March '09 Notes from Norm — Norm Clarke Column

Saturday 02-28-09

Donny Osmond wows his wife

Donny Osmond is off to a fast start for Husband of the Year honors.

So much for getting the little missus roses and jewelry for her birthday.

Osmond surprised his wife, Debbie, on her 50th birthday Friday by bringing in 13 of her closest friends from all over the country, Vegas Confidential has learned.

"She hasn't seen some of them in 35 years," Osmond said after Thursday's Donny & Marie Show at the Flamingo.

He worked on the surprise since October, he said.

He sent his wife of 30 years on a shopping trip Friday so he could sneak her friends into a room at Harrah's. The plan was to have her walk into the room and be surprised.

Thanks, Donny, for raising the birthday bar to an impossibly high level.

The couple married May 8, 1978, and have five sons: Donald, 30, Jeremy, 27, Brandon, 24, Christopher, 18, Joshua, 11.

FAREWELL, OLD FRIEND

A great lady and dear friend died Friday.

Born during Denver's gold rush days, she was two months away from her 150th birthday.

The Rocky Mountain News was closed on one-days notice, the latest victim in our troubled times.

I'm proud to have been among the fortunate journalists who got to spend 15 years in her company.

I joined the Rocky, as everyone called her, in 1984, lured by the excitement of being part of one of the last great U.S. newspaper wars. And a great job offer: My job, after 12 years with The Associated Press in Cincinnati, San Diego and Los Angeles, was to stay on top of Denver's effort to gain a major league baseball team.

It was an exciting time to be a sportswriter and a sports fan in Denver.

There was John Elway's 11th-hour magic and two Super Bowl trophies. Denver got the Rockies in 1993 and Coors Field opened in 1995. The Colorado Buffaloes were national co-champs in football. The National Hockey League arrived in 1995, and the Avalanche were so good that Denver fans got to see an improbable Stanley Cup-winning team that same 1995-96 season. UNLV's Final Four dominance played out in Denver in 1990.

Every year the Avalanche made the playoffs, the logo on the Rocky's sports section was changed to Hockey Mountain News. Boosterish? Probably.

But more than the sports thrills, I'll remember the Rocky "family," the scrappiness, the characters and the camaraderie.

There was John Coit, the gifted cityside columnist who loved exploring the subculture. One of his best columns came after he hopped on a freight train to Salt Lake City to examine the spirit of those on the rails.

I was in the newsroom late one night when I heard a colleague shouting into the phone. "John! (pause) John! (pause) John!" It turned out Coit was in Europe, dictating a column after a night on the town. He had fallen asleep in mid-dictation and there was no waking him.

Ten days after he got married in the lobby of the Rocky, he was dead at age 38 of a heart attack. Ten years later, we were reeling again when another supreme storyteller, cityside columnist Greg Lopez, died in a high-speed, hit-and-run accident on St.Patrick's Day. He was 35.

Gene Amole was a larger-than-life columnist who had seen it all: He survived the Battle of the Bulge to become a Denver broadcasting pioneer and a radio and TV icon before starting his Rocky column in his 50s.

Years later, he offered this observation: "Columns are like nymphomaniacs. A man always wants one until he actually has one."

Sightings

CNN's Larry King and wife Shawn at the Donny and Marie show Friday. Shawn is the daughter of Carl Engemann, Marie's manager. ... Comedians Craig Ferguson, Ron White and The Amazing Jonathon, showing up Thursday at Stoney's dance hall to have birthday cake with Carrot Top, who turned 44 Wednesday. The group accommodated star-struck cowgirls who wanted photos with them. On Saturday, French star chef Joel Robuchon rolled up to the South Las Vegas Boulevard dance emporium in a Rolls Royce. He was with some of the top executives from his MGM Grand restaurants. Robuchon was invited to ride the mechanical bull but declined. ... Actor Luke Wilson, playing golf Friday at the Wynn Las Vegas course.

Sunday 03-01-09

Siegfried & Roy answers on '20/20'

The one-hour "20/20" special Friday on ABC about the return of Siegfried & Roy will clear up "a lot of the rumors and misconceptions of what Roy can do and can't do," the show's executive producer says.

John Green said host Elizabeth Vargas and "20/20" producers have been working for six months on the story of Roy Horn's recovery and the effect of the tiger incident on Siegfried Fischbacher.

Five ABC cameras shot the German illusionists' one-night-only return to the stage Saturday at Bellagio during the Keep Memory Alive "Power of Love" fundraiser for the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute. ABC's exclusivity agreement prohibited photography coverage other than at the red carpet.

DREAM BIRTHDAY WITH BEN

Actor Ben Affleck made a Las Vegas dream trip come true Friday for a terminally ill young man who was told he wouldn't make it to his 18th birthday.

His wish was to celebrate his 21st birthday in Las Vegas by playing poker with Affleck.

Affleck and the Palms Casino Resort made it happen. Affleck and the young man, who turned 21 Friday, were among a group of 15 who dined at N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms before moving to the Playboy Club, where they gambled and sat at a VIP table on the edge of the dance floor.

Sightings

Muhammad Ali, among the celebrity attendees at the "Keep Memory Alive" event. Earlier he performed magic tricks during a photo shoot in his suite before attending Lance Burton's magic show at the Monte Carlo with his wife, Lonnie, daughter Rasheda and two granddaughters. Red carpet walkers included Teri Hatcher, Steve Schirripa, Hilary Duff, and Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction. ... At Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday: UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger giving the command for the drivers to start their engines for the Sam's Town 300 NASCAR race. In the pits, former heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield. The Rock was spotted taking a ride in a Richard Petty Driving Experience car following qualifying on Friday. ... Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and some of his teammates celebrated their Super Bowl win Friday at Tao (The Venetian). Rising golf star Anthony Kim joined Roethlisberg's table, which included teammates Willie Colon, Darnell Stapleton and Trai Essex. At another table: "Nip/Tuck" star Kelly Carlson. ... At Lavo (Palazzo) on Friday: Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody, E! Entertainment Television personality Ben Lyons, and reality TV star Kristin Cavalieri. ... Four cast members from the hit VH1 reality series "Tool Academy," hosting the evening Friday at Jet (The Mirage). The group -- Jaimee Grubbs, Cameron Adams, Jenna Fenton and Karine Breedwill -- was joined by Mark Long of MTV's "Road Rules." Also there: Zachery Ty Bryan ("Brad" on "Home Improvement"). ... At LAX Nightclub (Luxor) on Friday: Perry Farrell and his wife, Etty Lau, teaming up in the DJ booth on a four-song set. ... Denver Broncos defensive back Champ Bailey, partying with pals Friday at Jet nightclub inside The Mirage. ... O.J. Simpson attorney Robert Shapiro, at Society Cafe (Encore) on Saturday. ...


Monday 03-02-09

Manager denies Roy had ailment Siegfried & Roy's manager on Sunday rebutted a local news report that claimed Roy Horn is battling a condition that causes bleeding in his lungs. "That's crazy crap," said Bernie Yuman. "Roy has nothing wrong with him. He is in perfect health considering he's gone through this very debilitating experience." Horn's alleged health issue appeared as an unattributed sentence in a LasVegasWeekly.com blog about the party scene during Saturday's Keep Memory Alive "Power of Love" benefit for the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute. The event culminated with Siegfried & Roy's farewell to show business, an eight-minute multiple-illusion performance that featured Montecore, the white tiger that left Horn near death from bites 51/2 years ago onstage at The Mirage. The report suggests Horn, who has been involved in months of rehearsals, including three on Saturday, was putting his health at risk by performing the finale. Nonsense, said Yuman, who noted that Horn attended an after-party and didn't leave until 3:30 a.m. Horn was so energized after the farewell appearance before more than 1,000 in a Bellagio ballroom that he couldn't hide his joy. During an emotional meeting with 25 to 30 former castmates, many of whom had performed two shows a night for years with the duo, Horn asked, "Who's ready for the second show?" During their goodbye performance, Siegfried & Roy wore white-and-gold Venetian masquerade masks until the end, after illusions that saw Montecore materialize in a large empty glass box and Siegfried from a smaller one. So why was Montecore involved after being kept under the radar for 5 1/2 years? "Roy said, 'That's who's working with me.' This (night) was also about Montecore, wanting him to be part of the farewell. He saved Roy's life," Yuman said. Siegfried & Roy's camp has long contended that Montecore didn't attack Horn, but sensed Horn was in danger and was dragging the illusionist to safety. Montecore's presence "was closure," Yuman said. "This was the dot at the end of the sentence." Cynics will ask for proof that it was Montecore and, for that matter, whether it was really Siegfried & Roy under the masks, until the revealment at the end. Adding to the cynicism: someone who saw the last five rehearsals told Vegas Confidential that masks were worn onstage during the rehearsal. The weirdest thing that happened Saturday, said my spy, "was the faux pas, when the curtain came up on the small box and a masked person was inside while the Siegfried & Roy figures were across the stage. That other person was never seen in rehearsals. It was a mistake," he said, a moment that made some in the audience suspicious that the switcheroo was on. Because ABC had an exclusivity agreement with the benefit's organizers, media restrictions involving coverage were some of the tightest seen by local reporters in years. ABC is airing a one-hour Siegfried & Roy special at 9 p.m. on Friday. Photo coverage was limited to the red carpet only and event emcee Robin Leach repeatedly announced during the evening that no photography was allowed of Siegfried & Roy's last hurrah. Reporters were surprised, however, to find those rules didn't apply to Leach, who has been the event's media liaison for years. He had extensive photos of the event on his blog early Sunday, while others didn't receive photos until the afternoon. "That was unauthorized, a breach of the rules," said an executive involved in the event. Sightings Former NFL All Pro defensive end Renaldo Wynn of the Washington Redskins, congratulating former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who owns Kyle Busch's car, in Victory Lane following the Shelby 427... In the pit area at the start of the NASCAR race Sunday: Oscar winner Adrien Brody, actress Angie Harmon and husband Jason Sehorn and Nick Lachey as guests of driver Jimmie Johnson. Also spotted before the race: Pete Rose, NFL legend Willie Lanier, Miss Nevada USA Georgina Vaughn, Mayor Oscar Goodman, presenting the mayor's trophy to Kyle Busch for winning the pole position; comedian Carrot Top, dropping in on the NASCAR drivers' meeting and later posing with driver Tony Stewart, comedian Ron White, hanging out with Kurt Busch. ... "Sex in the City" star Kristin Davis and her male companion, diving in opposite directions when I asked if I could take a photo of them in their VIP seats minutes before the Siegfried & Roy farewell. "No photos, no photos," said Davis, while waving her hands. Earlier, she attended "Love" (Mirage) with a male companion and took photos with the cast, by herself.

Tuesday 03-03-09

Norm took the day off

Wednesday 03-04-09

Jackson expected to announce deal

Michael Jackson is turning to London to launch his comeback, according to reports.

He arrived in London on Tuesday and was scheduled to make a "special announcement" Thursday at the 02 Arena, the venue where he will reportedly perform 10 concerts for a reported $10 million.

Jackson, 50, has been living in Las Vegas for the better part of the past two years, fielding various offers while trying to rebuild his confidence to perform live, I'm told.

It appears AEG Live, the Los Angeles-based entertainment venue giant that books megastars at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, has locked up the former King of Pop. Jackson remains hugely popular in Europe.

The deal, first reported in December 2007 by Fox News entertainment columnist Roger Friedman, would allow AEG Live to present Jackson for a total of 20 to 30 shows for up to $30 million if "the shows are well-received and -attended, and Jackson can make the commitment," Friedman reported this week.

AEG Live operates The O2 and booked Prince there for 21 days in 2007. With AEG's Vegas connection, it is probably safe to say that Las Vegas could be in the plans.

MEDIA UPDATE

KSFN-radio, 1140 AM, home of Dan Patrick's sports show, among others, is no more. Now it's a kids world, as in KYDZ Radio. The CBS station launched the new format on Monday, switching to "family friendly music programming," especially the 6-12 age group. That means a move to the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, The Plain White T's, "American Idol" runner-up David Archuleta, Miley Cyrus and more. ... Bryan Scofield, chief meteorologist at KTNV-TV, Channel 13, and longtime girlfriend Jenny got engaged over the weekend. They met eight years ago when he was doing weather in Palm Springs, and they sealed the deal in January during a trip to Guam. A 2010 wedding is planned. ... Fleetwood Mac's Lindsay Buckingham, during an interview with the KKLZ-radio, 96.3 FM, morning team of Mike O'Brian, Jim Tofte and Charly Kayle, disclosed some juicy news. Asked who would have sung Christine McVie's parts during their 44-city tour that started Sunday in Pittsburgh, Buckingham said the group was all set to announce Sheryl Crowe as a new member of the band. "But she blew it and made the announcement prematurely," he said. That ended that relationship. The "Unleashed" tour comes to the MGM Grand on May 30.

Sightings

Kyle Busch, spraying several bottles of Dom Perignon champagne on the crowd at Body English on Sunday night at the Hard Rock Hotel after his big NASCAR win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. ... NASCAR's Jeff Gordon, covering a lot of ground Sunday night after the race. Gordon checked out XS nightclub (Encore) with fellow drivers Brian Vickers and Stanton Barrett. He also was at The Bank (Bellagio) with Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Elliot Sadler and had dinner with Vickers at Lavo (Palazzo). ... Lisa Marie Presley, spotted Sunday at the 10 p.m. performance of The Beatles show "Love" by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage. ... Daniel Craig, the latest James Bond, having lunch at Eiffel Tower Restaurant (Paris) on Saturday with friends. ... British reality show stars Katie Price and Peter Andre, dining with their family Monday at Simon at Palms Place. They were filming for their sixth season of their hit reality show "Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter Stateside." It's the biggest reality show in England. They are also filmed in a sky villa inside the Fantasy Tower. ... Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger, requesting the Coca-Cola on the table be in an aluminum container -- "not from the gun" (hand-held dispenser) -- during his Friday night party at Tao (Venetian) with Pittsburgh Steelers teammates Willie Colon, Darnell Stapleton and Trai Essex. ... Patrick Warburton of "Seinfeld" and "Rules of Engagement" fame, dining at Morels French Steakhouse and Bistro (Palazzo) on Friday evening.

Thursday 03-05-09

Jackson targets London for shows

Michael Jackson's comeback plans include a tour of Europe, if his London engagement meets expectations and his health holds up, an insider said late Wednesday.

Jackson has a news conference scheduled today in London, where he is expected to confirm reports that his long-delayed comeback is on, with a 10-show stint at The 02 dome.

Jackson wasn't keen on a long-term Las Vegas deal because he has reservations about the physical toll of doing a concert every night, the source said.

"The only people who can bring Michael to Vegas is Steve Wynn or Kirk Kerkorian, and Wynn really tried to talk him into it," according to the source.

NEW PARTNERSHIP

New partners Andrew Sasson, best known for his Light Group nightclub empire, and Wall Street star Jason Ader are pursuing two separate hotel-casino deals in Las Vegas, it was learned Wednesday.

Sources said the new development indicates Sasson is in the process of moving out of the club business to concentrate on his new interests.

Sasson has spent the past four years developing The Harmon Hotel & Spa at CityCenter. Sasson and his partner Andy Masi were to operate and manage the boutique hotel.

Recent construction setbacks, however, have forced MGM Mirage, the cash-strapped parent company, to top off the planned 49-story building at 28 floors.

The planned residential condo component has been canceled and the opening delayed about a year.

Light Group's contract with MGM Mirage reportedly expires at the end of this year.

It was Ader who sold Sasson on doing business in Las Vegas during a visit during the late 1990s. Ader was a leading Wall Street gaming and lodging industry analyst for Bear Stearns before becoming a New York City-based hedge fund powerhouse.

Sasson, who had a string of successful clubs in New York, Miami and the Hamptons on Long Island, hit it off with Bellagio honcho Bobby Baldwin and opened Light at Bellagio in January 2001 with other partners. Sasson parlayed his relationship with MGM Mirage into a series of popular nightspots at the gaming giant's properties.

Neither could be reached for comment.

Ader was ranked fifth on Forbes' list of top brokerage analysts in 2008.

The Scene And Heard

Three weeks after the stunning closure of "An Evening at La Cage," headliner Frank Marino said he's optimistic he'll return to the Riviera as producer of a drag revue. There were overtures from Sushi Samba's management to take over their club space, he said, but the Riviera is his first choice because of his long association with the property. ... Lavo restaurant at the Palazzo has confirmed it is going another direction, away from the small-plates concept to Italian. Chef Ludo Lefebvre's last day is Saturday. Chef Ralph Scamardella, a corporate chef for Tao Group and previously executive chef and partner at Carmine's in New York City, will man the kitchen and oversee the redesign of the menu to feature more classic Italian fare, a spokeswoman said in an e-mail. A two-time five-star honoree by Mobil Travel Guide at L'Orangerie and Bastide in Los Angeles, Lefebvre plans to open LudoBites in L.A. in May.

TRACKING THE STARS

Kelly Monaco, the season one winner of "Dancing with the Stars" and co-star of the upcoming "Peepshow," shooting film footage in a suite in Planet Hollywood Resort on Tuesday. Monaco and Spice Girl Mel B are in town for daily rehearsals with the cast of 25 dancers. Previews begin March 30. The show opens April 18 at the resort. ... NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski, with Luxor headliner Carrot Top, at Pure (Caesars Palace) Tuesday night, taking in Vanilla Ice. ... Excalibur headliner Louie Anderson, back at Society Cafe (Encore) on Wednesday for the second day in a row. ...

Carla Gugino, star of "Race to Witch Mountain" and the upcoming "Watchmen" movie, spotted at Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce at Mandalay Bay. ... Anthony Kim, who has been labeled the second coming of Tiger Woods, with friends at Dos Caminos restaurant (Palazzo) on Friday. ... Actor Alan Thicke, celebrating his 62nd birthday with his wife and friends, including Vegas headliner Clint Holmes on Friday.

Friday 03-06-09

Illusionists reveal their struggles

"Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Returns" reveals a tale of how both entertainers coped with adversity after the career-ending tiger attack 51/2 years ago.

While Roy Horn struggled with challenging physical issues of relearning to walk and talk, Siegfried Fischbacher battled "severe" depression, according to Elizabeth Vargas, host of the ABC News' "20/20" special.

Their individual stories emerge during the one-hour show that airs at 9 tonight on KNTV-TV, Channel 13.

Vargas told The Associated Press that Fischbacher was "honest" about the dealing with "something we know as 'caregivers' syndrome,' when people who take care of others forget to take care of themselves.

"Roy, for all his improvements, is still terribly, terribly injured. But Siegfried has had struggles of his own. He really lived for the stage, and then it was taken away in one moment."

The "20/20" crew spent weeks with the illusionists leading up to and including their farewell performance at the Keep Memory Alive "Power of Love" benefit for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Horn has fought back from serious brain injury.

"His doctor says it's an outright miracle that this man is walking and talking and doing what he is doing," Vargas told the New York Post.

"This guy wasn't at death's door; he walked through it three times. He died three times on the operating table."

JACKSON: 'THIS IS IT'

So, is this it, as Michael Jackson promised Thursday? Or will there be an encore?

Jackson, 50, announced his comeback will take place at London's 02 arena, saying his 10 shows, starting July 8 at the 20,000-seat venue, will be his "final curtain call."

"This will be it. When I say this is it, it really means this is it," said Jackson, who hasn't done more than two concerts in an engagement since his 82-date HIStory tour in 1996-97.

While it already is being billed as the This-Is-It Tour, there are reports that Los Angeles-based AEG, which manages and books The 02 as well as The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, has a deal for more than triple the 10 dates that were announced.

Vegas Confidential reported on Thursday that a European tour has been discussed, based on Jackson's London success and his health.

Jackson's London concerts will be staged by Kenny Ortega, who was seen with Elaine Wynn last month at the Nevada Ballet Theatre's Black and White Ball at Caesars Palace.

It's no secret Steve Wynn asked Jackson to consider a resident headliner deal at Encore. Jackson and Ortega were seen at Wynn Las Vegas' Wing Lei restaurant a year ago. Ortega and Jackson created and designed the "Dangerous" tour in the early 1990s and the HIStory tour.

Don't count out Vegas just yet, I'm told.

While Jackson has expressed little interest in a long-term Las Vegas deal because of the rigorous demands and has always thought of Vegas as a last stop for fading stars - according to an insider - he's had offers for weekend engagements.

May I Reccomend

Local entertainment favorites Zowie Bowie and The Lon Bronson All-Star Band make their debuts in new surroundings this weekend. Zowie Bowie, the high-energy duo of Marley Taylor and Chris Phillips, take their Top 40 show to the Palms tonight in The Lounge (10 p.m. and midnight shows, Fridays and Saturdays). Bronson and company move into the Sunday slot vacated by Zowie Bowie at Green Valley Ranch's Ovation showroom (8 p.m.). Who knows what guests might show up to join the R&B, rock, soul and funk.

Sightings

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeffrey Samardzija, a former star wide receiver at Notre Dame, with a large group of friends Wednesday at Lavo (Palazzo), checking out a fashion show. Samardzija pitched in Wednesday's Cubs-White Sox game at Cashman Field. ... At Caesars Palace this weekend for NBC's Heads-Up Poker Championship: Brad Garrett, Indy Car driver Danica Patrick, Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Jennifer Tilly, Annie Duke and Jennifer Harmon. They're gunning for the $500,000 first prize.

Order Vegas Confidential: Sinsational Celebrity Tales

Norm Clarke's newest book, Vegas Confidential: Sinsational Celebrity Tales ($12.95, Stephens Press, February 2008), dishes up a feast from Sin City's Ace Insider on celeb's club hopping, spending sprees, outrageous behavior, feuds and meltdowns, and the best (and worst) tippers.