from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotbe live from las vegas.

>> thank you, guys. >> that was most excellent. >> that was most excellent because they didn't drop us. >> by the way, jenna and i totaled up our poundage. >> you may not want to hear it. >> i'm 152 and you're -- >> 148. >> so anyway, it was 300. >> 300. >> congratulations to our guys. we want to thank everybody here on this thirsty thursday, january 21st, 2016. we are in las vegas. jenna bush hager is in for kathie lee. that was the royal court from caesars palace. made up of hand maidens, caesars and cleopatra. you guys, thank you so much. you were awesome, awesome. >> thank you so much. >> all right, we've got a really fun show. all the talk is -- you guys can go. you don't have to stick around. >> thank you, guys. thank you. >> bye-bye now.

>> so hoda's on a high. >> i am. >> first, let's have a little toast. >> cheers to vegas. >> here's the thing. bye, kids. >> bye, everybody. j. lo, you guys, was at planet hollywood last night and she killed it. we're going to get to that in a minute. i went to bed at 1:00 and woke up at 2:00. >> she slept for one hour. >> it's going to be fun. also we got lilliana. she spent the weekend here. took a tour of the night life. if you like clubbing -- >> and who doesn't? >> -- this is the place for you. she's going to show you some of vegas' trendyist hot spots. plus, bodies in motion like you've never seen before, cirque de soleil. will perform a little later on. >> we were on the iconic las vegas strip, as you guys can see. i got to have a little fun last night. >> a little fun? was it the most fun night of your life?

days ever because, number one, i got to sing backup with the backup dancers. not on the show -- because they're not stupid -- but before the show. it was like one of those moments that you're in the middle of this whole group dancing and you can't believe that it's happening. it all happened before. then we went to the show. j. lo was performing. she got up on stage and it just exploded. i think the best part was i got to sort of, i don't know, i felt like kind of part of the family. >> you are part of the family. you're hoda lopez. >> j. lo's mom was next to me and she was dancing during the show. let's watch a little bit. don't stop keep it moving let the rhythm keep you on the floor >> so here's the cool thing too. j. lo's kids were there. by the way, that was rebel wilson and, i don't know, kelly osbourne.

there and the thing that i loved was there were some racy parts of the show and the kids had on those big -- >> how old are they, like 5 or 6? >> i think they're 7, maybe 6. they're twins. when there was a risque part, the grandma, j. lo's mom, took the babies or took the kids heads to her chest so the babies weren't watching. there were lots of celebs in the audience. kelly osbourne was there, rebel wilson. >> biebs. >> biebs was there. i had a little photo bomb that was -- >> who doesn't love a photo bomb? >> they didn't. all right. but one of my favorite pictures you guys is this one. it's jenna, who's lost a tooth. >> wait, that's j. lo. oh, thank you. to go from j. lo to me with the lost tooth. i really appreciate it so much. >> we're going to describe about what happens in vegas stays in vegas.

>> they promised what happens in vegas stays in vegas and then immediately, you know, they said that to me, don't worry, we'll keep you safe here, and then hoda put that on instagram five >> i had to. all right. we're going to tell you guys where we are. we're next to the restaurant serendipity 3. it's located on the strip near caesar's palace. tell them about it. >> 42 million people visit las vegas every year. when you're walking around -- we walked out of our hotel at 4:00 in the morning. packed. 17 of the 20 biggest hotels in the u.s. are here, which is crazy when you think about it, 17 of the 20 biggest. >> the flamingo's right across the street, the belaggio and the paris are close by. the cosmopolitan just down the road. harrahs, the ramad are all on the other end to get a little perspective of where we are. the biggest market here is the food. it's the biggest part of vegas. the city's home to the most celebrity chef restauranteers anywhere, any other destination

>> here are some of the chefs with restaurants. get ready. you're going the get hungry. mario. >> emeril. >> wolfgang puck. >> giada. >> it's top of all this stuff, every time we come here, there's something new is happening. the city's gearing up for the final presidential debate. it's in october. it's going to be at the university of las vegas. >> that's a big deal. >> it's going to be a biggie. >> and there's a new 20,000 seat arena that will open this spring called t-mobile arena with some of the really big names, janet there's not enough to do, well, there's more. to say. >> yeah. >> we're sitting next to heaters. we thought vegas was going to be a little bit warmer. >> it's a little chilly but the sun is rising. >> it's always a good time for a little drinky. >> look at this. i see a champagne cart. >> bernardo from mr. chow has arrived. >> wow.

>> good morning, ladies. >> how are you? >> wonderful. >> so here's the thing about champagne. we do like to have a little bubbly. a lot of people, and i would say most people, have never been able to try something called dom perrion. usually you have to buy it by the bottle. >> we serve it by the grass. >> glass. >> that's rare, right? >> we have the dom, we have one of the absolutely best champagnes on the planet. would you mind if i poured you a glass? >> we would not mind one bit. >> twist your arm, right? >> not at all. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> let's taste it. >> all right. >> so as he's pouring. >> one glass. >> guess how much a glass is. think in your head. how much could a glass of champagne be? >> i would have said $25. >> $80. a bottle is 500 bucks. >> this is like we're drinking liquid gold. >> we should point out that mr. chow's hosted j. lo last

they had a lot of fun. i still am like -- i'm so happy. she slept for one hour but you would never have known. fun. >> shall we? >> let's do it. >> thank you so much. we really appreciate it. >> here's to $80. >> a lot. >> really good. >> uh-huh. >> okay. you know what's funny about me, i like cheap alcohol. i really do. >> she normally drinks champagne out of a box. >> by the way, if you were wondering, this is cool, in the middle of the night, people started buzzing, they said matt damon was here. they're shooting the "bourne" series here. they shut down the vegas strip. >> okay. >> and they were shooting a car chase scene and filming sequences so people were all trying to spot him. the neighborhood was warned. >> loud explosives. i did hear gunfire but, you know, because of the loud

this is the fifth film in the franchise and it's expected to so there's always something going on here. >> always something good. >> always something. i still have my crown on, by the way. >> looks good. >> so do you like to use instagram? we have a question for you. what is the most instagrammed place in las vegas? of all the places in vegas, what do you think it is? >> well, i know what it is. what would you have thought before? >> i would have thought somewhere on the strip. probably that -- i don't know. >> the sign. >> the sign. >> the famous sign. well, the bellagio. it's the most instagrammed place in vegas. >> we never thought we were going to get a star like this but we did. last night we saw j. lo and today we get steven tyler! come on out! >> hello, ladies. >> oh, my god. >> morning, hoda. so good to see you, wow.

>> good to see you. look closely. look closely. by the way, i know steven tyler and you look exactly like him. did you get lip injections? >> oh, my god. >> you did. >> you're asking me if i paid to look like this? no, this is god's sense of humor. first a platapus and then me. >> we should point out that you do tributes, right, to steven. you sing. >> i do, yes, yes. i perform for legends in concert, which is a very cool deal. we're standing behind the flamingo which is where we perform six nights a week. as of next month i think it is, 33 years, the longest running show in las vegas. >> wow. >> that's amazing. >> have you ever met the real steven tiler? >> yeah. we know each other. >> what did he say when he saw you? >> freaking out? >> he said we look good but our eyes are too close. we had a great time. actually steven and i, we

>> did he believe it was steven? >> i think taj might have seen me before. he brought me backstage. we're at the mgm grand over here. we're sitting backstage. steven puts me in his makeup chair and he called taj on the radio. he's like, baby bear, this is papa bear, get your butt, paraphrasing, up to the dressing room. taj walks in and i'm in the chair and i turn slowly towards him and i say, taj, daddy doesn't quite feel like himself, what do you think it is? steven came up from behind. >> scared him to death. >> tears in his eyes. we had a great time. >> thank you for coming. >> give us a hug. >> thank you, steven. >> we love you. thanks for stopping by. >> mwah. >> okay. >> okay, thank you, sweetie, we really appreciate it. thanks for coming by to see us. >> thanks so much. you know what else vegas is known for. >> what? >> weddings. >> unofficial wedding capital of the world, so there are 80,000 marriage licenses issued in a year.

of the famous couples maybe you didn't know. every single hotel has a chapel. here they are. >> mia farrow and frank sinatra in 1966. >> demi moore and bruce willis tied the knot in vegas in 1987. that didn't work. >> cindy crawford married richard gere here in 1991. another failed. that's okay. >> that didn't work. >> paul newman and joanne woodward were married here in 1958. they remarried -- >> they remained married. >> until his death in 2008. >> listen, i have something for you. amanda, do you have my prop, please? >> oh, god, no, no. >> please. i mean, yes, because weddings happen and we just thought why not. why not put on a little wedding today? now, that may get you excited. that may get you excited, but it's not really happening. it's just a prop. >> okay, thank you, jenna. >> we need something sweet. we got to bring in.

great care of us. justin here has something we want to call the treasure chest. >> of desserts. >> it's got a little bit of everything. hi, justin. >> justin, you can order this? >> yes, absolutely. >> at serendipity. >> this is available all the time at serendipity, las vegas. >> golden spoons. >> justin, thank you so much. we're going to eat. i'm going to do the red velvet. >> i'm going to have a little ice cream. >> it's $99 here, and it's delicious. >> thank you. thanks for having us. we have a lot coming up. she's the world's ultimate show girl. she feels right at home here in vegas. >> j. lo makes her debut and hoda was front and center. >> and we're going to take you behind the scenes of j.lo's big nighght right after this. (burke) at farmers, we've seen almost everything, so we know how to cover almost anything. even a stag pool party. (party music) (splashing/destruction)

(burke) and we covered it, october twenty-seventh, 2014. talk to farmers. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. we are farmers. bum-pa-dum,

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last night jennifer lopez took the stage and did what she does best, dazzled more than 4,000 fans during her opening residency. >> this was so much fun. check it out. she's one of the most spectacular triple threats. singing, dancing, and acting her way into super stardom.

say. >> with more than 20 million albums sold, j.lo continues to give all she has. now after three decades in the industry, jenny from the block is hitting the strip. and guess who got an invite. i got to tell you, i'm pretty excited. you know why? we're the only crew that's allowed back here before j.lo's big night. this is planet hollywood. she's performing at the access theater. we wanted to get her something cool so i got her flowers. good luck. i'm also going to write her a note on my las vegas card. love you, knock 'em dead. well, somehow i accidentally ended up living out one of my dreams with a little help from vocal coach stevie mackey.

and choreographer tabatha dumo. >> punch up with your arm. >> after all, who doesn't want to be j.lo, even just for rehearsal? tonight we gonna dance on the floor la la la la la la woo woo woo next, time to hit the red carpet. la la la la la la tonight we're gonna get on the floor and finally it's show time, baby. la la la la la la tonight we're gonna get on the floor

good company when you're sitting next to j.lo's mom. don't stop keep it moving after 90 minutes of nonstop thrilling performance, j.lo stopped by to chat with me. in case you're wondering, still flawless. it was so funny, to me, it was so full of surprises. when i sat here i wasn't sure what to expect, and all a sudden there was a light show and pyrotechnics. it was so much bigger than i expected. is that kind of the intent? >> yes. you know, the name of the show is "all i have" so i wanted to give everything. let's get loud when "on the floor" was playing, by the way, i had a little dance lesson before so i learned the little thing. >> you learned the choreography? >> when the confetti was falling and it was the end of that show, what were you feeling inside? >> so good. the end of the show feels great.

i feel like i've been doing like an hour and a half of cardio. it's a high kind of, you know. it's a great moment. >> well, you killed it. >> thank you. i'm so glad you came and you made it. >> it was awesome. >> go get some sleep. you have to get up in what, a half hour? >> yes, i do. love that girl. j low's going to be in vegas performing 40 shows for the next three years. >> and we hope you believe in

you can always expect in vegas is p unexpected can happen at any time at all. >> especially those evenings when you feel like anything is possible. wait what? >> teller. musician teller is spreading coins all over me. how do you do that? >> world famous from penn and teller, as you know. >> wait, what? >> teller, you're a man of very few words. >> no, there's not one in -- >> no. >> we're rich, keep going. what else you got? >> that's it. no. where are you going? >> scared. >> you're getting my ring? no. >> a wedding ring. >> it's my wedding ring. off? >> i wouldn't do it. >> did it fall? >> we found it. don't worry, honey. i'm not going to lose it.

>> okay. >> you're going to make it reappear, right? otherwise i'll be in trouble with my husband. >> there it is. >> okay. >> got it. there it is. >> want me to hold it? >> yeah, it's right there. >> wedding ring. i got it. jenna, i got you. i got you right there. >> you got it? >> yeah, i got it. hocus pocus. >> okay, we have to go pretty fast here. >> no way. >> okay. >> want me to let go? should i let go? >> oh, my gosh! you can catch penn and teller at the rio, and las vegas night life next.

hey, everybody, it's thirsty

we are live from caesars palace in las vegas. i am joined by jenna bush hager. kathie lee is taking some time off for the next couple of weeks. we're talking about night life which is one of our favorite subjects. >> you know whose favorite subject it is? our girl lilliana. she made some good use of her weekend hitting all the hot spots. >> here's the thing about vegas, it's unbelievable night life. just behind me, you'll see the omnia nightclub with its gorgeous outdoor terrace. it's actually one of the hottest and talk about a city that never sleeps, well, check this out. las vegas is all about fun and debatcherous weekends. you one of the best views in the city. i have a feeling the view right here might just be a little

hello, gentlemen. you guys are joining me on my ride. >> yes. the idea is to migrate over to our show where you see the rest of us. >> how much more? >> this is probably the one place where you can have an open bar and see everything the city has to offer all at the same time. >> now, have any celebrities made an appearance here? >> oh, yeah. floyd mayweather. shania twain. britney spears. elton john. justin bieber. >> that was a party, wasn't it? >> oh, yeah. >> cheers to a fun night out in vegas, gentlemen. >> cheers! >> what happens in vegas stays in vegas. drinking high above the strip definitely has its advantages. but for a more elevated form of cocktailing, i headed over to the chandelier bar at the cosmopolitan hotel. >> it's going to be a little more classy, a little more sophisticated, and a lot more fun. >> you used three words that i love. so let's stop talking and let's get to drinking.

old fashion. >> we're calling ours the fall fashion. sugars, bitter and fall spice all in that beautiful ice there. >> that's awesome. really good. >> the best drink isn't even on the menu. it's called the verbena. >> it's going to tantalize your tongue a little bit. >> the flower on top actually alters your taste buds. what is going on right now? >> give the cocktail a try again, see how it changed. >> it's a totally different drink. >> that's why it's fun. people keep coming back for it. >> i'll definitely be back, but for now it's off to oriole restaurant at mandalay bay to grab a couple bottles of wine. the big question of the night is red or white. bingo.

you can't drink on an empty stomach, so for more cocktails, great food and killer live entertainment, i popped in to rose rabbit live, the trendy supper club that epitomizes las vegas night life. even the walls come down. after snacking on caviar tacos, black pasta, and their beef wellington, only the best beef wellington i've ever had, it was time for the show. >> and just like that, i went from the dinner table to llagio. yeah! i did that! >> you are a party -- i didn't animal.

animal until i got to vegas. i had such a great time. last night, that performance from j.lo that i just saw, you were unbelievable. >> she's a party animal. >> she's the actual the party animal. >> we'll all go toe-to-toe. you take one down and pass it around. >> 99 bottles of beer on the wall. >> celebrity chef shares his meal in a jar perfect for any party right after this. so how ya doing? enough pressure in here for ya? ugh. my sinuses are killing me. yeah...just wait 'til we hit ten thousand feet. i'm gonna take mucinex sinus-max. too late, we're about to take off. these dissolve fast. they're new liquid gels. and you're coming with me... wait, what?! you realize i have gold status? do i still get the miles? new mucinex sinus-max liquid gels. dissolves fast to unleash max strength medicine. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. degree motionsense.

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if you're just tuning in, we're live from las vegas. who knew there was this kind of signage? apparently they've been showing

we just noticed it. the dining scene in this city has emerged as a foodie's paraties with celebrity chechs chefs popping up everywhere. >> they're everywhere. we're lucky to have one of the strip's hottest chefs. brian malarkey is the owner down tr and also sears sucker right at the caesar's palace. >> good morning, welcome to vegas, nice to see you. >> it's nice when a chef has a new concept. you have something new for us, right? >> we have the herringbone, the vegas. we like to social dine, get your friends together. we brought something here that translates to the home chef. >> we're making shrimp, right? we have j.lo, today we have jars. >> from j.lo to jars. >> why put stuff in a jar, what's the point? >> the idea is, you know, it's kind of nostalgic. stuff like that. you put this stuff in a jar. if you want to prepare more than one portion, it's so easy to put

and at the restaurant, it's so much fun to scoop and share it with the grilled bread and everything like that. going to do here is this is how easy it is. we're going to do our shrimp, tomatoes, avocados, grilled onion. we've got some nice grilled >> what kind of bread is it? anything? >> oh, whatever you want. chips, bread, whatever you -- we have pita chips. >> cilantro? >> a little parsley. little lemon juice. >> yummy. >> you've got to be careful not to overcook the shrimp, right? it's got to quickly cook. >> how long? >> until they're nice and cooked through, you know, you can cheat at home, take a little knife. just make sure it's not that clear glossiness. >> now we have our jar. >> most important, a little salt, pepper. then we'll go right to the jar. this is one my wife and kids and everybody love at home. when you make a salad and you have to break out all the different things.

a mess and you have your beautiful salad and you have to do it all over again. how easy is that? so a jar for your salad. three or four of them. shake it up like a martini. >> that's the whole salad? you put dressing first? >> yes, dressing first. tomatoes on the bottom will get brian any and better with time. you shake it up right there. you open it up. you're like, all right, let's have our salad, kids. >> wow, look at that. >> you've done the same thing with sweets over here. >> there's a salad for the family, right? >> that looks good. >> cooking in a jar like your grandma used to make. we have some salted caramel. there we go. >> i tried to dip it but i couldn't. >> great, great concept. beautiful presentation by the way. >> you know how they say what happens in vegas stays in vegas? i think you were running out around night with some -- >> that was not me. >> remember the steven tyler look-alike?

around town stirring up trouble. >> for recipes, go to today.com/food. congratulation on your restaurants. get ready for some mind bending moves like you've never seen before. >> an incredible performance

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so many great things about las vegas. there's all kinds of entertainment around here. you can have illusionists and some of the best magicians, too. right? >> one of the most unforget ability experiences is cirque de soleil. they've been performing on the strip for more than 20 years. they have a ton of shows here. >> a lot to choose from. there's o at the bellagio. >> there's michael jackson one. >> there's humanity at new york new york. >> at mgm grand. >> this morning, this is exciting, we have an original performance from austere, the original cirque de soleil at treasure island hotel and

>> yes, that's amazing. good job, guys. >> i know you don't speak but that was a ten. outstanding. you've got to go see one of those cirque de soleil performances, a ten, here in las vegas. >> you know what we've got? >> no. >> we've got a pop song like you've never heard it before. >> a cappella, baby.

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we had a lot of fun here today. good news, we're not done yet. >> not yet. if you like good looks, which hoda does, and smooth sounds, then you're going to love the hit australian pop vocal group who performs in front of sold out crowds. >> they are amazing. they are human nature. they have something exciting to share. they just signed a three-year >> all for their new show juke box which starts march 29. hi, guys. >> tell us about the show. >> it is a juke box of all the

the classic pop of the '50s and '60s, motown, today, a lot of fun with the band and dances. it's the play list of our lives. >> what i love is the song a special one by your girl meghan trainor. >> yes. >> what is it? >> "all about the base." >> let's do it. about the bass no treble bass no treble it's all about that bass about that bass no treble yeah it's pretty clear i ain't no size 2 but i can shake it shake it like i'm supposed to do if you got beauty beauty just raise 'em up because every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top my mama told me don't worry about your size to hold at night booty booty

no stick figure barbie doll if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along because you know it's all about that bass about that bass no treble it's all about that bass about that bass no treble it's all about that bass about that bass no treble it's all about that bass bass bass >> yeah! >> we so badly wanted to join you. >> i know. >> where was our part? >> come back. >> all right, we had a lot of fun. congratulations on your residency at the venetian. we've had a lot of fun. guess who's going to be with us tomorrow? >> olivia newton-john. >> wait a minute. we're also going to see jenna's great adventure. she hits some of vegas's hot spots. >> they push me off a building. >> but we'll also get ballroom

>> and lilliana's here and she's going to go on a shopping spree,