Thievery, admiration, and collaboration are the cornerstones of a delightful Italian-American hybrid concert…
As Rio Las Vegas finally undergoes a long-needed overhaul, its Masquerade Village annex is showing signs of life. Most of that can be attributed to The DUOMO, an ambitious music and show venue that’s fast establishing itself as a destination for unexpected entertainment.
THE HEIST is the latest venture to land on DUOMO’s stage. The clever concept concert is performed by Limoncello, an all-star band featuring respected musicians Scott Snyder (bass guitar), John Tate (percussion), Tony Silva (keyboards and vocals), and musical director Tony Sgro (vocals and guitar).
Front and center of Limoncello is lead singer Nieve Malandra. The prolific vocalist and clothier is a Vegas staple who’s as “everywhere” as counterparts Anne Martinez and Justin Michael Rodriguez (The Docksiders).
The premise of THE HEIST is to expose the Great American Songbook as a catalog of stolen Italian standards. Limoncello performs several decades’ worth of apple-pie hits as witty visuals reveal connections to the music and artists of Italy. The word “stolen” is bantered about freely onstage, lending chuckles to great performances that a near-capacity audience clearly loved.
Expected titles like “Volare” and Sinatra’s “That’s Life” shared the spotlight with surprises like Laura Brannigan’s “Gloria” and Maneskin’s “Beggin”. Along the way, Malandra exudes class and glamour in a variety of looks that channel the vintage styles of Joan Collins and Sophia Loren.
The Heist premiere, which was held on September 28th, opened with a gathering for invited guests. Media personalities dined on meatballs, pasta, pizza, and of course, cannoli. The authentic cuisine was supplied by Cupola Cafe, which is adjacent to The DUOMO. Spearheaded by famed Chef Mimmo Ferraro, the casual Italian restaurant is open daily from breakfast through dinner. It also provides The DUOMO‘s bar bites. Click here to see the menu.
Guests enjoyed the “Fig-getaboutit Martini”, a signature cocktail inspired by The Heist. They also received program booklets, “gold bars” filled with tiny gifts, and specially created Italian cookies courtesy of Sylvia Welsh’s Downtown Destination Marketing.
While Limoncello has been performing regularly at The DUOMO since last year, the future of The Heist is shrouded in mystery. When asked as to its long-term prospects, the venue’s Joy Schaefer responded coyly with “We’ll see”. Until an official announcement is made, you can check out The DUOMO‘s show calendar by heading here.
Rio Las Vegas is located at 3700 W. Flamingo Road, across from The Palms Hotel Casino. Parking is free.
Photos and video by VEGAS 411
