STRIP SCRIBBLES
*It’s a giant Valentine’s weekend for our favorite local charity—Opportunity Village. Tonight entertainer Danny Gans, the man of many voices, turns over all his show proceeds at The Mirage for the fundraising that helps support thousands of men and women with intellectual disabilities in our community. Danny has generously pledged $1-million in benefit concerts for the new Ralph & Betty Engelstad campus.
Then tomorrow it’s our third annual Celebrity Poker tournament at Caesars Palace. I’ll help mc the noon pre-play festivities with the Scintas, the Fantasy showgirls, Louie Anderson, Earl Turner, Ronn Lucas and the hunks of Thunder from Down Under. Come down and join us and play or party. Greenspun Media Group, our parent, is one of the main sponsors of the Poker Play-Off, with all the funds going to Opportunity Village.
*It’s a giant Presidents holiday weekend for all the Monte Carlo staff as the hotel re-opens for business today after the Jan. 25 rooftop façade fire. Employees and outside contractors have worked around the clock installing new carpets, curtains and bedding, plus redecorating and renovating rooms, and now “they’re set and ready to go.”
Lance Burton’s theater was not damaged by the fire or water, but hotel executives wanted the casino, the restaurants and the entertainment attractions all opening at the same time as the new-look suites. They decided to freshen up the resort with new carpeting and a makeover of rooms before letting all of the resort’s attractions re-open, even though they sustained no fire or water damage. Corporate owner MGM estimates its total losses including lost business was just under $100-million. Just 1,200 rooms will be reopened today and another 1,300 will open next Friday, but no date has been set for the very badly damaged 500 rooms on the 27th floor and above.
*It’s a giant celebration weekend in the tattoo world, too! Rockers Dave Navarro, Tommy Lee and Evan Seinfeld will all walk the “black carpet” for the opening of celebrated artist Mario Barth’s new Starlight Tattoo parlor at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.
Also expected are Ice-T and busty-wife Coco, rapper Ja Rule, TV reality star Victoria Gotti, actor Stephen Dorff, actress Vivica A. Fox and Vegas headliners Criss Angel and Carrot Top, along with a host of other body art aficionados.
This is the sixth Starlight Tattoo around the world. I’ll be there, too, so you know early next week you’ll get the full photo report in as much close-up intimate detail as possible.
Now let me take the pen and ink and burnish you with the rest of our personal picks from the weekend highlights that we affectionately refer to around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:
FRIDAY:
*The Planet Hollywood resort casino kicks off its new weekend entertainment policy in its new showroom with funnyman David Spade tonight and tomorrow. Bet your last dollar that he’ll be eating at the new KOI restaurant there since it’s his favorite Hollywood hangout, too!
*Who better than Heart to sing after Valentine’s Day? The girls will soothe the soul and the mind with their songs at the Hilton.
*Everybody Loves Raymond star Ray Romano treats us to his entertaining standup comedy routine teamed with TV co-star Kevin James at The Mirage for two nights.
*It’s a one-woman show with two characters, because singer-comedienne Vicky Lawrence brings “Mama” along for three nights of shows at the South Point.
*May the wind get behind your sails and take you up to the Suncoast for three nights of shows with the incredible vocals of Christopher Cross… Smooth jazz master Lee Ritnour brings his sweet sounds to the Santa Fe Station, and Badfish has a tribute to Sublime at the House of Blues… You might get an advance taste of Bette Midler’s music when the Fat City Horns blast the brass at the Cannery for two nights.
*MTV’s TRL co-host and Laguna Beach alumni Stephen Colletti will be flirting with the girls when he celebrates his birthday at JET nightclub in The Mirage. His recent canoodlings have including Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere and Hills star Lauren Conrad… Primetime sweetheart Debbie Matenopoulos, E!’s enchantress, will charm club-goers at PURE nightclub at Caesars Palace.
*If you are into fast and furious ice-hockey shenanigans, our Wranglers are playing the Victoria Salmon Kings over two nights starting this evening at the Orleans Arena. Expect the fisticuffs and the fouls!
SATURDAY:
*Dave Navarro, Tommy Lee and Evan Seinfeld will be amongst the tattooed rockers walking the “black carpet” for the Starlight Tattoo opening at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.
*Legendary George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic hits all the right notes in an exclusive rare concert appearance at the Joint in the Hard Rock, and Keith Sweat will turn up the heat at the Texas Station.
*Busy actress Rosario Dawson is back in town for a second time this week—this time at the TAO nightclub in The Venetian to celebrate her starring lead role in the DVD release of the drama/thriller, Descent.
Rosario also stars in the new Sin City movie and was seen in Rent and Clerks 2.
*Actress/supermodel Estella Warren is the second host of the new Supermodel Saturday parties at the new PRIVE nightclub in Planet Hollywood, and E! News anchor Giuliana Rancic and her husband Bill, who won the first Apprentice TV reality show, host a party at the sexy LAX nightspot in the Luxor resort.
*Grammy-nominated hip-hop icon Common will perform at the after-fight party that boxing legend Winky Wright hosts at Studio 54 in MGM after the Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Taylor II slugfest in the Grand Garden Arena.
SUNDAY:
*There’s “No Way Out” of the ring when the stars of WWE crush on the canvas and thud in their throw-downs at the Thomas & Mack center. Watch out for breaking chairs, smashed tables and crashing ladders.
*Don’t miss his last night of the current run of George Carlin’s wonderful unique brand of humor at the Orleans. If you can’t get there, he returns next Thursday for another four-nights