The space where Bruno Mars made his first Strip headlining appearance is today a temporary hoops hideaway.
Bank Nightclub at Bellagio has been revamped a scaled-down basketball court, video studio and live-entertainment space dubbed Court of Legends during Final Four weekend. Ex-Division I standouts and famed social-media personalities Haley and Hanna Cavinder are the stars.
The twins are at the center of MGM Resorts International’s BetMGM sports-betting platform’s weekend party, tied to its “Make it Legendary” campaign. The sisters are set to compete in a 3-point shooting contest, a “spot shooting” competition and a game of traditional one-on-one (or, 1v1), first player to 7 wins. Score quick and D-up, is the name of this game.
The competition streams live on BetMGM’s YouTube page, X feed and app at 5 p.m. Sunday.
Those outside the state of Nevada can take part in a Pick a Twin to Win $2 million dollar promotion by selecting either Cavinder to win. Our state does not authorize wagering on such promotional contests. But if you are outside Nevada and you pick the winning twin, you get a BetMGM betting credit for a future event.
The weekend-long event includes dunking exhibitions, trick-shot artistry and a visit from Rong “Krystal” Niu, better known as Red Panda, the legendary acrobat famous for her halftime performances at NBA games. If you see someone moving through the casino on an 8-foot unicycle, it’s likely her.
The old Bank venue was where Mars’ first performed on the Strip on New Year’s Eve, 2011. Within two years he was a resident headliner at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan. The club closed in June 2018, and has been employed as a private-events space since. Cirque du Soleil has reviewed the venue for a cabaret show, but nothing has come of that concept.
For this production, the room has been impressively “tech-ed up,” with LED projections on the court and around the perimeter. The scene flashed with multicolored lights on Friday afternoon as Jazz Ducker, a street-ball star out of New York, fired up trick shots.
The Cavinders join Jon Hamm, Barry Sanders, Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid as famous figures in a promotional partnership with BetMGM. Organizers say the sisters have consented to compete against each other for the first time, anywhere.
“Interestingly enough, they’ve never played each other, so it’s a straight-up, even competition,” BetMGM Chief Marketing Officer Casey Hubris says. “They’ve always been BFFs and partners in everything they do, but haven’t competed like this.”
Premiering on the strip in a premier resort, the 24-year-old tandem are at the intersection of pop culture, sports and entertainment. They are active in the planning of the event. As Hubris relates, “When we started working on this, we developed the social campaign and they came up with a lot of the ideas.”
It’s wise to listen to the Cavinders. The twins have accumulated 4.5 million TikTok followers on their shared account, about 2 million on their separate Instagram account, and more than 450,000 on their joint IG page.
BetMGM is considering more events featuring the Cavinders.
“This will hopefully give us the confidence to extend it to other areas and with our partners that we work with,” Hubris says. “This is our first time bringing ‘Make it Legendary’ to life. We want to extend it to other areas, and with the other partners were work with.”
May Day for pub launch
Longtime Las Vegas arts-and-entertainment figure Robin Slonina kicks off her latest venture, AC/LV, a quarterly pub focusing on the distinctive figure in the Vegas A&E community. Slonina is one herself, founder of Slonina ARTSpace in downtown Las Vegas, and well-known artist and exhibition curator.
The roster of AC/LV writers is familiar and impressive to anyone who inhabits the Vegas entertainment scene.
Contributors for the May 1 summer issue premiere include “Absinthe” comic performer Kasey Wilson with her “Ghosted in Vegas” column of haunted Vegas destinations; RJ Owens, the baby character in “Mystere,” with his “Squat and Gobble” food column; The “Sweets’ Spot by Melody Sweets” baking-and-advice column (yes, they intersect); Jupiter Jetson’s first-person chronicle of her effort to organize brothel staff at Sheri’s Ranch; May May Luong’s report from the “UNLV Women in Film” festival; Slonina’s interview with Spiegelworld sword swallower Heather Holiday (Heather Swallows, on stage); Vegas artist Cat Ricketts on “Game of Shrooms” worldwide art-and-seek event bound for Vegas in June; Emily Jillette’s story of how local theater and Edinburgh Festival Fringe connect; and Burlesque Hall of Fame Executive Director Dustin Wax’s history of burlesque in Vegas.
The pub is starting as print-only, which is old-school publishing acrobatics. Slonina hopes to expand to online. Go to sloninaartspace.com/aclv for intel. We will read with great interest.
Oz is a wizard
A gentleman who blew some minds at the Raiders Foundation gala at Allegiant Stadium this past May is making his Encore Theater debut next month. The impressive, unnerving Mentalist Oz Pearlman plays the room May 2.
Pearlman has gained fame as the breakout star on “America’s Got Talent” and his Emmy Award-winner on “Oz Knows” special on NBC. At the Raiders event, he confounded Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, Dena duBoef of the Top Rank Boxing family, and Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel. If you attend, prepare to be part of the show, and walk out shaking your head.
Cool Hang Alert
The busy tribute act 90s Station is always a good call. The band plays Railhead at Boulder Station on April 24. Great band and vocalists. Inspired costumes. Go to stationcasinoslive.com/boulder-station for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.