May '09 Notes from Norm — Norm Clarke Column

Saturday 05-02-09

Gans' final act leaves mystery

Danny Gans had just finished his show Wednesday when his manager Chip Lightman sent a text message.

"Apollo show. Are you OK. No curtain?"

Something didn't feel right to Lightman.

Looking back, "that was the scariest thing," Lightman said Friday, still in shock hours after the death of Gans at age 52.

A creature of habit, Gans rarely ended with "The Curtain Falls," Bobby Darin's favorite closer.

Through most of his thousands of shows as a 13-year Las Vegas headliner, Gans preferred ending with "Apollo," which featured snippets of songs by Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles and others.

No one will ever know for certain, but just maybe Gans knew something was amiss and sent a message through Darin's curtain closer at the Encore theater.

A "health nut" -- Lightman's words -- who appeared to be in top condition, Gans had not been feeling up to snuff for a couple days, he told Lightman.

Gans went to bed Thursday afternoon. About 3 a.m. his wife, Julie, found him unresponsive. Paramedics told her Danny's heart "just stopped."

Dead at 52, at the peak of his career.

The words of Las Vegas ventriloquist sensation Terry Fator came back to me Friday, while touring Gans' backstage area with Lightman.

Back in March, a couple of days after Fator opened his show at The Mirage (in Gans' former home), he told me how blessed he felt to have made it to the top.

"I want to be George Burns and live to be 100 and perform on the day I pass away."

That's how his hero, iconic ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, went out, said Fator. Bergen performed in Las Vegas, "and that night he passed away. That would be the dream life."

It didn't quite happen that way, but close enough that we get the point. Bergen announced during his final run at Caesars Palace in September 1978 that he and his dummy sidekick Charlie McCarthy were retiring after 56 years. Two weeks later he died in his sleep at age 75.

Near the end of Friday's walk-through to capture photo snippets of Gans' backstage life, Lightman brought up the mystery of "The Curtain Falls."

It was one of many why's that didn't make sense to Gans' longtime friend and manager.

I offered a theory.

Maybe Gans' switch to "The Final Curtain" was hinting about his health by channeling Darin for the finale.

Darin had a meteoric run before dying of heart-related problems at the age of 37 in 1973.

The final words of "The Curtain Falls":

"Your cheers and laughter will linger after

They've torn down these dusty walls

People say I was made for this

Nothin' else would I trade for this

And just think I get paid for this ...

"Goodnight ladies and gentlemen and God love you."

Sunday 05-03-09

Gans has final word in life story

In another eerie twist, one of entertainer Danny Gans' final acts was the completion of his autobiography on Wednesday, the day of his last show and two days before he died.

Gans' manager, Chip Lightman, said the manuscript, in the works for about a year, tentatively has the working title "Voices in My Head."

Gans, a Las Vegas headliner since 1996, died early Friday at his home. He was 52. The cause of death is unknown.

Gans had been headlining at Steve Wynn's Encore hotel since early this year, after an 8½-year run at The Mirage.

Lightman said the book will cover "how he got here," from growing up in Southern California, to dealing with a baseball career cut short by injury, years of honing his act on the corporate entertainment circuit, raising a family, and details about his headliner deals in Las Vegas.

The manuscript is being edited, Lightman said, and a meeting with a publisher is set for Monday.

When Gans ended his show on Wednesday, he departed from his regular ending by going with "The Curtain Falls," the song Bobby Darin closed his show with for years.

Darin, a Las Vegas headliner in the 1960s and 1970s, died of heart-related issues in 1973 at the age of 37.

Most nights, Gans finished with "Apollo," doing quick-hit songs of such legends as Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong and Ray Charles, who performed at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater.

Gans had another project in the works: Wynn had arranged to have Hollywood director Brett Ratner shoot a music video of Gans performing "What a Wonderful World" in 10 voices, including Armstrong's. It will be a part of a CD that's being released in four weeks by Hi-Fi Records.

"It was his favorite song," said Lightman. "He loved it because it was about encouragement and optimism."

The book will feature a similar message, he said.

In another development, sources said Gans' wife, Julie, reached out to her late husband's inner circle by inviting the band, crew, ushers and others to the family home for lunch on Saturday.

In lieu of flowers, she has requested that donations be made on Gans' behalf to Nevada Childhood Cancer, one of his charities. For more information, go to DannyGans.com and click on charities.

Incidentally, Lightman said the last song Gans' added to his show was "Human," by the Las Vegas band The Killers. Rolling Stone readers voted it the Best Song of 2008.

The Scene And Heard

Ida Ljungqvist from Tanzania was named Playboy's Playmate of the Year on Saturday at the Palms. Ljungqvist, 27, is the first African-born playmate and the magazine's 50th Playmate of the Year. Ljundqvist, who came to the United States five years ago from Dar es Saluam, Tanzania, to study fashion, is featured in the June issue.

Sightings

At the Kentucky Derby on Saturday in Louisville: Michael Jackson, with sheiks from Dubai, who had two horses in the race, and Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps, with Miss California USA Carrie Prejean. On Thursday in Louisville, former UNLV basketball star Shawn Marion, spotted dining at Jack Fry's, a popular high-end restaurant. After leaving Jack Fry's, he was seen ordering takeout at a nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise and chowing down on the fast food in the back seat of a Rolls Royce sedan. ... On the Palms hotel casino marquee Saturday: "THANK YOU DANNY."


Monday 05-04-09

Gans friends share feelings, memories Steve Rossi goes back to the beginning with Danny Gans. And in Gans, Alicia Jacobs had a friend to the end The former straight man in the legendary comedy duo Allen & Rossi was producing two shows -- "Showgirls U.S.A." and "The Wacky World of Burlesque" -- at the Holiday International, now Main Street Station. Rossi and Marty Allen had gone different directions after a long partnership that included dozens of appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Rossi was filling in as emcee of his afternoon show "Showgirls U.S.A." one day because his female emcee called in sick. While bantering with the audience at the $9.95 show (including two drinks), Rossi chatted up a handsome young man. "He said his name was Danny Gans, and it was his first day in Las Vegas," recalled Rossi, who is in New York City rehearsing for a Broadway show. "He said his baseball career didn't work out, and he had been doing impressions for about three years. Said he had been doing corporate dates. I said, 'Let me hear some of your impressions.'" Gans reeled off some of his favorites and "just tore the place apart," said Rossi, who turns 76 on May 25, the day his musical comedy, "Don't Leave It All to Your Children," opens. Impressed with the response, Rossi said he offered Gans a contract that day, starting the next day. Gans jumped at the opportunity and was a headliner on the show for about five months, Rossi said. A few years later, when Gans returned to Las Vegas as the opening act for Joan Rivers at the Desert Inn, Rossi went backstage after the show to chat with his discovery. "He told me he didn't think he wanted to be an opening act. Twenty minutes a night just wasn't enough." A couple of more years passed, and Rossi learned Gans had got his wish: He was opening in the showroom at the Stratosphere. A three-month deal turned into nine months for Gans, who became an overnight sensation. After three years at the Rio, he was lured to The Mirage by Steve Wynn, who signed Gans to an eight-year deal in 2000. Jacobs, at the time an entertainment reporter for KTNV-TV, Channel 13, met Gans during an interview the week he opened at the Stratosphere in May 1996. "(Gans' manager) Chip Lightman insisted I see the show before I interview Danny." She sort of balked but agreed to watch the show. "He came out on stage in that dinky little theater and took my breath away." During the interview, they discovered they lived a few streets apart at Spanish Trail. They hit it off and had been close friends since. "He was always giving me pointers." A week before Gans died last Friday, they were having a telephone conversation about his new music video "What a Wonderful World" being produced by Hollywood director Brett Ratner. Jacobs said she wanted to interview him about it, that it would be "a fun story." Gans then stunned her with a comment that came out of left field. "He said, 'When I die and you do my obituary piece, it will be the most brilliant work of your career.'" She shushed him. She didn't want to hear it. Last Thursday, Jacobs was in tears, in the intensive care unit at St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena campus. She had just gotten the news: Her father, Ralph Berger, was on life support and suffering multiple organ failure. Gans sent numerous text messages saying he was praying for her father. He had been texting like never before in recent months, she said. "I had this sense that he was on a mission of some sort. He seemed more motivated than usual. He had these brand new projects." When her telephone rang at 4 a.m. Friday, and she heard Lightman's voice, she expected to hear bad news about her father. Instead, Lightman delivered the news that Gans had "passed away in his sleep." Devastated, Jacobs took a statement from Lightman and headed for KVBC to break the news. "It was about 6:30, 7. My cell phone rang, and it was my mother (Brenda). She said, 'Oh my God, they just took your dad off life support.'" When she went back to the hospital after filing her reports, her father had come back from the brink. "He was sitting up and talking. "I feel like Danny gave me my father back."

Tuesday 05-05-09

Norm took the day off

Wednesday 05-06-09

Mourners gather for Gans' funeral

Danny Gans' family and friends gathered early Tuesday for a small, private funeral at an undisclosed Palm cemetery.

Gans, 52, was found dead at his home early Friday.

The cause of death did not show up in the autopsy, according to the Clark County coroner's office. Results from toxicology tests typically take weeks.

Two pastors who have been associated with Gans and his family spoke at the funeral.

Gans, the headliner at the Encore hotel for 12 weeks, had reunited with Steve Wynn, who had signed him to an eight-year deal at The Mirage in 2000.

The family has asked for donations to two of Gans' favorite charities -- the Junior Golf Academy and the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation -- in lieu of flowers. Donation information can be found at DannyGans.com.

A memorial service is being planned, possibly in Gans' theater at Encore.

CNN talk show host Larry King announced on his Twitter site Monday that he will do two shows at Gans' theater June 19-20, with his wife, Shawn King, opening for him as musical guest. The CNN star's autobiography, "My Remarkable Journey," comes out May 19.

Comedian Whoopi Goldberg has been booked for late this month.

MARIE OSMOND: 'VERY SUPPORTIVE'

Marie Osmond has come out in favor of gay rights.

In an interview with Los Angeles radio station KOST 103.5, the Flamingo headliner said it was "not a sensitive issue" for her.

She said she supports gay couples having civil rights.

"I think it's important to look at the commandment love thy neighbor as thyself," said Osmond, who has eight children. Her oldest daughter, Jessica, 21, has been in a gay relationship for three years, according to reports.

"One thing I did not appreciate growing up, everybody quoted me and told me what to say; you gotta do this, do that," she said. "I'm not doing that to my daughter. I'm not going to answer questions on her behalf."

She added: "You know, I think each of us has the right to choose who makes that medical decision for us. I think everybody should have the right to share homes and finances with somebody that they care about. You know on those types of things I'm very supportive.

"When it comes to marriage ... I think that civil rights need to be for all. When you start mixing religion into that and beliefs, you know, I do believe in the Bible. My daughter understands my beliefs. And, and, uh, you know, God said to be married and be productive with your children and, and, you know, replenish the earth or whatever.

"She understands those things. My daughter is sharp. And we have a great relationship, and I think she would tell you that."

The Scene And Heard

Imprisoned Las Vegas celebrity impersonator Trina Johnson-Finn was denied release Tuesday and faces a May 26 trial on charges of impersonating Toni Braxton. Her attorney had filed an appeal to have her released Tuesday based on the arrest of the concert promoter Saturday, but the judge denied it. According to published reports, Angel Ventura was captured in a harbor bar in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname and location of Johnson-Finn's Feb. 28 concert. She has been incarcerated since March. ...

John Fredericks, former meteorologist at KVBC-TV, Channel 3, is being interviewed today by Kim and Dana Wagner on "Wake Up With the Wagners" (7-9 a.m.). Fredericks discusses his departure from the station late last year after shaving his head, and his new career as an author.

Sightings

Ashanti and friends, being watched by a huge bodyguard at their pool cabana at Planet Hollywood Resort on Tuesday. Also there: Holly Madison, doing a photo shoot in a tiny bikini. Ashanti hosted at Prive on Monday. ... Howie Mandell, with family and friends at Serendipity 3 (Caesars Palace) on Sunday, seated on the Strip side of the patio. ... Boxer Ricky Hatton, spotted with a Bud Light at the Rockhouse Bar & Nightclub on Sunday, while his entourage gathered around a bottle of Ketel One vodka. Earlier, he dined at Morton's The Steakhouse with his fiancee, Jennifer Dooley, and her parents.

Thursday 05-07-09

Opening soon: 'Pesci's Pizza'

Actor Joe Pesci, who won an Oscar for his supporting role in the mob classic "Goodfellas," is going into business in Las Vegas with convicted racketeer Rick Rizzolo.

They'll be slicing up the profit from a string of pizza joints called "Pesci's Pizza."

"They're doing the paperwork" and could be in business in four or five months, said longtime Pesci associate Tommy DeVito of Las Vegas.

Pesci, who has played criminal figures in some of his biggest movies, including Las Vegas-set "Casino," was pulled into the 2003-2006 "G-Sting" investigation into Rizzolo's alleged underworld connections.

Pesci, George Clooney and Robert De Niro were interviewed by prosecutors during the investigation of Rizzolo's Crazy Horse Too strip club.

Pesci "has been pitched for years with offers to do something in Las Vegas," said DeVito, who was Pesci's Las Vegas-based personal assistant for 12 years until last year.

DeVito, 80, and Pesci, 66, have been guitar-playing pals since their New Jersey days. "I met him when he was 11," said DeVito, who founded the group that became the Frankie Valli-led Four Seasons. DeVito, the group's lead guitarist, had a falling-out with the Four Seasons over his gambling debts and has lived in Las Vegas since 1970.

Pesci is a producer of the "Jersey Boys," a musical based on the lives of the Four Seasons. A spinoff of the Broadway hit has been a hit at The Palazzo since it opened a year ago.

Pesci and DeVito are such close friends that Pesci called DeVito a couple of months before filming began on Martin Scorcese's "Casino" to say he was taking the name Tom DeVito for his character, a mob thug based on Las Vegas hit man Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro.

During the "G-Sting" federal trial, Stan Hunterton, a former prosecutor with the Justice Department's Organized Strike Force, told the court, "Not since the reign of Anthony Spilotro and his associates has there been a more infamous hoodlum than Rick Rizzolo."

Rizzolo was among 17 defendants, including city officials, found guilty on various charges. He served 11 months of a sentence of one year and one day before his release last year.

He also was ordered to sell the Crazy Horse Too. Rizzolo, 50, was placed under three years of supervised release and fined $250,000.

GANS BOOK DEAL DONE

The family of Danny Gans is moving ahead with plans to have his autobiography published next month.

Gans' manager, Chip Lightman, and Review-Journal Publisher Sherman Frederick met on Monday, and "we're crossing the T's as we move forward on a handshake," Frederick said.

The R-J is planning a mid-May ad campaign to allow people to reserve copies.

"We are proceeding at a fast pace to have the book printed and available in June," Frederick said.

Lightman said the book will also be printed as a hard-cover collectors item and hopefully will be available in June.

The book, tentatively titled "Voices In My Head," will be published by Stephens Press, a division of Stephens Media, the parent company of the Review-Journal.

Gans, a 13-year Las Vegas headliner, completed the manuscript a week ago Wednesday. He was found dead at his home Friday. He was 52.

The Scene And Heard

The third Vegas Uncork'd culinary and wine event gets under way today at Caesars Palace, with dozens of star chefs participating in 20 events. Mayor Oscar Goodman and Bon Appetit publisher Barbara Fairchild preside at the kickoff event from 5 to 7 p.m. at Pure nightclub at Caesars. The Masters Series Dinner follows at Bradley Ogden at Caesars featuring Kyle MacLachlan. ... Restaurateur and grillmaster Bobby Flay signs his latest cookbook, "Burgers, Fries & Shakes," from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at his Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace. The books ($25.95) can be purchased on site. ... Travel Channel's "Man v. Food" is filming a segment Friday at Hash House A Go Go. Patrons are invited to come in during breakfast or lunch between 9 a.m. and noon to watch the filming.

Friday 05-08-09

Gans service to be invitation only

A memorial service for Danny Gans will be May 21 in the Encore Theater where he had performed since February.

The memorial is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be by invitation only because of seating limitations and "the many people who crossed Danny's path," said Gans' manager Chip Lightman.

Gans, who was found dead at his Henderson home May 1, was buried Tuesday after a private funeral.

The family is asking that cards be sent to Danny Gans Family, c/o Encore hotel, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations be made to Gans' favorite charities, the Junior Golf Academy and the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Allow me to correct something here: On Saturday in this space, I misstated that Gans closed his final show on April 29 with "The Curtain Falls," the signature close of legendary entertainer Bobby Darin, who died in 1973 at age 37.

Gans closed with "Apollo," the medley he had ended his show with for years that included Gans' impressions of Sammy Davis Jr., Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong and other icons who had performed at Harlem's famed Apollo Theatre.

During our interview May 1, the day Gans died, Lightman had noted a delay occurred in the curtain closing, which I mistakenly wrote down as a reference to Darin's "Curtain" closing.

Gans had performed "Curtain" during his 12 weeks at Wynn Las Vegas' Encore hotel, Lightman said.

And he said Gans, in his upcoming book that he finished April 29, ended the manuscript with the final words to "Curtain."

NICK LACHEY CONNECTION

Las Vegas nightlife reporter Emily Gimmel is linked to Nick Lachey in the latest Star Magazine.

Gimmel, 24, and Lachey, 34, "flirted up a storm" at the Kentucky Derby last weekend, according to the tabloid publication.

A native of Louisville, she is the entertainment reporter for 702.tv, which was launched April 30 by Greenspun Media Group. Gimmel is also in the upcoming reality show "Southern Belles" on SOAPNet channel. The show premieres 10 p.m. May 21.

Gimmel acknowledged in an e-mail that she ran into Lachey several times. "We know a lot of the same people," she told me in an e-mail on Thursday. "He is a really nice guy, and we were all just enjoying the weekend -- nothing more, nothing less!"

On her personal Web site, she said the show "is all about embracing life, promoting positivity and encouraging others to discover their 'inner sexy.' Because to me -- if it doesn't make you feel sexy, it's not worth doing."

The Scene And Heard

Steve Davidovici, an original partner in Pure Management Group, is telling friends that he's opening a new club in New York City. Davidovici has been flying under the radar since the IRS raided Pure nightclub at Caesars Palace a year ago in February. The probe is part of an investigation into PMG. Davidovici's new club, he grew up in the New York area, is called The Griffin and it is located near the Hotel Gansevoort.

Correction to Thursday's column: Former Crazy Horse Too owner Rick Rizzolo was convicted of racketeering charges in a separate probe, not the "G-Sting" operation that ensnared several county officials.

May I Recommend...

For true-blue foodies, Vegas Uncork'd is one of the ultimate culinary experiences of the year. Forty-some restaurants, with their star chefs, will be featuring many of their signature dishes, plus wines, at the Grand Tasting at the pool at Caesars Palace from 7-10 tonight. Tickets: $150 in advance, $175 at the door.

Sightings

Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, ducking out of "O" (Bellagio) before it ended to get back to their villas at Bellagio. ... Chefs Rick Moonen (RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay), Kerry Simon (Simon at Palms Place), Paul Bartolotta (Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare), Bon Appetit restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton and Las Vegas restaurant critic John Curtas, having lunch at Los Molcajetes, 1553 N. Eastern Ave. ... Kelly Clarkson, walking through the Palms casino. ... Alicia Jacobs, KVBC-TV, Channel 3 entertainment reporter, on CNN Headline News, "Today," "Access Hollywood" and "Extra."

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.