Bonds was spotted
Friday at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club at Palazzo after partying at Tryst (Wynn)
on Thursday night. He's reportedly staying at the Palms.
There were rumblings that Kanye West was on his way to Las Vegas
for a weekend getaway.
The Scene And
Heard
Las Vegas
silk aerialist Jenileigh Sawatzke teamed up with her mother
Moya Sawatzke to win the CW network's "Crowned" reality show on
Wednesday night. It was a mother/daughter pageant, with the winners
splitting the grand prize of custom-made diamond necklaces, a pair of
tiaras and $100,000. Jenileigh, who won Miss Wyoming 2006 and competed
in the Miss America pageant here a year ago, is a performer for Miracle
Mile at Planet Hollywood Resort. They had lost their home after a family
tragedy and were forced to stay with friends. ...
Ken Langdon
has resigned as public relations director for Caesars Palace effective
at the end of February, after two-plus years in the position. In making
the announcement on Friday, Langdon said he's creating his own Las
Vegas-based PR agency, Heat Communications, and will specialize in
representing chefs, restaurants and food specialty shops. ...
With Amazing
Jonathan leaving, the rumblings grow louder that the Sahara is
getting rid of its showroom and building a new tower. ...
Two-time Grammy
winner Dee Dee Bridgewater has moved to Las Vegas. That explains
her recent drop-in appearances at Sand Dollar Blues Lounge. She also won
a Tony Award in 1975 for her role as Glinda the Good Witch in "The Wiz."
...
Hot spots and cool
stuff: UFC star Chuck Liddell hosts an after-fight party at
Studio 54 (MGM Grand) tonight. The red carpet starts at 11:30 p.m.
Howard Stern's producer, Gary Dell'abate, better known as
Baba Booey, is the celebrity host at Blush nightclub (Wynn) tonight.
From 6-9 p.m. today, famed rock 'n' roll photographer Robert M.
Knight opens his exhibit, "40 x 40," at Symbolic Gallery, 4631 S.
Dean Martin Drive, Suite 100. Many of his celebrity musician pals will
be joining Knight on the red carpet.
Sunday 02-03-08
Origin of false fire reports not clear
A news alert e-mailed by KVBC-TV, Channel 3 about 18 minutes after the
Monte Carlo fire erupted Jan. 25 might have been the source of the false
reports of mass hotel evacuations by local and national outlets.
Vegas Confidential obtained a copy of the news alert, which was sent
at 11:15 a.m.
It read: "Guests
of the Monte Carlo, Bellagio and
New York-New York are being evacuated because of the blaze atop the
Monte Carlo. Stay with News 3 for the latest."
KVBC news director
Deborah Clayton said the station's webmaster indicated that "it
appears to be one of our e-mails. It should have read 'Guests of the
Monte Carlo are being evacuated to Bellagio and New York-New York,'
which is how we correctly reported it on air."
The source of the trapped workers report isn't quite clear, although
Holly Steuart, vice president and general manager at KVVU-TV,
Channel 5, indicated in an e-mail last week that "our reporting of
workers on the roof was sourced on reports coming from our network, Fox
News, and (Fox 5 anchor Monica Jackson) attributed the
information correctly."
KLAS-TV,
Channel 8 anchor Gary Waddell, a veteran of the 1980 MGM Grand
fire, delivered some of the most restrained reporting.
About 45 minutes
into the fire, at 12:40 p.m., he told viewers, "There are some reports
that people are trapped and we're hearing that the Bellagio and MGM
Grand are being evacuated and those are not correct."
Between 1 p.m. and
1:15 p.m. he stated on air that national mentions of trapped workers
were "not confirmed, not corroborated and I'm sort of doubting that."
Waddell called me
last week to say that he did not criticize KVVU-TV, Channel 5, which had
mentioned the trapped workers and evacuations.
When I called
Waddell last Saturday to discuss the fire coverage, I asked him to
confirm that he had criticized "Fox coverage." I was referring to the
local Fox station, which is an affiliate of Fox News network, not Fox
News Channel, the cable network.
Waddell assumed I
was referring to Fox Network and confirmed he had questioned the
coverage but declined to elaborate. Hence, the mix-up.
FNC briefly aired
Jackson's audio with KTNV-TV, Channel 13's video feed.
KLAS captured the
final Nielsen ratings, winning seven quarter hours to runner-up KVBC's
four. KTNV-TV, Channel 13 won one quarter hour. KVVU, the only station
without a helicopter, was shut out.
The Scene And
Heard
That Siegfried
& Roy tell-all by former employee Jim Lavery has been delayed
to this
spring. The author, Henrietta Tiefenthaler, co-authored "Train
Wreck: The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith" with Donna
Hogan, Smith's half sister.
There's buzz in
the restaurant world that star chefs Mario Batali and Paul
Bartolotta, who both have Las Vegas restaurants, squared off on
"Iron Chef" last May. The episode will air in June.
Batali just
launched Carnevino, at Palazzo after opening B&B Ristorante and Enoteca
San Marco at The Venetian last year. Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare is
one of the most successful restaurants at Wynn Las Vegas.
Monday 02-04-08
Jay-Z still chills without
Cristal
Music
mogul
Jay-Z's war with a French champagne giant continues to
bubble.
A year and a
half after Jay-Z called for a boycott of Cristal, the luxury
brand produced by maker
Louis Roederer, "I guarantee they got what they wanted," he
said.
The rap
megastar told
Vegas Confidential on Sunday that Cristal's business in the
rap and hip-hop community "is definitely not where it was.
Drastically. They really don't want our business."
Cristal,
which has a cult following in the celebrity world, sells for
$700 to $1,000 at many clubs in
Las Vegas.
Stung by what
he considered racism, Jay-Z has replaced Cristal in his three
upscale 40/40 Clubs with Armand de Brignac's Ace of Spades, Dom
Pérignon and Krug.
Jay-Z, who
was in town to watch the Super Bowl at 40/40 Las Vegas with his
girlfriend Beyoncé, called for the boycott in June 2006
after Roederer's new managing director, Frédéric Rouzaud,
told a British magazine, The Economist, that Cristal's
popularity in the hip-hop community brought "unwelcome
attention."
Rouzaud said
the champagne producer viewed Cristal's association with rap
"with curiosity and serenity."
When the
newspaper asked whether he thought the association would harm
the brand, he replied, 'that's a good question, but what can we
do? We can't forbid people from
buying it. I'm sure Dom Pérignon or Krug would be delighted to
have their business."
CHER'S BIG
NEWS
Expect an
announcement this week that Cher's deal with Caesars
Palace will premiere on May 6, according to a Web site report. A
news conference is likely on Thursday, according to a report
that surfaced Sunday on zomgblog.blogspot.com. Cher will share
the Colosseum stage with Bette Midler, whose show
premieres Feb. 20, with dress rehearsals on Feb. 17 and Feb. 18.
Tuesday 02-05-08
Norm took the day off
Wednesday 02-06-08
Legend of lounge era critically ill
Freddie Bell,
one of the last survivors from
Las Vegas' golden lounge era, is critically ill with lung cancer, a
family spokesman said Tuesday.
Bell,
76, was on life support at
Valley Hospital and family members were being notified, according to
longtime friend and former publicist
Norm Johnson.
A
product of south Philadelphia, Bell and his Bellboys are credited with
being an influential force in the rock 'n' roll movement.
They
were among the first white groups to play the R&B hits and were one of
the first American rock 'n' roll acts to tour the
United Kingdom.
Their
arrival in Las Vegas added sparks to the booming casino lounge scene led
by Louis Prima, Keely Smith and Sam Butera.
In
recent years, he got the entertainment rolling at the Bootlegger Bistro,
when the health of another lounge legend, Sonny King, declined.
King died two years ago in February at age 83.
During his recent hospitalization, Bell had a spirited response when
nurses came by to check on him.
Bell
pal Nelson Sardelli said, "They wanted to know if he was aware of
'where he is and what day it is.' "
Sardelli said Bell told them, "I may not know what day it is, but I know
the lyrics to 'How High is the Moon,' 'Laura' and 'Stardust.' "
GROWING PAINS
With
March Madness about a month away, Jay-Z's 40/40 Club at Palazzo
has some
operational challenges to iron out.
I
spent part of my Super Bowl Sunday at the hottest new sports-themed club
in town, now 5 weeks old.
Jay-Z
accommodated me with an interview prior to the club's biggest day so
far, and he threw in a tour of his suite, which connects to a
street-level, Strip-front patio on the world's hottest intersection.
"It's
prime real estate," he said. "I'm ecstatic. I think the concept is so
bullet-proof, how can it not work?"
He
added, "The product delivers."
With
some time, I don't doubt. He's got the know-how of running two others in
highly competitive markets. But for now, there are serious service
issues, most likely related to the size of the club.
My
party of four had our food order take more than an hour to arrive. We
were told they were out of Bud Light late in the second quarter, and the
second round of beers arrived at room temperature.
"Super Bowl weekend was our first big event since opening weekend," said
a spokesperson. "As is the case with all things new, we did our best to
provide the utmost experience for all our guests. The event was sold
out, so we had 1,500 guests that we were taking care of all at the same
time. It was the place to be that day."
The
e-mailed response continued, "The response to 40/40 Club since our
opening is overwhelmingly positive, and Vegas has embraced the club as a
great addition to the city.
Thursday 02-07-08
'Mamma Mia!' time moves fast
"Mamma
Mia!" marks its fifth year at
Mandalay Bay with an anniversary performance Feb. 14. We don't know
where the years went so quickly, but here's an update on where some of
the Vegas alums ended up:
Local
favorite
Tina Walsh (the original Donna) is getting set to take the stage
as
Madam Drury in
Las Vegas' other hit Broadway musical, "Phantom: The Las Vegas
Spectacular," at
The Venetian next month.
Nick Cokas,
who played the original Sam, made headlines this week when he married "American
Idol" star
Katharine McPhee.
Jill Paice,
the original Sophie, will be playing
Scarlet O'Hara in the much-anticipated musical production of "Gone
with the Wind" in
London.
Karole Foreman,
the original Tanya, is acting in Southern California and recently
performed in Clint Holmes' musical "Just Another Man" workshop at
UNLV.
And
coming full circle: Victor Wallace, who played the original Sky,
has returned to the show as a much older Sam. He has gone from the role
of the young husband-to-be to one of the three potential dads
"Mamma Mia!" was set to close in August 2008 but has been extended to
January. And "Mamma Mia! The Movie" comes out this summer with a cast
that includes Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan.
BACK IN THE HEADLINES
The
jailing of former Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees early Wednesday was
the latest in a series of missteps in little more than a year.
Scandal ended her brief reign in December 2006 after photos surfaced on
the Internet of her at age 17 kissing other women and exposing herself.
Her
hard partying resulted in her being rushed to a Las Vegas hospital last
year for treatment for alcohol poisoning.
Former Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees is seen here in her booking
photo early Wednesday taken at the Clark County Detention Center
in Las Vegas. Rees was jailed at the Clark County Detention
Center, where she was officially hit with six charges, including
resisting a police officer. (Courtesy photo)
KVBC-TV,
Channel 3 reported at the time of Rees' dethroning that photographs of
her appeared on the MySpace page of Tiffany Masters, who
according to the station promotes "legitimate escort services" called
"Vegas Arm Charms" and "VIP Eye Candy."
KVBC
entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs reported Wednesday night
that the Miss Universe organization, which oversees Miss USA, began an
investigation into Rees shortly after she won the state title for
"behavior not befitting a beauty queen."
Rees,
23, was booked on several charges Wednesday including resisting an
officer after she became physically aggressive, according to a Metro
report. She was released from jail after about 12 hours.
She
said she had a tooth chipped during the scuffle after being pulled over
about 3 a.m. not far from where she lives in the southwest valley.
Rees,
who grew up in Florida, dated Palms owner George Maloof
throughout 2007, but they broke up around Thanksgiving, according to
friends.
Maloof said by telephone Wednesday that he was not aware of the incident
until noon and added, "I don't really know anything about this."
The Scene And
Heard
Check
out Cher on ABC's "Good Morning America" today for her
announcement of her three-year deal with Caesars Palace. She'll be on
the air about 8:30 a.m. with news that her show premieres May 6. Cher,
61, told USA Today that she overcame a debilitating bout of Epstein-Barr
virus that "really takes the life out of you."
Friday
02-08-08
Monte Carlo set to announce plan
Look for an
announcement today on the reopening of the Monte Carlo, which has been
closed for two weeks since the hotel's Jan. 25 fire. Almost two dozen
people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.
No date has been
announced, but a call to the ticket office on Thursday provided this
hint: Tickets to the Feb. 15 Lance Burton magic show were
available Thursday, for the first time since the fire.
The hotel is
continuing to relocate guests through Feb. 14.
ALI RETURNS
Boxing
icon Muhammad Ali returns to Las Vegas this weekend for the 12th
annual "Keep Memory Alive" Foundation charity gala at the MGM Grand.
Ali, 66, will be among
the celebrities who turn out for Larry Ruvo's Alzheimer's
fundraiser to benefit the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute.
Ali will be
joining Michael Buble, the featured entertainer; Teri Hatcher,
Danny DeVito, Siegfried & Roy, Lorraine Bracco, Steve Schirripa, David
Copperfield, Frank Gehry, and chefs Wolfgang Puck, Guy Savoy
and Tom Colicchio, who are in charge of the dinner.
A live auction
will feature a trip to Italy with star chef Mario Batali, dinner
in New York City with Bracco and Schirripa of "The
Sopranos," private tennis lessons with Andre Agassi and Steffi
Graf, a Mercedes SLR McLaren Roadster, a walk-on role in the
television series "24," and tickets to the 2008
The Scene And
Heard
"Clint Holmes
and Friends" has been booked at the Suncoast for April 18-20, a date
that is raising eyebrows since it is so close to Holmes' planned
off-Broadway launch of "Just Another Man." We put in a call to Holmes
but didn't hear back by deadline. ...
Mirage headliner
Danny Gans, who is playing in the AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach
this week, got a surprise invitation Wednesday after taking part in a
show for the event's 2,000 volunteers. He was approached by film legend
Clint Eastwood and invited to a private dinner party. Gans was
part of a celebrity lineup that included Glen Frey, Kenny G, Ray
Romano and Kevin James among others. ...
Now that they're
all booked to perform in the same venue, here's some old footage of
Elton John, Bette Midler and Cher performing a medley on the
same stage at an unidentified event:
Taking the
Chinese New Year experience to another level, the MGM Grand Las Vegas
has flown in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse culinary team for a weeklong
festival. China's version of Camp David, the U.S. presidential retreat,
the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse of Beijing has entertained more than
1,000 heads of state, presidents and prime ministers. Held around the
world each year, the festival is being hosted by Pearl at MGM Grand
through Tuesday. Reservations: 891-3701. Lunch prices run from $200-$250
and dinner $450-$650. ... Miss America Kirsten Haglund makes an
appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" tonight, KTNV-TV Channel
13, 12:05 a.m.
Correction:
Tina Walsh will be playing the Madame Giry role in "Phantom --
The Las Vegas Spectacular" when she joins the cast Monday.
Norm Clarke's newest book, Vegas Confidential: Sinsational Celebrity
Tales ($12.95, Stephens Press, February 2008), dishes up a feast
from Sin City's Ace Insider on celeb's club hopping, spending sprees,
outrageous behavior, feuds and meltdowns, and the best (and worst)
tippers. Discounted pre-orders are $9.95 and include free shipping.
Pre-order your copy now!
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KLAS-TV,
Channel 8 anchor Gary Waddell, a veteran of the 1980 MGM Grand
fire, delivered some of the most restrained reporting. 
spring. The author, Henrietta Tiefenthaler, co-authored "Train
Wreck: The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith" with Donna
Hogan, Smith's half sister. 
Music
mogul
operational challenges to iron out.
Boxing
icon Muhammad Ali returns to Las Vegas this weekend for the 12th
annual "Keep Memory Alive" Foundation charity gala at the MGM Grand.
