In the bargain of the week category, Icahn snapped up the property for $156 million, a fraction of the estimated $2 billion that has already been spent building the place. But that is just the beginning of the checks that Icahn will need to write. It is believed that it will require another $1 billion (at least) to finish the hotel.

Icahn says he will take his time to decide the best plan for moving forward on the Fontainebleau. Construction on the nearly 4,000 room hotel/casino near The Riviera came to a halt in 2009 after the original developers ran into money problems. Since there are still some legal matters to resolve surrounding the transfer of ownership and since finish the place off will probably take at least a year from "go," don't expect to see the Fontainebleau anytime before 2011.

There is also some question as to whether or not it will still be called The Fontainebleau when it opens. A name change has been rumored to get rid of the stench of failure surrounding its current moniker.

Icahn has made a specialty out of buying things out of bankruptcy and then making a huge profit off of them. That's what he did in the '90s with The Stratosphere and more recently with the Tropicana in Atlantic City. He also owns eight other casinos around the country, all under the newly formed banner of Tropicana Entertainment, although oddly that doesn't including the Tropicana in Las Vegas.

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Another reason we're going to miss Bette Midler in Las Vegas.

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"Viva Elvis" is Cirque's homage to Dean Martin… no, I'm just kidding. It's Elvis Presley of course. Set to a soundtrack of his music, the show explores the man and the myth through dance, performance art, video, and the kind of acrobatic and aerial magic the Canadian circus troupe has become most famous for.

We saw four numbers, which may not necessarily make it to opening night, by the way. The most interesting was set to "One Night With You" as sung by a female pianist floating above dry ice clouds while two aerialists, representing Elvis and his twin Jesse, swung, leaped, and flew around a giant guitar suspended high above the stage. The almost mournful reinterpretation of the song and the joyous high-wire style act it accompanied created a memorable mix.

A super-hero themed trampoline act set to a remixed version of "Got a Lot of Livin' to Do" was fun and a church-set gospel mash up of "I am Served" and "All Shook Up" with dancers and vocalists had promise.

At various points giant video screens showed rare film and photos of Presley and his family, some of which was supplied by Priscilla Presley who acted as a consultant on the show.

The whole thing is wrapped up in narration by an actor playing Colonel Tom Parker, which the show could probably do without. I know I could.

Granted, seeing 20 minutes of the show out of context two months before it opens is not a guarantee of what the final product will be and certainly there have been several reports that preview performances are not going all that well, but I'm still looking forward to this show.

"Viva Elvis" is currently playing in previews and will have its official opening on February 19, 2010.

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Taking over the space once occupied by Jay-Z's failed sports themed nightclub, Lagasse's Stadium is basically the same exact concept only with more food and without a dance floor, although if your team wins, spontaneous boogying probably won't be frowned upon too harshly.

The multi-level space features an upper tier of cushy seating areas and bar tables and a lower level of more traditional restaurant seating. In between is the main auditorium with cascading platforms of couches, recliners, and even private skyboxes. And everywhere you look, always within eyesight, are televisions - lots of them. 109 of them to be exact, all HDTV and all showing the aforementioned sporting events from mainstream to obscure. You think I'm making up Israeli and high school basketball? Nope, they were playing while I was there along with a pro football game. The latter was drawing a bit more attention.

There's also a sports book that allows you to wager on just about any of the games whether they are being broadcast or not and a mobile gaming device that lets you place bets, play slots, and wager on card games without ever having to get out of your chair.

Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere is chaotic, to say the least. Between the visuals and the sports fans voicing elation or disappointment, the place takes on a college bar attitude, which is great if you're a sports fan who also likes Emeril's food but maybe not so much for Emeril fans who don't care about sports. Luckily for them, there are a bunch of other Emeril Lagasse restaurants in town that don't have 109 televisions scattered around the room.

The menu is an eclectic blend of sports pub grub, fancier fare, and Emeril favorites. Appetizers include Buffalo wings, chili cheese fries, nachos, and pretzels with cheese. But alongside those traditional bar favorites are a Creole boiled shrimp cocktail and Italian sausage and mozzarella risotto balls, deep fried and served with a tomato basil dipping sauce. We tried the latter and they were gone before the crowd stopped screaming about a football fumble. v There are soups and salads, pizza and pasta (including an intriguing sounding Muffaletta pasta with cappicola, mortadella, and salami tossed with linguine), seafood options (from traditional fish and chips to Emeril's famous crab cakes), burgers, sandwiches, wraps, ribs, and even a couple of steaks if you are so inclined.

We tried the BBQ pork sandwich, piled high with shredded pig, tangy sauce, and coleslaw; the French dip with carmelized onions and melted provolone; and the grilled chicken wrap with avocado and bacon. All were satisfying in both taste and proportion but I have to admit that nothing jumped off the plate and made me want to scream "Bam!"

The dessert menu, on the other hand, was a total joy from the fantastic cheesecake (perfectly creamy) to the double chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting and raspberries. Yummy.

Prices are moderate across the board. Just about every main course is on the low side of the $10-20 range with only the ribs and steaks breaking the $20 barrier.

However, most of the seating in the restaurant comes with a minimum. Bar table seating along the upper tier carries a $25 per person minimum and tables and couches have a $50 per person minimum. Order a few drinks with your meal and you can probably get there easily but it does defeat the idea of having an affordably priced menu if you can't actually make it affordable.

If you want to spend even more money, there are a number of luxury suites that variously feature things like patios that face The Strip, fireplaces, pool tables, and giant screen televisions.

As mentioned above, if you're a sports fan there are few places in Las Vegas that are as satisfying as this one from a viewing and dining perspective. However, if all you're really looking for is a taste of Emeril's cooking, you may want to consider one of the many other options.

For hours of operation, contact info, and more, visit the Lagasse's Stadium page in the Dining Section of Vegas4Visitors.com.

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The King's Ransom Museum is a small-ish affair tucked into a ballroom at the Imperial Palace. Intended to be a temporary exhibit (currently booked through April of 2010), those looking for a slick interactive experience will need to travel to Memphis. Instead here what you get are snapshots from Elvis' life - birth records, childhood mementos, selections from his personal record collection, a few costumes, jewelry, guns (even the gold plated ones), a car, and lots and lots of photos.

Some come with back stories on display including, most touchingly, a necklace that was given to a little girl during a concert.

But if you're really looking for the behind-the-glass-case information, see if Jimmy Velvet is on hand.

Jimmy was a friend of Elvis Presley's and a musician in his own right. Most of the stuff in the exhibit belonged to him at one point but now he mainly acts as curator, caretaker, and raconteur. His knowledge of Elvis and especially of the artifacts on display is virtually encyclopedic, but more importantly it is infused with genuine affection.

I have to admit that while I understand the Elvis phenomenon it is not one that I have ever fully embraced, so my enjoyment of King's Ransom was probably not as enthusiastic as it could have been. But there is something undeniably "real" about what is going on here and I felt like I got closer to actually learning about the man here than I did when I visited Graceland.

A lot of that probably had to do with Jimmy Velvet, but even if he isn't around to tell his colorful stories the items on display do a pretty good job of telling their own.

I heard some people balking at the $10 admission cost for what is admittedly a small collection but apparently there are easily found 2 for 1 admissions in local magazines, papers, and Imperial Palace coupon books.

For hours of operation, contact info, and more, visit the King's Ransom Museum page in the Attractions Section of Vegas4Visitors.com.

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