January '09 Notes from Norm — Norm Clarke Column

Saturday 01-03-09

Celebs cut back on making it rain

The champagne-spraying, cash-tossing era may be fading from the Las Vegas nightclub scene.

It's the latest sign that even the superrich are in a belt-tightening mode.

“Vegas is drying up," said Branden Powers, a partner and director of marketing at Poetry nightclub (formerly OPM) at the Forum Shops at Caesars. While New Year's Eve business was strong, "December was off 25-40 percent on most nights," Powers said.

In recent years, clubgoers could count on celebrities to show up and "make it rain," a popular craze that involved large amounts of cash being tossed in the air.

That wasn't the case at a number of clubs on New Year's Eve, including Poetry.

"We had sporadic showers," said Powers. "It was only a drizzle. It wasn't at all like the hundreds of thousands of dollars we've seen in the past."

No one "made it rain" more than boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, who showed up at Poetry and other popular clubs on the Strip almost every week with stacks of cash, $10,000 to $20,000, that he would toss into the crowd.

But Mayweather has apparently cut back. It's been months since a club reported a Mayweather money toss.

Also missing has been the more recent trend of celebrities spraying the club crowds with champagne. That started to fizzle shortly after a brutal beating in June involving Javon Walker of the Oakland Raiders.

Police theorize he may have become a target of a criminal element after spraying crowds at Tryst nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas and Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel on successive nights at about 3 a.m.

Walker was found unconscious in a driveway behind the Strip. He reported that he was missing more than $100,000 in jewelry after the beating.

RAKU RACKS UP HONORS

A 30-seat Japanese restaurant has scored top restaurant and chef-of-the-year honors from KNPR food critic John Curtas. Raku, located in Summerlin at 5030 Spring Mountain Road, "puts out superior Japanese food on a level that Las Vegas has never before witnessed," according to Curtas.

Top chef honors went to Raku's Mitsuo Endo. Curtas' other selections include: Cocktail bar of the Year: The original Nora's Cuisine on West Flamingo; Ethnic restaurant of the year: Los Molcajetes in Northeast Las Vegas. Neighborhood Restaurants of the year: East side, Settebello; West side, Marché Bacchus. For the full list go to: www.knpr.org.

The Scene And Heard

KLAS-TV, Channel 8's new chief meteorologist will be Darren Miller, the R-J's Steve Bornfeld reported in his R-J blog on Friday. He replaced Gina Cancelliere, who decided to shift from TV to full-time motherhood. Miller, whose on-air debut is Jan. 12, was the morning weatherman at WXIN in Indianapolis. He is familiar with desert weather, having worked at KESQ in Palm Desert. ...

Shaun Clancy, who became famous for banning the singing of "Danny Boy" in his New York City saloon, Foley's Irish bar, proposed to his girlfriend, Dee, at the Bellagio last week...

Sightings

At Tryst nightclub inside Wynn Las Vegas: Pop singer Jesse McCartney, Cleveland Browns wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Donte Stallworth, Playboy Playmate Raquel Gibson, FHM model Vida Guerra and actress Alisa Reyes. ... Illusionist Criss Angel and Holly Madison, accompanied by her parents, sharing desserts on Thursday at Fix Restaurant & Bar (Bellagio). ...

At Tao (Venetian) on Thursday night: Olympian and world record holder Michael Phelps at the club's annual "Hungover and Broke" post-New Year's Eve party for locals who were working on the actual event. Also there: Former 'N Sync member and "Dancing with the Stars" finalist Lance Bass with co-star Cheryl Burke and fellow "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Maurice Green. They were seated near actress Mena Suvari who arrived with fiancee Simone Sestito. ...

At Lavo (Palazzo) on Thursday night: Kathy and Rick Hilton and their sons dining on their annual New Year's outing to Las Vegas...

Sunday 01-04-09

Warm response for weatherman

Atmospheric pressure had a whole new meaning for KLAS-TV, Channel 8 weatherman Tedd Florendo during the New Year's Eve broadcast.

After finishing his weather updates from the Fremont Street Experience, and going off the air, Florendo gave his girlfriend, Jennifer Bartol, a New Year's Eve kiss and handed her a letter.

He had written it earlier in the newsroom and informed his KLAS-TV colleagues that he was going to pop the question that night.

"They asked me if I wanted to do it live," said Florendo.

He played it safe because Bartol didn't know what was planned, "and I didn't want to put her on the spot."

So, when Bartol, an event planner at Fashion Show Mall, got to the end of the letter, Florendo put the mic on the ground as the fireworks started going off and got down on one knee in the middle of the New Year's Eve crowd.

When Bartol said yes, the crowd erupted into cheers.

Florendo and Bartol met about a year ago at a dog park near Buffalo Drive and Washington Avenue, when their dogs made a connection.

Bartol's beagle wandered over to Florendo and left a surprise at his feet. An aghast Bartol rushed over with a plastic baggie. The two dog lovers had some laughs and hit it off.

The Scene And Heard

The New Year's Eve fireworks fiasco -- raise your hand if you saw even one rocket's red glare -- will require some major image repair, after tens of thousands of tourists went home groaning that Las Vegas failed to deliver on the wow promise. ...

More recession-related rumblings: We hear Trader Vic's at Planet Hollywood Resort is close to getting a name change and new management. ...

The woman who was reported missing from a Miami-based cruise ship on Christmas morning was married in Las Vegas a year ago. At the time of her disappearance, Jennifer Ellis-Seitz, 36, was on a cruise to Cancun to celebrate her wedding anniversary with her husband, Ray Seitz. They were married at Vegas Wedding Chapel, 555 S. Third Street, on Dec. 8, 2007. Her family issued a statement saying she had been battling emotional issues and they suspected she "chose an unfortunate ending to her life." ...

Sightings

Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowbous, spotted at the Palms on Saturday. ... Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, in the front row at Bette Midler's show (Caesars Palace) on Saturday and later backstage. ... Midler with friends, at FireFly, the popular tapas restaurant on Paradise Road, for dinner on Friday. ... "Dancing With the Stars" co-host Samantha Harris, celebrating her 35th birthday belatedly on Friday at Blush (Wynn). She also watched "Le Reve" at Wynn Las Vegas. Her birthday was Nov. 27. Harris launched the first-ever Las Vegas bureau for "Extra" in 1994 as the anchor. ... Rising actor Adam Gregory celebrated his 21st birthday Friday at The Bank (Bellagio) with cake, sparklers and his girlfriend, Jessica Lowndes, who co-stars with him in the new "90210" TV series. Gregory also has a starring role in the upcoming feature film, "Hannah Montana: The Movie.... At Tao (Venetian) on Friday: David Spade, dining with "The Dark Knight" actor Aaron Eckhart. At another table: actress Michelle Trachtenberg, celebrating her sister's birthday. Comedian Mike Epps was hanging out near the bar. ... The "Ikki Twins," Rikki and Vikki Mongeon, the bisexual identical twin sisters from MTV's hit reality series, "A Double Shot at Love," serving as celebrity hosts at Jet at The Mirage. Also in the house: hip hopper Cee-Lo.


Monday 01-05-09

Merry memories of 'Mamma Mia!' Raise a toast to "Mamma Mia!" and another to fans Nancy and Ray Sommer. "Mamma Mia!" ended a six-year run on Sunday, after 2,247 performances at Mandalay Bay. The Sommers, who moved to Las Vegas 21/2 years ago, deserve a hand as well for their contribution to the local economy. For the final show, their 74th, Nancy came prepared. "She brought a box of tissues," said her husband. The Sommers, both 50, saw their first show on their one-year anniversary and "absolutely fell in love with it," said Nancy. "It's a show that engages you on a personal level like no other," she said. "Whatever your day has been like, you can come to the show and walk out happy. The cares just roll away." They took at least 75 different friends to the show, which got its name from the 1975 hit song of the same name by the Swedish supergroup ABBA. Sometimes they saw it twice a day. Their favorite moments? For Nancy, it's the night when Rosie and Tanya whip around to sing into an imaginary microphone, only to see the mask fly off a snorkel and whiz over the head of Donna, the lead. "Everybody just busted up, even the cast," recalled Nancy. For her husband, it was last year when Don Burrows, the offstage husband of lead Carol Linnea Johnson, played opposite her as Sam, the co-lead. Burrows is usually the understudy. But on this night, their 4-year-old daughter was in the audience and got to see her mother "marry her real dad." "It was real magical to see them play to their daughter," he said. Seeing the show end is sad, but there's a silver lining. "It's going to leave a horrible void," said Nancy, "but we're going to save a lot of money." The Scene And Heard A news conference is scheduled for Thursday to announce R&B superstar Ray J is becoming a partner in Poetry Nightclub at the Forum Shops at Caesars. He's the kid brother of R&B star Brandy. He has a reality show coming out in February on VH1 where women from across the country compete for the love of Ray J ... More media budget cuts: Spies say nine staffers at a local radio station, including all the full-time reporters, have been informed they will officially be laid off today. That's 45 percent of the work force. The station is going to automated programming at night and weekends and will have a skeleton crew on morning drive. Production for a featured talk-show will be handled by the host ... The 10th Canon U.S.A. fundraiser for missing and exploited children will be held Friday in the Bellagio Grand Ballroom. The celebrity lineup includes rocker Alice Cooper, Richard Burgi of "Desperate Housewives," Davy Jones of The Monkees, action star Kevin Sorbo, Alan Thicke and other celebrities. Former Grammy winner Skip Martin, formerly with Kool and the Gang, will be the featured entertainer ... Lake Las Vegas resident Natalie Gulbis, whose 2005 swimsuit calendar was considered too sexy for the stuffy U.S. Golf Association, is hosting her 26th birthday party on Tuesday at Blush nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas. The party starts at 9 p.m. Sightings Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens, at the Palms' sleepover party Sunday in the Fantasy Towers. ... Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker, backstage Saturday after the Kid Rock concert at The Pearl (Palms). ... At Tao (Venetian) on Saturday: Comedian David Spade, dining with actress Nicolette Sheridan and two friends. At other tables: "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane, with a group that included actress Danielle Panabaker, who will be starring in the upcoming "Friday the 13th" remake; Efren Ramirez from "Napoleon Dynamite" and Rick and Kathy Hilton. MacFarlane took in "Le Reve" (Wynn) on Friday. ... Actress Michelle Trachtenberg of "Gossip Girl," celebrating her sister Irene's birthday with their mother at Lavo (Palazzo) on Saturday night.

Tuesday 01-06-09

Norm took the day off

Wednesday 01-07-09

Norm took the day off

Thursday 01-08-09

Light Group stays in CityCenter plan

The Light Group remains plugged into the MGM Mirage-led CityCenter project.

Moving to quell speculation that MGM Mirage might be parting with the nightclub-restaurant giant, both parties said Wednesday that the partnership remains intact.

"They're totally involved," Alan Feldman of MGM Mirage said of The Light Group's The Harmon Hotel & Spa. "We're all in this together."

A rep for The Light Group founder Andrew Sasson said Sasson is "fully committed to make this the best, most luxurious boutique hotel in Las Vegas and the world." Lisa Long acknowledged The Harmon opening will be delayed about one year, to late 2010.

MGM Mirage announced the delay Wednesday and added that The Harmon, originally planned for about 50 stories, will stop at about half that with the condominium component canceled. Construction issues were blamed on the delay.

Construction questions will have to be answered by MGM Mirage, Long said.

The Light Group has partnered with MGM Mirage on a number of nightclub and restaurant projects.

GULBIS EYES BREAKTHROUGH

Pro golf hottie Natalie Gulbis celebrated her 26th birthday Las Vegas-style on Tuesday and announced her 2009 goal: "win my first major." Gulbis, a Lake Las Vegas resident, had her birthday party at Blush at Wynn Las Vegas.

Gulbis' best finish in a major after eight pro seasons is a tie for third in 2006. She continues to work with Las Vegas-based swing coach Butch Harmon, Tiger Woods' one-time main man.

"I'm getting better and better," she said. The LPGA's rookie of the year in 2002 had a career-best five finishes in the top-10 in 2008.

Gulbis recently competed in Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" with 15 others, but she wasn't revealing any of the details. The show premieres March 1 and will feature two-hour episodes.

The Scene And Heard

The Zowie Bowie duo of Chris Phillips and Marley Taylor will be providing the musical entertainment at this year's Nevada Ballet Theatre Black & White Ball honoring Bette Midler as "Woman of the Year" on Jan. 17 at Caesars Palace. Phillips and Taylor, who have been headlining at Red Rock Resort since 2006, will be performing their Vintage Vegas show with a 13-piece big band orchestra. ...

The news out of KDWN-AM, 720, is the resignation of Charlotte Burke, program director at the news/talk station, and the dismissal of four employees in the news and traffic departments. Beasley Broadcast Group exec Tom Humm said Burke's resignation was not related to the layoffs. Burke, in a statement, thanked the station for supporting her decision to spend more time with her family.

Sightings

Al Roker of NBC's "The Today Show," at Hash House A Go Go on Wednesday for the Pancake Tractor Driver Combo and fresh Tangerine Juice. He was accompanied by his producer. They are in town for the International Consumer Electronics Show. Later, Roker attended Midler's show at Caesars Palace ... Vanna White, co-host of the popular game show "Wheel of Fortune," spotted at The Venetian on Tuesday night for a private event. ... Erin Brockovich, shopping at Carina, the high-end boutique at Caesars Palace, on Sunday. She bought over $1,000 worth of Joseph Ribkoff clothing. ... ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons, partying Monday with friends at Frankie's Tiki Room, 1712 W. Charleston, the new watering hole created by local nightlife guru P Moss, owner of the Double Down Saloon. Gibbons' group left and returned with a pair of Brooks Brothers pajamas someone had purchased as a gift for the bartender. ... Kid Rock, checking out the Imperial Palace Auto Collections over the weekend. ... Among the reported 4,300 clubgoers at XS nightclub's first industry night on Monday at Encore: UFC stars Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin and magician David Darkstone, whose name has popped up as a potential replacement for Criss Angel in Cirque du Soleil's "Believe" (Luxor).

Friday 01-09-09

'Apprentice' will have local flavor

Las Vegas viewers will have plenty of local ties to pull for on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" on NBC come March.

Among the 16 celebrities are poker pro Annie Duke, pro golfer Natalie Gulbis, former "Vegas Show" host and singer Brian McKnight, Vegas partyhound and former NBA star Dennis Rodman and comedy headliner Andrew Dice Clay.

Trump announced his lineup for the second season on Thursday. The new, two-hour episodes begin at 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 1 (KVBC, Channel 3).

Instead of a job with Trump -- the previous prize in the early seasons -- the eight men and eight women will be out to raise money for their favorite charities.

Gulbis, the glamour girl of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, will be competing for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

McKnight, who teamed up with Sheena Easton on "The Vegas Show" in 2005, has chosen Youthville USA.

Duke holds the women's record for most "in the money" finishes in the World Series of Poker.

The other contestants: mother-daughter duo Joan and Melissa Rivers, 2001 Playboy Playmate of the Year Brande Roderick, reality show star Khloe Kardashian, "Deal or No Deal" model Claudia Jordan, Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, country star Clint Black, funnyman Tom Green, Olympic ice skating gold medalist Scott Hamilton and former NFL star Herschel Walker.

The Scene And Heard

Miss America contestants will be testing their mettle at putting the pedal to the metal when they pay a visit to Pole Position Raceway on Jan. 18. Their 6 to 9 p.m. appearance is part of a rare night out for the pageant beauties, who will be racing, doing interviews and photos.

They arrive in town Jan. 15 for their group photo in front of Planet Hollywood Resort at 2:30 p.m. They begin competing on Jan. 19. The finals are Jan. 24 on The Learning Channel, which is airing "Countdown to the Crown" every Friday at 10 p.m. The four-part reality series began last week.

Sightings

At the opening day of the International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Wednesday: Tom Hanks, cracking up the crowd, Usher, Stevie Wonder, and baseball hall of famer Reggie Jackson, receiving a Reggie candy bar on stage from Sir Howard Stringer. ... Baseball slugger Jason Giambi, celebrating his 38th birthday and a new contract Wednesday night at Wasted Space in the Hard Rock Hotel. The five-time All-Star, who lives in Las Vegas in the offseason, signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Oakland A's this week. ... Jeffrey Katzenberg, producer and CEO of DreamWorks Animation, at Postrio (Venetian) on Thursday, having Wolfgang Puck's signature lobster sandwich. ... Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who survived a September plane crash with DJ AM, performing shirtless Wednesday with DJ AM at LAX nightclub (Luxor) and revealing scars from the serious burns he suffered. ... Rapper and actor Ludacris at the Playboy Club on Wednesday.

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