"Thats really the goal of this show, to
please people. For me, its hard to miss with all the incredible stuff
that goes on with the effects." Rick Springfield Sue Packard: "Packy" has landed a job in which
she has oodles of experience: she is now the new dresser for Tina Walsh,
star of Mamma Mia at Mandalay Bay! Talk about a job she is supremely qualified
for, and having known Tina through EFX will make their working relationship
a breeze. For the meantime, Packy is finishing up her duties as as a Production
Assistant for a few more weeks for the Exec. Technical Director, overseeing
the dismantling of the EFX Theatre. She says: "The move out has been
very difficult. Seeing it all come together 8 years ago & now seeing
it all taken apart." Sal Salangsang Sal is writing, producing,
and directing several new shows for Gatorland, a theme park in Orlando,
FL. He's working with
the President and CEO of Gatorland, Mark McHugh. The shows are scheduled
to be in full swing within a few months. (of course, that could be Rick
time, afterall they did work together, they might own the same watch LOL!)
Sal will continue seeking out "gigs" to perform live in front
of audiences. Tina Walsh is performing the lead in the new
Mamma Mia at Mandalay Bay. Her photo and a small blurb about the show were
featured in Newsweek magazine on January 19. The show started in March
to good reviews. She has also made several appearances outside of her new
role, most notably singing the Star Spangled Banner at the Nascar Winston
Cup. Maggie Brandon Maggie is still working
at the Lion Habitat at the MGM. However, it won't be for long. She auditioned
for "Jubilee" at
Bally's and got the job! Her new album, features a duet with her
and Rick. She
will be starting there in March. Jac Holland Jac has just landed the role of understudy
for the Donna/Tanya roles in Mamma Mia. Her part begins 2/2/2004. She will
also be working at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville starting on December
11, 2003 as the mermaid that falls into the volcano and slides down into
a blender each night every hour starting at around 6pm. She hopes to see
friendly faces, so stop on by! Rob Montoya He is currently doing dinner
theater at the "Egg & I" restaurant
here in Las Vegas. John Bentley John continues to work
at Studio 54 doing aerial acts and working in the "Dollhouse" on Thursdays. He will continue
working there as well as working at TI. He
is in rehearsals for the new TI (Treasure Island) show called "Sirens
of TI". It will open on Sunday, October 26th, TI’s 10th Anniversary.
John told me there is a program for the show, with pictures and bio’s
on the cast.
The TV pilot John starred
in "Tales from
the Strip" is STILL in post-production. John
a voice-over in a local low-budget horror flick that will premiere at the
Palms Hotel & Casino at the end of October. His voice replaces that
of the main male character. by Jason Sheehan, What's On Magazine The power of adaptation
has proven to be the most valuable asset for "EFX" during its
six-year stay at the MGM Grand. The $75 million production show stretches
but
never breaks as changes are made to accommodate the strengths of each
new leading man. Now in its fourth adaptation, "EFX" has
a sharper edge, an attitude, an infusion of rock n roll.
Rick Springfield arrived Jan. 30 at the EFX Theatre with a guitar in
one hand and a dozen roses in the other to breathe new life into a show
now entitled "EFX Alive!" Michael Crawford opened
the show, which was passed down to former teen idol David Cassidy and
then later
to Broadway star Tommy Tune. Both thrived under the "EFX" umbrella.
Now Springfield, widely known for the hit song "Jessies Girl" and
his role as Dr. Noah Drake on the TV soap opera, "General Hospital" in
the Eighties, has found his niche as the EFX Master. The elements that made
the show popular remain intact as a myriad of different characters, special
effects, fire-breathing
dragons, beautiful sets and talented dancers energize each performance.
These ingredients added to Springfields versatility create an electrifying
atmosphere that showcases the Australians talents through music
and acting. "They wanted me to bring the
energy of my live performance to it," Springfield said. "In
this show, thats actually quite a feat, because its such
a huge show. At times, I feel like Luke Skywalker in a Star Wars movie.
Youre surrounded by all this amazing stuff. Its pretty easy
to get lost. "Jerry Mitchell,
the director, is also an incredible choreographer. I wrote some songs
that pump up
the volume a bit. We both had the same idea. He definitely pumped up
the energy with the dance routines. The effects, of course, are astounding.
But to match that with the energy onstage with every single performer
is incredible." One of the songs Springfield
wrote specifically for "EFX Alive!" is "Rhythm of the Beat," the
opening number. Springfield performs the song aboard a floating disk
hovering above the stage. "I think the opening song kicks
off the show by showing everybody where the direction is gonna be," he
added. "Before, it was much more of a dreamy [sequence.] Now it
kicks off with a good backbeat." Springfield also wrote
a ballad with Musical Director Bill Wray entitled "Forever" for
a revamped Houdini segment that now focuses on the relationship of Harry
and Bess
Houdini (Tina Walsh). "Weve made that a love
story," Springfield said. "I loved the whole thing originally,
but I was never dramatically moved by any of the music or any of the
tableaus. We took a few moments to put the human beings onstage, because
I think we needed the human element all the way through it. Im
hoping these are things that people will be moved by in the few minutes
that the character is onstage." Benefiting most from
the recent changes is Sal Salangsang, who plays a comedic stage technician
striving for
attention. Salangsang, known simply as Sal on stage, has done the pre-show
act since the Cassidy production. Besides doing the pre-show, Sal now
has a part in the show. At the most awkward moments, he appears onstage
mocking Springfield with a few lines from "Jessies Girl" or
with remarks such as "Paging Dr. Noah Drake." "Sal is truly amazing," Springfield
said. "Hes truly one of the best Ive seen at coming
in after someone tells him, Youre going out there. Fill. "I remember seeing Sal in the
David Cassidy [production]. I thought, This guys great. What
great energy. Then I saw him in Tommy Tunes [show], where
he had a bigger spot. When Jerry, Bill Wray, Richard Sturm [executive
producer] and I talked, we all said, This guys great. Wed
all be silly not to use him more. Hes really naturally funny.
He is that guy you see onstage. He has unbelievable energy. Hes
a really good dancer, too. You can hear the applause when he comes on.
Everybody likes him. Hes great." Another major addition
to "EFX
Alive!" is "The Sphere." Replacing high-flying trapeze
artists, The Flying Kaganovitch, "The Sphere" aerialists do
an amazing routine twirling on spinning hoops above the audience during
the P.T. Barnum segment. "We wanted something more spacey,
something that fit with the show," Springfield said. "The Kaganovitch
were amazing. But we all thought it was time to do something a little
bit weirder, more into keeping with the space element. This sphere act
really seems to be it, because the audience has really liked it." Springfield seems to
be most comfortable when he walks through the audience. Amid various
memorabilia from his
early days, he pokes fun at himself before finding that special someone
to take onstage. He then acoustically performs a few of his old hits,
including a minute-long rendition of "Jessies Girl." He also has a special
place in his heart for "Jessies Girl." "Its like having
a favorite child that everybody admires," he said. "You never
get tired of taking the kid to parties. Its more than a song now
to me. I cant really analyze it as a song anymore because its
too much a part of my life." Joining "Jessies Girl" as
a major part of his life is "EFX Alive!" Throughout the show,
Springfield, a science fiction buff, transforms into the EFX Master,
Merlin, P.T. Barnum, Houdini and H.G. Wells while making pit stops along
the way just to be himself. For future performances, Springfield simply
hopes his audiences will continue showing their love and wonderment for
the magical world of "EFX." "I hope I have more energy for
it and that its better and that the audiences are loving it," he
says. "Thats really the goal of this show, to please people.
For me, its hard to miss with all the incredible stuff that goes
on with the effects. Ive seen kids and young women and little old
ladies clapping along to Rhythm of the Beat. Thats
great." February 02, 2001 (Photo credit: Steve Marcus) Rick Springfield seemed
right at home in the fourth version of "EFX," renamed "EFX Alive," which
opened Tuesday at the MGM Grand. This neatly trimmed, just under 90-minute
edition is sans the talking head of James Earl Jones. Springfield is
the EFX Master, as well as portraying Merlin, P.T. Barnum, Houdini and
H.G. Wells in the four main segments. The wonderful effects are all there
intact, and even more effective. Springfield, no stranger
to musical theater, having starred successfully on Broadway in "Smokey Joe's
Cafe," in addition to numerous television credits, carries the night
and most of the continuity with ease, and scored with his singing on
several new songs, as well as some of his hits of the past that are nicely
worked in. He has the charisma, is believable, talented and athletic
enough in the action scenes. Sal Salangsang, a strong comic personality
and eccentric dancer, did the pre-show nonsense as he had in the past.
In this edition, he also appeared to good advantage in the show -- a
comedic plus. Tina Walsh was also
a standout as Morgana, the Evil Witch in the King Arthur scene and even
stronger as
Bess, Houdini's widow, especially in the new duet with Springfield, "Forever," with
music and lyrics by Springfield and Bill Wray. The Houdini portion has
now been restored to its original strength. The prologue had a lot
less bodies than in the past, but the various mythical figures were not
missed. It
also had a Springfield original song, "Rhythm of the Beat," which
he sung, also with original music by him and Wray. The King Arthur scene, with Springfield
as Merlin and Kristofer Saly as the young King Arthur, seemed pretty
much intact, ending with the duel between good and evil, represented
by battling dragon figures. The P.T. Barnum segment seemed lacking
that one more sensational circus act. Springfield's foray into the audience
did not make up for this omission. Houdini and H.G. Wells were an effective
one-two punch, followed by a rousing closer with Springfield and the
entire company. Audience response was constant and heavy throughout. With a few more shows under his belt,
Springfield may have to be ranked right there with Michael Crawford as
the best star in the very versatile entertainment vehicle. Prognosis:
excellent.
(Photo credit Steve Marcus) LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Rick Springfield
has been a rock star and a TV doctor. Now, he's trying his luck in Las
Vegas. Springfield takes the
stage Tuesday as the lead in the newly titled show "EFX Alive" at
the MGM Grand hotel-casino. "The weirdest thing for me was
to do a show in Vegas," he told The Associated Press during rehearsal
Thursday. "I always thought Vegas is where musicians come to die." He replaces Broadway
star Tommy Tune in the $75 million production, which previously featured
David Cassidy
and Michael Crawford and was simply called "EFX." The 51-year-old performer
makes his "EFX
Alive" debut the same day his first live album, "Greatest Hits
Alive," is set to be released by Universal. An "EFX" soundtrack
album also is being produced. A heartthrob in
the 1980s, Springfield is best known for hits including "Jessie's
Girl" and for his portrayal of Dr. Noah Drake on the soap
opera "General Hospital."
EFX Alive, starring Rick Springfield EFX Alive, starring Rick Springfield,
playing inside the EFX theatre at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino,
is probably the best version of the show yet. Springfield does a
very good job as the EFX master, and the show moves along at a strong
and lively pace. This is a huge, and often times awesome show. The
sets, lights, effects, music and dancers are all wonderful. The show has always been about
seeing really big sets and special effect, with dancing and singing.
The problem with past versions of this production has been the attempt
to force a weak and thin story onto the show in order to tie the
segments together. This attempt at making this production into a
deep and meaningful experience never worked. This attempt caused
the producers to lose sight of what this show was really about--the
effects. The story never worked, always required extensive narration
to explain, and only served to destroy the pace and energy of the
show. Even with all of the narration, the story was still convoluted.
Thankfully, the story and narration have been eliminated. The show
is tied together by the effects themselves, and now, at least, there
is the opportunity for the production to have a little more fun. Rick Springfield does a good job
as the EFX master. He has rid himself of a lot of the pretension
that has come with this role in the past. As the master, he simply
states that we will visit the amazing worlds of four great men, and
we are off on our journey. Springfield surprised me. He carries the
production and the singing a lot better than I thought he would.
He has a nice charisma and a good stage presence. He relates to the
crowd very well, and is not above poking fun at himself. The dancers are great--they always
have been, but now, they have shed many of the bulky costumes that
shrouded them in the mystical aspects of the production. We get to
see the dancers dance a lot more than we used to. They enliven us
as we watch them. It is, in fact, amazing to watch
all of these large set pieces be created, changed, and moved before
our eyes. Video, and other multi-media effects, help make the transitions
smooth and interesting. Everything about this show is big--big sets,
big sound, big theatre, and tons of lights. The size and scope of
this production can be over-whelming. For as large as the EFX theatre
is, they tend to cram audience members into the space and seat them
in close quarters at small tables. There are bad seats in this theatre--those
at the extreme sides, and those at the back of the auditorium. The
views from these seats are not necessarily blocked, but they do not
offer a good perspective of the show. There are many things that are
wonderful about this production--the lights, the sound, the sets,
the effects, the dancers, and the star. It is not a deep, meaningful
experience; but the show is a lot of fun to watch, and it is often
awe inspiring. Copyright © 2001 Charleston
Communications All Rights Reserved
Springfield adds to 'EFX'
BY MIRIAM DI NUNZIO STAFF REPORTER , CHICAGO
SUN TIMES
Perhaps no other city in the world has mastered
the art of reinventing itself quite like Las Vegas has. The same
can be said of the MGM Grand's mega-special effects extravaganza
''EFX,'' which has seen its share of retooling in the past six years
as a variety of headliners stepped into the show's leading role. The multimillion-dollar production debuted
in 1995 as a magical journey through time and space starring Broadway's
''Phantom,'' Michael Crawford. Several injuries later, in 1996, Crawford
exited the demanding role. Enter former teen idol and ''Partridge''
David Cassidy, who left two years later to pursue his own musical
revue across town at the Rio Hotel/Casino. Next came Broadway legend
Tommy Tune, who bowed out at the end of 2000. Welcome to 2001, and the ''EFX'' space odyssey
is now helmed by rock 'n' roll bad boy Rick Springfield. The whole
shebang has definitely taken on a bit of a pop-rock edge. Rick Springfield? ''The show originally came to me when [Michael]
Crawford was leaving, but I was at the time doing [the TV series]
'High Tide,' and even though I was very interested in the Vegas show,
the timing just wasn't right,'' Springfield says, phoning from Las
Vegas. And when Cassidy called it quits in 1998, Springfield was
embarking on a two-year tour behind a new album, ''Karma.'' Five years later, the karma was finally
right for the sexy 51-year-old singer to take on this $45 million
dollar monster of a show with its cast of 75 singer-dancers, 6,000
lights, 85,000 watts of stereo sound and NASA computer technology
to make it all sizzle five nights a week. ''I had just finished 2 1/2 years on the
road with 'Karma,' and the thought of just working in one place for
a while was pretty appealing,'' Springfield says with a chuckle.
''And once I spoke to [new director-choreographer] Jerry Mitchell,
and the fact that I could write music for the show, it was set. We
both wanted to pump up the volume on the whole production. And in
a sense, to simplify it. Like, let's have these incredibly talented
dancers really dance, rather than just parade around in costumes.'' So ''EFX'' is now ''EFX Alive,'' a more
highly charged spectacular, Springfield says, that takes advantage
of his musicianship, as well as his acting skills and ability to
just ''go out there and have fun.'' Springfield stars as the EFX Master, a time
traveler/wizard who is transformed into various figures including
Merlin, P. T. Barnum, Harry Houdini and H. G. Wells. The characters
inhabit spectacular worlds filled with giant winged creatures, fire-breathing
dragons, laser holograms and stunning production numbers. There's also a segment where Springfield
stars as, well, Rick Springfield, which affords him the opportunity
to include a rockin' mini-concert of his hit songs. Springfield also
wrote the show's new opening number, ''Rhythm of the Beat,'' as well
as the romantic ballad ''Forever,'' for the ''Houdini'' segment of
the show, which he says has now become a love story. ''I wanted to get some kind of emotion going,
and the song really goes a long way toward that.'' Springfield is no stranger to arousing the
emotions of an audience. His concerts have become love fests, with
thousands of screaming females hurling bouquets of roses, lingerie,
room keys and even themselves at him. He's sold 18 million records
in a career fueled by pop-rock hits that include ''Jesse's Girl,''
''Human Touch'' and ''Don't Talk to Strangers.'' So, are his wildest days behind him? ''I don't think so,'' Springfield says laughing.
''I stopped drinking two years ago because my sons asked me to, and
I'm really glad I did that. And I don't gamble. I've heard horror
stories of stars who come to this town and literally gamble away
their salaries every week. I'm not into that.'' Springfield is also working on a new album.
His contract allows for a six-week hiatus from the show, and he's
planning to fill that time with a brief tour, including, he hopes,
a return to Chicago. ''It's great to be working,'' he says. ''There
were times where I wondered if I'd ever work again. Now there are
packed houses out there, 10 shows a week. It's a little bit louder,
it's appealing to a younger crowd. But it's a great show for all
ages. It's a good time. [laughs] And it's two hours, nonstop, which
keeps me in great shape.'' 'EFX Alive,'' starring Rick Springfield,
MGM Grand Hotel/Casino, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Showtimes: 7:30
and 10:30 p.m, Tuesday-Sunday. Tickets, $40-$75. Call (702) 891-7777.
MIKE WEATHERFORD, PHOTO BY JEFF
SCHEID Friday, February 09, 2001 Rick Springfield adds a rock-star
vibe to the lead role "EFX Alive!" at the MGM Grand. The
question is, how well do the black leather pants match the Merlin
robe? That's essentially the challenge
of fitting pop-rocker Rick Springfield into the MGM Grand's "EFX," a
show that's always been a little confounded by rival agendas. A star name above the title gives
a focal point to the scattershot and over-the-top gaggle of giant
scenery and technology. And remaking the show every couple of years
helps renew interest. But the challenge is to appease
both fans of Springfield -- like those of Michael Crawford, David
Cassidy and Tommy Tune before him -- while not alienating those who
couldn't care less about "Jessie's Girl," but came for
the 3-D movie and animatronic dragons. It's tougher than it must have
seemed on paper six years ago, which may explain why it has taken
this long to get "EFX" this close to being right. The Springfield version -- now
known as "EFX Alive!" -- is on its way to being the best
of the four editions. And it could be so very soon, assuming Springfield
keeps growing into the task and that he and director Jerry Mitchell
can overcome any further embarrassment about the material. In one of his first shows, Springfield
wore black leather pants throughout, but changed the top half of
his costume as required -- which was visually consistent with a level
of commitment that had him with one foot into the realm of fire-breathing
dragons and time machines, and one foot a little reluctant to join
in. The new opening gets rid of four
singing narrators, and lets Springfield rock to an original song
he wrote for the show ("Rhythm of the Beat") as he hovers
above the stage on a "flying saucer" (a crane with lights)
while flailing at his guitar. Wild-haired dancers step in midway
with sexy, Bob Fosse-like moves that announce this version of "EFX" will
shed some of the costume overkill that smothered the show in the
past. (In this particular show, the
impact was diminished by Springfield both lip-syncing and "guitar-syncing," but
producers say he will soon be doing both live, perhaps by this weekend.) The opening number ends in a burst
of Kiss-concert pyrotechnics. But Springfield quickly reins in the
bombast by soft-selling the new theme -- "When I listen to my
heart I can be a kid again" -- as he interacts with animated
cartoon visuals. On one level, Springfield embraces "EFX" more
than his last two predecessors. He reinstated the Harry Houdini segment
that Tune dropped, and is even game to tackle "The Magic That
Surrounds You" -- the lone Broadway-style tune remaining from
the Crawford version -- even though his raspy rock 'n' roll voice
strains painfully to cover a song Crawford sailed through. But Springfield seems to have
trouble being a kid again in the Merlin segment. Instead of jumping
wholesale into the miniplay about the young King Arthur (Kristofer
Saly), he and Mitchell opt for a David Letterman-era approach where
he's only about half in character and keeps an ironic distance from
the action. It might work better if switched
with the second segment, which presents Springfield as a futuristic
P.T. Barnum. It's the least "theatrical" of the four, letting
him fire up his old hit "The Human Touch" and jump into
the house to draft a fan, then serenade her with acoustic snippets
from his pop career. (The fan -- "Keri like the
lotion" -- seemed to be a plant at this show, but perhaps real
ones could be drafted when visibly on hand.) The Barnum segment also adds an
aerial act called "The Sphere," where cast members twirl
beneath spinning, entwined hoops. It's majestic, if not heart-stopping,
especially when set to gorgeous lighting by Natasha Katz and a pulsating
new instrumental track from music director Bill Wray. The show does get serious for
the Houdini segment -- originally the strongest of the four -- perhaps
because Springfield and Wray wrote "Forever," the adult-contemporary
ballad Houdini and his wife (Tina Walsh) sing to one another. But the winking tone returns for "The
Time Machine." This has always been the most outrageous part
of "EFX," and still amazing for first-timers who've never
seen the staggering sight of the Morlocks' cavern assembling itself
onstage. The new H.G. Wells scene not only
follows Cassidy's breaking of "the fourth wall" by pulling
Keri into the action, but goes one step further by enlisting comic
stagehand Sal (Salangsang, whose pre-show warm-up has been expanded)
to help kung fu the Morlocks. The show hits the right tone for
its finale, invested with a Peter Gabriel-style, world-beat spirituality.
And someone -- finally -- had the sense to get rid of the giant hand,
a goofy prop that looked like a bad parade float and sabotaged the
ending with unintentional laughs. To Mitchell's credit, all the
laughs are now deliberate -- even if the Broadway choreographer has
robbed the show of much of its theatricality with this "laugh
with it before you can laugh at it" posture.
But at least "EFX
Alive!" has shed some clunky baggage and is now free to have fun. And if
it can shed a little more of its rock star self-consciousness it can be free
to imagine -- and be a kid again.
MGM
GRANDS EFX READY
TO ROCK N ROLL INTO 2001 WITH SUPERSTAR HEADLINER RICK
SPRINGFIELD IN STARRING ROLE Multi-Talented Singer/Songwriter/Musician/Actor
Rick Springfield to Revive Rock N Roll in EFX Stage
Spectacular. LAS VEGAS Rick Springfield
will bring his Grammy and American Music Award-winning career to a new
level as he takes the stage in 2001 as the headliner of the MGM Grand
Hotel and Casinos acclaimed stage production EFX in
January. The singer/songwriter/musician/actor will make his debut in EFX on
January 30, 2001 in the resorts EFX Theatre. Coincidentally,
January 30 will be the same day Ricks latest CD, Rick Springfield
Alive Greatest Hits Live, will be released by Universal. Springfields new role in EFX will
be created to showcase the diverse talents of this multi-platinum recording
artist. As the star of EFX, Rick and the creators of the
show will infuse added elements of rock n roll to the 2001
edition to capitalize on the success of Ricks 30-year career in
the music and concert industry. Known for energizing audiences and an
avid fan base, Springfield will most certainly revitalize EFX with
a greater level of audience interaction. Along with the release
of Rick Springfield Alive Greatest Hits Live, Springfield has just completed a 150-date
concert tour, new acting projects such as a role in Suddenly Susan, and
a Broadway run in Smokey Joes Café. He has sold
more than 18 million records in a 13-album career and will add to that
with the debut of Rick Springfield Alive Greatest Hits Live. Springfield has enjoyed
17 singles breaking into the Top Twenty including hits such as Jessies
Girl, Dont Talk to Strangers and Affair
of the Heart. On the acting side,
he has starred in numerous television series prior to taking on the role
of heartthrob
Dr. Noah Drake on the soap, General Hospital, for a year and a half.
Rick followed that with a starring role in the movie, Hard to Hold. Starring in a major Las Vegas
production such as EFX at the MGM Grand will allow me to
do what I love most mix theatre and music, said Springfield. We
plan to make this version of EFX truly different with the
creation of show-oriented rock music. The vibe in the city is so much
different now, and Im really looking forward to performing live
in Las Vegas. The challenge will be to take this award-winning and very
popular show to the next level. Im very excited about working with
this exceptional creative team and cant wait to open the show in
January, added Springfield. We are thrilled to have Rick
join the MGM MIRAGE family, said Richard Sturm, President & COO
of MGM MIRAGE Entertainment and Sports. The combination of EFX and
Rick Springfield will be a winning one and will allow us to maximize
the original success of the show with Ricks many talents and his
amazing charisma on stage. This newest evolution of EFX will
certainly add a rock n roll level of energy to the EFX Theatre. EFX has previously been
named the citys best production show in the Las Vegas Review-Journals
annual Best of Las Vegas poll. The show appears twice nightly Tuesday
through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Tickets, priced at $75 and
$55 or $40 for children ages 5-12, can be purchased through MGM Grand
Reservations by calling (800) 929-1111 or (702) 891-7777. The critically acclaimed EFX opened
in March 1995. The shows name is inspired by the term in stage
and film, which applies to the special effects that give a production
its magical punch. MGM Grand spent $45 million on the production and
another $30 million on its permanent home, the EFX Theatre,
which features 6,000 lights, 85,000 watts of stereo sound, NASA computer
technology and enough electricity to power 1,440 homes. MGM Grand, "The City of Entertainment," is
a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM MIRAGE. The resort features 5,034
newly renovated, art deco-themed guest rooms and suites, a state-of-the-art
gaming complex, world-class entertainment venues, and the $100 million
Conference Center for meetings/conventions all centrally located on the
Las Vegas Strip. For room availability and information about the MGM
Grand, call (800) 929-1111 or (702) 891-7777 or log onto the World Wide
Web at www.mgmgrand.com (Press release courtesy of MGM Grand
Entertainment)
Cast Member Updates:
(compiled with the help of: Newsweek
magazine, Nanette Williams, Josie and Janie Hernandez, Vivian Acinelli
and ASP)
Tina Walsh
Rick Rocks EFX
"They wanted to bring that type of thing
here because thats uniquely me, obviously, because thats
my past," Springfield expresses. "I think I have a pretty good
sense of humor about it with what it was and what it meant. Its
not like, Look how great he was. Its more like, What
a goof."
Springfield
a nice fit in 'EFX Alive'
By Joe Delaney
LAS VEGAS SUNSpringfield
Heading to Las Vegas
ASSOCIATED PRESS
January 26, 2001
By Chuck Rounds, www.igoshows.com
March 4, 2001
Springfield brings `human touch' to MGM show
Pop-rocker's version of the special effects production might surpass those
of his predecessors
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal