Fun for a cause
Mark Shunock first came to Las Vegas as one of the stars of Rock of Ages at The Venetian, but the veteran New York and Los Angeles stage performer quickly connected with the personality he discovered off the Vegas Strip.
He’s part of the cast of Magic Mike Live at the Hard Rock Hotel and fires up the crowds as the in-arena host for Vegas Golden Knights games at T-Mobile Arena, but his heart is with Mondays Dark, the local benefit shows he produces and hosts twice a month at his own venue, The Space.
Favorite entertainers from various Vegas shows join Shunock for the fifth anniversary edition of Mondays Dark at the Joint at Hard Rock on Dec. 17, where the charitable organizations on next year’s fundraising roster will be announced.
All The Vegas: Tape Face
Tape Face
“You should be fearful. Every show in Vegas should be fearful of another show coming into their space. Everyone should be worried there’s going to be a younger, better, funnier show snapping at your heels so you should up your game. If everyone ups their game, it’s going to deliver better results for audiences, audiences will love it more and everyone is happy. And everyone creates more. Creating is great, creating art and comedy is always a good thing. Everyone wins.”
Catch the full conversation with typically silent Harrah’s Las Vegas performer Tape Face in the latest All The Vegas podcast at allthevegas.com.
Around the Strip
An Academy Award winner is coming to the Strip. Comedian and actress Mo’Nique, a veteran stand-up star who won an Oscar for her performance in Precious, will perform a limited residency at the Sayers Club at SLS Las Vegas from Jan. 11-Feb. 28.
Mo'Nique
It finally happened. International superstar Celine Dion ventured out to the big white tent in front of her Strip headquarters at Caesars Palace to witness Absinthe, including a trip backstage after the raucous show for a photo. “I’ve been wearing this T-shirt underneath my suit for over 4,000 shows waiting for this moment,” Instagrammed The Gazillionaire with his Celine selfie.
Flavor Flav dropped into the Paris Theater to catch one of the final show of the year for Salt-N-Pepa’s I Love the ’90s: The Vegas Show. He was pretty easy to spot in the front row, at least for rap duo Kid ’n Play, who gave Flav a shout-out from the stage.
Speaking of popular musical residencies on the Strip, two such shows just announced new dates in 2019. Gwen Stefani, who launched her Just A Girl production at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort this year, extended her run into the fall of 2019 with 21 new shows in July, October and November. She’s back on the Vegas stage Dec. 27-31. And country favorites Reba McEntire, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who have been collaborating at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace since 2015, recently added six shows in June and July.
Brock Radke is an award-winning entertainment reporter who has been covering the city since 2000, and interviews key movers and shakers on his All The Vegas podcast, available at allthevegas.com
