The Las Vegas Weekly Awards are out, and “Jersey Boys” at Paris Las Vegas has been named the “Best Classic Production Show” in Las Vegas.

After we saw "Jersey Boys," our eyes and ears sent us thank-you notes.

The Tony Award-winning “Jersey Boys” features the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The show’s won numerous awards over the years, but this is the first since it opened at Paris Las Vegas after a move from the Palazzo.

Congrats to “Jersey Boys” on the well-deserved accolades. Read more about this lively, music-filled show.

Find out more about the Best Classic Production Show award at Las Vegas Weekly magazine, and check out all the Las Vegas Weekly Awards, none of which were given to this Las Vegas blog due to what we can only assume was some kind of clerical error.

Presumably, you only have one birthday a year, so when our friends in the office asked where we’d like to have our birthday lunch, this blog immediately said, “Italian.” Which, granted, is more of a “what” than a “where,” but it was our birthday, so cut us some slack.

An easy choice in the realm of Las Vegas Italian restaurants was Rao’s (ray-ohs) at Caesars Palace. First, it’s hearty, old-school Italian. Second, employee discount.

It makes our mom happy when we have salad, so we sometimes have a salad.

Our table shared a house salad ($13) and Caesar salad ($15). You kind of have to get the Caesar salad because you’re in, you know, Caesars Palace.

Food fact: Big slices of cheese are always better than sprinkles of cheese.

This blog ventured far out of its culinary comfort zone and ordered spaghetti ($22, but it doesn’t sting as much after you taste it). We’re adventurous like that.

There you've got both your "al" and your "dente." And some green stuff for Mom.

Naturally, you have to get the Rao’s meatballs ($15), too. They’re right up there with the meatballs at Old Homestead Steakhouse, also at Caesars Palace, and Martorano’s at Rio as the best meatballs in Sin City.

There's a reason certain things become traditions.

Our lunch companion ordered the Piadiana ($15), a thin crust pizza sandwich with Buffalo mozzarella, parma prosciutto (Italian for “fancy ham”), sliced tomatoes, roasted peppers and arugula.

Insider tip: If you’re ever having a down day, just say “arugula” five times. You’re welcome.

Arugula.

Someone else ordered the Penne Vodka ($26), with San Marzano tomatoes, diced Italian ham, vodka and a “touch of cream.”

Penne for your thoughts. Note: Sometimes, we see what we did there, and still don't laugh.

Rao’s was very thoughtful and presented us with a birthday slice of cheesecake, considered by some to be the best cheesecake in Vegas.

This disappeared in under a minute. This is why one should dine alone.

Cheesecake got its start in ancient Greece. In one of the earliest mentions of cheesecake in literature, Cato the Elder’s “De Agri Cultura” includes recipes for two cakes for religious purposes: libum and placenta. Placenta is most like our modern cheesecakes. (In Latin, “placenta” means “cake.”) Hey, we don’t make up the useless information, we just report it. Here’s the original recipe.

When we think of Rao’s, a few (far more appealing) words come to mind: Flavorful. Comforting. Authentic. Satisfying.

Oh, and did we mention Rao’s has Christmas decorations year-round? We dig that.

This blog loves it some free Vegas stuff, and this would be those.

There are currently two giveaways happening on Facebook, one for Celine Dion fans and another for Shania Twain fans. Each gives up a Caesars Palace stay, tickets to see these stellar performers live and other sweet freebies.

First up, the “Celine VIP Sweepstakes.”

You only wish you had a font with this much flair.

You could win two First Mezzanine tickets for a Celine performance on August 5, 2012, a two-night stay at Caesars Palace, dinner at Old Homestead Steakhouse (yes, please, drooleth this blog), Celine Dion merchandise, a $50 voucher for the Celine store and a VIP laminate for priority entry. This blog also loves it some laminates, by the way.

To enter this giveaway, visit The Collosseum Facebook page and click on “Celine VIP Sweeps.” The rest involves the arduous process of “filling in fields.” You’ll manage.

Oh, and feel free to check out our 10 Reasons Dudes Should See Celine’s Show.

Next, it’s the “Shania Sing-Off Contest.” Which, coincidentally, involves singing.

In this contest, you submit a video of your best rendition of a Shania Twain song (30 seconds to two minutes). Please pick one this blog likes. Appreciate that. A winner will be chosen based upon a fan vote, and the winner will snag a stay at Caesars Palace, tickets to see Shania Twain live and a $100 food and drink credit.

The future Mrs. Pulse of Vegas Blog. Actual results may vary. Greatly.

Video submissions will be accepted until July 15, and the voting will end August 8, 2012. Just head to the Caesars Palace Facebook page for details. And make sure to read the 12,000-word Official Rules because they’re super entertaining and lawyers need jobs, too, you know.

On a related note, here’s a quick message from Shania Twain. Her show opens December 1, 2012 at The Colosseum at Caesars, by the way.

Good luck, and let us know if you win either of these diva giveaways. This blog is available for cocktails and dinner using your voucher thingy.

Today’s hooch is brought to you by the fun-loving folks at Carlos’n Charlie’s at Flamingo Las Vegas. How does this blog know they’re fun-loving? Because we’ve personally had fun there.

Between 10:00 p.m. and midnight, Carlos’n Charlie’s offers $3 shots of El Jimador tequila. “El Jimador,” of course, is Spanish for, “How did I end up in this fountain?”

We vaguely remember these being delicious. And cheap.

This seems like a great time to also mention that food is available at Carlos’n Charlie’s. We feel compelled to impart this news by sharing a photo of a beauty pageant contestant eating it.

Any Miss USA contestant that will let us photograph her eating will always be our favorite.

Oh, all right. They were all our favorites.

Are we still talking about a deal on tequila?

We especially like that Carlos’n Charlie’s markets its $3 tequila deal with a flyer that says, “Our tequilas improve the looks of the people around you.” From the photos above, this is clearly truth in advertising!

Find Carlos’n Charlie’s on Facebook and Twitter for more tequila deals and photos of attractive people.

One of the cool things about The Linq development project happening in Las Vegas is that it’s not just one thing. It’s not just a giant observation wheel, or new places to shop or drink. From what we’ve seen and heard so far, The Linq could end up being a new way to experience Vegas, or at least the middle part of it.

Just about daily, The Linq and its associated renovations give us something new to ogle. Every day brings a new surprise, and things are going up almost as quickly as they’re being torn down. Yay, new!

Every draped cloth means there's a surprise in store.

We popped into the soon-to-be-renamed Imperial Palace (hint: it won’t be a Horseshoe) for a look-see, and poked our camera behind the fabric and plastic for a peek at the hotel’s brand new reception desk.

The new check-in area at IP, still a work in progress. Theme-free and inviting.

We haven’t heard when the current reception area will be moved, but it’s clear the IP is moving toward a more current, but still accessible, vibe.

The new check-in area sits next to the “dealertainer” pit, and it looks like the small bar that occupied the space is gone. We played many a video poker hand in that intimate bar, but it was probably time for it to go. It was getting sticky.

We cruised out the front door of the Imperial Palace, and let’s just say, the times they are a’changing.

That's where the Rockhouse used to be. Wow.

Yep, that’s the former home of the Rockhouse. Walls gone. Heck, everything’s gone. This is where cars used to drive up to drop people off at the IP’s front door. Now, it looks like it’s getting some A/C.

Continuing out the former porte-cochère, there are fewer and fewer themed elements remaining.

The last blue and white thingy.

You can now see things you never could. For example, you can see Carnaval Court (on the left, below) from the former drive-up area of the IP. Weird.

We're fairly sure there was a building here before. So-long, building.

Next, we circled around toward Harrah’s Las Vegas and Carnaval Court. Recent construction has freed up a lot of space for Linqy goodness.

This area can't be seen by the public. Only people who read this blog, because we don't live by society's rules. Lucky you.

We can’t wait to see what’s next.

It's like a blank slate upon which The Linq can use its filbert brush to paint its Vegas magic. Or something.

Please feel free to keep the surprises coming, The Linq.

This is the only Las Vegas icon that's ever gotten a facelift. Swear.

Read more from the guy people are calling the “mayor” of The Linq, Jon Gray.

They tore up the charts with their hit, “You Make Me Feel,” and now Cobra Starship is winning this blog over by featuring Vegas in their latest video for “#1Nite.”

While this blog is not a fan of spelling “night” as “nite,” we’re willing to overlook it just this once. Why?

The radio-friendly song serves as the backdrop for a Vegas escapade that includes a visit to the Neon Boneyard and Pinball Hall of Fame.

The Pinball Hall of Fame is an affordable, family-friendly blast, with more than 200 still-functioning pinball and arcade machines of every make and model you can imagine. Visit the official site.

Bonus: The Pinball Hall of Fame is a registered nonprofit and donates its proceeds to charity.

Please don't run among the vintage pinball machines, thanks.

The Neon Boneyard, of course, is where the core of the Neon Museum’s collection of retired neon signs reside. Find out more.

Please don't dance awkwardly among the vintage neon signs, thanks.

Thanks, oddly-named American dance-pop band, for including Las Vegas in your video. This blog shall purchase your new single on iTunes now. Just fix that “nite” problem, already.

What’s better than a Vegas cocktail? How about two for the price of one? How about blog posts that don’t start with questions? Are we ready to move on yet?

The Center Cut Steakhouse at Flamingo Las Vegas has launched a new happy hour, but since it goes from noon to midnight, calling it a happy “hour” is like calling the Sahara desert a sandbox. Or something. If you don’t like our similes, get your own Las Vegas blog.

The happy hour at Center Cut features two-for-one martinis (and wine), and being the investigative journalists we are, we had to sample the Cosmopolitan. Which we’re not entirely sure is a martini, per se, but we like how the photo turned out.

We are a blog, not a mixologist.

Center Cut’s Cosmopolitan contains “a number of ingredients we can’t recall, specifically.” Did we mention the 2-for-1 thing? There may have been Ketel One Citroen vodka involved. And if Grand Marnier is a thing, that was possibly another thing involved.

Center Cut Steakhouse also serves food. The details are a little foggy there, too. Thankfully, we blogged about it.

It's not called the Center Cut Shrimphouse, so there's probably also steak.

Find out more about Center Cut Steakhouse at Flamingo.

As if the Auto Collections at Imperial Palace weren’t already pleasing enough, the car-lover’s paradise just started giving guests a whole new way to enjoy the rare autos on display with the introduction of handheld audio tour devices.

Thank you for pretending to use the self-guided audio tour device, uncompensated Las Vegas visitor.

The self-guided audio tours are available as of today (June 27, 2012), and will add a whole new dimension to the Auto Collections experience, giving more in-depth information as well as helping people like this blog avoid having to exert all that effort to read the information placards beside each car.

The devices, used at museums and historic sites around the world, are made by AudioConexus and provide CD-quality sound. If one is to believe the brochure. And why wouldn’t one?

It's like having a new friend. Who you can mute at any time. Which would be awesome, now that we think about it.

The self-guided tours are just in time for the Auto Collections’ newest addition, the 1967 Ford Mustang featured in the film, “Gone in Sixty Seconds.”

Yes, it has a name: Eleanor.

The world is divided into those who name their cars and those who don't.

The Auto Collections at Imperial Palace are unique in that all the cars on display are also for sale.

You can pick up the “Gone in Sixty Seconds” custom fastback, driven by an actual Nicholas Cage, for a mere $375,000. Tell them the Pulse of Vegas blog sent you, and we’re sure they’ll make you a deal. (For $375,500, but let’s not get bogged down in details.)

The world is also divided into those who think Ford stands for "First On Race Day" or "First On Recall Day." Please submit any hate mail to our Comments section.

The sheer number of cars on display at the Auto Collections (billed as “The World’s Largest Classic Car Museum”) is mind-boggling, so set aside a reasonable amount of time to see, and now hear, everything.

The good news: The audio tours are included in the ticket price. The bad news: The ticket price has been increased from $8.95 to $11.95. We can’t have everything the way we want it in life, because then what would we gripe about on Facebook and Twitter? (Update: Our friends at the Five Hundy podcast passed this along. It’s a free pass, although we don’t know how long it will be available.)

Price bump aside, it’s one of the most enjoyable, family-friendly hidden gems on the Las Vegas Strip, for both auto enthusiasts and non, and we get revved up every time we’re there.

Update: We just got a sample of the audio that plays on the new self-guided tour devices. Click here to take a listen. (Two MB .mp3 file.)

Learn more about the Auto Collections at Imperial Palace.

The ’80s is a favorite era of this blog, so we were downright giddy to learn of a new show opening at the V Theater inside The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood on July 13, “Awesome ’80s Prom.”

The interactive show will take guests back to the days of “shoulder pads, big hair, preppies and jocks,” including being able to mingle with actors portraying characters from ’80s classics like “The Breakfast Club” and “Pretty in Pink.”

Expect this show to have an ample supply of both Wang and Chung.

In honor of the new show, the V Theater’s mezzanine showroom will be “transformed into a prom dance floor with a stage, disco lights, and classic ’80s decor,” according to the owner of the theater, David Saxe.

One of the highlights of the evening should be the chance to pose for an “awkward ’80s prom photo.” This blog is a big fan of awkward.

From the descriptions we’ve read, the “immersive” nature of the show seems to be akin to the “Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding” experience, a show formerly at the V Theater. Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding is now at Bally’s Las Vegas. Note: There will be a test.

“Awesome ’80s Prom” opens July 13, 2012, running at 8:00 p.m. each day (dark Sunday).

Learn more about the approximately 1,400 entertainment options at the V Theater on the official site.

Here’s today’s magical Las Vegas cocktail, courtesy of the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas.

Yes, we'll have another. Another 12, thanks.

It’s the Pink Velvet, and if this drink doesn’t put you in a romantic mood, you may be a cyborg.

Here’s what’s in it, in case you’d like to try it at home. (Trust us, it’s better at Paris Las Vegas.)

The Pink Velvet has 1.5 ounces of Grey Goose, .5 ounce of watermelon liquor, .75 ounce of pomegranate syrup, an ounce of pineapple juice and .25 ounce of lime juice. The truly magical part is the dash of Angostura Bitters, whatever those might be.

Garnish with watermelon and elderflower foam. Which everyone has just lying around the house, right? “Honey, bring me some elderflower foam, will you? I left it near the TV remote.”

The Pink Velvet, a cocktail so nice, we photographed it twice.

Learn more about the Eiffel Tower Restaurant and its lusty libations. Which, we think you’d agree, would make an awesome band name.

It never hurts to get a little extra mojo when you’re visiting a Las Vegas casino. Some believe tossing a coin into a fountain is good luck, and now those coins are going to a good cause.

Caesars Palace recently announced it would donate coins thrown into its iconic front fountain to the University Medical Center Trauma Center and Lions Burn Care Unit (UMC).

Please donate paper currency directly. It screws up the filtration system.

The UMC Trauma and Burn Center is the only Level I Trauma Center in Nevada, and the only free-standing Trauma Center west of the Mississippi. The Center provides 24-hour care, seven days a week, treats a variety of life-threatening injuries and boasts an impressive 99% patient survival rate.

Told you they're iconic.

So, now, when you’re helping your Vegas mojo, you’re also helping others. This blog loves a happy ending.

It’s hard to believe. Siblings Donny and Marie Osmond have been doing what they do for five decades.

If you wonder what keeps the magic alive, take a look at this amusing video of these two during an appearance on CNN Newsroom.

Their rapport, and good-natured rivalry, is truly one-of-a-kind, and it more than comes across during their show at Flamingo Las Vegas.

Osmond trivia: On average, Donny and Marie average 16.2 zingers per minute.

A little inside scoop: Donny and Marie just launched a Twitter giveaway where audience members can meet the talented pair after their show. First, follow Donny and Marie on Twitter. When you’re at the show, Tweet “I’m at the #donnyandmarieshow” before the show starts. Lucky guests could end up meeting Donny and Marie in person and having a brush with entertainment royalty. The full contest rules and wildly-entertaining legal terms reside here.

Thanks, Donny & Marie, for keeping our toes tapping and our sides aching for all these years.

A select group of entertainment luminaries have been chosen to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013, and Sin City’s own Penn & Teller are among them.

Easily one of the best Vegas shows we ever saw.

Hollywood Walk of Fame trivia: The Walk of Fame is 1.3 miles long, or 2.1 kilometers long, whatever a kilometer might be.

Of all the more than 2,400 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, only about 2% have been presented to those in the live performance category, so it’s a rare honor for the Rio’s resident headliners, comedy-magicians Penn & Teller.

Ana Martinez, a rep for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, confirms the duo will have their names immortalized on one star, as opposed to one for each.

Oh, like you're not going to do this.

Slap your name on a Walk of Fame star here if you need that kind of faux validation.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced 24 honorees to receive stars in 2013. The list also includes Rick Baker, Javier Bardem, Viola Davis, Olympia Dukakis, James Franco, Ron Howard and Helen Mirren. Other notables include Ellen DeGeneres, Jane Lynch, Katey Sagal and Matthew Perry.

Bradley Ogden restaurant at Caesars Palace will close after dinner service on Aug. 5, 2012 after a 10-year run.

A certain Las Vegas blog has always had a Pavlovian response to this sign.

No official announcement about the restaurant’s replacement has been made yet, but you can probably get some juicy rumors with a Google search. Which we’re not advocating. Probably.

Bradley Ogden restaurant won countless awards over its decade at Caesars Palace, and was popular with celebs like Celine Dion, Bette Midler, Jerry Seinfeld, Cher and Janet Jackson, as well as many others who weren’t performing 16 feet away at The Colosseum.

The gig's had its perks. Chef Bradley Ogden schmoozes with former Miss USA, Rima Fakih.

Don’t miss your opportunity to dine at this critics’ darling before it closes in August. We hear the twice-baked Maytag blue cheese soufflé, seared diver scallops and butterscotch pudding are especially good.

Oh, and the restaurant’s signature burger and fries are the stuff of Vegas legend. The burger was also named “Best Burger of the Year” in 2009 by GQ Magazine.

Learn more about all the restaurants at Caesars Palace. Hint: There are several.

The multi-talented Kate Steele is such a great Lady Gaga impersonator, you may just wonder why people are so eager to fork over big bucks to see the real one.

At least it's not meat.

Steele is currently appearing in “Legends in Concert” at Harrah’s Las Vegas, and her portrayal of pop phenom Lady Gaga is impressive on several levels. She has the look and costumes down, along with the make-up.

But she’s even gone so far as to perfect Lady Gaga’s voice and mannerisms, too.

Her singing is pitch-perfect, and Steele plays a mean piano. She was classically trained for a decade, but until her stint as Lady Gaga in “Legends” hadn’t really had a chance to show off her chops.

Steele was kind enough to not call security when we went into her dressing room for a candid interview. Take a look (and listen).

It’s a dramatic transformation, and audiences eat it up at Harrah’s.

Vanity, schmanity. This is showbiz.

Steele seems to have a genuine appreciation of the real-life Gaga’s talents, and it shows in her performance.

One of Steele’s favorite quotes is from Lady Gaga’s biography: “It’s not just about the music. It’s about the performance, the attitude, the look, it’s everything. That is where I live as an artist and that is what I want to accomplish.”

It's our assertion there are times when Kate Steele is more like Lady Gaga than the actual Lady Gaga.

Bonus Gaga trivia: Lady Gaga’s real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

Thanks to Kate for letting us get a look into the world of a Las Vegas celebrity impersonator. See her in action, along with an ever-changing cast of celebrity look-and-sound-alikes, at Harrah’s Las Vegas in Legends in Concert.