Las Vegas is a many-storied place

Before Holly Madison became the face of Las Vegas, she was just The Girl Next Door, one of three fresh-faced blondes who lived a life of luxury with boyfriend Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion. Then came Peepshow (“Naughty Narratives,” page 50), and the city, and Madison’s relationship to it, was never the same again. She wasn’t one of the first stars of Peepshow—that distinction belongs to former Spice Girl Mel B and Dancing With the Stars winner Kelly Monaco, who performed during the show’s initial run at Planet Hollywood Resort in 2009—nor was she the most experienced theatrical performer (Mel B’s replacement, Broadway vet Shoshana Bean, earns that title), but of all the performers who have graced that stage, she had arguably the most of what we like to call “it.”
Soon after she took over for Monaco in June 2009, Madison was everywhere: onstage, in print and especially on the red carpet, making the scene anywhere she went. The cameras followed her onto the small screen in the E! reality series Holly’s World and now, other than the unsinkable Celine Dion, she’s perhaps the headliner most identified with Las Vegas. She’s figured out the formula and has been rewarded handsomely (beautifully?) for it, to the tune of several contract extensions, including a multimillion-dollar deal to remain as Bo Peep through the end of the year. After that, who knows? But for right now, the celebrated star is peeping along just fine.
As far as figuring out the formula, let’s hope Mike Tyson (“Iron Man,” page 54) has taken a few public speaking courses prior to his string of Undisputed Truth shows at MGM Grand. There’s no doubt that Tyson has stories, many of them surely revelatory, edge-of-the-seat-type items, but will he be able to deliver them in a manner that’s as compelling as his knockout victories from two decades ago? It’s one of the things that makes Las Vegas such an interesting place to live and work. You never quite know what the next round will bring.