STRIP SCRIBBLES
*Local makeup princess Rain Andreani did double duty this weekend with her new line of Vegas-made Rain cosmetics: she did a make-over on Oprah Winfrey’s lead producer, Lisa Erspamer and teen singing sensation Charice for the Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban Mandalay Bay concert. Rain will also be flying to Chicago and Los Angeles to prep Lisa for two upcoming Oprah awards shows. Then she took off with hair-king colorist Michael Boychuck for Hollywood to film in the debut episode of their client Paris Hilton’s new Search For A Best Girlfriend reality series. Cameras filmed the twosome yesterday (MON) with Paris overseeing their challenging makeover of her first pick, an Asian brunette into a platinum blonde!
*Wrestling hero Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson starts a 10-day location shoot today (TUES) for the new version of Walt Disney’s 1975 Escape to Witch Mountain. He’ll star as a Vegas cabdriver in the new Race to Witch Mountain, which is adventure after picking up to teen runaways who are in fact aliens from a crashed spaceship in our desert land outside the Strip. They are played by Anna Sophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig.
Dwayne checked into the Planet Hollywood resort at the weekend and his first dinner was at the hotel’s new Strip House restaurant. You’ll find their cameras along the Strip and at the Planet Hollywood Resort with additional downtown shots. Just what would the reaction of lost alien children be if the first city they discovered in America was Vegas? Interesting and amusing premise!!
*Vegas Academy graduate and our Dancing with the Stars winner Julianne Hough was in platinum company at the Indianapolis 500 when she sang “The Star Spangled Banner.” My spywitnesses there report that Florence Henderson sang “God Bless America” and Jim Nabors performed “Home in Indiana” alongside Julianne with DWTS season winner Kristi Yamaguchi.
*Despite the fact its been 10 years since Riviera resort casino headliner Frank Marino appeared on Baywatch he’s remained friends with its star David Hasselhoff. So when “The Hof” came to Vegas as judge for America’s Got Talent the two reunited and Frank filmed a segment for Extra with David proving he could do “drag” as a blue haired lady!
When they shot Baywatch back in 1998 Frank and David played two undercover agents dressed as drag queens! Don’t forget that David also went drag for his role in The Producers here at the Paris!
*Caesars Palace headliner Bette Midler got network news anchor Katie Couric to join her in a song duet at a Manhattan fundraiser for her campaign to plant 1 million trees throughout New York City by 2017. Bette wants to set up a similar eco-friendly drive to plant more trees while she’s living and working in our Valley. Meantime, while co-Caesars headliner Cher has turned down Barbara Walters’ invitation to appear on The View when it broadcasts live from the casino resort next month, Bette has said “yes” and will appear with the ladies of the hit ABC-TV daytime chat show.
*Congratulations to MGM headliner, Sir Tom Jones who celebrated his 68th birthday over the weekend, marking 40 years of superstar singing “Delilah” and “It’s Not Unusual” on the Strip. The ladies are still throwing their room-keys wrapped in their lingerie at the veteran entertainer!
*From the Surveillance File: The five original Pussycat Dolls (Ashley, Kimberly, Melody, Jessica and Carmit) and their choreographer founder Robin Antin visited The Beatles Love musical by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage while they came to town to promote their new single “When I Grow Up.”
Billionaire Leon Black, who runs the Apollo Management Group that purchased the giant Harrah’s casino company has instilled fiscal responsibility into his son, Josh because when he came here at the weekend he didn’t even ask for a limousine from the airport or for the top Caesars highroller suite. … Iron Chef winner Kerry Simon is luring the stars to his new Palms Place poolside restaurant and at the weekend UFC hero Chuck Liddell and Phoenix Suns basketball gentle-giant Shaquille O’Neal were there.
Comedian David Spade and actor Jason Patric dining at separate tables in the Asian themed Koi restaurant at Planet Hollywood Resort.
Comedian Dane Cook took a group of friends for dinner at the Boa Steakhouse in The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. … UFC fighter Dan Henderson partied at the Torrid nightclub inside Hawaiian Tropic Zone at Planet Hollywood’ Resort’s Miracle Mile…San Diego Charger lineman Shawn Merriman dined with three friends at Robert DeNiro’s new Ago Italian restaurant at the Hard Rock Hotel and happily posed for fan photos. … Minnesota Vikings fifth year fullback Thomas Tapeh with friends feasting on the mod-mex cuisine of Dos Caminos at The Palazzo. … Dancer and choreographer Miguel Zarate is a contestant on Bravo TV’s new Step It Up & Dance show and he absolutely positively insisted on hanging out with the cast of Stomp Out Loud at Planet Hollywood during his Vegas trip.
