*Congratulations to Christopher “Toph” Moore, the first place winner in the main event ($10,000 buy-in) of The Wynn Classic poker tournament.

 

 

 

He placed first and won $692,286 after finishing in third place last year proving it always pays to try and try again!

*In addition to the arrival at the Luxor of the Bodies and Titanic exhibits there’s even more changes at the pyramid! As of Sunday night the resort’s famed Steakhouse will be closed for several weeks of remodeling with a reopening set sometime this summer. In addition comedy ventriloquist Ronn Lucas and his puppets including Scorch, Buffalo Billy and Chuck are moving out—and setting up new headquarter’s at the adjoining Excalibur resort in the Thunder from Down Under showroom. Ronn will perform daily 1 p.m. shows all weeklong except on Mondays.

*Just what does a UFC heavyweight tackle for lunch? Well when Randy “The Natural” Couture dined at the new Brio restaurant in Town Square he ordered up a chopped salad and the daily grilled swordfish special. Pretty healthy if you ask me! Meanwhile L.A. Laker Chris Mihm dined at Sushi Roku in The Forum Shops at Caesars after a family wedding and paid much attention to his mother—like good sons are supposed to.

*Filming for the new season of Sunset Tan reality shows gets underway today (FRI) and goodness knows what troubles await me in front of their cameras when I visit the new tanning parlor at Palms Place! However we’ll have all the exclusive photos next week here in Luxe Life.

 

BREAKING NEWS: Cathouse All Set To Re-Open

 

It maybe just 48 hours now to the re-opening of the Cathouse Loungerie and restaurant at the Luxor. Luxe Life has learned from reliable sources that executives there are hoping it will be "ready for business" again on Friday night.

 

 

All structural repairs have been completed and almost all final inspections have been made, signed off and officially approved. Apparently all that remains now is some minimal paperwork and county certificates to be issued. They are related to final health inspections and not to the construction work. Luxe Life readers will remember that back on Feb. 19 the floor slipped some 12 inches and caused a ceiling crack-and Luxor officials decided to close the nightspot that had only opened on New Years eve. Once newly opened the management plan a new gala re-opening party. As final details become officially available Luxe Life will pass them on. Posted in Breaking

 

 

Cher Sets The Date To Move To Vegas

 

New Vegas headline sensation Bette Midler wrapped up her first record-breaking run of 19 sold-out shows last night (TUES) at Caesars Palace-and tonight Sir Elton John returns to begin his run of nearly 20 shows through to April 6. Not once during Bette's run did her oversized giant feathered head-dress tangle in the illuminated flashing letters of his name hidden in the stage's upper ceiling areas!

 

 

Then their Colosseum theater goes dark for a month as superstar singer Cher readies her new show opening there on May 6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 61-year-old Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winner is set to arrive here April 7 to begin the one-month load in of sets, and scenery plus her show rehearsals. Cher will play her first run through Sunday, June 1 and as of this past Sunday night she'd become the No. 1 sales star in Vegas with tickets selling at an extraordinary rate. Elton returns June 3 through June 22 with Bette returning June 24 through July 20.

 

For Cher it marks the start of her third year 200-show contract at Caesars. "I started out in Vegas and I can't go on the road anymore so it was logical I would come full circle and wind up in Vegas. There was sufficient time between ending the last tour and moving to the desert," she said. She's got all new costumes from designer Bob Mackie for Cher at the Colosseum with choreography by Doriana Sanchez who did Cher's Believe and Farewell tours. "You don't want to stop if you can keep going and I never expected to be going this long," she added.Cher is also working on an all-new studio album-her first since Living Proof back in 2001. She promises that her Caesars Palace show will feature the most cutting edge technology and visual effects ever presented on the stage.

 

 

Meantime former Caesars Palace headliner Celine Dion could be forgiven last night (TUES) if she thought she was right back home on the Strip. Celine, now on the Asian leg of her world tour that began a month ago, performed at The Venetian-but in Macau! The 15,000 Venetian Arena was fully sold out with fans traveling in from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland for her Taking Chances tour. I'm told her 90-minute show featured five costume changes and 20-songs that were a mix from her new album and her old chart-topping hits.

 

Michael Jackson May Lose "Neverland" As Brothers Hope For New Strip Show

 

Pop prince Michael Jackson who was camped out in the Palms Fantasy Tower until checking out a week ago has won a two-month reprieve on the public auction sale of his Neverland ranch.

 

 

Yesterday, all the remaining animals there were transferred to an Arizona animal preserve for later showing. The auction was due to be held today (WED) but Michael now has until May 14 to attempt to untangle the financial nightmare because of his huge $20-million-plus debt to the Fortress Investment bankers. Another LA investment group stands ready with $46-million to take over the property when Fortress sells it.

 

 

Meantime Luxe Life can happily deny all the flurry of stories last week that had Michael and all the Jackson Brothers moving to the beautiful Devonshire countryside of England 200 miles from the British capital. I was with Marlon Jackson when he telephoned brother Tito to find out how the story first appeared in London newspapers that he was buying homes there for all the brothers. After laughing for a few moments Marlon told me: "All Tito said when he was over there visiting friends last week is that if he ever bought a home in England he would like it to be in Devon and it would be the perfect place for Michael to get away for rest and relaxation. He also said that if he bought there it would have to be a big enough house for all the brothers to stay and visit. From that innocent remark came all the incorrect headline stories that we were all moving there. Totally untrue." In fact Marlon told me that negotiations are still ongoing for the group to do a Strip show. "Nothings definitely set yet but it's getting closer and now we have a couple of choices of places to make," he told me. Michael would not be in the nightly shows but would drop by as a surprise at some point-if the engagement contract pans out!

 

 

Priscilla High-Steps Her Dancing Debut & Julianne Says She'll Save Herself For Honeymoon Night

 

It was the night of the ladies on ABC-TV's second two-hour season six opening special-and Priscilla Presley demonstrated her fancy foxtrot footwork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With daughter Lisa Marie watching from the front-row the 62-year-old beauty danced to "Feeling Good" with partner Louis Van Amstel. Fans of Dancing with the Stars have blogged their concerns that the incredible rehearsal schedule and strenuous routines will take a toll on her over the weeks to come because she's one of the oldest female contestants to date. Last night (TUES) Priscilla scored 24 points coming in second to skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi with 27. The judges commended her on "elegance and grace and the killer death spiral" she added to the routine.

 

The previous night's debut broadcast which kicked off with Rio headliner Penn Jillette dancing the cha-cha was the No.1 program with all adult groups ratcheting up a

whopping 20-million viewers against the nearest CBS Big Bang Theory show at 11 million viewers. Next Monday both the male and female stars-all 12 of them including Priscilla and Penn-get to dance once more and then next Tuesday the first-ever double star elimination.

Meantime last year's winner, former Vegas hometown hero, Julianne Hough has revealed that she's really Miss Goody Two Shoes: "I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't smoke and although there have been numerous partners in the ballroom there have been none in the bedroom," she tells CosmoGirl's April edition.

 

Commenting on her virginity she added: "I think the decision to have sex before marriage is an individual one and waiting will strengthen that relationship." Julianne, still only 19, won the championship crown in the fourth season finale with Apolo Ohno and last year's fifth season with South American race driver Helio Castroneves.

 

 

The bubbly blonde majored in theater when she lived here in Vegas attending our Las Vegas Academy. She canceled her August 2007 wedding plans to Zach Wilson and said: "I tried to go out and mingle with people in the industry and date people but I felt I was different than most of them. My family and my father, who I'm very close with, have kept me grounded."

 

 

This season she's partnered with Adam Carolla and they came in with the lowest score on Monday night. However it's her country singing rather than her dancing skills that will ensure ongoing showbiz stardom. She's just finished recording her debut country music album and its hit single "That Song in My Head' is being released this month. Julianne will open this summer for Brad Paisley on his Paisley Party Tour starting June 11 in Albuquerque with a hometown stop here in Vegas before Labor Day!