Riviera signs to glow anew at Neon Museum; L.V. Phil to reprise Sinatra’s Reprise era

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Neon Riviera sign above the main entrance.

Published Fri, May 15, 2015 (4:38 p.m.)

Updated Fri, May 15, 2015 (5:28 p.m.)

Riviera Closes After 60 Years

Traffic passes in front of the Riviera on Sunday, May 3, 2015, in Las Vegas. The casino closed at noon May 4. Launch slideshow »

Just about to haul The Kats Report Bureau back to the Rock in Rio USA festival. Pop Weekend is upon us, with the most significant latest news that John Legend has been moved from the Mercedes Benz Evolution Stage to the Main Stage as a replacement for Sam Smith, who dropped from the festival so he could undergo surgery on his vocal chords.

Thus, the updated Saturday night lineup has Mayer Hawthorne on the Evolution Stage at 4:30 p.m. and Legend performing on the Main Stage at 10 p.m., leading to the event-closing set by Bruno Mars at 11:10 p.m.

Maybe it’s too late for this suggestion, but we could send Legend across the venue from near the Evolution Stage to the Main Stage on the festival’s zip line. That would create some excitement.

Onward:

• As the Riviera continues its liquidation sale, there is word that the brilliant neon will be salvaged and exhibited, eventually, at the Neon Museum.

“We will be receiving several signs from the Riviera (although I can’t confirm which at this juncture) and that they have been fantastic and clearly mindful of the significance of the property and caring for it,” Neon Museum Executive Director Danielle Kelly says.

One significant issue is where to store the signs, which in just about every case are far larger than they appeared on the building. Visitors are frequently stunned at how large such signs as the original Golden Nugget visage or the Treasure Island pirate head really are when placed on the ground. But the Riviera’s signs are some of the more recognizable on the Strip, and at least some will be preserved.

• As the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra continues to be celebrated in Las Vegas and elsewhere, Matt Catingub is teaming with the Las Vegas Philharmonic for Saturday’s pops finale, “A Tribute to the Music of Frank Sinatra.” The show is set for 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $26 to $96 and available at the Smith Center box office (702-749-2000) or at LVPhil.org.

Catingub’s story intersects with Sinatra’s at a key point in the legendary entertainer’s career — in 1961, when Sinatra split Capitol Records to form Reprise Records. Catingub’s mother, Mavis Rivers, was among the first artists signed and to record on that new label. Some of the first music Catingub was introduced to were those recordings, though he didn’t meet Sinatra until shortly before his death during a visit in Palm Springs, Calif.

“I did finally get a chance to meet the man and say, ‘Hey, my mom was famous with you a very long time ago, when I was an infant,’” recalls Catingub, who has worked with Jack Jones, Rosemary Clooney and Toni Tennille, among others. He worked with Diane Reeves on the score “Good Night, and Good Luck” starring George Clooney, and the soundtrack won a Grammy. “Frank Sinatra was the father of traditional pop, and everybody has to point to him as the man who laid the groundwork for those who are still paying homage to him. The Michael Bubles, the Harry Connicks are all making his style their own.”

The show will be largely an instrumental adaptation of many Sinatra classics, with Catingub singing a few numbers. “Night and Day,” “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “New York, New York” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” are in the mix. The full L.V. Phil orchestra, a sax and rhythm section and guest drummer Steve Moretti also are on the bill.

“We’re just honoring the music, honoring the man and the songwriters and arrangers,” Catingub says. “This music is absolutely timeless.”

• On the topic of tributes to members of The Rat Pack, “The Rat Pack Is Back” has signed its deal at T Spot at Tuscany Suites and is to open July 1, with ticket prices at $70 for VIP seating and $50 general admission. More details to follow, but early word is that the show will perform five nights a week, and a dinner package is part of the updated production. The template of four cast members playing the roles of Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin and Joey Bishop, and a live band powered by Lon Bronson, is still intact.

• Ricky Moreno might well turn out to be the star of the Moreno family. The youngest brother of Frankie Moreno, Smith Center Cabaret Jazz headliner (for a few more weeks, anyway), Ricky is among the 15 finalists in the Travel Channel contest “Who Should Be the Next Travel Channel Star?” The winner is to host his/her own series on the Travel Channel, and Ricky’s hook is he’s a “fish out of water.”

This is true for him pretty much anywhere.

Anyway, the first-round voting ends tonight at 11:59, so get on it. Here is the link. Take it from someone who has traveled with Ricky: He’s born to host this type of show. He’s one of the great performers I know who does not actually have a show, and this injustice must be addressed. He’s the only Las Vegas entrant, too.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.

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