Viva! Las Vegas’ Summer Shows

Las Vegas is giving its regards to Broadway, turning the spotlight away from thrill rides and onto lavish stage productions. With showgirls on the wane, musical plays and stage productions continue to dominate, with the whimsical, musical Blue Man Group at the Luxor; “Storm,” a combination live concert and Broadway theater production, at Mandalay Bay; Cirque du Soleil’s popular “O” at Bellagio; “EFX” with Rick Springfield at the MGM Grand; and Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” at New York-New York.

New in Las Vegas this summer are the ESPN Zone, a 33,000-square-foot sports activity and dining facility at New York-New York; Shadow: A Bar, at Caesars, part of the hotel’s renovation plan that will include a new showroom and tower; and Kahunaville, a tropical restaurant-nightclub, at Treasure Island. There’s a touch of Hollywood on the Strip, in the new CBS Television City, which opened last month at the MGM Grand.

For a more refined experience, there’s Steve Martin’s private art collection, an exhibition that opened last month at the Bellagio and runs through Sept. 3. The actor-comedian’s collection includes works by Picasso, Hockney and Lichtenstein.

Following is the schedule of summer headliners (and it is subject to change):

May 29: Martin Sexton at House of Blues.

June 1: Tesla at House of Blues.

June 1-2: Little River Band at Sam’s Town.

* Paul Rodriguez and the Yo Quiero Comedy Jam at Las Vegas Hilton.

* Tom Petty at Hard Rock Hotel.

June 2: Jeff Healey Band at House of Blues.

* Junefest, featuring Bad Company, Journey, Molly Hatchet, Night Ranger, Styx and Joe Stark, at Sam Boyd Stadium Park.

June 2-3: Al Martino at Suncoast.

June 7-10: Earth, Wind & Fire at Paris.

June 8: Spinal Tap at House of Blues.

June 8-9: Wayne Brady at Monte Carlo.

June 9: Eek-A-Mouse at Mandalay Bay.

June 9-19: Tom Jones at MGM Grand.

June 12-17: Neil Sedaka at Orleans.

June 14-16: Copenhagen Cup Finale/Wrangler Pro Rodeo Tour at MGM Grand.

June 16: Dennis Quaid at Sunset Station.

* Lee Ann Womack at Sam’s Town.

* Asian Night (Vietnamese entertainment) at Stardust.

June 21-July 4: Paul Anka at MGM Grand.

June 23: Grand Funk Railroad and America at Sunset Station.

June 27: INXS at Hard Rock Hotel.

June 29: REO Speedwagon at Mandalay Bay.

June 29-30: Christopher Titus at Riviera.

June 30: Tracy Lawrence at Sam’s Town.

* Asia at Sunset Station.

July 3: Ottmar Liebert at Hard Rock Hotel.

July 4-5: John Leguizamo at Hard Rock Hotel.

July 4-8: Legendary Ladies of Rock ‘n’ Roll featuring Lesley Gore, Shirley Alston Reeves, the Shangri-Las and Little Peggy March at Stardust.

July 5-7: Tim Conway and Harvey Korman at Las Vegas Hilton.

July 5-18: George Carlin at MGM Grand.

July 6-8: Tower of Power at Orleans.

July 6-7: Don McLean at Boulder Station.

July 7: Counting Crows at Hard Rock Hotel.

* Asian Night at Stardust.

July 11-15: Original Drifters, Coasters and Sonny Turner at Stardust.

July 13: B-52s at Mandalay Bay.

July 14: Cheap Trick at Mandalay Bay.

* Russ Morgan Orchestra at Stardust.

* Pat Cooper at Sunset Station.

July 15: Cedric the Entertainer at Hard Rock Hotel.

July 16-Aug. 26: Wayne Newton at Stardust.

July 19-22: Jerry Lewis at Orleans.

July 19-25: Rodney Dangerfield at MGM Grand.

July 20-Aug. 19: Penn & Teller at Rio.

July 21: Billy Ray Cyrus at Boulder Station.

July 25-29: Everly Brothers at Orleans.

July 26-Aug. 8: Paul Anka at MGM Grand.

July 27: ‘N Sync at Sam Boyd Stadium.

* Indigo Girls at Mandalay Bay.

July 27-28: Hall & Oates at Las Vegas Hilton.

July 28: Paula Poundstone at Sunset Station.

Aug. 3: Jose Feliciano at Texas Station.

Aug. 3-5: Natalie Cole at Paris.

Aug. 4: Asian Night at Stardust.

* B.J. Thomas at Sunset Station.

Aug. 7-12: Smothers Brothers at Orleans.

Aug. 8: Asian Night at Stardust.

Aug. 10: Boz Skaggs at Hard Rock Hotel.

Aug. 11: Michael Franks at Sunset Station.

Aug. 17-19: Sinbad at Paris.

* Art Garfunkel at Orleans.

Aug. 18: Kansas at Texas Station.

Aug. 24-25: Olivia Newton-John at Las Vegas Hilton.

Aug. 24-26: Gordon Lightfoot at Orleans.

Aug. 25: Charlie Pride at Texas Station.

* Michael McDonald, Dave Koz, Norman Brown and Brian Culbertson at Sunset Station.

Aug. 31: Lee Ritenour’s Tribute to Bob Marley at Sunset Station.

Aug. 31-Sept. 2: Air Supply at Orleans.

* Howie Mandel at Paris.

* Little Anthony & the Imperials and Sonny Turner at Stardust.

Sept. 1: Madonna at MGM Grand.

Sept. 1-2: Tony Orlando at Riviera.

Sept. 6-8: Loretta Lynn at Boulder Station.

Sept. 6-9: Don Rickles at Stardust.

* Jerry Lewis at Orleans.

Sept. 7-9: Little River Band at Suncoast.