STRIP SCRIBBLES
*In advance of her June 24 return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace when Sir Elton John wraps his current run of The Red Piano shows, superstar actress-singer Bette Midler enjoying a restful weeklong vacation at the exclusive Parrot Cay club on the tiny Caribbean island of Turks & Caicos.
*Punk apparently is not dead: the Sex Pistols played to a sold out crowd at the Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel. All number of visiting rockstars and celebrities turned up to catch the band’s only US date before heading out on a European tour.
Matt Sorum of Velvet Revolver, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci of The Killers, Billy Morrison and Billy Duffy of The Cult, tattooed motocross ace Carey Hart, lovemates Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson were all partying in the VIP section of the balcony. Carey, owner of the soon to open Wasted Spaces rock lounge there played after-hour tour guide host and invited everybody over to a small portion of the just completed lounge for a first look and after-party. Legendary Pistols frontman Johnny Rotton led his band in along with Guns & Roses/Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum, newly-single Sopranos actress Jamie Lynn Sigler, showman extraordinaire Jeff Beacher and Cory McCormack, a partner in Wasted Spaces. While at the Hard Rock Matt Sorum and Pamela Morrison, Jenna Jameson and Tito Ortiz dined a deux at separate tables in Robert DeNiro’s Italian restaurant, Ago.
Meantime, downstairs at the Body English Smashtime party Sopranos actress Jamie Lynn Sigler kept on dancing to drown the blues of her recently shattered romance. It was a girls night out for Jamie and four female friends but she did pose on the club’s red carpet with film-pal Ben Lyons of E!s Daily 10 show.
Hip-hop artist Flo Rida gave an impromptu performance and sprayed the crowd with champagne, missing Jamie who was up on the balcony level and in the clear.
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*Hair king Michael Boychuck had all three of his salons in over drive for Paris Hilton’s three-day MTV filming visit here. Paris’ favorite colorist manned his new Color beauty parlor at Caesars Palace for her and her interior designer friend Faye Resnick. Makeup princess Rain Andreani from his Primp boutique salon at Palms Place did Nicky’s makeovers for the cameras and Michael’s AMP salon at the Palms kept boyfriend David Katzenberg’s hair-styled for the 72-hour nonstop whirl.
*Wicked whispers & racy rumors: auditions are quietly underway for a new Peek-A-Boo topless cabaret revue to replace a Strip casino theater show by mid-summer. … Gossip has begun that a male strip show will replace one of our casino comedy showcases. … A new afternoon Liberace tribute act with Wes Winters is likely to wind up in the Steve Wyrick theater if the economic numbers can make sense.
*A Magical Mystery Tour bus will bring Beatles’ fans from Los Angeles to Vegas for the June 29 start of the Beatles Fest at The Mirage. Radio host Chris Carter will emcee the trip and play Beatles trivia games in-between screening rare Beatles DVDs. Its an 8 a.m. departure from LA on June 29 with a noon return from Vegas on July 1. Forget the gas savings, but the round trip ticket price of only $249 includes a room at The Mirage and a ticket to each day of The Beatles Fest. Singer-songwriter Donovan and model-actress Pattie Boyd, who was married to George Harrison will be attending this year.
*Los Angeles TV station KCAL Channel 9 started a contest yesterday (TUES) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers Blue Crew, by offering four Vegas flyaway trips to see our Blue Man Group show and stay at The Venetian resort where the Group has its theater. Our boys in blue will play in the 51st annual Hollywood Stars softball game at Dodger Stadium with co-players Christian Slater, Tom Arnold, David Arquette and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on June 21.
*From the Surveillance File: daytime Emmy Award-winning actress Susan Lucci enjoyed dinner with a small group of friends at celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, restaurant in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. … Record producer Jimmy Jam, took in the “X” Burlesque midnight show at the Flamingo. … King of Queens’ star Kevin James sharing spicy wings, hot rock and yellowtail sashimi appetizers with two friends at Stack restaurant in The Mirage but keeping the magnum filet, creamed spinach for his own dinner. They then resumed sharing the mini doughnut munchkin holes for dessert.
*Our condolences to MGM headliner magician David Copperfield on the death of his mother. He had to fly roundtrip back and forth to New Jersey for the funeral service and other arrangements, but kept the show business vow, “the show must go on,” by returning in time for the evening performances. “It was a way for him to work through his grief,” I was told by a confidante.