brings justice to survivors of a crime, which is not only compelling for America but for the world.” VID

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BORDERLINE

The Sky’s the Limit Sky Zone offers off-the-wall fun

By Barry Berlin

As I entered the vast confines of Sky Zone for a media party, I must admit that my first thoughts involved alcohol and food.

With a glass of wine and some appetizers in hand, I was asked by other attendees if I was “going to jump”.

After surveying the vast, all-trampoline-walled playing field and viewing a wide variety of participants, both young and old, bouncing happily all over the place, my answer was a simple, “You Bet!” Obviously, I put off any more imbibing and food consumption until after my experience.

A prerequisite to jumping is donning the special Sky Zone sneakers (normally $2.00 and similar to High-Tops). I would also suggest casual and comfortable clothing.

The main room consists of a series of custom-built trampoline beds linked together and surrounded by angled trampoline wall panels. (redefining the term “bouncing off the walls” mentioned in the Sky Zone brochure.)

Jumping was fun, great exercise, AND tiring! My wife, Louise, got to the point of jumping high enough and landing on her rear

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end with force enough to propel her back to the upright position.

Of course, nearby, some teenagers and 20-somethings were doing flips, dives, and other gymnastics feats, but for a first-timer and one more than twice their age, Louise was impressive.

Owner Rick Platt urged me---actually dared me---to run around a smaller trampoline area for 60 seconds straight. I did and it was enough to make me think about quitting smoking. It was more strenuous than doing two miles on a treadmill and a lot easier on the knees.

Founded in 2002, Sky Zone is located at 4915 Steptoe St. in Las Vegas. ….that’s right off Tropicana, a mile or so east of Boulder Highway. Take a glance at their website www.skyzonesports. com or call (702)436-6887 for hours, pricing and more.

Sky Zone can host parties of up to 250 and has private rooms for birthdays and special events. There are even SkyRobics workout classes and an area for the SkyZone “sport” and 3-D dodgeball.

Fun and fitness in one package! VID