Garth Brooks too excited over comeback

PHOTOS: Las Vegas Review-Journal; Las Vegas Sun-Scott Harrison

Garth Brooks defies Encore Theatre curse

Steve Wynn supplied Garth Brooks with a private jet as part of the deal to bring the country-pop star out of "retirement" to Las Vegas for a five-year residency at Danny Gans' "cursed" theatre at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel-casino on the Strip.

Brooks will play four weekend one-man shows a week (one on Fridays and Sundays, two on Saturdays), and may even draw some regular working class folk to the high-end Wynn and Encore hotel casinos on the Strip. They say all tickets will be $125. Brooks says that along with the bundles in cash, Wynn gacve him a jet so "I'd be able to go to soccer games, to practice, all this stuff.

"Taking care of my children and family is so important to me, and that will be the same for the next five years, except I'll play music."

In the five and half months since Danny Gans' death, Beyonce, Whoopi Goldberg and Larry King have taken the stage at the Encore Theater while Wynn hunted for a permament replacement for the unique musical impressionist.

Some in Vegas consider the Encore to be "cursed" in light of Gans' sudden passing, the failures of Broadway transplants Avenue Q and Spamalot, a medical emergency during Goldberg's debut-- and a show starring Larry King.

The Las Vegas Sun noted yesterday:

"Wynn also said in July that while Gans' 'tickets made money but not much,' the show brought visitors into Wynn and Encore restaurants and the casino floor. Wynn called the loss of Gans as a performer at Encore 'not a cataclysmic event by any means' from a business perspective, 'but a personal loss.'"

Photo: Las Vegas Review-Journal

Garth Brooks to Danny Gans' theatre?

This announcement on Garth Brooks' website has revived speculation that he's heading to Steve Wynn's Encore on the Strip.

Paula Abdul could be the new Danny Gans

Paula Abdul is shopping for a theatre in Las Vegas for a singing and dancing variety show. She was at the Las Vegas Hilton over the weekend (that's where they sell Manilow Water) and there's also talk she may take over the Encore Theatre at the Wynn Las Vegas on the Strip. The Encore, of course, was Danny Gans' room until his untimely death on May 1st.

Beyoncé scores in Danny Gans' room

Beyoncé is in Las Vegas this weekend, in the middle of a four-night residency at Danny Gans' Encore Theatre. Robin Leach had reported on the day of Danny Gans' tragic death, "It’s said openly that Danny was not happy about Steve (Wynn)’s decision to sign Beyonce," but in light of the unexpected tragedy of May 1st, her much-publicized stint can serve as a memorial to the unique entertainer.


Beyoncé is closing out her "I Am..." tour, which has been ranked as the #1 concert attraction worldwide, with a special show in the comparatively intimate 1,500-seat theatre. The dates are being recorded for a DVD, titled "I Am... Yours."


Despite a downpour in which Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z was left standing outside the show last night, there have been no reports of calamities due to the "Encore curse," which had been bandied about even before Gans' untimely passing.

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**We retract a Danny Gans-related report: Click here for details**

The Curse of The Encore? Whoopi Goldberg walks off during first show in the theatre since the death of Danny Gans

The first show at the Encore Theatre since the death of Danny Gans reportedly ended in chaos last night as Whoopi Goldberg walked off the stage after a medical emergency in the audience-- and never returned.

The story was "twittered" by Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke, who, in a bizarre twist, had gotten a "twittered" from the scene (Gans' former theatre) by Gans' close personal friend Alicia Jacobs, the beauty queen-turned-TV entertainment reporter who was the first media figure to be notified of Gans' sudden death on May 1st, and who's been under fire for her role incovering the story.

Norm delivered three Twitter posts:

* Alicia Jacobs, ent reporter at KVBC-TV, CH3 just Twittered "Whoopi Goldberg walked off stage & didn't finish her show 2night @ ENCORE!"

* "An audience member took ill, ambulance came. Whoopi wallked off stage, never said goodnight. Audience was left a bit blindsided."

* Whoopie's walk-off came in the first show in the Encore Theater since Danny Gans' last show on April 29. Gans died May 1 of unknown causes

At the time of Gans' death at age 52, he was three months into a longterm engagement at the Encore Theatre. Ticket sales were sluggish, and he was said to be unhappy that other acts were being brought in on his dark nights.


After the tragedy, some suggested that the musical impressionist had fallen to the "curse" of the Encore Theatre because his show had followed disappointing, abbreviated engagements by the Broadway shows Avenue Q and Spamalot.


Whoopi's disastrous first night follows that tradition. Larry King and Beyonce will dare take the stage in the coming weeks.


The Encore had been the site of Gans' memorial service on Thursday.

(UPDATE: Norm twitters again: "One attendee just e-mailed me, saying a showgoer appeared to be having a seizure. Another attendee sez Whoopie "DID say goodnight.")

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