The MGM MIRAGE Voice
Foundation is currently celebrating its fifth year of service to the
community. The Voice Foundation is MGM MIRAGE's nonprofit, philanthropic
entity that collects and disperses employee donations to deserving
charities and causes where its employees live and work.
    Annually, the Voice Foundation conducts fundraising campaigns at each
of the company's properties. The first campaign in 2002 raised $2 million.
To date, employees have contributed more than $12 million to the foundation
allowing MGM MIRAGE to provide more than 1.8 million hours of after-school
tutoring and educational programs to children; serve more than 2.5 million
meals to families, homebound clients and seniors; and support more than
1,000 nonprofit organizations in Nevada, Michigan and Mississippi, just to
name a few.
    Currently, the Voice Foundation is in the midst of its annual campaign
of which the properties of the former Mandalay Resort Group (MRG) are
participating for the first time. Last year, MRG merged with MGM MIRAGE,
increasing the company's workforce from 40,000 to 70,000 employees.
    To encourage employee participation, several property presidents have
made promises relative to their campaign goals. Tom Mikulich, Treasure
Island President and COO, has promised to jump off the mast of the pirate
ship in the property's Sirens' Cove; Bill Hornbuckle, Mandalay Bay
President and COO, has pledged to swim with sharks at Mandalay Bay's Shark
Reef attraction; and Randy Morton, Monte Carlo President and COO, will
participate in an illusion with magician Lance Burton.
    "The enthusiasm property presidents have shown is a direct reflection
of the excitement employees feel during the annual Voice campaigns," said
Merlinda Gallegos, MGM MIRAGE Director of Corporate Philanthropy. "This
passion, demonstrated by all members of our company, has helped make the
MGM MIRAGE Voice Foundation a tremendous success."
    The MGM MIRAGE Voice Foundation was established to support employees
who strive to improve the quality of life in the communities in which they
live. Through the Voice Foundation, employees are able to direct their
donations to a preferred charity; donate to the Employee Emergency Relief
Fund that helps fellow employees during emergency situations; contribute to
the local United Way; or give to the Voice Community Fund, which supports
grants to non profit agencies that are selected by a group of MGM MIRAGE
employees who make up the Community Voice Council (CVC).
    The CVC is composed of MGM MIRAGE employees who are selected to serve
based on their community commitment and workplace experience. Members
attend monthly meetings, review grant applications, recommend amounts and
agencies for funding and conduct follow-up visits with local agencies to
ensure that donations are used wisely.
    MGM MIRAGE underwrites all administrative costs associated with
operating and managing the Voice Foundation, ensuring that 100 percent of
employee donations go to the intended recipients. The Voice Foundation's
annual campaign concludes this summer.
    About MGM MIRAGE:
    MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGM), one of the world's leading and most respected
hotel and gaming companies, owns and operates 23 properties located in
Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has investments in three other
properties in Nevada, New Jersey and Illinois. MGM MIRAGE has also
announced plans to develop Project CityCenter, a multi-billion dollar
mixed-use urban development project in the heart of Las Vegas, and has a 50
percent interest in MGM Grand Macau, a hotel-casino resort currently under
construction in Macau S.A.R. MGM MIRAGE supports responsible gaming and has
implemented the American Gaming Association's Code of Conduct for
Responsible Gaming at its properties. MGM MIRAGE also has been the
recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for its industry-leading
Diversity Initiative and its community philanthropy programs.

What's On, The Las Vegas Guide, the leading visitor and entertainment resource for Las Vegas in publication since 1954, announced the winners of its 7th annual Visitors' Choice Awards poll. Readers selected their Vegas favorites in a record 62 categories covering everything from dining and entertainment to nightlife, shopping, sightseeing and gaming.

Among the results, Celine Dion did it again! She was voted Favorite Headliner, while Lance Burton pulled a win for Favorite Magician out of his hat. Favorite Comedian Rita Rudner tickles visitors' funny bones, and The Improv at Harrah's extended its reign as Favorite Comedy Club with a seventh straight win. "Legends In Concert" was the choice for Favorite Celebrity Impersonators, and Elvis-A-Rama has the visitors' Favorite Elvis Impersonators. "Donn Arden's Jubilee!" at Bally's features the Favorite Showgirls, and Cirque du Soleil's "O" is the Favorite Production Show.

The property with the most wins is Bellagio. It took top honors in 10 categories including Favorite Hotel Overall, Favorite Hotel Lobby, Favorite Hotel Staff and Favorite Casino Overall. Their breathtaking Fountains of Bellagio won both Favorite Free Attraction and Favorite Attraction Overall.

Harrah's also racked up an impressive award count. The property won four gaming categories - Favorite Casino for Keno, Favorite Casino for Slots, Favorite Casino for Table Games and Favorite Casino for Video Poker. Its Carnaval Court was named Favorite Bar.

When it comes to their Favorite Shopping Center, visitors go to the Fashion Show mall. Their Favorite Outlet Mall is the Las Vegas Outlet Center. Vegas Suit Outlet and It's Paradise Boutique are their choices for Favorite Men's and Women's Apparel Stores, respectively.

Regarding dining, visitors selected the Rio's Carnival World Buffet as Favorite Buffet, Battista's Hole in the Wall as Favorite Italian Restaurant, Mandalay Bay's Border Grill as Favorite Mexican Restaurant and Stratosphere's Top of the World as both Favorite Gourmet Restaurant and Favorite Restaurant Overall. Wolfgang Puck won as Favorite Celebrity Chef in this category's inaugural year.

Other big winners included Studio 54 for Favorite Dance Club, Circus Circus as Favorite Attraction for Kids and the Liberace Museum as Favorite Museum.

LA MIRADA THEATRE for the Performing Arts continues its "March Madness" series with tonight's all-star stage revue "It's Magic!" The show brings a variety of magic acts to the stage and features everything from sleight of hand to full-scale illusions.

Producers Terry Hill and Milt Larsen have toured the country with the production since 1956. Each season, they choose different magicians from around the world to perform. This year's lineup is an all-American cast — Dana Daniels, Danny Cole, Chuck Jones, Eric Buss and Long Beach natives Les Arnold and Dazzle.

"The show is very fast-paced, and we really mix it up," said Hill. "We want to showcase all different types of acts so that people of all ages can enjoy it. It's really something like you see in Vegas, but you can bring the kids to it."

Cole, 27, began performing magic at the age of 7. The Los Angeles native said his act is something everyone can relate to. His routine centers around a normal guy who is plagued by the problems of life.

While an eclectic mix of music plays in the background, Cole performs humorous tricks like trying to sit in a chair that keeps moving away from him and such illusions as making a bunch of CDs appear and disappear.

Along with appearing on the NBC special "Lance Burton, Master Magician: The Encounter," Cole won the Lance Burton Teenage Stage Contest held in Las Vegas in 1996. In 2004, Cole starred in an hourlong magic special called "THEM." That same year, he was voted Stage Magician of the Year at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.

"The most important thing with my magic is that I find a common ground with the audience," said Cole, 27. "I want to create illusions that are not only visually interesting, but also help audiences see that sometimes our real-life problems are solved in a magical way. That idea is really my inspiration."

For Long Beach native Arnold and his sidekick Dazzle (portrayed by his daughter Alex Arnold), inspiration comes from the old-time comedy and magic of vaudeville. The duo describes their show as a roller coaster ride of laughs and astonishment, set to campy, vintage music. Arnold plays the stuffy magician who takes his magic much too seriously. The zany and mischievous Dazzle works overtime to mess up Arnold's act.

"Dazzle is really over the top," said Arnold. "She's full of punch and vinegar and kind of like a Lucille Ball character. She's always upstaging me and doing funny stuff behind my back. And during the whole show, we play this weird-sounding vintage music, which makes it that much funnier."

Arnold is the grandson of The Great Leon, a magician who won international acclaim for his grand illusions in the vaudeville era. Arnold began performing magic at the age of 10. By the time he reached

his teens, he was building his own props and performing at local venues.

In 1975, Arnold formed an act with his wife Charlee Ann. The couple appeared at the Magic Castle, as well as at private events, colleges and vacation resorts. Charlee Ann recently retired, and Alex, who holds a bachelor's in fine arts and dance from Cal State Long Beach, stepped in to fill her shoes.

"Alex and I believe people are really starved for good entertainment," said Arnold, who graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 1969 with a degree in industrial arts. "That's why we love following in the footsteps of the vaudeville entertainers, who spent years perfecting their acts. There's really something to be said for that."

For the past 16 years, Buss has been polishing his comedy magic, which he says combines whimsy, illusion and fun. He loves to dazzle his audiences with unconventional props such as pogo sticks, wigs and Barbie dolls.

The Tucson, Ariz., native has performed on five continents. Along with appearances on the PAX television network special "Masters of Illusion," Buss has shared the stage with William Shatner at the world-renowned comedy festival "Just for Laughs" in Montreal. In 1999, he made a command performance for the Royal Family of Monaco at their International Magic Gala.

"My style is like something that's been conceived by a hyperactive kid in a toy store," said Buss, 31. "I'm always kind of bouncing off the walls."

Unlike Buss, illusionist Jones' act is more conventional and packed with tricks like a levitating assistant, a girl who is cut in half and a disappearing tiger. Jones has been entertaining audiences since the age of 12, when he appeared as a magician with Johnny Carson.

In his early 20s, Chuck began devising many of his own illusions, such as the mis-made girl illusion (a girl is divided into four parts and accidentally assembled wrong). That trick earned him honors from the Society of American Magicians.

Along with headlining at casinos and showrooms around the globe, Jones has worked with celebrities such as Donald O'Connor, Steve Allen, Michael Landon, Mickey Rooney, George Gobel, Dennis Day, Bill Bixby, and Edgar Bergen.

Rounding out "It's Magic!" is Daniels, who also will serve as emcee. Daniels, who has headlined in casinos and comedy clubs all over the U.S., will work alongside his psychic parrot Luigi. The pair will perform off-the-wall magic, mixed with comedy and audience participation.

 

Rose Parade organizers have given the 117-year-old event its first makeover, designed to attract TV viewers, reports The Associated Press.

CBS isn't interested, but the event will still be seen on ABC, NBC and a slew of other outlets by an estimated 50 million viewers.

On Monday -- a day later than usual because of a "never on Sunday" policy -- the rolling flowerfest will kick off with a splashy show by LeAnn Rimes, plus dancers and aerialists. There also will be midparade performances -- yes, the whole parade will pause -- by singer Toni Braxton and magician Lance Burton.

In the land of perennial youth and movie star beauty, the Rose Parade is getting a major makeover _ for the first time in 117 years.

The annual Tournament of Roses will kick off on Monday with a splashy performance by Grammy-winning singer LeAnn Rimes, complete with dancers and aerial performers. The extravaganza will be jazzed up further by mid-parade performances by singer Toni Braxton and magician Lance Burton.

With the CBS television network having quietly decided to drop coverage of the event after 45 years, parade organizers, hoping to keep TV viewers and the remaining broadcasting outlets happy, have ratcheted up the rolling flowerfest's entertainment quotient.

"TV is the way of taking this small-town festival in California and sharing it with the world," said Bill Flinn, chief operating officer of the Tournament of Roses Association.

Flinn noted the "tremendous marketing opportunities" associated with the parade, which, even without CBS' participation, will be broadcast to 120 countries. In the U.S., where it will be seen on ABC, NBC and a slew of other outlets, it is expected to be viewed in some part by about 50 million viewers.

"We look at it as we're putting on a parade for television," said Caryn Eaves, spokeswoman for the Tournament of Roses Association. "There are a million people on the parade route every year. Really, we don't need any more."

What the parade does need is television exposure. Broadcast coverage is a longtime tradition and a means of massive international outreach, said Flinn.

When Lance Burton first burst on the scene as a young magician, he did it with fantastic close-up sleight of hand tricks. In fact, he was the first American, and youngest ever, to win the Grand Prix of Magic Federation International Societe de Magic with a spellbinding act where cards appear out of nowhere, doves fly all over, and flames leap from his fingers. He now often starts his show with the old-time magic before moving on to larger, more intricate illusions.

When I saw the Lance Burton show, which now is housed in the Lance Burton Theatre in the Monte Carlo hotel in Las Vegas, I spent the time between shows (he does two shows on Tuesdays and Saturdays) chatting with Lance in his dressing room. The southern hometown feeling he brings to his show is actually him! He was very nice and gracious, munching down on his Big Mac and Filet-of-Fish sandwiches to reload for the next show. He has a veritable farmyard of animals used in the Lance Burton Show right there backstage. It was fascinating.

The old-time sleight of hand is my favorite part of the show, but kids will love the audience participation, as well as the flying car. It's fast moving, but don't worry. Adults will be able to follow it as easily as the kids! When it comes to reservations or cheap tickets, they aren't easy to get. With just one show a night most nights, the best magician in Clark County, and maybe the world, is a tough ticket. He's the best in Las Vegas, and Lance Burton has had almost as many repeat customers as others have had overall customers!

A few items that we just received from Lance Burton’s publicist. Burton will play himself on NBC’s “Las Vegas” on Monday, November 14. To promote her new TV show, actress Jenny McCarthy guest-starred in Burton’s magic show at the Monte Carlo. And Burton will be riding and performing magic on a float in the 2006 Rose Bowl Parade. A few items that we just received from Lance Burton’s publicist. Burton will play himself on NBC's "Las Vegas" at 8 p.m. Monday, November 14. He recently filmed the cameo role in Los Angeles several weeks ago.

Burton recently brought Jenny McCarthy on stage in the Lance Burton Theatre at the Monte Carlo, turned her into a magician and then levitated her and floated her offstage to promote her new show "Party at the Palms" on "E!" The busy Burton will ride in the 2006 Rose Bowl Parade and perform live magic on the FTD Float "Your Wish is My Command." This year, the long-running parade’s theme is "It's Magic."

Finally, Robin Leach did a documentary feature video on Lance Burton's "Master Magician" show at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino.

Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo is capable of making things disappear and reappear. It’s magic and illusions for $65. I might be playing it down but the show seems too refined and rehearsed. I feel like I’m being set up. However, this is a kid friendly show and my son loved it. So if you have a kid go and be entertained. If you don’t, see Penn and Teller.