Angel Porrino helps kick off the second season of The Will Edwards Show

LAS VEGAS - April 9, 2013 - PRLog -- Absinthe dancer, reality TV star and homegrown sweetheart Angel Porrino helps kick off the second season of The Will Edwards Show as a guest when it returns to the airwaves April 19.

“I had a blast on The Will Edwards Show,” Porrino said. “It’s fun. I’m glad Vegas has something like this. We've needed it. Hopefully locals and tourist tune in and get excited about what's happening, and get inspired to check out stuff Will features on air, like Absinthe.”

The Will Edwards Show, which is branded as “Las Vegas' Only Late Night Variety Talk Show,” can be seen on MYLVTV (Cox Channel 12/Dish Channel 21) late Thursday nights (1 a.m. early Friday mornings).  

Twenty8 is musical guest for the April 19 show.

Porrino is best known as Holly Madison's best friend on the E! shows Holly's World and The Girls Next Door. She also substituted for Madison in the Las Vegas Strip production Peepshow before starring in the carnival/burlesque themed Absinthe, which Robin Leach says is “naughty and nice, exotic and erotic, wild and wacky.”

She has been with the show at Caesar’s Palace since its 2011 debut. The Las Vegas Sun calls Absinthe “the most inventive and daring show to open on the strip in years.” Absinthe celebrated its 1,000th show in March.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Porrino is the epitome of guests Will Edwards, who has been called Sin City’s late night talk show king, loves to have on his show.

"She is Las Vegas through and through," said Edwards of the former softball player, cheerleader and student body president at Mountain View Christian High School. "Not only does she work and play here, Angel grew up here, she's community; that's what The Will Edwards Show is all about.

“We enjoyed taping her episode,” Edwards continued. “Angel jumped right in and we just had fun with it. You can tell she loves what she does; she’s living her dreams and she's a good representation of what Vegas has to offer in the field of talent.”

Prior to the season’s premiere, Edwards and company are holding a launch party on April 16 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Press and the public are invited to attend the event at Nosh and Swig (3620 E Flamingo Rd Suite 5, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121).

The party will feature a preview of the upcoming episode. The Will Edwards Show’s DJ M1one will be providing music and there will be food, beer and wine specials, including the Kool-Aid alcoholic drink known as the Ghettotini, which is the creation of Will Edwards Show reoccurring character Ms. Pam.

The Will Edwards Show began airing once a week on The CW Las Vegas in the fall of 2012. The show’s ratings instantly passed industry averages of .4 (4,000 viewers) for the premiere and ended with .6 (6,0000) the last two weeks of the season. But the show's beginnings date back several years.

Edwards, whose day job is the Event Coordinator at Madame Tussauds just outside The Venetian Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, began thinking about creating the show after hearing so many negative national stories about Las Vegas in 2009.

He wanted a platform that would not only unite, but also showcase all of the positive people that he came in contact with on a daily basis.

"I saw this as a way to highlight what Las Vegas has to offer on and off the strip," said Edwards, the regular master of ceremonies of the 3rd Street stage on First Friday. “We have a lot of culture in the valley.”

A pilot episode was shot and by 2011 Edwards began bi-monthly (every second and fourth Wednesday) live shows at theatre7. After six months of sold out shows in the downtown Las Vegas arts district, The Will Edwards Show moved to The Westin Hotel, Casino and Spa in January 2012.

The show, which also includes sketch comedy, is always adapting and improving, while staying true to its roots.  As http://www.TheWillEdwardsShow.com states "New Channel. New Time. New Look. Same Will!" Except for the new Around Vegas segments, TWES is now taped at the Indie Film Factory. The portions with guests are done in front of a small audience there.

“The exciting part of all of this is that in addition to Indie Film Factory, we have several local production companies working with the show right now,” said Edwards, who has also acted in a number of independent films, including You People. “Directing the show is Emmy nominated filmmaker Kelly Schwarze and he brings his team at ProWerks Media Group to the table.

“CEO of Digisphere Productions Michael Tushaus has joined the team and contributed by composing the theme song for the show, plus he deigned and built the new set,” Edwards continued. “Filmmaker Michael Su of Persistence Filmworks is a part of the team. He shot the opening credit sequence and is a regular behind the camera. And E11even Media's Omar Gomez has been a contributor to the show with his photography and filmmaking skills. All the local talent behind this show is just incredible.”

The talent that comes on the show as guests is just as incredible. Upcoming guests include creative mogul Derek Stonebarger, chef Steve Piamchuntar, author Rhayne Thomas, magicians Mike Hammer and Seth Grabel, and Cheaza of Peepshow. Slated musical guests are Chris Kennedy, Jinxemgood, Bounty Hunter Brothers, Megan Barker, Sabriel, Joshua Bledsoe and The All Togethers.

Stonebarger, owner of theatre7 and co-owner of Atomic Liquors, appears on the April 26 show to talk about his fourth annual Vegas Indie Film Fest!, which takes place May 1-9. He said it was a great experience appearing on the show and seeing how far it has come.

“Will is like a modern day Mr. Las Vegas,” Stonebarger said. “Not only is he entertaining, he’s everywhere as a supporter and a fan of what’s happening in our city. He is such a hard worker too. It’s no wonder that if you search ‘late night talk show’ on Google that he appears near the top, just below Jimmy Fallon.”

At just eight years old, Edwards knew he wanted to entertain people. Porrino has wanted the same thing since she says she was “itty-bitty.”

Executive producer Mark R. Johnson says that same ambition and drive is what keeps The Will Edwards Show moving forward.

“The Will Edwards Show started with the dream of one man - Will Edwards,” Johnson said. “His dream to build a show to tell the compelling stories of the Las Vegas community is one that many talented people were able to see and understand. These talented individuals have helped us expand this dream to make the show what it is today.

"We all have dreams of our own, and sometimes we need reminding that those dreams are possible to achieve,” Johnson continued. “My hope is that our show reminds people of their dreams, their goals, and gives hope that they too can achieve what they set out to do."

For more information on The Will Edwards Show, including the show's TV schedule, attending a taping, appearing on the show, or becoming a sponsor, visit http://www.thewilledwardsshow.com.