May '08 Notes from Norm — Norm Clarke Column

Saturday 5-03-08

	Mark Cuban sets sights on fights Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is plotting to carve out a big slice of the Ultimate Fighting Championship market. In the latest issue of Forbes Magazine, which features Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta on the cover, Cuban says the UFC is vulnerable because the company is "completely dependent on pay-per-view," which has long been the primary vehicle for mixed martial arts. Cuban has created HDNet Fights for the expressed purpose of making "our network the de facto destination for MMA fans." He's counting on his free programming to cut deeply into what could be a $1 billion-a-year sales industry. UFC president Dana White says Cuban "doesn't know anything about the fight business ... All he's concerned with is drawing subscribers to HDNet so he can sell out to Time Warner or Comcast." The Forbes article credits the Fertittas with turning their $2 million purchase of the UFC in 2001 into $1 billion in value today, including $250 million in estimated sales in 2008. REMEMBERING TAMERA With teen phenom Miley Cyrus back in the news concerning her controversial Vanity Fair photo shoot, it reminded me of her January spirit-boosting visit to a Las Vegas cancer ward for children. One of the kids she met was 12-year-old Tamera Matthews. She was among a group of children chosen to see one of Cyrus' show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. When I interviewed Tamera in her room at Sunrise Hospital on Jan. 21, her bright-light personality illuminated the room. She was not only pleased that she got to see Cyrus perform, but that the "Hannah Montana" star also came to the hospital. "Some kids were too sick so she went to see them." For someone who had received bad news earlier that day, she was abuzz that her picture was going to appear in the R-J with Cyrus. Nothing else mattered, certainly not the black wig she had to wear to cover her head, bald from months of chemotherapy. On the same day that Tamera's mother, Monique, learned her daughter was being invited to Cyrus' show, she was told tests confirmed Tamera's leukemia had returned. Tamera's mother chose not to tell her daughter until her big weekend was over. When she broke the news, Tamera responded, "At least I got to meet Hannah Montana." I have sad news: Tamera died March 14 from leukemia, the Clark County Coroner's Office confirmed Tuesday. The Scene And Heard A bid to break the Guinness Book world record attempt for largest number of assembled Elvis impersonators to sing at one time is planned for May 25 at the Imperial Palace. The record was set in January 2007 when 147 Elvis impersonators gathered in Parkes, Australia, to shatter the previous mark of 77 set in London in 2005. The record attempt at the Legends in Concert theater will open the 17th annual REEL Awards, which honors the top celebrity impersonators in the industry. For more information go to www.thereelawards.com ... Fox News' Oliver North has been added to the lineup of tonight's Sean Hannity Freedom Concert at the Orleans Arena. The 8 p.m. event features special musical guest Lee Greenwood and is presented by KXNT-AM 840. Tickets: $25 and $35 at the Orleans box office or KXNT.com. ... Former Las Vegas headliner Trini Lopez will become the 25th honoree of the Las Vegas Walk during a May 15 star ceremony at noon in the Flamingo showroom. It is open to the public....

Sunday 5-04-08

Lowden, McCains in Vietnam in 1971

Almost four decades after a round-the-word tour with Bob Hope, Sue Lowden came away from a conversation with John McCain convinced it truly is a small world.

McCain was in Las Vegas a year ago as the keynote speaker for the Clark County Lincoln Day Dinner.

"I introduced myself as the chairwoman of the state Republicans," Lowden said.

Aware that McCain was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, Lowden mentioned she was in Da Nang on Christmas Day 1971 performing a USO show with Hope.

"Why didn't you come and get me?" said McCain, alluding to his 51/2 years of captivity.

Then he added, "My father was at the show."

"He was in the front row," said Lowden, 18 at the time.

McCain's father was John S. McCain Jr., a four-star admiral and head of the Pacific Fleet during the Vietnam War.

Lowden still has a photo of herself in white go-go boots and hot pants with Hope while on the tour.

The troupe turned out to be replacements for the Gold Diggers, a sexy, scantily clad group of dancers and singers who worked with Dean Martin and toured with Hope.

Two years later, when McCain was released with other POWs, Lowden, entered under her maiden name of Plummer, competed in the Miss America pageant as Miss New Jersey and later landed in Las Vegas as a reporter at KLAS-TV, Channel 8, where she became an anchor.

McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is returning to Las Vegas this month.

The Scene And Heard

A buyout involving several Pure Management Group partners is in motion, with some high-profile investors distancing themselves in the aftermath of the February Internal Revenue Service raid, sources tell me. ...

It's an all-Vegas lineup this week when David Letterman welcomes Lance Burton, Mac King, Dirk Arthur, Steve Wyrick and Penn & Teller to "Late Show Magician Week." Burton is on Monday, King on Tuesday, Arthur on Wednesday, Wyrick on Thursday and Penn & Teller on Friday.

Monday 5-05-08

'Idol' finalists jet to Vegas for 'Love'

The four "American Idol" finalists turned day-trippers Saturday with a whirlwind visit for some "Love," Las Vegas-style.

David Archuleta, Jason Castro, David Cook and Syesha Mercado didn't have time for much sightseeing.

Their itinerary included meeting Mayor Oscar Goodman, making a photo-op stop at The Mirage to view the dolphin experience, getting a quick styling at Kim Vo's salon, hitting the red carpet, attending "Love" and going on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Cirque du Soleil-Beatles collaboration.

They arrived in midafternoon by private jet, some with their parents, and left about 10 p.m. The show airs on KVVU-TV, Channel 5.

VEGAS UNCORKS

Vegas Uncork'd-A Bon Appetit Epicurean Experience runs from Thursday through Sunday, with more than 25 events.

Participating chefs include Paul Bartolotta, Francois Payard, Todd English, and Cat Cora.

Along with Masters Series Dinners and the Masters vs. Rookies Culinary Pro-Am at Caesars Palace, there are midnight poker and blackjack tourneys at the Hard Rock, A Tale of Five Chefs Gala and an Editors-at-Lunch series at Bellagio.

A Star Chefs Series and Mother's Day brunch will be at Wynn Las Vegas.

For more information: BAVegasUncorked.com.

JERSEY (BIRTHDAY) BOY

The highlight of the "Jersey Boys" opening night party Saturday came when the cast led the 1,600 guests in a doo-wop version of "Happy Birthday" to the original Jersey Boy himself, Frankie Valli.

Valli was joined at the opening by original Four Seasons Bob Gaudio and Tommy DeVito.

The fourth, Nick Massi, died in 2000.

Valli gave the stamp of approval on Rick Faugno (who portrays Valli) and the rest of the cast by saying, "These guys are sensational."

The feeling is mutual. Said Faugno when he brought the three originals onstage at Palazzo for a curtain call: "These guys lived their lives far better than we could ever hope to play them on this stage."

Jeremy Kushnier (DeVito), Erich Bergen (Gaudio) and Jeff Leibow (Massi) round out the four leads who tell the story of the remarkable highs and lows of The Four Seasons, from the streets of Newark to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

The red carpet included John Cleese, Wayne Brady, Rita Rudner, Las Vegas Sands' Sheldon Adelson, Planet Hollywood boss Robert Earl, and Frankie Avalon.

At the party they were treated to go-go dancers, classic '60s tunes and more then $1.2 million in vintage autos from the private collection of Las Vegas Sands honcho Bill Weidner.

Tuesday 5-06-08

Norm is taking Tuesdays off

Wednesday 5-07-08

People, Clooney recognize beauty

Sarah Larson's fairy tale year just keeps getting more magical.

Larson, who caught George Clooney's attention last June at CineVegas, has been named to People magazine's annual "100 Most Beautiful" issue.

A Las Vegas model, she's a gorgeous melting pot of ethnicity.

"Mongolian-Norwegian on my mom's side. French, Native American, Irish, German, and I think Scottish and Welsh on my dad's," the 29-year-old told People.

Asked if her relationship with Clooney, who turned 47 on Tuesday, has prompted her to look beautiful 24-7, Larson said, "At first, definitely. I'm starting to relax, because obviously you can't keep that up. There are more important things than to sit in front of a mirror for an hour a day."

THE DEAD LIST

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has added me to his frienemy list, as in former friend now enemy.

He's "very disappointed" with my item last week about Steve Friess' claim that Hilton plagiarized his account of Tina Turner's tour announcement.

Friess had reported in his VegasHappensHere.com: "The 68-year-old legend says that Sophia Loren told her to stop lolling about her Swiss home and get back to work."

The "lolling about" phrase was Friess' and not a quote from Loren.

Friess wasn't happy when the following post appeared later on PerezHilton.com: "The 68-year-old legend says that Sophia Loren told her to stop 'lolling about her Swiss home and get back to work.'"

When Friess squawked, calling it plagiarism, Hilton's e-mail response to the local free-lancer and podcaster was, "A reader sent me that item as their own."

In an e-mail, Hilton said I should have "had the courtesy" to go beyond his response to Friess and sought a comment from him. As a result, he said, the "relationship" -- which amounted to me crediting his scoops but not receiving the same courtesy -- "is now DEAD."

DEEP DISHING IN CHICAGO

It was this kind of a week in Chicago: wind, rain and sun, the Cubs, the sub, the mob bus tour, the architecture tour by boat, Rush Street, the cloud-piercing John Hancock tower and heavenly pizza.

We saw as much as you can in four days and can't wait to go back (for the pizza we missed)

The occasion was the wedding of friends Mike Berg and Rebecca Bruening in an art gallery overlooking the Chicago River. The biggest wow, after Rebecca's bridal entrance: the moment you come around a corner at the Museum of Science and Industry and see the captured German U-505 sub, almost as long as a football field and as breathtaking as Wrigley Field.

No, we didn't forget that favorite deep dish pizza survey we ran in Friday's column. My research included a stop at Uno's on Ohio Street for some deep dishing about our Denver days with ex-roomie, Rick Morrissey, sports columnist of the Chicago Tribune.

With almost 100 votes in, it's Uno's, by the margin of a slice of pepperoni, over Lou Malnati's (going out of our way to get one on a cab ride to the airport). Giordano's was third.

Best Chicago deep-dish experience in the Las Vegas area? A good number of respondents recommended Brando's pizzeria and sports pubs. I've sampled two -- the combo and pepperoni -- at the Henderson location. Worth the trip.

The Scene And Heard

Passengers on a JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas heard whooping and cheering erupt over Michigan late Monday. It was magician Lance Burton and his crew of 10, watching themselves on "The Late Show with David Letterman." They were going home after kicking off Letterman's Magic Week. ...

Roseanne Barr was at her best the other night when a tipsy woman kept interrupting her Sahara show. Barr incorporated the heckler into the act, and the audience loved it. But the biggest laugh came when the soused showgoer kept hassling security. An audience member yelled, "Taze her!

Thursday 5-08-08

'Idol' contestant set to go country

Former "American Idol" contestant Mikalah Gordon, a Las Vegas teen who almost made the top 10 at age 16, has surfaced on another reality show.

She's going country.

Gordon will be among the cast of "Gone Country 2," which premieres in August on the Country Music Television network, CMT.

The inaugural show, "Gone Country," was the highest-rated series in CMT history.

Gordon will join Skid Row's Sebastian Bach; Grammy winner Irene Cara of "Fame" fame; Jermaine Jackson; Chris Kirkpatrick of 'N Sync; and actors Lorenzo Lamas and Sean Young.

The series will be shot in Nashville, Tenn., with the winner getting a chance to be a break-out country star.

Gordon's "Idol" exposure landed a guest-starring role on Fran Drescher's sitcom "Living With Fran," and she was hired as a correspondent for "The Tyra Banks Show."

The Scene And Heard

Barbara Walters and her sidekicks on "The View" are returning to Las Vegas next month to do a week's worth of shows over three days, June 23, 24 and 25. The host site is still being negotiated. The show was shot at Caesars Palace in 2004 and 2006. ...

Donald Trump has another Miss USA scandal on his hands. Miss Kentucky USA 2008, Alysha Harris, whose Facebook says she's only 20, was photographed partying and bumping and grinding with New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss at the Kentucky Derby. Harris competed here last month. Trump gave former Miss USA Tara Conner a second chance more than a year ago after her underage partying and other inappropriate behavior. Las Vegan Katie Rees had her Miss Nevada USA title taken away in December 2006 after scandalous photographs surfaced. ...

PR Plus owner Laura Herlovich and her husband, Matt Vest, exchanged their wedding vows in the CBS radio tent at Churchill Downs on Saturday. They had officially tied the knot Feb. 29, but with that falling on leap year and being horse lovers, they decided to get hitched at the Derby. They'll celebrate their anniversary on Derby day every year. Herlovich figures the $117 trifecta she won just before the renewal was a good omen. In their group was Tom Humm, Vice President/General Manager CBS Radio Las Vegas, and his wife, Marcy, who had her photo taken with Chelsea Clinton. ...

The first official qualifying round of the Nathan's Famous worldwide hot dog eating circuit plays out today on the Brooklyn Bridge at New York-New York. It starts at 3 p.m. Top locals include seventh-ranked Rich "The Locust" LeFevre of Henderson, and his longtime rival, Ron Koch of Las Vegas. The winner gets an all-expense paid trip to New York City and the right to represent the United States in the 93rd Annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4. ...

The four-day Vegas Uncork'd: A Bon Appetit Epicurean Experience kicks off today, with tickets still available for the midnight poker event at the Hard Rock Hotel featuring almost a baker's dozen of the top local chefs. The lineup includes Paul Bartolotta, Jean-Phillipe Maury, Rick Moonen, Bradley Ogden, Francois Payard, Frank & Carla Pellegrino, Guy Savoy, Alex Stratta, Julian Serrano and David Walzog. The action starts at 11 p.m. Another group of chefs will get together Friday night to determine the best blackjack player.

Friday 5-09-08

Bishop's will is focus of lawsuit

Joey Bishop's longtime live-in girlfriend is suing the former Rat Pack member's law firm and his agent, claiming they revised his will.

Bishop, who was the group's last surviving member, died in October at age 89.

Nora Garabotti, who was a teenage golf star when she began associating with Bishop in the 1980s, alleges she was to receive Bishop's house on Lido Island in Newport Beach, Calif., as well as books, cash, furniture and other personal property.

In her lawsuit, she contends she was a close personal friend of Bishop's for 24 years. According to the lawsuit, she moved in with Bishop after his wife died in 1999.

Garabotti, now in her 40s, was left $100,000 in Bishop's will. Bishop's two grandchildren each received $1 million.

She is suing Bishop's agent, Ed Hookstratten, whom she alleges Bishop wanted to sever ties with.

NO FISH STORY

Rick Moonen, chef and co-owner of RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay, competes in "Oprah's Sandwich Smackdown" today on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (KLAS-TV, Channel 8, 9 a.m.). Oprah's gal pal Gayle King discovered Moonen's catfish sloppy joe during a visit here in March and she was so smitten she talked Moonen into flying to Chicago to prepare it for Oprah.

Moonen, whose new cookbook, "Fish Without a Doubt," just came out, is competing in Bon Appetit's Vegas Uncork'd Masters vs. Rookies cooking challenge at 3 p.m. Saturday with Excalibur headliner Louie Anderson as his sous chef.

The event, which is at Caesars Palace, pits Moonen and Anderson against executive chef Vincenzo Scarmiglia of Circo at Bellagio and KNPR/KLAS food critic John Curtas, who just launched his dining Web site www.EatingLV.com.

A Grand Tasting is from 7 to 10 tonight at the Roman Plaza at Caesars Palace. Tickets are $175 at the door.

The Scene And Heard

Brenda Moore of Las Vegas is featured on "Live with Regis and Kelly" today for the annual "Mom's Dream Come True" special. Moore's big moment occurs during a performance by country singer Collin Raye at the South Point. The show, which airs at 9 a.m. on KTNV-TV, Channel 13, puts the spotlight on inspirational mothers. ...

Larry King, like you've never seen him before: The craggy 74-year-old CNN talk-show host donned a pink showgirl costume during his annual heart fundraiser in Washington, D.C. Las Vegas headliner Nathan Burton helped get the show off to a hilarious start when he unveiled King in a corset. Burton's VIP opening show is Monday at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

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