8 News Now Entertainment » Comedy

Stars Team Up for Poker Fundraiser

Dayna Roselli — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:36:47 +0000

Stars such as Tony Hawk, Christian Slater, Brad Garrett, Jason Alexander, Joanna Krupa, Montel Williams, Donnie Wahlberg, Marlon Waynes and Slash were among the 39 players who competed in the $540 event in The Venetian Poker Room – raising more than $42,000 for Three Square, a food charity in Southern Nevada.

AJ Buckley from CSI NY, Nicholas Gonzalez and Shaun Sipos of CW’s Melrose Place and UFC fighter Tito Ortiz were also in attendance.

Photo credit: IS Photography

Christian Slater was amazingly friendly and a fan favorite. He kept jumping up from the poker table to take photos with the fans lining the aisles. A bounty was put on Daniel Negreanu and the prize – a signed guitar by Slash – went to actor Donnie Wahlberg. Donnie said he was going to give the guitar to his son.

Zak “Zakooza” Alameddine from New York won the event and a ticket into next year’s PokerStars.net Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas. He beat top poker pros such as Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, world champion Joe Cada, Gavin Griffin, Dennis Phillips, Chris Moneymaker and Vanessa Rousso.

Baseball legend, Orel Hershiser, came second winning a seat in the NAPT Mohegan Sun event in April. John Beveridge from Henderson, Nevada, came third and won a seat into today’s $5,000 PokerStars.net North American Poker Tour Venetian Main Event which is set to attract more than 800 players.

After playing in the tournament, the stars headed up to TAO Nightclub for cocktails, hors dourves and a special musical performance by recording artist T-Pain.

Def Comedy Slam: Mick Foley… Stand Up Comic?

Bill Roe — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:27:21 +0000

Hardcore Pro Wrestling Legend and author Mick Foley, best known for abusing his body in a way that makes a chiropractor think about a purchasing a yacht, has decided to try something many people would consider equally as horrifying–stand-up comedy.

After the show, I had the chance to talk to Mick about his new career path and the future of TNA. Video posted below.

Foley brought his Total Extreme Comedy tour to the Hilton Saturday afternoon to benefit the Kennedy Foundation’s “Best Buddies” charity.

Former WWE star Bruce “Brother Love” Pritchard was the opening act, and it became apparent quickly that he was not a comedy veteran. He later informed the audience that this was only his second time performing stand-up.

There were some humorous stories about current and former WWE personalities such as “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, Randy “Macho Man” Savage and even WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. The presentation wasn’t great but the stories were humorous and the impressions of the aforementioned stars were spot on.

After about 30 minutes, the Hardcore Legend took the stage and tackled a range of topics from wrestling to Vegas, roller coasters and even what it was like to work with the Insane Clown Posse.

It was apparent immediately that Foley is a veteran when it comes to working a crowd–he’s done it for 27 years in front of rabid wrestling fans all over the globe–including numerous pre-taped comedy bits. You could tell he wasn’t a stand-up comedian and sometimes the punch lines seemed forced. The highlights for me were when he simply told stories about the wrestling biz and being on the road.

He recalled a story about piledriving former WWE superstar Al Snow through a blackjack table in Vegas to which he said “apparently you’re not supposed to do that”. He told stories involving Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Abdullah the Butcher, The Rock and even poked fun at his current employer Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling. His finale was another story involving Al Snow and a “wardrobe malfunction” thanks to “Hardcore” Bob Holly during a match in Canada.

The audience was small–there was appx. 200 people in a theater that could easily seat several hundred more. But, as far as Mick is concerned, it’s not about the size of the audience, it’s about making people happy. As far as I could tell most of the audience seemed happy to be in the presence of a wrestling legend, sharing some laughs on a Saturday afternoon, all for a good cause.

Vinny Blue Wins: New Spokesperson for NY NY Hotel Casino

Dayna Roselli — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:30:41 +0000

Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA/erikkabik.com

New York-New York Hotel Casino announced the winner of the Vinny vs. Vinny spokesperson competition. After weeks of spirited challenges, New York-New York’s guests, through voting on property and online, have declared Vinny Blue victorious, crowning him the ultimate go-to guy for all things New York-New York.

As the official spokesperson, Vinny will embody the New York-New York brand. A true ambassador of fun, Vinny will be a hands-on-host, available day in and day out to tell guests where to go, what to do, what’s hot and what’s not, in a totally honest, no-apologies New York kind of way.

“Thousands of you voted throughout this very close competition,” said Cynthia Kiser Murphey, president and COO of New York-New York. “Now it’s time for your chosen Vinny to get to work, making sure each and every guest has the time of their life here at New York-New York.”

Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA/erikkabik.com

A Las Vegas-wide search brought many competitors for the title of official spokesperson for New York-New York. Internal competition narrowed it down to two Vinnys, dubbed Red and Blue. From October 20 through November 12, the Vinnys battled for guest votes by competing in over-the-top contests including a Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest, an arcade challenge at ESPN Zone and an Irish jig showdown at Nine Fine Irishmen. In addition, the Vinnys took to the casino floor daily, winning the hearts and votes of many with their New York charm. Out-of-town guests also had the opportunity to witness the competitions online and cast their votes.

Ready to jump in and embrace his new title, Vinny Blue took to the stage and said, “Today is a new day at New York-New York and I’d like to welcome everyone down to the hotel for a big celebration. The party is happening every day so come see this native New Yorker and learn why New York-New York is the place to hang on the Las Vegas Strip.”

Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA/erikkabik.com

Holly Madison Grape Stomps at Paris Las Vegas

Dayna Roselli — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:25 +0000

Holly Madison and Diane Vincent attended the 2009 Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau celebration at Paris Las Vegas on November 18th. The two had a ball, and looked good doing it!

Photo by Denise Truscello/WireImage

Will Ferrell & Mark Wahlberg Shoot Movie in Las Vegas

Dayna Roselli — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:24:39 +0000

Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA/erikkabik.com

Check this out! Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell on the set of their new movie The Other Guys. They were at the he Flamingo Las Vegas on he strip this weekend. Crowds gathered outside of The Flamingo and Margaritaville to watch the filming and traffic slowed as fans got a glimpse of the stars on the set.

Wahlberg and Ferrell looked right at home with Ferrell in a ‘Vegas Baby Vegas’ t-shirt and Wahlberg with a tall Margaritaville “yard” drink in his hand.

The Other Guys is directed by Adam McKay. His other films include: Talladega Nights, Step Brothers and Anchorman. Other actors in the movie include: Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, Anne Heche, Michael Keeton, Steve Coogan, & Paris Hilton.

Photographer Erik Kabik was asked to shoot these EXCLUSIVE pictures. He shared them with us so we could share them with you!

Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA/erikkabik.com

Frank Caliendo Grand Opening at Monte Carlo

Dayna Roselli — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:12:45 +0000

Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA/erikkabik.com

Comedian Impressionist, Frank Caliendo, officially has his own show at the Monte Carlo. The Grand Opening was Friday night. The show includes some of his famous impressions: George W. Bush, John Madden, Charles Barkley, and Bill Clinton.

Caliendo signed a 10 year deal at the Hotel Casino. Several friends from the strip surprised the audience during the show Friday, as special guests. Terry Fator, Carott Top, and Louie Anderson all joined in on the fun! They all took a moment to plug their “own” shows on the strip.

Enjoy the pictures from opening night.

Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA/erikkabik.com

Dane Cook Performs at The Joint

Dayna Roselli — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:21:25 +0000

Dane Cook made a stop at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on his Isolated Incident Tour.

He performed at The Joint.

Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA/erikkabik.com

Credit: Erik Kabik/ RETNA / erikkabik.com

Jim Carrey & Jenny McCarthy Celebrate Anniversary at the Palms

Dayna Roselli — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:04:36 +0000

Jim Carrey & Jenny McCarthy recently celebrated their four-year anniversary together in a Sky Villa inside the Fantasy Tower at the Palms Casino Resort. Onlookers said the two looked very much in love and they played Texas Hold em till the wee hours in the morning.

Check out this fun picture of them in their Villa!

Photo Credit: Edison Graff

Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall Hang Out at JET Nightclub

Dayna Roselli — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:20:10 +0000

Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall surprised thousands of partygoers, and hung out with a bevy of attractive females including VH1 reality TV star, Joanna Hernandez and her girlfriends, Thursday night at JET NIGHTCLUB at Mirage. DJ Que behind the turntables saw Hall and Murphy in the corner of his eye and quickly changed the beat to Murphy’s 1980’s hit single “Party All The Time.” The girls hanging at the VIP booth got up immediately and started dancing on the banquets, “which made Murphy smile,” said one partygoer. Check out the pictures!

Fourth of July Celebrity Sightings

Dayna Roselli — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:11:33 +0000

The stars were out in full force for the 4th of July weekend in Las Vegas. From pool parties to nightclubs and concerts, celebrities could be found up and down the strip. Big concerts included Ciara, Jay Z, and Jamie Foxx. Enjoy the latest shots!

MC Hammer, Jamie Foxx, Too Short at The Joint. Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA

Jay Z performs at The Pearl. Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA

Audrina Patridge at The Bank. Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Wireimage

Ian Ziering at RARE 120 at Hard Rock. Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/RETNA

Karina Smirnoff & Maksim Chmerkovskiy at AZURE. Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Wireimage