Frankie Tease Blog

Photo by John Knopf After seeing the Frankie Moreno Live show at the Stratosphere Thanksgiving Eve, I became a new fan of the man and the band. A writer, a thinker, a ridiculously intuitive entertainer, and someone that can give you the chills many times in one night from sheer talent, I buckled into the task of reviewing his first self-titled album. No pressure. The album is a completely different experience and feeling than seeing the band live. The album also totally captures the feeling of the band live. Let me explain.

The Chandler Judkins Groovin' High Orchestra Well I've heard there was swing dancing in Vegas, but so far never found it.  Until now, I thought swing dancing in Vegas might be just a desert mirage. Alas, it is not so thanks to Swingin' Tuesdays at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. I wouldn't have known about it in my circles unless I had attended the Frankie Moreno Live show at the Stratosphere last week. In chatting with the Trumpet player, I found out there were regular nights in Vegas to dance and see Swing to, and one is coming up in December. You'll be in good hands with The "Groovin' High Orchestra". A free show with a Burlesque dancer, and continuous open dance floor to swing on. I have it on good authority that dancers show up too. Well, at least the trumpet player who I mentioned earlier says so. His name is Chandler Judkins .  Mandalay Bay is a large hotel and casino in Vegas located near the Luxor on Las Vegas Blvd. and Mandal

Rock of Ages Dec. Open at the Venetian Hairbands are all the rage in this 80's extravaganza Broadway Show hitting the Strip which opens Dec. 18, 8pm at Rock of Ages Theater at Venetian. Live music accompaniment (yeah not recorded!) brings the Tony-award winning Broadway hit to Vegas. The show is described as a party, and what better place to party than the Vegas Strip? New Jazz Testament at Cosmopolitans Chandelier Bar Thurs. and Fri. Nov. 29-30, catch "New Jazz Testament" at the Cosmopolitan Chandelier Bar. A free-to-attend five-piece straight-ahead Jazz band that's described as a "very cool hang". Ironic description since they're playing the Chandelier Bar. You may recognize the trumpet player from the hit Vegas Strip show at the Stratosphere, as he plays the horn for Frankie Moreno Live four days a week. Holiday Show at Springs Reserve Take-in the city lights with friends and family with a per-car rate at the Springs Reserve. Bathed in

Well hello readers. It's been a while since we've talked about the eBook series I launched this year. Lets take a second to chat about what you've missed if you haven't read the book yet, via some favorite interview quotes from Vol. 1: Lisa Lampanelli: When asked if people understand her comedy: "I have this thing: never complain, never explain." Dirty Martini   When asked about how she got into Burlesque: "From the time I was in college, I was working with some of these ideas. Even before college, my choreographic pieces and some of my solo and group work pieces were very Burlesque." Director Mark Mori of "Bettie Page Reveals All"  When asked what it was like for Bettie fans viewing his film:  " When I saw  their reaction, how emotional they were when  they saw the film and how connected - they felt  connected with Bettie before the film - but then  to actually basically come as close as you can  to meeting and e

The Venetian's Faux Ice Rink is Back The second year of Winter in Venice is getting under way this week at the Venetian. Enjoy ice skating, gondola rides, and live outdoor and indoor free events as well as glowing L.E.D spectacularness during the most wonderful time of the year. What's unique is that the skate rink atop the water in front of the Italian-themed resort is actually recycled polymer (no ice was created in the making of this rink). The rubber-like surface is treated with oil to remain slick for skating. I saw the rehearsal for the skate shows which will be offered free twice per night Nov. 18 - Jan. 6, 2012. Skate rentals will be available for willing participants. Real Ice Skating Rink at the Cosmopolitan Looks like the Cosmopolitan is getting in on the skate rink action this year, only with real ice in place of their Boulevard Pool . The Cosmo starts their festivities Nov. 30 post Thanksgiving Day, through Jan. 20, well past the New Year. Children over a

by Frankie Tease Photo transfer and mixed media on wood  by  Todd Duane Miller - "Tips Appreicated" now showing through Dec. 1 at Las Vegas CAC A November 2012 Saturday in Las Vegas was a beautiful time for me to start exploring the Arts District in my new town. I have known about several walks and events and of course, the famous First Friday event which is in the Old Vegas and Fremont Street area. There seem to be many points of origin for the art scene in Vegas, but are there really? I got lucky in stumbling on one of the oldest institutions in the art community here, and also lucky in speaking with and meeting a very informative Gallery Assistant one Demecina Gray of the Las Vegas  Contemporary Arts Center Downtown. The Downtown area has really grown recently, and so has the arts community. Gray stopped to answer a newbies questions of the Vegas art terrain, and to give me the best tips for where and when to see resident or visiting artists. But wouldn't

Elvis Has Left the Building That's right folks, "Viva Elvis" the flop of Cirque De Soleil has left the building. Did anyone notice? Probably not as the glitz and glam of the new spectacular $22 Billion budget show "Zarkana" has taken it's place at Aria. Viva Elvis' last performance ran Aug. 31, while Zarkana openened at Aria last weekend. I guess flying Elvis's isn't what audiences were after. Looks like it's good that Cirque is sticking with what it knows best: fantasy-world acrobats and circus. Legends Leaves Harrah's The "Legends" show enjoyed a record-breaking four years at Harrah's and has announced this will be the end of its run. Though the Legends show is a franchise that may show up elsewhere the last date played at Harrah's for the show will be Dec. 30, 2012. Catch impersonators of everyone who's anyone on the Legends stage, with live-music and vivacious singer-impersonators. From Nov. 23 you will s

photo courtesy of lasvegas-nv.com What's it take for a local professional comedian to get a gig in the town of Las Vegas? It takes talent and hard work. Spending over a year opening for Louie Anderson at his own club, this stand-up gent finally has his own gig. Anthony Padilla headlines the new show (a few months old) called Comedy After Dark  Thursday through Sunday at the Shimmer Lounge at LVH , just off-strip. Now he gets to make fun of the times he spent with Louie Anderson, and to bring his compadres and travelling mega-comedians from all over the country. Though he introduces other guests this doesn't diminish the talent he brings including his famous biting wit and story-telling. Padilla has previously appeared on The CW Network, A&E, The History Channel, and Lifetime to name a few. Now, he has his own headliner show and also does a radio show weekly with Scott Prichard on Vegas Video Network (a show about sports betting). Padilla knows a thing or two abo

The Vegas mob that settled in the early days of Sin City, left offspring and widows who remain today. But this isn't old Vegas, nor is it the 1950's- what mob? Well, the mob isn't exactly running Vegas as it once did, but some women are making their mark on the city where they were raised, and they mean business. Widow and Mother Wendy Mazaros, has had most of 2012 to campaign her tell-all book "Vegas Rag Doll" with the help of her daughter Amy. But, coming more into the limelight this December is Amy C. Hanley herself, the daughter of a mob boss. She has a lot in the works, including launching her own couture  and a starring appearance in the new reality-based Vegas TV show entitled: "Sin City Rules". For this conversation, we focused on the making of the reality show and how she was cast. Here's what she had to say when we chatted the morning of election day in Las Vegas, Nevada, 2012. FT: You're an amazing fascinating character. You

Guns 'N Roses at Hard Rock G and R kicked off its "Appetite For Democracy," stent at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino amid controversy Saturday. Last week in honor of the bands' residency during Nov., City Commissioner Beth Scow named Paradise Road "Paradise City" Road. She bit off more than she could chew when discovering the explicit scene on the poster was not exactly complimentary to women or Sin City. A revised graphic from their Appetite for Destruction album, the scene showed a woman just sexually assaulted, panties around her calves, and robots nearby all under the famous Las Vegas sign. G 'N R play through end of November. It's just art, right? (Breaking News: G N R controversial poster removed ( via  http://loudwire.com/controversial-las-vegas-guns-n-roses-posters-removed/ ). Cirque De Soleil's Zarkana finds home at Aria A visually stunning acrobatic spectacular, the massive set and expensive cast of Zarkana are now

Jac Bowie and her children by Alexia Sinclair There is no disputing Australia's involvement in reviving classic burlesque, and in bringing neo-burlesque to its current stage-show popularity. One prominent beauty playing a large role in this drama is  Jac Bowie of Australia. I first wrote about Bowie back in 2010, focusing on her successful international burlesque talent agency, one of the only in the world. A Burlesque Personality, Mom, and Performer turned Producer and Entrepreneur, Jac Bowie has been deeply involved in the sexy side of show business since 2004 and is set to release a tell-all book entitled  " Business in Heels ".   Bowie's first ever book is slated to publish December of 2012. Jac Bowie has been involved in the  Burelsque Hall of Fame Weekend in Vegas for many years, though she is retired from burlesque and has gone back to the mainstream arts. One of the audiences loudest responses at the BHOF Weekender 2012 was to the Stage Door Johnnie