Las Vegas Weekly

December 1, 2008 · 12:28 PM

Strip Scribbles: Julianne Hough two steps into town with boyfriend Chuck Wicks

By Robin Leach

Julianne Hough and Cody Linley.

Photo: ABC TV

Two-time Dancing With the Stars winner Julianne Hough returned to Las Vegas for the holidays. She was a former student of the Las Vegas Academy before finding fame as a professional dancer and country singer. She even brought her new boyfriend, country singer-songwriter Chuck Wicks, with her, and they stayed two nights in a penthouse at George Maloof’s new Palms Place tower. They gathered for dinner with her family at Lavo inside the Palazzo to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and her sister Marabeth’s birthday. I smiled when I learned that Chuck’s first hit single is appropriately titled “Stealing Cinderella,” which kicked off his debut album Starting Now this year. Julianne also is celebrating her debut album and the hit single “My Hallelujah Song.”

A quieter Corey Feldman, his wife Playboy model Susie Sprague Feldman and Daisy de la Hoya from Rock of Love 2 had a holiday weekend dinner at Chef Geno Bernardi’s Nove Italiano inside the Fantasy Tower at the Palms. Then Corey, actor and star of hit 1980s films Stand By Me, The Goonies and The Lost Boys, took the ladies off to Tryst inside Wynn. Daisy is best-known as the reality star runner-up on the hit VH1 show Rock of Love 2, and she’s now landed her own reality series, which will be filmed partly in Vegas with hometown competitors.

*The one-time home of Dean Martin in Bel Air and then purchased by MGM regular headliner Tom Jones has just gone on the market at a staggering $30 million, minus a thousand dollars! It’s a 1-acre English Tudor mansion home with beautiful gardens front and back, and in its 11,000 square feet of luxury are seven bedrooms, a theater, a custom wine cellar, a game room, an Olympic-size pool, a separate two-bedroom guesthouse and a rooftop deck with a 360-degree view of the Pacific Ocean.

*You only have until Friday night to take advantage of a holiday gift from Caesars headliner Bette Midler. For just $200, she’s created a special pack of two rear orchestra seats for her show there and an autographed copy of her book The Sage of Baby Divine. It’s not available online or by phone, so you have to go to the Colosseum box office for the gift and the savings!

*Star surveillance: Two-time IBF and IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton was shopping at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s retail store with a tall blonde. Although they both tried on several different clothing items, they couldn’t find anything to buy! … At the After Hours edition of The Real Deal interactive poker show in The Venetian with host Vinnie Favorito, the poker pros went wild, too. After enjoying a big win at a tournament in Vancouver, B.C., Daniel Negreanu flew straight in and donned a wig, sunglasses and a blast of bling to mimic fellow pro player of the evening Scotty Nguyen. Scotty was so pleased with the spoof tribute, he bought the entire audience a round of drinks. … Miss Teen Nevada Georgina Vaughn was at the AMP beauty salon in the Palms getting a movie-star hair makeover from her hair king of three years, Michael Boychuck.

*Producers of the new film Sing Now or Forever Hold Your Peace decided to replace the original theme song, Frank Sinatra’s “World on a String,” with a new version by Vegas entertainer Brian Evans. The singer-pianist is featured twice in the film, and his song is used entirely over the rolling end credits. The film stars Saturday Night Live alumnus Molly Shannon and my friend, actor Mark Feuerstein, who I once went gold prospecting with in Alaska for a TV challenge show.

Tonight’s tip

New hip-hop artist Ron Browz makes his Vegas debut with a “Pop Champagne” toast at Prive in Planet Hollywood when he hosts the “Money for Monday” midnight firing of the greenbacks! Next Monday -- with or without Lindsay Lohan at her side -- wheels of steel mistress Samantha Ronson is guest host and DJ! Hollywood buzz says their relationship since a trip to Dubai together is now on the rocks! For something completely different, Jody Nix of the Texas Cowboys performs pure country western tracks from his new album The Fiddle Man for three nights at South Point. Shannon Kelly hosts a “Princess for a Day” party at Jet in The Mirage for 50 of our town’s hospitality hotties.

Tomorrow’s tease

Was it a real wedding? Was it a publicity stunt? Was it filmed as an episode of their reality series? When does the honeymoon end? Will they have to really get married now that the truth is exposed? Full details of the Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt sham before their Vegas visit! The clock countdown is on for the final seven days before the new Mirage volcano explodes for the first time, plus Strip performers give back to make it a happier holiday for those less fortunate.

— From Vegas Deluxe

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