STRIP SCRIBBLES
*Congratulations and good luck to our Caesars Palace headliner, Bette Midler for tonight’s (MON) New York City premiere of her new movie Then She Found Me directed by and co-starring Helen Hunt—and of course, Bette along with Matthew Broderick and Colin Firth.
Advance critics’ buzz is solidly positive! Meantime Al Paccino’s new 88 Minutes movie which had its world premiere at Planet Hollywood Resort last week came in 4th at the box office with debut weekend ticket sales just shy of $7 million. That knocked Planet Hollywood’s previous premiere of 21 down into the 6th slot with a total haul todate of $70 million from just three weeks!
*Supposedly top secret but we know for a fact the freshly groomed Guitar Gods looked super yesterday (SUN) for the Rolling Stone magazine cover shot at the Hard Rock. Included in the photo shoot were Kurt Hammet from Metalica, veteran B.B.King and Eddie Van Halen fresh from his Tiger Jam concert at Mandalay Bay.
*After two initial days of weekend poker play to trim contestants down to a more manageable 545 players, the big Bellagio resort will begin its big money tournament today (MON) with actress Jennifer Tilley and poker princes Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Chris Ferguson, Gus Hansen and Howard Lederer all moving on. Cirque founder Guy LaLiberté was surprisingly KO’d the first afternoon of play.
*Venetian headliner Wayne Brady is officially a single man again after his divorce from Mandie Taketa ended their nine-year marriage.
The couple used a mediator to arrive at a support and property settlement and joint caring of their 5-year-old daughter Maile. Wayne who officially separated in 2006 has recently been dating one of the topless dancers in the X Burlesque show at the Flamingo.
*Pop superstar Justin Timberlake was all over town the past few days and started with dinner at Nobu inside the Hard Rock for Japanese food. Local jeweler to the stars Leor Yerushalmi hosted and then the two guys took a tour of Hard Rock’s newest nightlife spot, Wasted Spaces from—Pink’s former hubby, our hometown moto-speed stunt champion Carey Hart.
*To celebrate the opening of Wolfgang Puck’s new CUT steakhouse at The Palazzo, Tour de France bike champion Lance Armstrong will host a 100-person dinner at $2,500 apiece on May 13 as a fundraiser for his Livestrong cancer charity.
*Comedy actor Mike Epps spent an entire afternoon of pampering at AMP salon and spa prior to his concert in the Pearl at the Palms. He simply walked up to the receptionist and jokingly asked if there were any “open appointments” for Barack Obama’s son! Seated together in a VIP skybox at his comedy show were Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson.