Soundtracks, ska inspire Stefani’s LV show
GStefani grew up obsessed with the soundtracks of musicals and old Hollywood films. She also was influenced by the ska scene in Orange County.
Those are the pillars of her residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort.
“I grew up being obsessed with ‘Evita’ and ‘Annie,’ and ‘The Sound of Music’ was my favorite movie,” Stefani says. “And early with No Doubt, which was founded by me and my brother (Eric Stefani), we were attracted to Madness, that band, they were in the scene and were comical but did their own thing. So this residency is an environment where I get to indulge in all my passions.”
“Just a Girl,” a splashy series of autobiographical production numbers from throughout Stefani’s remarkable 33-year career, returns to Zappos Theater this Friday and Saturday. In all, Stefani headlines 10 dates through July 26. Highlights from our recent phone chat:
Starring in her own production show is “just outrageous”: “I was always singing in a band all these years, and to wind up with my own show is just outrageous,” Stefani says. “But at the same time if feels so right. I went from being in more of a male environment, to bringing out all of the things I love that are female — costume changes, hair and makeup, musical production. It’s No Doubt meets everything I love in the way I can do it.”
The show-opening “Hollaback” is a trip through time: The number kicks off the show with a set laden with giant bananas, tubas and showgirls parading up a double staircase. “I wanted to start with, ‘I’m in Vegas. This is what I see Vegas as.’ And ‘Hollaback’ is like my biggest song in the sense that when
people see me, they spell ‘Banana’ for me,” Stefani says, laughing. “The staircase, the old-style props where everything has glitter, the feathers and showgirls, is definitely me trying to be everything I love about Vegas and putting a modern song to it.”
Originally, No Doubt wanted to go punk rock: “When we started, everybody was being united by the genre of music even more than the particular artists, and it united and defined people, like ‘You’re into that? Me, too!’” Stefani says. “With us, No Doubt wished it was a punk band, but unfortunately I was the singer and I didn’t consider myself much of a punk. So we kind of stumbled on other genres and became kind of silly and theatrical onstage, in ourownway.”
Thehusbandisasounding board: Blake Shelton does furnish advice for the stage show, but informally. “I feel like he’s a best friend; we talk about everything, but he doesn’t really sit in on meetings,” Stefani says. “He’s definitely with me, and we bounce ideas off each other and he’s just an amazing performer and an amazing person. He’s been loving watching the show in Vegas, too.”
Encore for this rivalry
NBA combatants from a bygone era, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, are featured in the new 90-second online video promoting the opening of Encore Boston Harbor. Set to Frank Sinatra’s “Nothing But the Best,” the clip costars Wynn/encore resident headliners The Chainsmokers. The campaign is set up to celebrate the resort’s commitment to the luxury experience, and also shows golden elevators ascending through the clouds. It’s sort of Willy Wonka-meets-a-resort-casino vibe.
It’s a Spiegelworld
The new Las Vegas Strip production “Atomic Saloon Show” is rehearsing in Scotland for its Aug. 1 debut at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The show’s star, Madame Boozy Skunkton, is familiar to Vegas productions: She’s British comic actress Petra Massey of Spymonkey, one of the original clowns in “Zumanity” at New York-new York.
The Edinburgh run, which concludes Aug. 25, marks the first time show producer Spiegelworld has debuted a title overseas ahead of a U.S. premiere.
“Atomic Saloon Show,” which has an acronym we shouldn’t use in a family publication (I’m sure that’s coincidental), opens in September at The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian.
Strip show!
The Burlesque Hall of
Fame, which as we know is the world’s only museum of burlesque, is staging “LIBERTEASE!” at 7 p.m. Friday (doors at 5:30) at Ron Decar’s Event Center. Vegas burlesque stalwarts Blanche Debris, Raquel Reed, Bettina May, Tana the Tattooed Lady, Buttercup and Sweetie Bird head the lineup. Jessabelle Thunder, “The 8th AND 9th World Wonder,” is in from L.A., and legends Gina Bon Bon and Tiffany Carter also are scheduled to appear.
General admission is $29, a VIP buffet ticket is $39 and a VIP plated-dinner ticket is $49. All proceeds go to the nonprofit Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. Go to Bhof.link/libertease for info.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His Podkats! podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/ podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal. com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @Johnnykats1 on Instagram.
Because Independence Day was a U.S. stock market holiday, there is no stock market report and limited business coverage in today’s edition. Full business coverage will resume in Saturday’s edition. As of 9 p.m. Thursday:
1. Earthquake rattles
Las Vegas but no injuries or damage reported
The strongest earthquake in 20 years shook a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on Thursday, rattling nerves on the July Fourth holiday and causing injuries and damage in a town near the epicenter, followed by a swarm of ongoing aftershocks.
2. Here’s where to celebrate Fourth of July in Las Vegas
Fireworks, parades, concerts and special events are planned around the Las Vegas Valley to celebrate Independence Day, and here is a list of some of the events at resorts, casinos and other venues.
3. Blue Bell ice cream licker identified in Lufkin, Texas
A video has surfaced of a woman opening a tub of Tin Roof ice cream and licking the top of a tub with someone off-camera encouraging her before saying, “Put it back.”
4. The eight biggest earthquakes in Nevada history
Nevada is the third-most seismically active state in the nation, behind California and Alaska, and has active earthquake faults in nearly every part of the state.
5. 1975 Las Vegas flash flood caused millions of dollars in damages
On July 3, 1975, while some gamblers sat unaware inside Strip casinos, a summer monsoon triggered a flash flood in the Las Vegas Valley that brought down telephone poles and overwhelmed sewage plants.