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Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

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Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! In the 90’s this week, unusually warm (80 F is normal this year). Just a couple of quick things:

UNLV Football Tickets On Sale — If one of these teams is your team, what better excuse for a trip to Las Vegas to see your team (probably) kick the snot out of UNLV:

• September 5 – Sacramento State – Click For Tickets
• September 12 – Oregon State – Click For Tickets
• September 19 – Hawaii – Click For Tickets
• October 10 – BYU – Click For Tickets
• October 17 – Utah – Click For Tickets
• November 7 – Colorado State – Click For Tickets
• November 28 – San Diego State – Click For Tickets

As a 16 year resident, I’m a UNLV fan and happy to see their football team on the rise. However, this is going to be a tough September for me: I was born and raised in Oregon and attended Portland State. I’m a big fan of both Oregon and Oregon State football so the UNLV/Oregon State game is going to be a tough one for me to watch.

I’m also a big fan of the Hawaii Warriors, who come to town to play a week later. I’ve been following them for years (former coach June Jones has a big Oregon connection) and enjoy their exciting brand of football.

With so many of our Hawaiian friends living here in Las Vegas, and so many more that visit (to the tune of about a million visitors per year from The Islands), the crowd at the UNLV/Hawaii game is going to be pretty evenly split with a likely sell-out and plenty of electricity in the air.

Both Mother’s Day and Cinco De Mayo are coming soon and we are compiling events for both days:

Check out the events happening for Cinco de Mayo!

Check out the events happening for Mother’s Day!

I’m a little under-the-weather this week (probably from the check I had to send the IRS last week… you want to talk about neusea-inducing). So I’m going to turn it over to our writer Denise Almas. We’ve assigned her to cover the pending launch of the new Lion King show here in Las Vegas. I’ll be back later in the newsletter with Members Mania.

The Lion King is obviously the biggest show to hit town in some time, and one that is already drawing great interest among our readers:

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Lion King Las Vegas – Brilliant and Riveting

by Denise Almas

Preparing to leap onto the Mandalay Bay Theater stage is a talented international cast in DisneyÆs The Lion King. The cast, which includes nine South African natives, has been comprised of cast members from other Lion King productions, making this an experienced ensemble ready to be King of the Las Vegas Strip.

With brilliant costumes, more than 200 puppets, and riveting music, the coming of age story of the young lion cub, Simba, will entertain young and old alike. According to Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Group, ôThe Las Vegas production will be every bit the equal of the spectacular Broadway experience.ö

Indeed, Alton F. White will don an 11 ounce mask as he plays ôMufasaö the lion king. WhiteÆs credits include The Lion KingÆs Broadway company, Ragtime, Tommy, The Color Purple, and Miss Saigon.

Buyi Zama, a native of South Africa, has performed in seven productions of The Lion King and will play the wise ôRafiki.ö Her credits also include backing as a vocalist for Whitney Houston and Rebecca Malope.

Kissy Simmons will be the lioness, ôNalaö. She joins the cast from the Broadway production and has also been in the national tour of the production.

ôSimba,ö the lion cub, will be played by Clifton Oliver who has also performed in the Los Angeles production of The Lion King, as well as in the Broadway productions of Grease, Rent and Wicked.

ôScar,ö the Lion KingÆs sinister brother, is played by Thom Sesma. SesmaÆs credits include The Man of La Mancha, The Times They Are A-ChanginÆ, and La Cage Aux Folles on Broadway.

This talented and celebrated cast will compliment the award winning music, which includes music by Elton John and Time Rice, as well as music by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. The Lion King score fuses Western pop music with the sounds and rhythms of Africa, bringing to life this unique and award winning musical.

DisneyÆs Tony Award winning production will journey onto the Mandalay Bay Stage on May 5, 2009, with the premiere on May 15, 2009. Come enjoy the Pride.

Related Links: Lion King Las Vegas Tickets

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P.S. Airfare is way down right now, and with the price of oil creeping back up, now is the time to lock in your next visit to come see us here. Plus, scroll past my signature and check out some of the amazing hotel prices right now. Even if you can’t come visit until fall (or even winter), what can be better than to have a Las Vegas trip lined up to look forward to.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

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Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Bally’s from $49, El Cortez from $33, Fitzgeralds from $34, Hooters from $25, Orleans from $40, Riviera from $54, Sahara from $29, Stratosphere from $44, Tropicana from $46, Tuscany from $39, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

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Funny Man Jeff Foxworthy Brings Comedy Act To Orleans Arena For One Night Only, May 16 – The best-selling comedy-recording artist in history, Jeff Foxworthy, will be bringing his signature redneck jokes and hilarious observations about human nature to the Orleans Arena in An Evening of Comedy with Jeff Foxworthy for one night only, May 16 at 8 p.m. He’ll deliver nonstop laughs and goes beyond the expected to explore the humor in everyday family and human interactions in a style that has been compared to Mark Twain’s.

• Click to read full Jeff Foxworthy Brings Comedy Act To Orleans Arena story.

• Jeff Foxworthy Las Vegas Tickets

Local Celebrities To Scoop Ice Cream For Charity For Ben & Jerry’s 31st Annual “Free Cone Day” April 21 – Henderson Ben & Jerry’s locations will serve free ice cream cones to benefit Lied Discovery Children’s Museum and the Nevada Community Learning Centers. Ben & Jerry’s, the company that broke the mold for businesses showing you could make a profit while giving back to the community, will commemorate its 31st Annual “Free Cone Day” at the Galleria Mall at Sunset in Henderson with celebrity scoopers to benefit Lied Discovery Children’s Museum. All small cones are FREE with no purchase necessary, but patrons are invited to make a donation to the respective local charity.

• Click to read full Local Celebrities Scoop Ice Cream story.

Ultimate Fighting Championship 100 Saturday, July 11 At Mandalay Bay – For the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization’s historic UFC 100 event Saturday, July 11 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, a stacked card featuring the best of the best in mixed martial arts is not only expected, but required. To celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event, the UFC is pleased to announce three featured bouts that individually would be main events anywhere else in the world. In the main event, the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship of the world is on the line when reigning titleholder Brock Lesnar faces interim champion Frank Mir in one of the most highly anticipated rematches in heavyweight history.

• Click to read full Ultimate Fighting Championship 100 At Mandalay Bay story.

• UFC 100 Las Vegas Tickets

Dennis Miller Brings Stand-up Routine To The Orleans Showroom May 15-17 – Five-time Emmy award winner and crowd favorite Dennis Miller brings his hilarious act to The Orleans Showroom, May 15-17 at 8 p.m. each evening. Celebrated as a witty comedian with an entertaining and intriguing stand-up routine, Miller keeps audiences laughing with his irreverent observations.

• Click to read full Dennis Miller Brings Laughs To The Orleans story.

• Dennis Miller Las Vegas Tickets

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Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I found this newsletter about a year ago and I really enjoy to read all the news about Las Vegas every time!

At the end of May I will visit Las Vegas again for 3 weeks! I try to do this every year (to be honest, it’s the only reason for me to go to work). We had the first snow this year October 31st and today it’s still snowing. Editors Note: This letter was sent to us a few weeks ago). We do have tons and tons of snow and even can’t go outside with the car. Also the last few ‘summers’ were not the best. The last really great summer we had was back in 2003.

I usually travel alone (nobody else stays for 3 weeks in Vegas) and my friends from Switzerland visit me and then travel to other places. This year my boss is in San Francisco and will drive with the car to Vegas for one week. And later another couple visits Vegas for 3 days and we will meet.

Last year I was staying at the Luxor in a tower room. It was so great there that I will stay there again this year. It’s also never a problem to book for such a long time. People here in Switzerland usually stay for 3-4 days in town and then drive or fly away. Back at home they jump in another airplane a travel to a Greek or Spain island and lay in the sun at the beach. That makes no sense for me. I can do all this in Vegas too. The pool area’s so great and relaxing. Of course I was on several islands in Europe too, but when I went to Vegas the first time in 1998 it was clear for me: that’s the town I will return as often as I can, and it’s every time the best time of the year I have. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to May 28th when the plane starts!!!

There are so much more things to do in Vegas than the Casinos. I travel with empty suitcases and buy as much as I can carry. Then the Motor Speedway is a must too! We also like to walk a lot or drive to Arizona or Utah and visit the National parks. This area is also very interesting. Sometimes I think 3 weeks is not enough…. 😉

Barbara Eichhorn from Switzerland

Ted Responds:

Thanks for the great letter! Sometimes, new readers (who have never been to Las Vegas) will write and say “We are coming for four days… what should we see?” I politely tell them that they could stay for a month and not run out of things to do or see as there is plenty to do for almost every interest and to just stay subscribed to the newsletter to find out what is currently happening.

May is a great month to be here as our 100 degree (F) temps generally have not hit yet, but it no longer gets cold at night. Every day is a perfect day to hang out by the pool or go see some of the amazing scenery of the beautiful Southwest U.S. and every night is perfect for strolling in the neon or taking in a show.

Thanks again for reading and telling your friends. We have a very loyal international readership base (about 25% of our readers) and are very appreciative of the time and effort it takes to visit us.

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My wife and I spent a week in Vegas Feb 4 to 11. We stayed downtown 4 nights and on the strip for 3. We are more than upset with the number of card flickers in front of Flamingo, O’Shea’s, and Harrah’s. They are obnoxious flicking their cards in your face and blocking passage on the sidewalk. The casinos stand to lose as these people scare some elders. They should be limited or made to stand at the end of the walkway and not in the middle. Some of the people actually assault you with their mannerisms.

Ellis Island is every bodies dream of good food at reasonable prices.

RUSE1941

Ted Responds:

Believe me… the hotels have tried time and time again to restrict the people handing out the “girls to your room” cards. Including a move to attempt to make the sidewalks in front of each casino the private property of the casino. The ACLU has fought them tooth and nail as they feel it is a free speech issue. At this point, your best bet is to simply ignore them. Keep your eyes straight ahead and keep walking.

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Just want to tell you about our visit Feb. 2, 2009. Our first stay at Planet Hollywood and I was most disappointed. No view from the window. One chair in the room to watch the nice TV. I ask for another chair and they told me to contact the banquet area and I did and was told there was a rental fee and they would call me back. No chair and no call back.

A standard fee of over $5.00 for water and newspaper that we didn’t want. A college group moved in Fri. night and no complimentary drinks. My last stay there. The beds were nice.

Thanks for all your news.

BJ Dailey

Ted Responds:

I know we’ve all had times when something doesn’t live up to expectations. When it comes to an issue with a Las Vegas hotel (attraction, restaurant, you name it), this is what I strongly advise:

Find the actual snail mail (postal) address and write them a letter. It doesn’t have to be long, but but it should be calm and rational (just as your note was). Let them know you were not pleased and why. At the very least, your voice gets heard. And, they just might offer to do something to make it right on your next visit.

Even though we live in a computer/email age, a real postal mail letter really sends an impact. If you go to Google Maps and then enter Name Of Hotel Las Vegas, it will usually pull up the hotel location and actual address.

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We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

• Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
• Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

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More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

• Envy The Steakhouse Indulges In Sea Salts As A Part Of Organic Dining Trend

  Envy Steakhouse Reservations

• Get In Your Low Rider And Head To The Cannery Casino & Hotel To See War

  War Tickets

• The “Love Train” Rolls Into The Cannery Casino & Hotel

• The Dixie Cups Are Taking It Back to the ’60s, Performing At Marilyn’s Lounge Inside The Eastside Cannery Casino & Hotel

• “Police Academy” star Michael Winslow Headlines At Bonkerz Comedy Club

• Mother’s Day Brunch And Dinner Menus Featured At The Carmel Room

• Cinco de Mayo Starts First At The Rio

• Rampart Casino Features MotherÆs Day Brunch and Dining Specials

• ‘O’ performers prepare, practice beyond the view of the audience

  Cirque du Soleil “O” Tickets

• Fator’s skills remain top notch, but his humor is needlessly divisive

  Terry Fator Tickets

• Impressionist Brown pairs faster pace with new confidence

  Gordie Brown Tickets

• Elton John wrapping up Las Vegas ‘Red Piano’ showcase

  Elton John – The Red Piano Tickets

• ‘Peepshow’ about storytelling, sexuality, art of the tease, director says

  PeepShow Tickets

• Casino Mogul Steve Wynn’s Midas Touch (with video)

• School district to cut hundreds of jobs (with video)

• Cabbie Kickback Fight Going to the Airwaves (with video)

• Foreclosed community a mess for residents (with video)

• Dining deals found all along the strip (with video)

• Las Vegas trophy project a symbol of downturn

• Nascar Banquet’s move to Las Vegas lauded

• Las Vegas promoting cheap spring break

• Vegas-Area Schools May Lose 684 Jobs

• Frozen yogurt shop expands in Las Vegas

• The fare at downtown’s Thai Original BBQ is simple, affordable and flavorful

• Bill easing smoking ban passes

• Project to bring toll roads to Nevada stalls

• Sam’s Town Celebrates 30 Years

• Vegas Bowl gets Maaco sponsor, sets Dec. 22 date

• Vegas Home Inventory Shrinking

• What’s it Like to Own a Vegas Hotel Room?

• Trip to Vegas reveals that sports books are no big deal

• Hoover Dam Bridge now 85 percent complete

• Lawmakers try to clarify law that prohibits lighting up in taverns

• On the road of life, an idea for a casino grew

• High Court Won’t Block Debate On Smoking Ban

• Las Vegas strip clubs waging high-stakes cash-for-customers war

• Tinoco’s Kitchen makes changes, but maintains familiarity

• Team USA strengthens ties to Las Vegas

• One man’s exhibit, another’s eyesore

• Spread of legalized sports betting is double-edged for pariah state Nevada

• Construction resumes for Mira Villa condominiums

• NHL chills on expansion – League awards show coming, but no team on horizon

• Spring a great time of year to visit Valley of Fire

• Girls gone catty at Hef’s party

• Welcome mat out for Dion, Jackson

• ‘Las Vegas: where you can’t afford a drink’

• Prostitute targeting hits mark – Police initiative on Strip results in first conviction

• Risque mixes up format, offers discounts to appeal to valley residents

• Burger Bar’s variety offers endless opportunity for do-it-yourself creations

• Legislators skeptical of toll road bill

• Woodside Homes slashes prices – Builder starts prices at $69 per square foot

• Nature abounds inside valley at Floyd Lamb, Gilcrease

• Mayor says Fremont Street appeals may be near an end

• Mojave Preserve a smorgasbord of sights

• Downtown ‘insiders’ tour city projects

• Resortlike Rhodes Ranch is great springtime walk in park

• Exhibitor 2009 attendees see recession as opportunity to seek new ways of doing business

• Stretching free speech limits – Court ruling emboldens businesses along Fremont Street Experience

• Fire-centric ‘Ignite’ like a heavy metal concert – without the music

• Playboy Club sets itself apart with fluffy-tailed cocktail servers

• Switch offers fantastic food with excellent service in an entertaining environment

• Senate panel rejects $5 tax on sex – Brothels backed levy on services

• Attorney spearheads movement to stop kickbacks for strip club clientele

• Funding for I-15 work scarce as visitation falls

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

• Cinco de Mayo May 5
• Mother’s Day May 10
• Memorial Day, U.S May 23-25 (3 day weekend)
• Father’s Day June 21
• Canada Day, Canada July 1
• Independence Day July 4
• Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
• Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
• Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
• Jewish New Year September 19
• Halloween October 31
• Veteran’s Day November 11
• Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (4 day weekend)
• Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
• Christmas December 25
• New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
• Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 18-20 (3 day weekend)
• Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
• President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
• Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
• Valentine’s Day February 14
• Mardi Gras February 16
• Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
• St. Patrick’s Day March 17
• Easter Sunday April 4

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

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http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

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All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

April 22, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy