Caesars Entertainment, Darin Feinstein, venture capitalist and owner of Las Vegas-based Red Mercury Entertainment, alongside Executive Producer Larry Rudolph in the award-winning Las Vegas residency for Britney Spears, “Britney: Piece of Me” at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, launched “Rock the Night for The Shade Tree” this past Wednesday, April 5. After months of careful planning and collaboration of all three powerhouse entertainment entities, an impactful partnership was formed to offer an evening of unforgettable support and inspiration for one of the Las Vegas charities closest to their hearts, The Shade Tree.
“Rock the Night for The Shade Tree,” a special night devoted to the many residents of The Shade Tree, will join the already successful annual event produced by Feinstein and Red Mercury “Annual Holiday Give Back” which celebrates its fifth year this December. It will become a reoccurring summer event produced for the local shelter providing much needed support and safe refuge for women, children, and their pets.
For 27 years The Shade Tree, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has been dedicated to improving the lives of women, children, and their pets affected by domestic violence and crisis in the Las Vegas Valley. As the only organization with an animal shelter on campus, named Noah’s Animal House, The Shade Tree brings families together with their pets and connects them with assistance and services. The Shade Tree is the largest shelter of its kind in Nevada and is the only 24-hour accessible shelter designed specifically to meet the needs of women and children in Southern Nevada. With 364 permanent beds, The Shade Tree provides over 6,000 women and children safe shelter each year. To learn more about how you can support The Shade Tree, please call (702) 385-0072 or visit www.theshadetree.org.
“Having a close family member that suffered years of abuse, makes it even more meaningful to be able to produce events like this,” Feinstein said. “This night will not cure the problems these women and children suffered at the hands of abusive people, but will hopefully brighten their day while they are dealing with the tragic circumstances they have been forced into.”
“We are so very honored and proud to have been a part of something as special as Rock the Night for The Shade Tree,” Rudolph said, “It was a great night with a lot of smiles.”
“Caesars Entertainment Corporation and Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino have always had a strong commitment to the communities where we live and work, including our hometown of Las Vegas,” Richard Broome, executive vice president of public affairs and communication for Caesars Entertainment, said. “We are pleased to have been a part of Rock the Night for The Shade Tree.”
The inaugural “Rock the Night for The Shade Tree” took place Wednesday, April 5th and welcomed more than 350 residents, staff, board members, friends, and family of The Shade Tree to an all-expense paid night on the town complete with private bus charters that transported the large group to and from the Downtown Las Vegas shelter allowing them an exciting stress-free Las Vegas entertainment experience. The Shade Tree group was then treated to dinner at Fatburger on the Las Vegas Strip, owned by Feinstein, and tickets for the entire group to experience a live Las Vegas performance of “Britney: Piece of Me” at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
“The women at the shelter had a fabulous night out filled with great food and music. Britney’s performance was empowering and inspirational; just what the ladies need,” Marlene Richter, executive director The Shade Tree, said. “We all feel honored to have been a part of the first Rock the Night. We are grateful to Darin, Larry, Caesars and Britney.”
The “Rock the Night for The Shade Tree” hopes to grow with each year offering new and different events and performances revolving around inspirational entertainment. Plans for 2018 dates and performances are already being discussed.
THIS AND THAT QUICKLY:
Went to see and listen to one of the great entertainers of the Golden ‘’90s and 2000’s”, when Las Vegas was alive with fantastic lounges and mini-showrooms. You may remember Jimmy Hopper playing in the Voodoo Room at the Palms, or his five-year stint at the Bellagio. If you don’t remember him then you have another chance, as he will be at the Italian American Club (IAC) again next month.
I ran into Jimmy at the Dennis Bono Show (a weekly afternoon entertainment venue in the showroom at the South Point Hotel/Casino) last week, and he invited me to catch him at the club (IAC), last Saturday. After all, it had been at least 10 years since I had last listened to him. He still had the spiked blond hair, and the exuberance he always displayed when entertaining an audience. At the club it was just him, a piano, and a guitar. But, gang, this is not just a simple piano. Oh, no! He had every musical tool imaginable to enhance his style of entertaining—which covers everything from light Opera, Pop, Broadway, to Hollywood. Hopper is a living tribute to every hard-working entertainer who cares that his fans go home happy, knowing he or she had worked his butt off.
Hopper kicked off the show with a song by Journey, followed closely by “Lost That Loving Feeling,” which in turn was followed by “Under Pressure,” by Queen. Now that is a swing in music genre. One thing that sets Hopper apart from a lot of singers, he has an amazing range of voices. At one time, he may sound like Elton John, and next he may have a high alto voice, or a gravelly voice like Rod Stewart. All I know is he knocks it out of the park with each song he decides to perform. “I always have a few songs listed when I start, but once I get going I don’t even know what songs I’m going to do for the rest of the show.,” He explained.
But, this show was slightly different, in that he had requested that his fans write a note as to what song they would like to hear. Another song by Queen, “We Are The Champions,” was performed as perfectly as any one-man could—nearly perfect! Of course, Jimmy, did a nice tribute to the late Al Jarreau. He then did another tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr., when he picked up the guitar and sang, “Mr. Bojangles,” one of my favorite songs of all time. Bobby Darin was remembered with “Mack The Knife.” Jimmy Hopper was not finished yet, and he had already been on stage for nearly 90 minutes. No, sir, Mr. Hopper came to sing his butt off and to entertain. He’s a throwback to guys like Al Jolson, George M. Cohan, and Irving Berlin. He takes a certain song and makes it his own by putting his own spin to the music.
All, I can say, gang, is you’ll never go home saying you weren’t entertained, when you spend an evening with Jimmy Hopper. His next show at the IAC is May 10th.
Known for his eccentric impressions of some of the biggest celebrities in the world today, longtime Las Vegas entertainer Gordie Brown announced his return to the Las Vegas Strip, debuting “Gordie Brown Live,” inside The Cabaret at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m.
“I’m thrilled to be back on The Strip after almost ten years and serendipitously returning to the same property I last performed at,” Brown said. “The venue is intimate and will take me back to my roots of small clubs. It will allow the energy to flow back and forth between me and the audience and an intimate environment allowing the crowd to engage with the characters I bring to life in my impressions.”
Hailed as a “great entertainer” by Celine Dion (who he toured with for nearly a year}, Brown has performed in numerous showrooms around Las Vegas since 2004. Co-produced by UD Factory and Chip Lightman Enterprises, the show promises to be a fast-paced high energy performance of hilarious, spot-on impressions. In addition to favorite impressions of artists, actors, celebrities, and politicians including Bruno Mars, Robert DeNiro, Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, and Jack Nicholson, Gordie will feature new voices and parodies. Show times are Tuesday through Sunday (except Fridays) at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are priced at $59.95 (general admission), $69.95 (VIP) and $79.95 (Gold Circle seating), not including tax and service fees. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit Ticketmaster.com or call 702-777-2782.
Well, gang, that’s about it this week.