Las Vegas Weekly

06.18.13 · 9:21 AM

Pat Benatar, Cheap Trick combine for a powerful evening at the Palms

Guitarist Neil Giraldo (L) and singer Pat Benatar perform at The Pearl concert theater at the Palms Casino Resort on June 15, 2013 in Las Vegas.

Photo: Courtesy Photo / David Becker

It was the night two great institutions of rock ‘n’ roll teamed up for a knock-out show for the ages -- and the “guinea pig” audience loved them for it.

The excitement began with four-time Grammy Award winner Pat Benatar and guitarist husband Neil Geraldo. Pat told the sold-out crowd this past weekend at the Pearl at the Palms that because her band and Cheap Trick had just started a new tour together, the audience would be “guinea pigs" for the set list and running order.

She explained she wanted to play as many of her hits as possible but was trying to play one from every era.

“Either you'll drop dead or we will," she said, referencing the group's long history in the rock world. The couple told stories from the road and their recording sessions in between such memorable songs as "Heartbreaker," "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and "We Belong."

Following a quick set change which transformed the stage into a blur of checkered patterns, Cheap Trick took over with a full pumping energy. They played "The Flame," "On Top of the World" and "I Want You To Want Me." To satisfy the audience, which didn’t want them to stop playing, they performed their reworked version of Big Star's "In the Street" -- more popularly known as the theme song for the hit television program “That '70s Show."

Both sets of musicians proved that rock ‘n’ roll, like fine wine, ages better through the decades -- and will never die.

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06.18.13 · 9:46 AM

New Miss Nevada winners plan for national pageant as Miss America chief rankles Vegas

The newly crowned Nevada representatives going onto the Miss America pageants have less than 90 days to prepare for the national spotlight. Two evenings of glamour and excitement this past weekend at the Texas Station Casino concluded with two Northern Nevada teens being crowned winners -- and Las Vegas contestants finishing as runners-up.

It proved third time lucky for 19-year-old Diana Sweeney, who represented Carson City to win the Miss Nevada 2013 title. Katarina Clark, a 15-year-old Reno resident, won the Miss Nevada Outstanding Teen title and tiara. Diana will now compete in the Sept. 15 Miss America pageant live on ABC-TV from Atlantic City. Katarina will compete in Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition in Orlando, Florida.

The Miss America pageant has returned to Atlantic City after a seven-year run here at Planet Hollywood on the Strip.

Diana won an $8,000 scholarship and an additional $500 for raising the most money for the Miss America charity, Children's Miracle Network. Her four runners-up divided another $3,300 in scholarship funding.

Katarina won a $2,500 scholarship and earned an additional $200 for winning overall talent. Her four runners-up divided another $2800 in funding.

“I feel amazing right now,” Diana said. “I honestly didn’t know if I was going to win, so I’m ecstatic. I’m looking forward to every single experience and opportunity that is going to come my way. I’m looking forward to traveling the state and being an ambassador.”

For the next 12 months, Diana will travel Nevada educating community groups and schools on her service platform, “Sexual Assault –- No Means No.” Katarina will also meet with people around the state, speaking on her anti-bullying based platform “SHINE –- Saving Hearts by Inspiring, Noticing and Encouraging.”

“I have so many emotions going on right now,” Katarina said. “I’m excited, I’m nervous but I’m ready. I can’t wait to experience everything that comes with being Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen.”

I talked with Diana minutes after the crowning: “I feel on top of the world. You honestly never know what the judges are looking for. I came in, as confident as I could. I was very well prepared, but honestly it was all in the judge’s hands. There’s nothing I could do besides my best. I really, really did want to win this. I competed once in the teen contest but had tried for three years in this one.”

Diana is working on a double major in math and education at UNR. “ I want to be a math professor -- people might not think of blonde-haired pageant winners as professors, but I’d like to break that stereotype.”

She continued: “I also work really close (through her platform) with the Children's Miracle Network. When I was 14 I was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance. I’ve turned it now into a positive, though. Tragedy into triumph.

“Now I have to plan for Miss America. I have been watching the other state winners. I know what I’m up against -- there’s some amazing girls this year. I know it will be an incredible experience. As Miss Nevada, I know I will change from being a teenage girl in this coming year to a woman. I never won a pageant before -- this is my first."

An only child, Diana has raised more than $5,000 for Children's Miracle Network while competing in the pageants.

Alyssa D’Agostino of Las Vegas placed second runner-up, and the on-finalist interview award went to Ashley Tarchione, of Henderson. The Outstanding Teen court was completed with first runner-up Baylee Bernstein and second runner-up Haley Passione, both of Henderson.

Meantime, Miss America chief Sam Haskell raised eyebrows at similar preliminary state pageants on the East Coast, saying that “everything is not bigger and better in Las Vegas." Explaining why the traded, "the glitz of the Strip for the smaller casino town” he said the September pageant back in Atlantic City will be “super-sized." He pointed out that Planet Hollywood only had 7,000 seats, whereas he’s predicting a sell-out of more than 10,000 at the Boardwalk Hall.

His television production team began work this weekend on plans for the broadcast.

Sam further rankled Vegas tourism officials who had bankrolled the pageant’s stay here for seven years, stating that the return to Atlantic City from Las Vegas had more to do with tradition and appreciation: “Things that couldn’t be duplicated in Las Vegas. There were 100 other things going in Vegas. We were just one thing. It all feels much more special here, like a warm blanket being wrapped around us. It was colder in Vegas. There was no blanket. I know it sounds odd, but what we can have in Atlantic City is really something we couldn’t have in Las Vegas-there’s no place like home”.

With Donald Trump’s rival Miss USA and Miss Universe pageant moves to Moscow and Miami -- as we reported Monday -- and the return of Miss America to the Jersey, shore Vegas is now without a televised beauty pageant for the first time since 2005.

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06.17.13 · 6:30 PM

Strip Scribbles: Holly’s new wedding date; Jonas Brothers video; Trump’s new (and very, very wealthy) partners

Reality television’s Holly Madison, who now calls Vegas home, has settled on Sept. 10 for her California wedding to "baby daddy"Pasquale Rotella, the promoter of this weekend’s giant Electric Daisy Carnival here.

They are the proud and happy parents of three month old baby daughter Rainbow Aurora.

The former "Girls Next Door" star who was linked to Playboy king Hugh Hefner gave me the good news about the “white church ceremony" Sunday.

“Life is complete,” she exclaimed. The couple have been dating since the end of 2011. An earlier wedding date of Aug. 14 14 she let slip on the documentary TV show “Holly Has A Baby” had to be pushed back almost a month.

The 33-year-old starlet says she’s still working on a new reality TV series but plans on traveling with baby Rainbow and Pasquale to all his upcoming EDC concerts. She’ll attend every one of this coming weekend’s shows from dusk to dawn at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and have a backstage nursery for the baby!

MUSIC VIDEO: Between rehearsals for their appearance and telecast performing "Pom Poms" on Sunday night’s Miss USA pageant, the Jonas Brothers filmed their new music video all around the Planet Hollywood resort. Joe Jonas helmed the video for cameras set up all throughout the hotel –- and at the gaming tables. Many of the group’s Los Angeles friends and fans traveled in to appear in the video to be released within the month.

BILLIONAIRE HOST: With a net worth of $2 billion he’s one of the richest billionaires in Russia and Forbes ranks him No. 831 in the world. Aras Agalarov, 57, is one of the country’s biggest developers and already has three Vegas-styled entertainment shopping and entertainment complexes in Moscow. He has become Donald Trump’s partner to take the Miss Universe pageant to his Crocus Convention Center. His New Jersey- and New York-educated son Emin, 33, will sing at the Nov. 9 pageant, to be broadcast here on NBC-TV. Emin and his father signed the contracts with Donald here this past weekend and celebrated at the Act nightclub in the Palazzo. Emin, who is also a commercial director for Crocus International, saw his debut album “Still” sell more than 100,000 copies.

FATHERS DAY: Olympic champion and New York Knicks basketball star Carmelo Anthony celebrated Sunday at Exotics Racing with wife, LaLa Anthony and her da. He drove the yellow Ferrari 458 Italia and went on a high-speed, drifting ride in a Corvette Z06. "That might just have been the most amazing, best experience of my life” he said afterwards.

Ian Ziering, former "90210" star and now host of the Chippendales burlesque revue, celebrated Father’s Day at the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey circus show “Built to Amaze” at the Thomas & Mack Center. Ian, his wife, Erin, and daughter Mia got to feed two of the seven elephants.

MORE HOT BODIES: It was a hot body extravaganza Sunday at Encore Beach Club in the Wynn. Poker pro and actress Tiffany Michelle celebrated her birthday with her Amazing Race 15 partner Maria Ho and the season’s champions Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney. They relaxed in a poolside cabana during the second round of the Miss Beach Bunny Las Vegas model search. Three semifinalists were chosen to compete in the grand finale this September: Brittany McGown, first place; Claire Arceneaux, second place; Michelle Arenal, third place. If that wasn’t enough eye candy, more than 40 former and current pageant beauties in town for the Miss USA pageant partied at the desert oasis.

SOCCER STARS: Many of world football’s elite stars flew in this weekend to film the inaugural Ryder Cup styled Westwood Cup golf tournament at Shadow Creek. Attending the welcome dinner at Hakkasan were former AC Milan star Andriy Shevchenko, Manchester City's James Milner, West Bromwich Albion's James Morrison, Patrik Berger and Vladmir Smicer of the Czech Republic, Sunderland's Adam Johnson, Nicklas Bendnter from Juventu, Kevin Phillips from Crystal Palace F.C. and more. Afterwards they partied in the club’s Ling Ling Lounge dancing to DJ Jace One.

CONVENTION UPTICK: Wall Street casino experts noted a positive uptick Monday morning in year over year statistics for the weeks ending July 13 and 20. Already there’s a total of 10 conventions versus seven in 2012, and attendees are even stronger with 62,000 versus 48,000 last year! And this is the heat of summer! It's a good sign.

BACHELORETTE QUEEN: Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan, who won her crown and title at Planet Hollywood in January, will be featured on tonight's ABC-TV episode of "The Bachelorette." The program will feature the Miss America Organization's return to its birthplace of Atlantic City for September’s pageant. Ten lucky suitors will compete in the episode, with Mallory judging with Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford and the newest Bachelorette, Desiree Hartsock, as they search for promising candidates.

TONIGHTS TIPS: Brad Garrett headlines at his MGM comedy club with comics John DiCrosta and Paul Ogata……Celebrity chef Michael Mina opens his new Pub 1842 in the restaurant row at MGM…...XS nightclub at Encore starts the EDC week of festivities with DJ’s Sultan and Ned Shepard…The BARE pool lounge at the Mirage has teamed up with the Cell Phones for Soldiers organization for a mass collection of unwanted mobile devices to be re-engineered to give to our overseas soldiers and military veterans….

TOMORROW’S TEASE: Extraordinary photos and a chilling interview with Criss Angel before and after his death-defying 60-foot high steel beam blindfolded leap, plus the incredible wardrobe and mechanical logistics involved in moving the new Broadway musical "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" into the Venetian Monday and the first interview with Miss America’s new Miss Nevada, Diana Sweeney.

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06.17.13 · 12:55 PM

Miss USA no match for NBA Finals; Donald Trump explains moving his pageants out of Vegas

Miss Connecticut Erin Brady reacts after being crowned during the Miss USA pageant at Planet Hollywood Sunday, June 16, 2013.

Photo: Steve Marcus

The 51 glamorous girls of Donald Trump’s Miss USA pageant Sunday at Planet Hollywood were outscored and outpointed in the TV ratings war by the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat.

Ratings figures released Monday showed Game Five of the NBA Finals walloped the pageant princesses on NBC. The athletes racked up 12.2 million viewers, while the contestants cuddled up to just 5.3 million viewers -- a distant second. In sports terms, that’s a wipeout!

Last year, Donald’s beauties didn’t have to go head-to-head with the NBA stars. However, he can claim he still beat both CBS and Fox outright this year -- their combined totals only equaling his.

Donald told me: “We have 51 of the most beautiful people in the world here. They will go on to become doctors, lawyers and fill great positions. We are really proud of these girls -- probably the best we have ever had.”

Our Miss Nevada, stunning Chelsea Caswell, who returns to her food and beverage management job at the Wynn on Monday, placed in the Top 10 -- but didn’t make it into the top five. Erin Brady, a 25-year-old Connecticut financial analyst, won the title and crown after being awarded Miss Congeniality in the Connecticut state pageant earlier this year. Erin danced to the Jonas Brothers' "Pom Poms" wearing an orange bikini and changed into a strapless fashion outfit with a long white flimsy train and a glittering gold corset for the evening gown segment. Her winning judges’ question dealt with the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold DNA testing.

Among those watching from the audience were TI owner Phil Ruffin and his wife, Oleksandra, Motley Crue rocker Vince Neil, former Playmate Holly Madison, Miss Alabama 2011 Katherine Webb and Jersey Shore reality star turned Vegas resident Pauly DelVechio, who performed his brand new single “Back To Love” as DJ Pauly D for the final six evening gown contestants before the dreaded judge’s questions.

Our thanks to contributing photographer Tom Donoghue for his incredible galleries of the red carpet, the stage show, the media meets and backstage with Donald.

The big news, though, is that Las Vegas -- which has had three annual televised pageants here since 2005 -- now doesn’t even have one! Donald told me the Miss Universe pageant goes to Russia on Nov. 9, next year’s Miss USA will move to his Doral Hotel and Golf Club property in Miami for three years. Miss America, of course, is back home in Atlantic City as of Sept. 15.

I first tipped Donald’s move to Moscow 12 days ago in our extensive pre-Miss USA coverage, but you can hear Donald directly on this YouTube video as well as this one from videographer Richard Corey who captured all the sights and sounds of the red carpet and on-stage after the telecast.

Donald tells me he expects more than 6,000 people to be seated in the Crocus City Hall on the northwestern edge of the Russian capital for the 2013 Miss Universe pageant. The television audience is expected to reach 100 million. It’s the first time the event is being held in Russia, but Oksana Fedorov, a television host, is the only Russian model to have won it -- in 2002. Our newly crowned Miss USA will be competing with more than 70 worldwide beauties including the current Miss Russia, Elmira Abdrazakova, from Kazakhstan.

"We had 18 different countries wanting the pageant -- Russia really wanted it badly. We will be in one of the great halls of the world," Donald told me.

Erin, a Connecticut State University finance major who is a “numbers crunching accountant” said she had to call her office boss to let him know she wouldn’t be coming back to work for at least a year! She plans to continue what last year’s Miss USA, Olivia Culpo, started in bringing the global crown back to America after a 16-year gap.

Her early morning photo session Monday began at the Minus 5 Ice Bar in Mandalay Bay, where she was wrapped with fur coats over a red bikini to get ready for the harsh winter realities of Russia!

On Sunday her fiancée, Tony Capasso, her father, Francis, and sister Audrey were all in Planet Hollywood to congratulate her. They revealed that as a youngster she’d take part in pretend Miss America poolside walks with her grandmother! Erin admitted she’d entered her state pageant “on a total whim."

“I’m hoping my finance career disproves negative images held about some beauty contestants. We are intelligent individuals and not a stereotype. It's not all about the hair and the makeup, but our personalities," she said, adding that her fiancee had told her to compete with no makeup. She will help promote Miss USA’s campaign for a breast cancer cure but will also assist children dealing with family drug and alcohol abuse since she’s seen that first-hand.

Donald says the official date for Miss USA’s move to Miami from Vegas will be made at the Miss Universe pageant, but he expects a three-year-run at his Doral property in Florida before any thought of returning to Vegas. “We’ve had great times here and we love having the pageant in Vegas and we’ve done really well here” he told me. "Next year Miami is definite and another couple of years but I’m certain we’ll be back sometime.”

Meantime Miss America, which first came here in 2006 and left after last year’s pageant at Planet Hollywood, has started planning its September broadcast in Atlantic City.

Coming Tuesday: some startling revelations from the Miss America officials on their move back to New Jersey.

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06.16.13 · 9:47 AM

‘Teen Mom’/porn starlet Farrah Abraham hosts at Adult Pool Club

Photo: Erik Kabik

It's been a roller coaster ride of sensational and often lurid tabloid headlines for "Teen Mom" reality starlet Farrah Abraham, who wound up selling her debut porn video for more than $1 million.

Saturday, it was a day of relaxation under the sun splashing in a Las Vegas pool and putting all of her woes behind her -- or at least trying to forget Charlie Sheen’s angry diatribe to her for daring to go public with their private text message plans to date.

Farrah was the guest host at the Sapphire men's club adult pool –- and contributing photographer Erik Kabik was on duty for our photo gallery as she posed in as narrow a blue bikini as was permitted.

It was back in 2009 that the Council Bluffs, Iowa, teen first made headlines in the controversial MTV series "Sixteen & Pregnant." Farrah gave birth to daughter Sophia two months after the father, Derek Underwood, was killed in a car wreck. A month later Farrah’s mother, Debra, was charged with assault for hitting her inside an Iowa courtroom.

Last August Farrah published her autobiography, “My Teenage Dream Ended," and she is now featured in the follow up teenage mom series. Her celebrity sex tape with porn star James Deen was released by Vivid Entertainment last month with some insiders saying she pocketed at least $1.5 million for the shoot.

She admits to two breast augmentation surgeries, including one just one week ago -- even though she’s not yet 20. Saturday, she said she “was celebrating her awesome body” at the Vegas pool club.

A sad commentary on today's kids -- especially after meeting the studious, diligent, dedicated and disciplined teens from Saturday night's Miss Nevada contests and witnessing their selfless support for charities and the Children's Miracle network!

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06.16.13 · 9:26 AM

Pitbull, Ke$ha light up Mandalay Bay crowd

Photo: Tom Donoghue/DonoghuePhotography.com

They are the collision-course warriors of hip-hop and currently hailed in the music industry as two of the biggest entertainers on the planet.

Pitbull and Ke$ha brought their "Warrior Tour" to Mandalay Bay on Saturday night, and fans gave them a roaring sold-out welcome.

Ke$ha really proved her place in the spotlight with her fierce attitude and rap technique. She turned heads in her wild stage antics and sexy costumes for "Tik Tok," "Your Love Is My Drug," "Die Young" and "We R Who We R".

The ongoing co-headlining concert North American tour is a promotion for both Pitbull's album, Global Warming and Kesha's album, Warrior , both released in November. The tour started on May 23 in Boston and is scheduled to close June 28 in Tampa. It has become one of the biggest box-office hits this year.

Thanks to contributing photographer Tom Donoghue who was front and center for the torrid over-heated action that sent Vegas temperatures soaring even higher.

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06.16.13 · 9:02 AM

New Miss Nevada, Miss Nevada Outstanding Teen crowned

Pageant contestants line up during the Miss Nevada and Miss Nevada Outstanding Teen contest on Saturday, June 15, 2013.

Photo: TVT

The new Miss Nevada who will go to the Miss America contest in Atlantic City Sept. 15 is 19-year-old Diana Sweeney, Miss Carson City. Her hometown is Moundhouse but she attends UNR, where she is tackling a dual major in math and education.

Diana's platform for the Miss America pageant is "Sexual Assault: No Means No." She was sexually assaulted by a family friend when she was 14 years old.

"I will make an amazing representative for the state of Nevada because of the vast amount of passion I have for my personal platform, the national platform and the Miss America program itself," she said. "I want to touch the lives of others through this experience and grow into the best person I can possibly be."

We'll have our full interview with Diana at Vegas DeLuxe on Tuesday -- and the story of why she lost at last year's pageant!

The new Miss Nevada Outstanding Teen is 15-year-old Katarina Clark, Miss Northern Counties Outstanding Teen. Katarina lives in Reno and attends Reno High School. She won last night's talent competition with a lyrical dance. "This has always been a dream of mine but I began competing to find myself and be comfortable out in the public," she said. She'll go to the national contest in Orlando in August.

UNLV graduate Randi Sundquist, the departing 2012 Miss Nevada, presented her title and crown to Diana.

Henderson teen Ellie Smith presented her Outstanding Teen 2012 title and crown to Katarina.

The contest was judged by MGM executive chef Christina Olivarez, "Survivor" contestant Mitchell Olson, lifestyles coach Jana Stewart, Jam Brands director Chad Lemon and Sean Lichty, a Las Vegas resident who has been involved with the Miss America Organization for over two decades.

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06.13.13 · 2:06 PM

Miss Nevada Pagent preview: Who will compete in Miss America this September?

Photo: Photo courtesy Miss Nevada Organization

It will take two nights of Miss America competition to determine the winners for the new Miss Nevada and Miss Nevada Outstanding Teen titles Friday and Saturday. The 23 contestants are determined not to be overshadowed by the rival national Miss USA pageant taking place Sunday on the Strip.

UNLV student Randi Sundquist and Henderson resident Ellie Smith are the respective 2012 Miss Nevada and Miss Nevada Outstanding Teen winners who'll be passing on their crowns. The next Miss Nevada will to the Sept. 15 Miss America pageant in Atlantic City (after a seven-year-run in Las Vegas), while the Outstanding Teen winner will compete in the national pageant in Orlando, Fla.

Contestants will compete at Texas Station. On Friday, Miss Nevada contestants will compete in the talent category and answer questions while the teen contestants perform their talents. On Saturday, Miss Nevada hopefuls compete in evening wear and swimsuit while the teen contestants take the stage in fitness wear, evening wear and answering the question. Judges have already conducted private interviews with each competitor.

Finalists for Miss Nevada are Diana Sweeney, Miss Carson City; Ashley Tarchione, from Henderson, as Miss Clark County; Jovahnna Anderson, Miss Elko County; Polina Etkarev, Miss Mesquite; Riley Jenson, from Sparks, Miss Northern Counties; Suthinda Khongkhatitham, Miss Reno; Alyssa D’Agostino, Miss Silver State; D’adra Sites, Miss Southern Counties; Valerie Padovani, Miss Sparks; Chelsea Mihaylo, Miss Washoe County; and Bailey Gumm, as we reported yesterday , from Minden as Miss Douglas County. Bailey was crowned Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen in 2011. She used Twitter on arrival in Las Vegas this week to exclaim: “It feels good to be back.”

The finalists for Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen are Samantha Byassee, Miss Carson City's Outstanding Teen; Baylee Bernstein, of Henderson, Miss Clark County's Outstanding Teen; Macie Tuell, Miss Douglas County’s Outstanding Teen; Jordan VanWorth, Miss Eagle Valley’s Outstanding Teen; Kaitlynn Pilkington, Miss Elko Country’s Outstanding Teen; Jordan Lamoreaux, Miss Lake Tahoe’s Outstanding Teen; Camryn Lueck, Miss Las Vegas’ Outstanding Teen; Katarina Clark, Miss Northern Counties Outstanding Teen; Jenna Holdridge, Miss Reno’s Outstanding Teen; Haley Passione, Miss Southern Counties’ Outstanding Teen; Nasya Mancini, Miss Sparks’ Outstanding Teen, and Alyssa Inskip, Miss Washoe County’s Outstanding Teen.

I’ll use Twitter to report the talent awards Friday evening and the final results live on Saturday. We’ll have first interviews with the winners next week here at Vegas DeLuxe.

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06.11.13 · 3:20 PM

Miss USA contestants celebrate Terry Fator’s birthday; contest judges are named

Miss USA contestants play with Winston the Turtle puppets prior to the Terry Fator: The Voice of Entertainment show at the Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday, June 10, 2013.

When you are entertainer Terry Fator and celebrating your 1,000th show, your millionth visitor and your birthday all at the same time, it's only natural you’d have 51 of America's most gorgeous women join you for the party.

Monday night, after a long tough day of rehearsals for Wednesday's Miss USA 2013 preliminary pageant, the contestants were invited to Terry's special milestone show at the Mirage. Although it was his birthday, he gave each girl a Winston the Turtle ventriloquism puppet.

Our Miss Nevada USA, Chelsea Caswell, from the Wynn and Encore F&B department, joined her rivals -- Miss Massachusetts, Sarah Kidd; Miss Alabama, Mary Margaret McCord; Miss Illinois, Stacie Juris; and Miss South Carolina, Megan Pinckney -- to show their own ventriloquism skills.

Monday, Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump and his president, Paula Shugart, revealed the judges for Sunday’s live NBC telecast from the PH Live theater at Planet Hollywood. The panel includes "Biggest Loser" TV star, health and fitness expert Bob Harper; famed fashion designer and Style Network star Betsey Johnson and feisty reality star NeNe Leakes from Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Atlanta” and “I Dream of NeNe."

The other judges are actress Wendie Malick, star of TV Land’s "Hot in Cleveland"; Jessica Roberts, from the top-rated Duck Dynasty reality series; former WWE Diva champion and star of E! Entertainment’s “Total Divas,” Nikki Bella; Arizona Cardinals MVP wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald; actress and singer songwriter Christina Milian from NBC TV’s "The Voice"; and Mo Rocca, host of the Cooking Channel’s "My Grandmother's Ravioli."

“We have a great show in store for our fans and a diverse lineup of judges to select our next Miss USA,” Paula said. “We like to bring a mix of talent to the judging panel. It reflects who we are as a country and creates an interesting outcome for the competition.”

Here’s the official Miss USA YouTube video of the contestants in their poolside bikini photo shoot:

Vegas DeLuxe previously reported that The Jonas Brothers pop group will be the musical entertainment for the evening gown voting category. Monday, we learned that former Jersey Shore star, “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio who recently moved to Las Vegas as a new resident, will provide the swimsuit category’s music.

Fans can now vote their favorite contestant into the semifinals of the Miss USA competition until June 15 -- 24 hours before the live TV pageant a -- by logging on to www.missusa.com or voting through the vote icon on the official Miss USA Facebook page. Here’s a look at how Miss Nevada Chelsea Caswell fared in the Hot Seat.

We also have the YouTube video of the pageant princesses’ visit to Frank Marino’s dressing room at his Divas show in the Quad with his fellow female impersonators.

Since Tuesday night Game 3 of the NBA finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat, it was the perfect photo opportunity at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign for a little friendly competition between Miss Texas USA Ali Nugent and Miss Florida USA Michelle Aguirre.

The glamor girls have spent more than a week filming at various Vegas locations for video packages to air in the show to be seen by more than a million viewers in 90 countries. Nana Meriwether will relinquish her title and crown the new Miss USA winner, who will go on this year to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

Check back Wednesday to Vegas DeLuxe for our continuing full coverage and a preview of the first preliminary pageant. On Thursday morning, we’ll have a full photo gallery from Wednesday night of what's ahead for Sunday.

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06.18.12 · 3:26 PM

Tyson on Broadway; Tim and Faith; Madonna; ‘Spider-Man’ at Venetian?

The VIP grand opening of "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth -- Live on Stage" at MGM Grand on Saturday, April 14, 2012.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/DonoghuePhotography.com

It’s a new week, and we start it with …

WICKED WHISPERS & RACY RUMORS

Exactly as we first tipped, boxing legend and Las Vegas resident Mike Tyson was welcomed to Broadway this morning by theater owner and producer James Nederlander and together with director Spike Lee announced a six-day engagement of the former heavyweight champion’s one-man show “Undisputed Truth” that Mike unveiled here at home at MGM Grand in April.

Spike will direct the play, also as we first exclusively revealed. It is the first of many developments worldwide for Mike’s theatrical production.

*Talent scouts for the hit Broadway production “Spider-Man” quietly held auditions here for a Las Vegas cast with a rumored residency to take over the theater now occupied by “Phantom -- the Las Vegas Spectacular” at the Venetian after its Sept. 2 closing after six years -- mainly because the rigging of the “falling chandelier” can be adapted for Spider-Man’s flying sequences.

Rumors continue to grow also for the Tony Award-winning “The Book of Mormon” to eventually land at the neighboring Palazzo in the theater former occupied by “Jersey Boys,” which is now just down the Strip at the Paris.

*Is this also where country super-couple Tim McGrawand Faith Hill, who are headed to Las Vegas on Thursday, will perform a mini-residency going up against Garth Brooks in the interim?

Tim has just embarked on a project to give 25 mortgage-free homes to military veterans with an eventual goal of 1,000; one is right here in North Las Vegas.

*We’ve reported that the Broadway musical “Rock of Ages” moves into Blue Man Group’s theater at the Venetian, and now we can confirm that Blue Man will open in its theater at the Monte Carlo on Dec. 23, with Jabbaawockeez in its new theater at Luxor.

(Incidentally, the film “Rock of Ages” starring Tom Cruise and “Dancing With the Stars” and Las Vegas darling Julianne Hough opened over the weekend in third place with an under-expectations haul of $15 million.)

*Former “Phantom” Las Vegas star Sierra Boggess, who has gone on to London and New York theatrical fame, has just been tapped from her Broadway show “Master Class” to star in the West End production of “Les Miserables.” It’s a return to Britain for Sierra, who was last there starring in the unexpectedly short run of the “Phantom” sequel “Love Never Dies.”

*Superstar Madonna’s two Las Vegas concerts at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Oct. 13-14 are sold out, and In Touch Weekly says her tour demands are “pop star excess gone rogue.” Madonna, who has flashed her nipple in Istanbul and her arse in Rome while on her world tour, reportedly will travel here with a 200-strong entourage that includes her chefs, yoga instructor, acupuncturist, masseuse, drycleaner and 30 bodyguards.

In Touch reports that the 53 year-old pop queen expects her MGM dressing room to include 20 phone lines, a special draped fabric and lilies and white and light pink roses with all stems trimmed to six inches. In Touch also says that her furniture will be shipped in with the stage sets to replace the items in her MGM suite so that she really feels at home.

*British boyband One Direction returns to Las Vegas on Aug. 3 at Mandalay Bay -- they were here just two weekends ago at Planet Hollywood -- as ticket demand prompted the second concert. Our Las Vegas phenom Manika, who is getting incredible reviews with her debut singles, including “Good Girls,” opens.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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