Bill Cosby Speaks at Black Stuntmen’s Association (Part 1)

Bill Cosby speaking and giving an award to Calvin Brown at the Black Stuntmen’s Assocation.
 

Trader Vic’s Las Vegas Part 2

Pete Allman visits with Mike Emzewa, the Ambassador for Trader Vic’s Restaurant in Las Vegas and souse chef Jeff King.

New Year’s at The Nightclub XS at Encore

Name one great way to celebrate on New Year’s Eve. There are lots of great answers, but I chose to spend it with friends and fun-loving celebrities at XS, one of the best ultra high-tech nightclubs, located in Encore, one of the most elegant resorts on the Las Vegas Strip…

In bringing in the New Year, what could be better than celebrating with celebrities and friends at Steve Wynn’s and Victor Dre’s XS, the new ultra-nightclub at the newly opened Encore on the Las Vegas Strip.

My guests included David Darkstone, billed as Latin America’s top illusionist; legendary soul artist Sidney Barnes and his wife, Clella Ann Zavada; producer-director Frank Pinnock, and my friend Beryl Warren.

Around nine o’clock, when I met up with PR Director Jeremy Pond, there were already about 300 people waiting to get into XS. There were lots of locals, several Las Vegas resident celebrities and plenty of visitors who know that Las Vegas is the town to party in the new year. In fact, the entire club at XS was sold out, including the $1,500 poolside day bed parties to the $5,000 some guests paid for booths and cabanas.

In Las Vegas, ultra-style clubs are plentiful, but none has the unique features we saw at XS. The nightclub is built in semicircular fashion and has multiple levels, theater style. The dance floor overlooks the pool area, which is surrounded by cabanas located on the bottom and upper levels. In addition, there is a unique feature in the huge pool area. The XS design has a gaming island towards the end of the pool, and it is a built-in, open-sided platform.

By the way, on Jan 5, XS will host a list of invited guests for their special celebrity grand opening. New Year’s Eve was opening night for XS, following the recent grand opening of Encore. To get more information, call The Nightclub XS at Encore, (702) 770-0097.

Among the celebrities invited to attend the special XS grand opening are: actors Blair Underwood, Alan Thicke, Antonio Fargas, Tom Hallick, Eddie Mekka and Patrick Kilpatrick; recording artists George Clinton and Sidney Barnes, along with musical family patriarch Joe Jackson; impressionist and singer Larry G. Jones; hypnotist Michael Johns and Terry Stokes; and illusionists Cris Angel, David Darkstone and Dixie Dooley.

While there, some of my guests and I took celebrity publicity shots with XS managing partner Cye Waits, former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, who was with his adult film star wife Jenna Jameson, and Olympic snow board champion Sean White.

I was impressed with XS from the beginning. Jeremy escorted my group through the impressive entryway made of contemporary metallic, gold-tone framework surrounding a revolving door and swivel glass doorways. It was a visually impressive entrance to what is considered the most elegant, ultra-high-tech club. It was done, of course, the ultimate Wynn way.

The club experience and the ambiance of Encore reflect the philosophy of the gaming property mogul Wynn, who built the mega-resorts Mirage, Treasure Island and Wynn Las Vegas, the self-named property built to honor his wife.

Spending the evening at Encore was enjoyable. My guests commented on the XS ultra nightclub experience.

“It’s an awesome club. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Sidney Barnes, veteran recording artist and songwriter with hits on P-Funk and Chess Records labels, and leader of the ’70s hit group Rotary Connection, featuring the legendary songbird Minnie Ripperton.

“This is the new era of high-tech clubs,” David Darkstone said.

Early in the evening, before it got too late, I called to wish some friends Happy New Year. One of them was Frankie Scinta, who was spending the evening with his family. He is lead performer with The Scintas, a multitalented family that performs songs, dance, impressions, comedy improvisations and more at the Hilton. I asked him what he thought of Encore.

“The resort is beautiful. Steve Wynn is a guy who sets the pace of what Las Vegas is all about. He’s always built it bigger and better,” Frankie said.

By the way, the Scinta’s are ending their long-running engagement in their showroom at the Hilton in mid March to pursue their scripted, reality-TV sitcom. They are working with independent film channel Sundance, and the planned show is called “Scinta’s Surviving the Strip.”

I wish them and all my celebrity friends the very best of success on their projects in 2009!

And to readers, subscribers and the online and print publishers who carry Celebrity Scene News, thanks for everything you did to make 2008 great, and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!

Marie Osmond Interview with Pete Allman

Pete Allman interviews Marie Osmond at NATPE

 

Tony Cosmo is Bringing “Old Vegas” Back

Just about everyone loves movies, especially mobster themes, such as “Goodfellows” and “The Godfather” series. Las Vegas has been depicted in many movies, but few showed the true atmosphere of the good old days. Las Vegas in the 60s and 70s was run by the mob, those colorful characters, and they kept the town pretty safe — unless you tried to cross them, that is. There was little crime, and the casino workers felt they were treated right.

And everyone loved to go to Tony Cosmo’s restaurants to socialize and have homemade Italian cuisine, such as Veal Scaloppini, Stuffed Bell Peppers, and even the spumoni, which was homemade.

Well, last week, I visited with restaurateur Tony Cosmos, the executive chef and owner of Cosmos Ristorante located inside the Royal Resort right off the Las Vegas Strip at 99 Convention Center Drive.
Besides cooking what is perhaps the best Italian food I’ve ever tasted, Tony Cosmo has had an illustrious career. He has owned several restaurants, among them the former disco-era hotspot, Paul Anka’s Jubilation, and Cosmos Underground in downtown Las Vegas.

In fact, Tony could write a book on all the colorful characters who dined in his restaurants over the years. Hey, that’s a great idea, especially since he’s got all the pictures to prove it. The others might have carried “heat,” but Tony carried a mean skillet, pot and chef’s pan and served some of the best food in town. Tony’s places were where people hung out in the great heyday of Vegas.

So what happened to the Old Las Vegas?

Well, some of those mob guys are pushing up daisies, some are in prison, and some are under the Witness Protection Program. Tony is just a great chef who keeps on going.

So, it is with great pleasure that Tony is bringing back the “Old Vegas” flavor.

Tony is planning to have a late-night, after hours gathering spot for those people who get off work in the wee hours of the morning and want to stop by his place and unwind in the outside lounge area.

They can get some of his great Chicago beef sandwiches, enjoy a drink outdoors and stretch out under the shining stars of Las Vegas, while lounging beside the Royal Resort’s Olympic-size pool.
The best part of what Tony is doing is that no one will have to wait in line, and his guests won’t have to buy a table or bottle service, the way it works in the swanky ultra lounges and nightclubs in many Strip resorts. This atmosphere is for late night relaxing and getting together with friends. Tony Cosmo is making the old new again.

For more information, call (702) 369-4179 or visit www.cosmosristorante.com. Tell them Pete Allman sent you.

D-Box Motion Code Interview with Pete Allman

Pete Allman interviews D-Box Motion Code at the Las Vegas ShoWest Convention

Vista Cinema Software Interview with Pete Allman

Pete Allman interviews Vista Cinema Software at the Las Vegas ShoWest Convention