And the winner is...Prince. OK, I’m kidding. But the Purple One really would be a perfect Vegas headliner in today's Las Vegas. Prince is a dynamic and consistent performer who could create a show that commands a steep ticket price thanks to a huge catalogue of hits and a great sense of theater. My point: I don't think any of the Idols yet have achieved a level of fame or produced enough music to fill a showroom for two shows a night, six nights a week. Perhaps that is why, despite the popularity of the show, it has taken this long for an “American Idol” finalist to put down roots here.

Of the talents I saw on last night’s the finale (I am not a regular viewer), I'd say Paris Bennett came closest to having what I would call a Vegas-type charisma to her performance. In fact, if you like “American Idol,” the show to see in Las Vegas right now is Clint Holmes at Harrah's. I have written before on the Buffet about how much I like his show. Now that Gladys Knight’s gig at the Flamingo is over, once again, I can say unequivocally that Holmes is the greatest singer on the Strip. And, being a musician's musician, Holmes has the hottest band on the Strip, as well. He also has a personality that charms audiences into giving him standing ovations every night. I am starting to feel downright nostalgic because Harrah's will be closing Holmes' show in October. So take my word if you get here before then: Try to find time to see this last vestige of old-style Vegas entertainment. If you like “Idol,” you will love Clint Holmes—oh, except he is not a cute kid but a full-grown adult talent.

Anyway, Clint Holmes is the closest model to what an “American Idol” performer could do with a show here: sing a few originals, sing the hits of others, charm, tell stories. But Las Vegas doesn't really do that anymore. Being a talented and well-known singer is no longer enough to keep a showroom full. The truth is that in the post-Celine/Elton/Manilow universe, talent and charisma and a little fame are no longer cutting it. You need hits and lots of them. So Delisco at the Las Vegas Hilton was replaced by Reba McIntire. And Toni Braxton (also on “Idol” last night) opens at the Flamingo on Aug. 3 replacing Wayne Newton. Newton, by the way, is now without a showroom in Las Vegas (if you are in need of any further evidence of changing times). Braxton certainly has Grammy Awards and a strong sense of theater and more hits than Wayne Newton, but will it be enough? I am not sure. She is not an obvious home run like Prince. She could use a few more hits.

Anyway, back to “Idol.” How can Vegas capitalize on it? (And you know the casinos are sure putting more thought into this than I am.) What makes the show work is the competition, not the individual performances. Who knows if the contestants have the range to fill 70 minutes on a Vegas stage? It could be scary to find out. The obvious way to go is to create a review featuring a few contestants, like the “Idol” tours. But I still think the lack of hits is a problem; the solution is that Las Vegas is very good with contests. I suggest actually having a nightly cash prize or other award for the winning singer, or have the singers compete on behalf of an audience member. By allowing the Las Vegas audience to vote for a winner at each performance you will bring the dynamic interaction of the television series between audience and performer into a Las Vegas showroom.

I think an “Idol”-style competition combined with the intimacy of a showroom and a few of the better known contestants (imagine getting to vote on fantasy pairings that put singers from different seasons in competition) should be enough for Vegas success. I know it is a lot easier just to stage a review with a few names from seasons past, but even with the “Idol” brand I think something like a contest is required to create the level of excitement a Vegas audience needs these days. Tourists demand a lot more motivation to buy a show ticket than in the old days when "seeing a show" was a generic yet required activity during a Vegas vacation. Now, the Vegas experience of going to a show can be replaced by going to a nightclub or eating at a restaurant supervised by an elite chef. As a result, we are now in the midst of a changing of the guard in entertainment headliners. And, by the way, this idea for American Idol in Vegas isn't as far fetched as it sounds: Bally's has recently installed a version of the game show “The Price is Right” in the Jubilee Theatre.