Michael Jackson’s Financial Woes Are Untangled By Bankers Who Plot His Showbiz Comeback

Pop-prince Michael Jackson has been thrown an economic lifeline, which could untangle his messy financial fortunes and simultaneously land him new concert dates and even, hard to believe, his own Thriller casino!

Once again you’re all saying I’ve lost my marbles and daydreaming in 96 pt. Gothic Bold headlines! NO! No less an authoritative voice of respectability than the prestigious Wall Street Journal is weighing in with the breathless monetary minutia. Better still is that both the New York Times and United Press International followed up with their “Chronicles of Colony Capital.”

Colony’s founder Thomas Barrack is the major shareholder of his financial equity group that also owns our Las Vegas Hilton, where Elvis Presley used to perform! Luxe Life had reported that Michael, about to turn 50, was in danger of “crushing” under the $23 million weight of debt he owed hedge fund Fortress Investment Group secured by the cash-strapped notorious Neverland ranch. Barrack and Colony paid off the debt and now have admitted they are in negotiations with the former “King of Pop.”

Says Barrack: “ We bought the note. We’re talking about refinancing Neverland, recapitalizing Michael in addition to discussing other business opportunities and mutual interests.” Even Michael’s spokesman confirmed the talks: “We’re moving forward and looking to do some positive things in the future.”

Writer Ethan Smith claims that Michael now lives 60 miles from the Vegas strip in a rural compound in Pahrump where he has a home recording studio and is home-schooling his three young children. I’ve learned he’s getting ready to release two new singles this August and September and he’s currently finishing them and promised he’ll even make some personal appearances to promote them, one of them would be right here in Vegas—just off the Strip.

More intriguing though to us than all the “dance of the suits” is the very real possibility that Barrack and Colony have convinced Michael to make a serious show-business comeback and the WSJ states, obviously from its deep well-informed sources that they are urging Michael to emerge from his holed-up state to stage a residency performance at one of its gambling or entertainment properties! I last met with Michael in the Wing Lei restaurant at the Wynn resort casino where he plotted a comeback with American Idol Simon Cowell’s British entertainment partner, mogul Simon Fuller.

He agreed to perform a 10-night run of shows at the W2 arena in London, but backed out later. However, the unexpected strong success of his 25th anniversary edition of the Thriller album may have sparked his desire to work again, although the number wizards point out that his share of SONY/ATV Music Publishing which has The Beatles library is worth over $500 million.

Knowledgeable sources say Michael has been presented with three choices for his comeback: a) a specially built theater at the Hilton where he would appear on a similar long-term, commitment as Elton John or even Barry Manilow at the Hilton; b) a show built around all of Michael’s hits similar to Cirque du Soleil’s show Love, which is built around The Beatles music; and c) a high-profile charity concert that would promote a new Thriller casino that Colony would develop from Michael’s 10-year’s worth of ideas. One or all of these would be blockbusters although there are skeptics. One former Jackson business pal commented, “Much will be talked about but nothing will ever come to pass because Michael simply doesn’t have the strength, stamina and dedication for such a big commitment.”

The New York Times said no deal was yet in place but UPI reported that Michael is seriously considering the long-term Vegas gig. It’s also interesting to note that Colony is also a major shareholder in the Station Casinos chain and Luxe Life reported more than a week ago UFC president Dana White promised a startling development with his furious fight league. Yesterday (WED) he confirmed that Station Casinos co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta was resigning as president of the gaming company to become chairman and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Michael was a guest of the UFC at its most recent MGM Grand battle.

Luxe Life will keep you posted on all developments in the ongoing saga of both Michael and the new face of the UFC!

TV Veteran Barbara Walters Lures A Slew Of Stars For Her

Its an all star week of surprise guests for The View tapings at the Caesars Palace fountains next week. Legendary broadcaster Barbara Walters has lined up a great mix of both local Vegas headline names and some entertainers to commute in from Hollywood.

But if you want to catch them and see the show “go live” by satellite back to New York you’d better be early. Barbara wants you at the Roman Plaza check in area no later than 6:30 a.m.!

Cameras will “roll with action” exactly at 8 a.m. because that’s the 11 a.m. live ABC-TV time period in New York for the East Coast! Barbara will have the full View cast along with her including Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and newcomer Sherri Shepherd.

Here’s the updated list of guests scheduled to appear on the three-days of taping to start Monday:

Monday, June 23: 8 a.m. live, former Vegas resident and now late-night talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel, musical artist Rhianna and three of the HBO Entourage stars Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Debi Mazur.

Tuesday, June 24: 8 a.m. live, our current Mirage entertainer Danny Gans who will move to Steve Wynn’s new Encore resort after November, the hunks from our Chippendales show at the Rio and musical performances by American idol dueling winners David Cook and David Archuleta.
At 10:30 a.m. a pre-taped show with The Venetian headliner Wayne Brady, the Jubilee! showgirls from Ballys and The Hills star Heidi Montag. It will air Thursday morning (June 26).

Wednesday, June 25: 8 a.m. live, our Harrah’s favorite comedienne Rita Rudner and singer Jessica Simpson who was here in Vegas two weekends ago for the gala opening of the new George Maloof Palms Place condo-tel. At 10:30 a.m. another pre-taped show with Caesars Palace headline star Bette Midler, Monte Carlo magician Lance Burton and the Kardashian sisters Kim, Khloe and Kourtney. It will air Friday morning (June 27).

At 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday Barbara will also autograph copies of her new Audition book at the Fountain of the Gods near Wolfgang Puck’s Spago restaurant in The Forum Shops at Caesars.

Luxe Life will report next week from the set for all the behind-the-scenes secrets and surprises.

All The “Big Top” Thrills As The Circus Comes To Town

It’s the annual four-day multi-performance visit of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. “Over The Top” a wacky and whimsical circus spectacular plays the Orleans Arena through Sunday night and features one courageous man standing eye to eye against a pack of powerful Bengal tigers, a flying dog and Asian elephants that can stomp, hop and groove to the latest hip-hop music!

But that’s not all! Motorcycle madness includes one cyclist on a high wire and seven speeding riders in the Globe of Steel, plus Chinese acrobats with unbelievable aerial acts including a rare double-decker trapeze number that makes your heart stop pumping as you dare not breathe!

It’s as if P.T. Barnum has come back to life in the form of Chuck Wagner who returns for his second tour as Ringmaster. He says, “I’m thrilled once again to be entrusted with the big hat. I have the greatest job on earth, I get to be in the circus and at the circus at the same time. Clown-king Tom Dougherty is also back to pull kids out of the audience to help with his ring tasks. Two special attractions this visit are the eight members of the Torres family (five brothers and three cousins from Paraguay) who perform on high-speed motorbikes inside the 16-feet-steel sphere of death and the noted Cossack horsemen with daring acrobatic feats while riding on their galloping horses.

Highlight though always comes when one of the audience kids actually joins the circus. That’s every child’s fantasy to run away and join the circus and at the “Greatest Show on Earth” you are pulled from your premium seat to join the fun on the arena floor as the “Circus Celebrity of the Day!”