It will not be a surprise to regular Luxe Life readers that pop-songstress actress Jessica Simpson and Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo have broken up for good, at least for now!

Although TV shows on Tuesday said the couple were “still on” with Jessica oozing about marriage and kids, hometown Texas newspapers reported the bust-up officially yesterday (THURS). Internet gossip sites led by Perez Hilton went into overdrive. However back on April 28 (click here for our exclusive story of their fight at the opening weekend of Rehab at the Hard Rock) we told you the lovematch was kaput and they separated for splitsville! They’d fought so badly, about his heavy blackjack gaming losses on her surprise visit weekend here, that friends said the romance was ruined.

Now Tony has told the Dallas Morning News he’s not talking anymore about Jessica. He also sent word from Chicago, according to gossip writer Alan Peppard, that said: “Me and Jessica are done.” That, as Alan wrote, meant Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith would tell Jessica: “Turn out the lights. The party’s over.” Alan added: “The glam couple is over—put a fork in it.”

Internet gossip guru, Perez Hilton confirmed the breakup but said that Jessica was refusing to accept it, was in total denial about it and still insisting it could be patched up. Ironically Jessica may have peaked into a crystal ball for her June interview with Glamour magazine. Talking of the pain from previous broken relationships she forecast: “This article could come out and Tony and I could be broken up, but he still deserves all the accolades for bringing me back to who I am.” Her previous serious beau, 30-year-old recording star John Mayer is now dating her 39-year-old friend, Jennifer Aniston and Jessica must have seen their tabloid pix frolicking in a Miami hotel pool earlier this week in more than lip-lock! Jessica is also “broken hearted” that she remains without a serious romance now and her younger sister Ashlee will marry Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz this weekend. Incidentally don’t forget that Pete and Ashley will be here honeymooning at the Palms Place condo-tel grand opening in two weekends time.

For the next three days you can call us Nash-Vegas as country music’s top superstars celebrate their party of the year here.

Rehearsals got underway yesterday (THURS) at MGM’s Grand Garden Arena with LeAnn Rimes, Kellie Pickler, Montgomery Gentry, Trace Adkins and Rodney Atkins. Today (FRI) run through rehearsals will include Brad Paisly, Brooks & Dunn, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Taylor Swift and hostess for the 10th consecutive year, Reba McEntire.

Tomorrow’s (SAT) rehearsals feature Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney and George Strait, who will perform a first-time ever duet together on the show.

I can also confirm that Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley will team in the tribute for the late country superstar Eddy Arnold, who died 10 days ago just a week short of his 90th birthday. The Country Music Hall of Famer was credited with turning “hillbilly music” from a rural phenomenon into music with worldwide appeal. He died after an at home fall that sent him to a Nashville nursing facility.

For diehard Vegas country music fans the stars will start walking the orange carpet as of 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and Reba herself will be there at 4:10 p.m. The CBS live telecast broadcasts from here with a 10-second delay for primetime back east. We’ll get the delayed tape broadcast startig at 8 p.m. local time. It’s the sixth time the rhinestone cowboys have kicked up their heels with the Academy of Country Music awards telecast: the third consecutive time at MGM after three years at Mandalay Bay. But it’s the first time that the entire show will be broadcast in High-Def using 12 cameras and 5.1 surround sound and Dick Clark’s son Richard, the executive producer promises a redesigned set with lots more Vegas flash!

As I type this here’s the preliminary show rundown of 18 incredible performances: Carrie Underwood will kick it all off with “Last Name” followed by Toby Keith with “She’s a Hottie.” Brad Paisley will perform “I’m Still A Guy” followed by Miranda Lambert with “Gunpowder & Lead” and a Rodney Atkins medley. Kenny Chesney will follow with “Better as a Memory” and then George Strait with “I Saw God Today” before they team up for the “Shiftwork” duet followed by Sugarland who will sing “All I Wanna Do.” Brooks & Dunn kick off the second half with “Put A Girl in It” followed by Taylor Swift’s “Should’ve Said No” and Trace Adkins with “You’re Gonna Miss This.”

Garth Brooks will follow with a medley into Keith Urban’s “Tu Compania” and Rascal Flatt’s “Every Day.” The show winds down with Kellie Pickler’s “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” LeAnn Rimes’ “Family” and closes with Montgomery Gentry’s “Back When I Knew It All.” Incidfentally Kellie is nominated for the second consecutive year as Top New Female Vocalist.

Among other guests attending the show will be Criss Angel, Clint Black, Sara Evans, Jewel, Lady Antebellum, Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw, Clay Walker and Trisha Yearwood.

Reba McEntire is hosting for an unprecedented 10th year. A country music legend who has been delivering No. 1 songs for more than 21 years and has sold more than 50 million records over the course of her incredible career, Reba’s name and voice are synonymous with country music. In 2001, after conquering the country music world many times over, Reba set her sights on Broadway, where she starred in the hugely successful revival of Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun. Soon after, she began work on her hit WB sitcom, Reba, for which she was awarded a 2001 People’s Choice Award and a 2004 Golden Globe nomination. Reba #1’s, her compilation album, celebrated platinum status in 2006 and is a celebration of her incredible career that has included 33 No.1 songs, 29 albums, multiple awards and countless worldwide trophies.

The all-star turnout of country-stars goes all weekend long: Randy Owen will perform tonight (FRI) at the Fremont Street Experience downtown in a free concert that’s open to the public. Many of the country stars will take part in the fifth desert motorcycle fundraiser on Saturday that will be hosted again by Montgomery Gentry. Among those committed to the ride are Little Big Town, Sarah Buxton, Lady Antebellum, Jeremy McComb, Heidi Newfield, Emma Mae Jacob and many others. It will start at America’s largest Harly Davidson dealership here in Vegas, cruise through the Nevada desert and return to Fremont Street for another free open to the public concert featuring past and present Academy of Country Music award nominees along with country’s best new artists. Meantime Rascal Flatts will host the Country Music Celebrity Golf Classic as a fundraiser for the Academy’s charities out at TPC with 100 golfers. Top New Female vocalist nominees Sarah Buxton, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift with join with Top New Male vocalist nominees Luke Bryan, Jack Ingram and Jake Owen at the “New Artist Party” in MGM’s Grand Marquee Ballroom for the 2nd annual New Artists charity fundriaser. Back at the free open to the public Fremont Street experience Sugarland will perform.

Luxe Life will be with the country stars throughout the week and at the Awards show. We’ll have the full up close and personal photo report right here on Monday.

For the fifth consecutive year miracle man and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong criss crossed the country in honor of his LIVESTRONG Foundation and for the first time wound up in Vegas. He hosted a $1,000 per person dinner at starchef pal Wolfgang Puck’s new Cut restaurant in The Palazzo.

It was all to raise awareness for the cancer fight.

He told me: “ This was a grueling 21-hour day and tougher on me than any marathon run or mountain stage in the Tour de France bike race. We started at 3:30 a.m. (West Coast Time) in New York and after events there at Ralph Lauren’s Center for Cancer Care and Prevention we flew onto Ohio State University’s James Cancer Center and the University of Denver before reaching Vegas. We didn ‘t have time to eat one meal except for snacks on the plane. We couldn’t have done it without it being a private charter.”

Here in Vegas he still hit the ground running. The seven-time Tour de France winner visited the Nevada Cancer Institute where MGM Mirage president Jim Murren and his wife, Heather, the NVCI chairlady, greeted him.

Lance talked to 100 patients, staff and volunteers about the overall cost that cancer impacts on the economy, the important of encouraging politicians to support funding for research and treatment and his inspirational message of hope to victims and survivors.

Lance, a survivor of testicular cancer himself, met with cancer survivors Arthur Anderson, Justine Harrison, Stacey Murdock and Elaine Lipton.

Lance said that his first ever visit to NVCI and discovering Dr. Nam Hoang Dang’s cutting edge research and clinical trials was “incredibly impressive.” Before leaving Cut at 11 p.m. and checking his watch he told me: “That’s about 21 hours by the time I get to sleep! That’s the toughest day of my life but the most beneficial and heart warming. I met tremendous people in this one day. People of incredible courage and people with incredible determination to fight this battle and win.”

Wolfgang’s Vegas managing partner Tom Kaplan played host for Lance’s visit as they have often ridden together and Tom even visited the last Tour de France stops to offer support to his hero. My neighbor Tom summed up: “This was an unbelievably successful day and we were thrilled that for the first time in five years Lance was able to see what we are doing to combat cancer right here in Vegas.”

This is one of those stories where the photos tell the full story and lensmaster Tom Donoghue was right in the thick of the action at the 2008 Monster Energey Supercross Championship at our Sam Boyd stadium and the awards ceremony that followed at the Planet Hollywood Resort.

Team San Manuel’s Chad Reed was crowned the AWA Supercross champ after battling with Geico Honda’s Kevin Windham. Chad arrived in Vegas with a 10-point lead over Kevin for the stellar season and managed to hold on to it for the big win. Three new awards were added to this years ceremony: Entertainer of the Year was won by Jason Lawrence; the Rising Star award went to Ryan Dungey and Rookie of the Year was won by Josh Hill.

* Nancy Sinatra dined at Café Martorano in the Rio on the 10th anniversary of her dad Frank Sinatra’s passing.

Steve Martorano, owner-chef-DJ of the Italian hotspot, has idolized Sinatra since childhood and often pays tribute to the legendary artist by playing his music and movies for diners to enjoy. In fact, Steve was so inspired by Sinatra’s talent that he had a tattoo on his back left shoulder.

Nancy Sinatra and guests feasted on Martorano’s famous meatballs and homemade Italian cooking while reminiscing about her father’s legacy.

*Las Vegas based magician Murray SawChuck has landed a starring role on VH1’s new Celebracadabra reality TV series.

It airs every Sunday night and gets 16 repeat airings through the week! Now that’s magical! The show teams seven pair of magicians with celebrities in an attempt to create special themed illusions which the judges then vote on and kick off one couple each week. The show was filmed both here in Vegas and at Hollywood’s famed Magic Castle. Murray, who has performed his illusions around the world makes a car disappear in one segment filmed here. Playgirl magazine just voted Murray one of the top 10 sexiest men in Vegas!

*Wicked whispers and racy rumors: is it true that pop superstar sensation, Jesse McCartney was locked in top secret meetings with Hard Rock Hotel executives yesterday (THURS) Jesse, now 21, who rose to fame as a teenager, was mobbed by lovely ladies who invited him to join them for a wild night out, but he politely declined, according to my spywitness. … Its all the talk of the nightclub world that a high-spending customer racked up a $175,000 bill for just three magnum-sized super-expensive vintage bottles of booze to impress his friends, that did include the service charge but not the tip! … Is it possible, that in the wake of all the recent nightclub controversies, I hear the roar of a resort hotel executives group actively seeking, with bankers’ support, a “take over” of its hot spot to ensure no further worries’? Will that trigger a similar move at a second nightclub?

*Three incredible charity fundraisers unfortunately clash on Saturday, even though all deserve our full support. I will hit all three but wish you could too. Tough economic times are hurting our fundraising events for such necessary causes so please ‘ride to our rescue’ whenever you can. Boxing champ, Floyd Mayweather is helping out the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital event being held at the Wynn with Grammy Award winner Ashanti in concert with her favorite band Kolour Blind and our friends Zowie Bowie. Rumor is that Nicky Hilton may fly in with some of her couture line fashion models for a surprise show.

Clint Holmes, Jimmy Hopper, Hot Lava and the cast of Stomp Out Loud will provide the entertainment at our inaugural Wish Granting Ball to raise funds for the Southern Nevada chapter of the Make A Wish Foundation. We’re celebrating the 1000th wish granting at the Planet Hollywood Resort dinner featuring chefs Terry Lynch of Mon Ami Gabi, Erik Palmer of Café Ba Ba Reeba, Louis Osteen and Carlos Guia from Louis’s, Rick Giffin of Trader Vics, Olivie DuBreuil from The Venetian and The Palazzo and host chef Timothy Holbert of Planet Hollywood Resort. I’ll be the high speed auctioneer of a royal trip to Singapore, a high-priced diamond ring and a weekend of Fantasy Millionaire’s cars. First Lady Dawn Gibbons, still handling her duties while in a divorce battle with the Governor, will be the chairlady of the glittering event.

Finally, somebody at the Juvenile Diiabetes Research Foundation dinner at The Venetian will win the ultimate auction prize of the year. Singing ventriloquist and comedy-impressionist Terry Fator this week became the new Strip star as the $100 million MGM Mirage master. However he’s going to turn up between Hilton gigs when I introduce him to fulfill an earlier promise of donating his act for a corporate party. Just before his big win on America’s Got Talent his fee was a measly $2,500. Then it jumped to $25,000 and now with his new Strip status its gone up to the $250,000 a night number. He’s going to let bidding start at $50,000 which is a bargain for some lucky local corporate chief! Incidentally, Terry still has some monthly gigs to work off at the Hilton before his December 22 closing date there and his Feb. 14 sweetheart start at The Mirage. He’s at the Hilton for three nights starting this evening (FRI) fresh from last night’s David Letterman TV appearance in New York. (Check back to Luxe Life on Tuesday for our new one-on-one exclusive interview with the new “sudden overnight superstar,” after 32 years as an unknown showbiz act!)

Now its time to sing out loud in our own voice, count our blessings and check out who else is delivering knockout punches for the weekend in what we refer around here affectionately as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

FRI May 16:

*ESPN will televise tonight’s live light heavyweight battle between our own hometown hero Chris Byrd against New York’s 29-year-old fighter Shaun George who has won his last three consecutive fights with knockouts.

Chris, now 37, was formerly a heavyweight champ twice and has 21 knockouts on his record and was a silver medal winner at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The Planet Hollywood Resort promotion is at the Thomas & Mack Cox Pavilion as of 4pm for the live telecast back to the East Coast with an under-card featherweight fight between Ji-Hoon Kim and Koba Gogoladze.

*As part of the Nashville invasion this weekend Randy Owen performs at the free five hour long Fremont Street Experience concert with Whiskey Falls, James Otto and Keith Anderson. Then smart-suited country king Trace Adkins brings his “American Man” tour to the amphitheater at Sunset Station for one night only. The multi-platinum recording star has sold millions over his 11 years at the top of the charts with “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” and was second place winner on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice TV reality show. No wonder “Ladies Love Country Boys.”

*Each year since 1998 “Guitars and Saxes” has been formed with different musicians to highlight jazz music’s most prominent instruments. This year’s ensemble is a blockbuster with Gerald Albright, Jeff Lorber, Jeff Golub and Peter White. They’ll perform solo routines and join together for a sensational finale at the Santa Fe Station casino.

*Rocker Eddie Money has racked up hits over two decades and he has “Two Tickets to Paradise” for his show at The Railhead. His new album Wanna Go Back features new versions of his 60’s hits. Eddie’s daughter, Jesse Money recently starred on MTV’s Rock the Cradle and his theme songs for Major League Baseball and the Arena Football league still play weekly in season!

*The seven members of Dropkick Murphys, who appeared in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning movie The Departed will bring their raucous and unique mix of Irish folk and punk rock sounds of
Famous for Nothing and Never Forget to the Hard Rock Hotel.

*Flamenco fireball Charo, who also plays the world’s finest classical Segovia guitar will cuchi-cuchi at the South Point for two nights, while Dean Martin’s son Ricci presents three nights of “dad’s music and memories” up at the Suncoast through Sunday.

*Tonight show star Jay Leno is back at The Mirage for two nights of his special brand of comedy and Dennis Miller who has turned comedy into political commentary on FOX News cable TV starts a three-night run at The Orleans. I love his use of the wondrous words of the English language he weaves into his topical standup comedy as he attacks all who don’t ‘stand tall and proud for America.”

*Hip-hop veteran rapper Too $hort is definitely set for his midnight performance at the “Music is the Currency” party at Rain nightclub in the Palms and there’s also an on-off again chance that veteran 16-year music star Snoop Dogg may show since they collaborated on “Life of da Party” on Snoop’s album Ego Trippin.

*Controversial basketball legend, Dennis Rodman who a week ago was in a rehab clinic following an alleged domestic dispute will celebrate his 47th birthday at the new Torrid nightclub in the Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Planet Hollywood Resort’s Miracle Mile.
Get up close and check out those five pierced rings he has on his face!

*Luscious Leticia, star of Beauty and the Geek is in her polka-dot bikini for a party at Jet nightclub in The Mirage.

SAT May 17:

The country weekend continues at the Fremont Street Experience with Sugarland closing the five-hour show with The Lost Trailers, Heidi Newfield and Billy Currington.

*I broke the story of Motley Crue’s new tour months ahead of everybody with even Nikki Sixx denying it would ever happen. Well tickets go on sale this morning for the world’s most notorious rock band’s Aug. 1 date here at Mandalay Bay with the summer’s “Loudest Show on Earth.”

Buckcherry and Papa Roach will share the “Crue Fest” stage for ultimate rock and roll excess.

*Two hours later at noon you can run over to the Hard Rock Hotel when tickets go on sale for controversial comedienne Sarah Silverman’s two concerts there in The Joint on June 21.

*Five-time Grammy winner, Al Jarreau brings his special “Love Songs” voice to the Cannery in concert with Stanley Jordan. Al uses his psychology degree and previous career of rehabilitation counselor to ensure his message about love gets through to his audiences.

*Paying tribute to the David Lee Roth era of early Van Halen, the Atomic Punks will sound eerily like the real thing when they punch your ticket at the Santa Fe Station casino. That’s because several of the Punks toured with Roth and Van Halen bassist Michael Halen has often performed with them.

*Actress, Audrina Patridge, will celebrates another successful year of her MTV Hills show, and her birthday at Luxor’s LAX nightclub, and she’s promising a slew of co-stars will be at the bash.

*Nearly-nude covergirl model Jeska Vardinski featured in her birthday-suit in Strip Las Vegas magazine for June celebrates the achievement at the new Torrid Nightclub in the Hawaiian Tropic Zone at Planet Hollywood Resort’s Miracle Mile. She will be joined by more than 30 NFL football players including Courtney Brown, Quincy Butler and Chris Canty of the Dallas Cowboys, Chad Nkang and Uche Nwaneri of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Roy Williams and Corey Hulsey of the Detroit Lions, Michael Adams of the Cleveland Browns, AJ Feeley and Joselio Hanson of the Philadelphia Eagles, Boomer Grigsby of the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants’ Jason Bell, Detroit Lions’ Jonathan Scott, Minnesota Vikings’ Cedric Griffin and two-time Super Bowl champion Ray Crockett of the Denver Broncos and a slew of other near-naked model mistresses!

SUN May 18:

*It’s the season finale from Caesars Palace of NBC’s National Heads Up Poker Championship and the final four will be Chris Ferguson vs Phil Ivey and Andy Bloch vs Huck Seed.

My bet the contest comes down to a high stakes mega buck bluff battle between Chris and Andy. Ratings for the past five weeks of the 4th season of shows which have seen stars Jason Alexander, Don Cheadle, Orel Hershiser, Shannon Elizabeth and Jennifer Tilly eliminated, have doubled and tripled over last year!

*Hip-hop phenomenon, Ludacris will launch the new “Daylife Sunday” parties at MGM’s just opened Wet Republic ultra pool.

Monday he’ll partner with drummer Tommy Lee in a “Green” environmental bid at the Planet Hollywood Resort to get the “world’s largest group shower” for the Guinness Book of Records.

*Magic sensation Steve Dacri launches his run of “Impossible Magic” at the Six Tables restaurant.

He’ll perform the world’s greatest sleight of hand “in your face and under your nose” for just 30 people per show so you can get up really close. An elegant 6-course meal is served first by master chef Roland Levi. Steve, who was at the Caesars Palace Magical Empire for six years, has been hailed by such stars as Johnny Carson and Regis Philben as having “the fastest fantastic hands in magic.”

*As noted above in our special feature country queen Reba McEntire will host for the 10th consecutive time at the 43rd annual Academy of Country Music awards at MGM for the 5 p.m. live telecast for 8 p.m. broadcast back east. We get the delayed tape version at 8 p.m. here on CBS-TV.

Luxe Life will have all the red-carpet excitement and the behind the scenes happenings from the Country Music Awards show at MGM Grand. Our coverage will include both performance and candid backstage photos of all your country winners. Then on Tuesday our exclusive updated one-on-one interview with the Mirage’s new $100 million man, singing ventriloquist impressionist Terry Fator.

Get ready for our brand-new multi-media Web site with daily 24/7 breaking news updates for all the luxury lifestyle secrets of Vegas plus all the latest celebrity happenings. Our weekly Luxe Life wrap-up is heard on the ABC radio network to 300 stations around the world.

When visiting Vegas, be sure to see Las Vegas Magazine in your hotel suite featuring a print edition of Vegas Luxe Life, and an incredible directory of attractions, shows and restaurants.

VEGAS—THE ONLY PLACE TO PLAY!

Rich reviews are pouring in for Cher and they are calling her the “new Queen of Vegas” and “the cherished icon of pop reinvention.”

Theater critics, reviewers and members of the media were invited to see her fifth show at Caesars Palace and they walked away with the audience raving, showering compliments and applause. Admittedly, they groaned a little about the old videos and ageing acrobatic acts filling up time while she changed in and out of her many sparkling spangled “Sultan of Sequins” Bob Mackie costumes.

But fans want the outrageous over-the-top outfits so they are staying! In fact her fastest wardrobe switch is accomplished in just two minutes although it does take four costume assistants to undress her and dress her back up in the next wardrobe winner. In all, between Cher and her cast of 18 dancers there are more than 140 costumes during each performance.

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Click on the arrrow for Cher’s interview and performance.

The songs and in-between-change video footage covers five consecutive decades and Cher is the rare diva who has had a No.1 hit record in every one of them since the 1960’s! I will never forget meeting Sonny & Cher for the very first time when they recorded “I Got You Babe” in a Manhattan uptown Broadway studio in 1965. Since then Cher has released 25 albums and scored 34 Billboard Top 40 hits. Her previous “farewell tour” ran for a total of three years from 2002 to 2005. Her return now to Caesars marks the end of a three-year hiatus!.

The show is directed by choreographer Dorian Sanchez who previously staged Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana” in London, Peter Gabriel’s “Secret World Tour,” Jane’s Addictions’ “Jubilee Tour” and Cher’s farewell “Living Proof” tour, which received four Emmy Awards. Dorian, who now starts the fourth season of FOX TV’s So You Think You Can Dance says she was the first choreographer to work aerial acts and bungee jumpers into rock and roll back in 1989. Cher’s on-stage co-stars are cross-trained in dance, acrobatic and aerial acts.

“It’s a real fun show,” says Cher. “It would be a great show even if I wasn’t in it! – OK I’ll admit it would be crap if I wasn’t in it!” She joked that even on Media Night she still hadn’t had time to write a new comedy monolog but she explained why she’d started doing comedy standup with Sonny. “We owed the government about $270,000, we had no choice but to go out on the road. We were staying in cheap motels with trains roaring through every hour. All of us were eating food out of the same one pot. Nobody ever came to our second shows so we stood there making up jokes and that’s how the monologs began with us talking to each other!”

Cher’s current sold-out run goes through Sunday, June 1. Then she’ll complete her 2008 concerts with a return Aug. 12, continuing through Oct. 5. Her set with its 65-feet-wide steel bridge weighing slightly less than 20,000 pounds will take just four hours to disassemble, without the use of a single tool, and will be stored here in Vegas until her return each time over the next three years of 195 more shows!

It was a double celebration for new Flamingo headliner illusionist Nathan Burton. He celebrated his 35th birthday to coincide with the 8 p.m. premiere of his new high-speed magic show at the legendary casino resort.

A mob of magicians, a pack of prestidigitators, a wand of wizards and a crowd of conjurors showed up to lend their support and applause, and also proved Vegas is world headquarters for the abracadabra business.

Cirque du Soleil’s new $100 million man, Criss Angel attended with new closerthanthis gorgeous galpal Giselle Diaz and gave Luxe Life the OK for their first official posed photos that our Scott Doctor snapped.

Also on hand, but without tricks up their sleeves were Lance Burton from the Luxor, Teller from Penn & Teller at the Rio, Mac King from Harrah’s, former magician turned poker prince, Antonio “The Magician” Esfandari and Gerry McCambridge.

I sat with pint-sized TV star Emmanuel Lewis to watch the show and suddenly he’d vanished from our booth. I looked around but couldn’t spy him anywhere when suddenly with a show girl pushed into a cloth covered cage she rapidly vanished and was replaced by Emmanuel, almost wearing her skimpy outfit! It was a diuplicate of the trick Nathan had performed a week ago with CNN anchor Larry King at his Washington DC Cardiac charity fundraiser!

After an amazing array of tricks, illusions and floating stunts Nathan got a winning welcome from the first nighters in the Voga Bistro. He was served a belated birthday cake at the after party and the cast members of the resort’s “X” Burlesque show performed a special number. It was exactly a year ago to the week that Nathan performed a “trapped inside an ice block” stunt for 24-hours on the Strip to publicize his skills that won him America’s Got Talent appearances on NBC-TV.

“Its been a fast track year,” he told me.” I couldn’t be happier about celebrating a milestone birthday at the same time as my new contract run of shows in such a legendary hotel.” He’ll be joined there this September by new headliners Donny & Marie Osmond.

It’s a $7 million gamble for Iron Chef winner Kerry Simon and Palms casino-resort tycoon George Maloof. They’re betting against tradition of street-level restaurants to position their new celebrity fine food hangout around the stunning sixth floor pool deck at the new Palms Place condo-tel.

Luxe Life got the first sneak peak of the 6,000-square-feet, 180-seat restaurant and without any doubt “it’s a winner.” Expect it,overnight, to become the newest hottest hippest dining spot in town after tonight’s (THURS) grand opening.

Celebrity chef Kerry has created a theme of “sustainability” for his new dining experience. Not only for the walls, the floors of bamboo, the partitions of rope that at night lightup as crystals and a menu filled with items that are fun, safe and politically correct. “We’re serving fish that’s not over-fished and everything is organic. We’re even growing our own herbs on a special wall holding over 100 pots of basil, mint, rosemary, and chives,” he said and showed me.

George and Kerry gave me a tour of the imposing wine cellar which forms one wall of the restaurant overlooking onto the pool with its firepits and open-air dining decks with extraordinary skyline views of both the Strip and the Valley and out to the Red Rock mountains.

“We wanted upscale food and service as a true culinary destination, but with a comfortable experience for both guests and owners of the new Palms Place condos along with local residents and visiting tourists,” said Kerry. He’s incorporated a full sushi bar and an expansive bar and cocktail lounge into the unique space which provides daytime diners with beautiful views of the bronzed bikini babes decorating the pool!

He’s also kept prices very reasonable and even makes home-made pancakes for dawn diners. He’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week and a smaller kitchen staff provides 24-hour room service to the condominium residents.

Kerry, who is known for his fun and delightfully eccentric approach to desserts still includes his cotton candy mountain plus mini milkhakes with frozen fruitloops on the menu!

Already restaurateur Sirio Maccione of Le Cirque fame and rival N9ne steakhouse chef Barry Dakake have been in to sneak menu tastings and pronounced it a “two thumbs up success story.” Said Barry: “This is going to be a hot spot right from the get go and another winner for the Palms.”