STRIP SCRIBBLES
*Posh Spice girl singer Victoria Beckham and soccer-star hubby David Beckham took their two-sons to watch Sir Elton John’s show at Caesars Palace—and the kids wound up on stage dancing around “the Red Piano.” It’s that British thing folks!
*Please support celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer’s annual Autism Angels dinner this weekend. He’s collected up celebrity chefs Kerry Simon from Cathouse at Luxor.
Martin Heierling from Sensi at Bellagio, Stephane Chevet from Shibuya at MGM, Joe Elevado from Social House at TI, Vincent Pouessel from Aueole at Mandalay Bay and the resort-hotel’s executive pastry chef Vincent Pilon. Philippe Rispoli from gourmet food city Lyon, France will also be a guest chef with Charlie from both the Four Seasons and Mandalay Bay. It’s a seven-course feast for the senses from our city’s best chefs! Our beloved Mayor’s wife, Carolyn Goodman is the guest of honor—and both Mayor Oscar and Nevada’s First Lady, Dawn Gibbons will escort her. Tickets are $1,000 a piece but you also have the opportunity of winning a Seabourne Cruise for two. The third annual Autism fundraising gala dinner takes place tomorrow (SAT) at the Stirling Club in Turnberry Place.
*Last time pint-sized comedy actor Danny DeVito was in town he was solo but this time he returned with wife Rhea Perlman and they’ve been busy promoting his new Italian Lemoncello drink to restaurants on the Strip. At Koi in Planet Hollywood Resort he dined with baseball’s Hall of Fame star Johnny Bench and then at Rao’s in Caesars Palace Danny even played bartender mixing up the cocktails himself behind the bar! Luxe Life will have those photos next week!
*For the fourth-consecutive year 64 of the world’s top poker players will go head-to-head in the most aggressive playing ever seen. The National Heads-Up Poker Championship, which was filmed at Caesars Palace earlier last month, will start broadcasting Sunday (April 13) at noon on NBC for the next six-weekends.
First matches will feature such great players as Chris Ferguson, Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Chris Moneymaker, Phil Ivey, Joe Hachem and Johnny Chan. Celebrities playing the first weekend are Don Cheadle and Gabe Kaplan. Other celebrities in following weeks include Shannon Elizabeth, Jason Alexander, Jennifer Tilly and the unorthodox tactics of legendary baseball star Orel Hershiser!
We’re also coming up double aces as we pitch for happy memories from yesteryear in this week’s roundup of singing stars. We’ve got the royal flush highlights in what we refer to affectionately around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:
FRI. April 11:
* Beloved local headliner Gladys Knight doesn’t have to commute far from home for her three-nights of shows at The Orleans. Gladys will sing her hits including a flashback to the days of the Pips!
*Shaft singer Isaac Hayes “never can say goodbye,” so he will thrill with his unique sounds at the Dallas Events Center in Texas Station casino. You can’t “Walk on By” because there’s no reason for you to be “Lonely Tonight.”
*Soft-shoe and tap-dancing Ben Vereen will perform for three nights at the South Point through Sunday with his unique styles of song and dance.
*He’s still singing yesteryear’s chart-busting hits with the power he did way back then. Frankie Avalon brings back happy memories up at the Suncoast through Sunday night.
*Its not all music and song though: We welcome back best pals and comedy characters Ray Romano and Brad Garrett to The Mirage tonight and tomorrow. Both TV stars will do a separate solo standup comedy act and then team for a joint routine to wrap up the night of laughter. Over at Planet Hollywood Resort former Saturday Night Live funnyman, comedy actor David Spade makes a return visit with sidesplitting sharp sarcasm.
It’s a one-night showcase but hopefully will lead to bigger and more! Drummer Travis Barker’s ex wife, former Miss USA winner Shanna Moakler is the celebrity guest taking part in “Pieces (of Ass)” in Steve Wyrick’s Miracle Mile Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort at 10 p.m. Obviously Shanna, a former Playboy centerfold is the centerpiece!
*Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian from Keeping Up with the Kardashians will host the Body English nightclub “Indulge” party at the Hard Rock Hotel. She’s launching a styling company Dash and giving away 50 gift bags of accessories from California designer Stacia.
SAT. April 12
*Don’t miss out on this morning’s opportunity at 10 a.m. to buy tickets for the UFC’s World Light Heavyweight championship fight between Rampage Jackson and Forrest Griffin. Both men have been opposition coaches for 13 weeks on the Ultimate Fighter Season 7 show on Spike TV. The UFC 86 fight is set for Saturday, July 5 at Mandalay Bay Events Center where the tickets go on sale today.
*They didn’t get ‘lost on the highway’ so the Bon Jovi world tour will safely play the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Daughtry will open for Jon Bon Jovi and his three-pack of rock-star musicians.
Nine of their 10 albums released since the early 80’s have gone platinum with 120 million sold worldwide.
*Hard to believe it’s the 30th anniversary of singer Mickey Thomas and Jefferson Starship—and they are celebrating with a special performance at the Tropicana. Mickey’s magic voice is still soaring to the heights and he promises to perform “Fooled Around & Fell in Love,” “Jane” and “We Built this City” as part of the memorable do-not-miss show.
*Brett Michaels has made headlines with his music and his reality TV show exploits. He’s performing at Club Madrid in the Sunset Station casino, while over at the Boulder Station it’s Loverboy with their five-man solid sounds.
*Playboy’s playmates are decorating the city tonight: Athena Lundberg will celebrate her birthday at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone inside Planet Hollywood Resort’s Miracle Mile Shops and Stephanie Larimore (Miss June 2006) will host the night at McFadden’s Irish saloon in the Rio resort-casino. Stephanie was twice Playboy’s Cyber Girl in 2005!
SUN. April 13
*Grammy-nominated recording artist, Chris Daughtry will perform a live acoustic set in The Beatles Revolution Lounge at The Mirage. Proceeds go to the ONE Campaign to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty. Daughtry narrowly missed winning American Idol but his No. 1 top selling debut album sold over 3 million copies last year and another million this year already. It also landed him the opening slot on the Bon Jovi tour—and there’s a chance that all the star rockers will sit in on the unique session for charity.
*Ladies—listen! The Vegas Pussycat Dolls are seeking some sexy burlesque dancers to add to the famed lineup. If you’re a singer and dancer with style, sass, sauce and sex appeal plus a great attitude then go audition today from noon onwards at the Pure nightclub in Caesars Palace. You have to be over 21 with valid id—and take a headshot and resume!
*Spring has arrived and summer is right around the corner so no surprise then that KC & The Sunshine Band are spreading the rays at the Las Vegas Hilton.