Sunday 01-11-09   

Tuesday  01-13-09

Norm took the day off

Mob Museum's future brightens

If Mayor Oscar Goodman's endangered Mob Museum doesn't survive, a knockoff could surface at Caesars Palace.

The Goodman-endorsed Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, aka the Mob Museum, has become the national poster child for pork spending.

The $50 million project has been the subject of hot debate since U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell held it up as an example of what should not be part of an economic stimulus package.

Even President-elect Barack Obama was less than enthusiastic about the plan during an interview Sunday on ABC-TV.

If it doesn't make the cut, a businessman is considering an alternative for a space at the Forum Shops at Caesars, a source confirmed Tuesday.

The space was formerly occupied by Exotic Cars at Caesars Palace, a 26,000-square-foot luxury automobile dealership.

Jay Bloom has leased the area from Caesars with the idea of putting in an entertainment theater. Along with a Mob Museum would be a Jekyll and Hyde restaurant, a theme restaurant that features haunted characters and spooky special effects.

Bloom, reached by telephone on Tuesday, said he could not comment on his project at this time.

UBALDO'S BIG 'MOMENT'

Larry Wayne Morbitt, who plays the principal role of Ubaldo Piangi in "Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular" at The Venetian, has a prestigious gig next week at a presidential inauguration luncheon.

He's performing two songs for the California State Society's inaugural luncheon and fashion show at The Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C.

He's singing the national anthem as well as "This is the Moment," a moving song from the Broadway musical, "Jekyll and Hyde."

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be in attendance, and Obama is expected to attend as well.

The Scene And Heard

With The Scintas leaving the Shimmer Cabaret at the Las Vegas Hilton on March 14 and "Menopause The Musical" vacating the room on April 5, there's buzz that a sexy show is under consideration. Adult film star Tera Patrick has been hinting that she's got a topless show lined up at a major property, but it's not the Hilton, a rep said. ...

Five new illusions are being added to "Criss Angel Believe" (Luxor) during its break.

Sightings

Former Monty Python member John Cleese with his daughter at Anthony Cools' show "The Uncensored Hypnotist" (Paris Las Vegas) on Tuesday night. Cleese, who plays Chief Inspector Dreyfus in the upcoming "Pink Panther 2" movie, showed up for the first time last year, said Cools, "and it was the only time I've ever been nervous performing in front of a celebrity. He laughed his butt off and afterwards invited me out for drinks."... Grammy Award winner Pharrell of N.E.R.D., having dinner with friends Monday night at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Forum Shops). ... At XS nightclub (Encore) on Monday: former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., poker star David Williams and hip-hop star Pittsburgh Slim, who delivered an impromptu performance of his hit song, "Girls Kiss Girls," and his new, yet-to-be released song, "Sip Champagne."

An Oscar's finally coming for Lewis

Comedy giant Jerry Lewis is getting a ceremonial Oscar.

Lewis, 82, will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the 81st Academy Awards on Feb. 22.

He'll be presented with an Oscar statuette to honor his decades of work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Lewis has been MDA's national chairman since 1952 and has raised more than $2 billion through his Labor Day Telethon since 1966.

"Jerry is a legendary comedian who has not only brought laughter to millions around the world," said Academy President Sid Ganis, "but has also helped thousands upon thousands by raising funds and awareness for those suffering from muscular dystrophy."

The award is given periodically to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.

Lewis, who has made Las Vegas his home for much of his life, joins a list that includes Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Charlton Heston, Danny Kaye and Quincy Jones.

The award is named after Jean Hersholt, who served as president of the Motion Picture Relief Fund for 18 years.

Lewis, who has never been nominated for an Oscar, won a Golden Globe award in 1966 for his role in "Boeing (707) Boeing (707)" for Best Motion Picture Actor in Musical/Comedy.

A ROSE IN POETRY

Pete Rose's youngest son will have the leadoff spot in the lineup next Friday at a Las Vegas nightclub.

Tyler Rose, who has taken the DJ name TRose, has been hired to open the evening Jan. 23 at Poetry, the hip-hop club in the Forum Shops at Caesars.

"It's a test run. He's on deck for the big leagues," said Branden Powers, a partner in the club and marketing director.

Don't look for young Rose to play a version of "The Hustle," the 1970s disco hit that was played at National League ballparks when his dad went to home plate.

"He'll play hip-hop," Powers said. "He came in last week and personally delivered one of his mix CDs. He originally brought in a CD that was mashup style," a mix of rock, hip-hop and house music. "I call it wedding music, a little bit of everything. It wouldn't work here."

It didn't hurt that Pete Rose went to bat for his son. The senior Rose, who helped the Cincinnati Reds win consecutive World Series in 1975 and 1976 and the Philadelphia Phillies go all the way in 1980, saw Poetry partner Michael Goodwin in the Forum shops and gave him a signed Reds jersey.

DONNY OSMOND'S BAD BET

Donny Osmond isn't much of a betting man, especially after the beating his image took during his teen years.

He recalled the episode during an interview Wednesday with KKLZ-FM 96.3 morning hosts Mike O'Brian, Jim Tofte and Charly Kayle.

Osmond was playing the dice game Yahtzee, killing time with brother Jimmy in the 1970s.

"It was a game that lasted 25 years," Donny said. "The first to reach 300,000 points won. The loser had to buy the winner a car."

Donny won, but because he failed to specify what kind of car he wanted, Jimmy bought him "the dumpiest car he could find."

Donny said he drove it for a year. "Everybody thought, 'Wow, that Donny Osmond is really down on his luck.' "

Donny & Marie return to their Flamingo headlining gig Tuesday.

The Scene And Heard

The 2009 Miss America candidates arrive by bus today for 2 p.m. group photos on the plaza in front of Planet Hollywood Resort. They'll be at Fashion Show mall Saturday from 5-6 p.m. for the annual meet-and-greet sneak peek on the runway. Lynn Weidner, Miss New Jersey 1971 and a member of the Board of Directors, will emcee the event. On Monday, they'll attend "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular." The pageant is Jan. 24 at Planet Hollywood Resort.

Sightings

Latoya Luckett, a former member of Destiny's Child, doing a photo shoot Wednesday with Rap-Up Magazine, a national music publication, throughout Red Rock Resort. After she launched a solo career in 2006, her self-titled debut album reached No. 1. ... Four-time heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, having dinner with a group Tuesday at N9NE Steakhouse (Palms).

Friday 01-16-09

Beauty pageant warms up to LV

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman greeted the 2009 Miss America contestants Thursday with an offer that pageant organizers emphatically turned down.

At a welcoming ceremony in sunny 69-degree weather in front of Planet Hollywood Resort, the host hotel, Goodman invited the pageant beauties to bring their bikinis on Monday to his swimming pool for a martini party. He told them his pool is "filled with gin," which may not be a stretch given the mayor's affinity for gin.

Sam Haskell, chairman of the board of the Miss America organization, didn't warm to the idea of the mayor's pool party.

"We appreciate the invitation but we won't be having any martinis," said Haskell, who followed Goodman, no stranger to martini controversies, to the microphone.

Later, Haskell told Vegas Confidential, "He's very nice but I just want to make it clear: Not these girls."

A mayoral hot chocolate party might have had a better chance. Some of the contestants were still thawing out from an arctic blast that has hit the eastern two-thirds of the United States. A few experienced a 100-plus-degree temperature change by coming to town. Make that a 114-degree difference for Miss South Dakota Alexandra Hoffman, who told the crowd her hometown of Eureka was minus 55, counting the wind chill factor.

The Miss America preliminaries are next week, with the finals Jan. 24 on TLC.

MOB MUSEUM NUMBERS

Armed with new numbers, the mayor is sticking to his guns on the Mob Museum.

"We're going to have a mob museum," Goodman said Thursday prior to welcoming the Miss America candidates.

He said the museum's board of directors says a new study shows the museum would attract nearly 600,000 visitors, not the 250,000 he's been citing.

Goodman said he attended a meeting in the past week that included Billy Vassiliades of R&R Advertising, the powerhouse marketing firm that works with the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority.

Goodman said he raised the question of what the dollar value would be in the publicity generated from having the museum mentioned in The New York Times, Time magazine, Esquire and on ABC's "This Week," where host George Stephanopoulos discussed it with President-elect Barack Obama and "Newt Gingrich opening his mouth."

The publicity was a response to the question of whether the $50 million museum should be part of the economic stimulus package.

Goodman said the number was calculated at $8 million.

The Scene And Heard

Donny Osmond told a Las Vegas radio show Thursday that he may be on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" as soon as next season. "I'm really considering doing the show," Osmond told the Mark & Mercedes morning show on KMXB-FM 94.1. He said he's already figured out how he can do it: Move the starting time of the Donny & Marie show at the Flamingo to 8 p.m. so he can do the tapings in Los Angeles. ... Harrah's Las Vegas headliner Rita Rudner has signed a three-year extension. "I'm so excited I'm going to be at Harrah's for three more years," said Rudner. "Or as I like to think of it, for twelve more gowns." Harrah's Las Vegas president Don Marrandino called her "the leading lady of comedy and hands down has the funniest show on the Las Vegas Strip." Rudner moved to Harrah's in the fall of 2006 after six years at New York-New York.

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