Las Vegas Weekly

December 12, 2008 · 2:55 PM

Strip Scribbles: Bette Midler shutters Caesars Palace boutique for ET lenses

By Robin Leach

The divine Bette Midler.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Who knew you could take a bath with Bette Midler? Who knew she’d help scrub your body? And then buff it with her very own potions and lotions! The Caesars Palace headliner has an amazing collection of items in her very own retail store at the resort. Sure, it has all of her CDs from over the years, her books, photos, cards, posters -- and even an autographed copy of the very ukulele she plays in the show there. When Entertainment Tonight cameras filmed her guided shopping tour there, she shut the shop and said: “It’s my first foray into retail. I’m really excited. I don’t know what to make of it as it’s all about me. I’ve never been in this position before, but I’m thrilled!” Click HERE to watch Bette on a shopping spree -- in her very own boutique!

*Actor comedian David Spade is switching Strip hotels for 2009. The Just Shoot Me star who first found fame as a cast member and writer for Saturday Night Live moves to The Venetian on New Year’s Day weekend -- Jan. 1-3 -- from Planet Hollywood. Known for his sarcastic sense of humor and cutting one-liners, David has signed for a series of limited engagements at the 742-seat Venetian Showroom throughout 2009, joining Wayne Brady, Blue Man Group, Vinny Favorito’s Real Deal! interactive poker show and, of course, Phantom -- Las Vegas Spectacular.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Tesla.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Tesla.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Tesla.

*Multiplatinum rockers Tesla, on tour in support of their new album Forever More, hit The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel for a concert. Our contributing photographer Scott Harrison was front row center for the shots of lead singer Jeff Keith and lead guitarist Frank Hannon. This is their seventh album in their 24 years in the music business with their bluesy, no frills, 1970s hard rock sound. They specialize in making each cut on an album different and diverse from any other.

*Star surveillance: Real-life attorney Erin Brockovich, played in the Oscar-winning film by Julia Roberts -- slipped into Michael Boychuck’s Color Salon at Caesars Palace to get a new hair look and was so impressed that she booked monthly appointments for all of 2009. … Hip-hop mogul and Death Row Records founder(and onetime UNLV football player) Suge Knight celebrated the dismissal of drug and battery charges with a Ketel One vodka party night at Cathouse in the Luxor as soon-to-be father of twins Tito Ortiz had drinks with friends. … Country star Cowboy Troy hit Tryst at the Wynn one night and then at Pure in Caesars Palace jumped on the mic, in between sipping Jagermeister and posing for fan photos, to give a shout out to club-goers. Also on Pure’s VIP stage were poker stars Joe Cassidy, David Williams and Jean-Robert Bellande, who enjoyed Dom Perignon champagne while my pal Dennis Haskins, television’s favorite Principal Belding from Saved by the Bell, partied into the early hours inside the DJ booth! … Oakland A’s DH Frank Thomas, in town for the baseball owners' meetings, took time out for dinner at Fix Restaurant & Bar in the Bellagio. … Lance Burton will gather up some showbiz friends today for his 10th annual visit to a special school caring for kids, where they will all perform magic and comedy, introduce Santa Claus and hand out gifts at the Variety Tent day home and handicapped school.

Photo: The Venetian

Eddie and Lisa Guardado.

Photo: The Venetian

Randy Flores, Joel Pineiro, Brad Thompson, Bobby Kielty, Ramon Vasquez and Michael Young.

Photo: The Venetian

Michael Young, Eric Chavez and Milton Bradley.

Photo: The Venetian

*Texas Rangers pitcher Eddie Guardado recruited 35 of his fellow Major League Baseball buddies for his 4th annual poker tournament that’s a fundraiser for families faced with the high cost of therapy and treatment for children affected by autism. This year, the new Sportsbook Bar & Grill in the Palazzo hosted the charity effort. Among the notables attending were St. Louis Cardinals stars Brad Thompson, Kyle Lohse, Randy Flores, Joel Pineiro and Brad Thompson, plus Texas Rangers players Milton Bradley and Michael Young, Oakland A’s players Frank Thomas and Eric Chavez, ESPN baseball announcer Eric Young and Reed Johnson of the Chicago Cubs. Bobby Kielty of the Oakland A’s won two previous poker championships and wound up in the 20 finalists who all won a Force championship watch donated by Charriol.

*As Wall Street spirals downward, unemployment numbers get worse and automakers face bankruptcy, it’s nice to find some cheery news in the doom and gloom. Here are two incredible Las Vegas bargains to take advantage of right now to brighten the holiday scene. My friend heavyweight headliner George Wallace, the comedy king of the Flamingo, wants to see people laughing in this tough economy. So he’s created a plan for fans to buy two VIP tickets for his show and get two dinners at Paradise Garden there. George says he’s going to make good on the offer through Valentine’s Day, and it’s only $99 -- or $49.50 apiece. That’s a deal!

Now it gets even better -- and more unbelievable. Every year around the holidays, the Harrah’s gaming and hospitality conglomerate treats its employees to whopping discount rates at their hotels to share with family and friends visiting or vacationing together. Incredibly, now Harrah’s is opening up those employee discounts for everyone at several Vegas properties. You must book by Dec. 22 for use by March 31, but pay attention -- this is not a typo. For as little as $30 a night, you can stay on the Strip at Harrah’s, the Flamingo, Bally’s, Imperial Palace and off Strip at The Rio! The promotion will boost travel and makes a perfect inexpensive gift for everybody!

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Artist Buzzy Rummer at Frankie's Tiki Room.

Photo: Frankie's Tiki Room

Moss and Bamboo Ben at Frankie's Tiki Room.

Photo: Frankie's Tiki Room

A tiki bandit mug: Drink from it and live forever.

*The world’s top tiki carvers were on hand for a private preview party to celebrate the opening of the only authentic tiki bar in Las Vegas. Frankie’s Tiki Room is filled with original Polynesian art and traditional carvings. Among the artists were Bamboo Ben, Tiki Ray, Buzzy Rummer and Crazy Al Evans, known for his Polynesian Pop sculptures and who created Frankie’s signature tiki, a monstrous island warrior. Bamboo Ben, hailed as the world’s top tiki bar designer, is the grandson of Eli Hedley, who created the decor for the legendary massive welcoming feature Aku Aku at the old Stardust before it was imploded. (Aku Aku was saved before demolition and now sits in our Sunset Park!) The bar boasts 15 new exotic drinks never before served in Vegas.

If you come to Las Vegas, you are assured of not only a good time but also the best entertainment in the world. To prove it is a weekly cornucopia of comedy, country music, rock stars and magic’s miracle men here in this weekend’s highlights all wrapped up in a big red bow for Christmas in what we affectionately refer to around here as the Royal Robin Rundown:

Friday, Dec. 12

*Country still reigns royally as we reach the closing weekend of NFR: Gretchen Wilson sang about being a “Redneck Woman,” but it turned her into a country queen who doesn’t mince words about drinking and cheating. She’s “Here for the Party” at the Las Vegas Hilton for two nights of raw-edged songs and music. … Jo Dee Messina has racked up nine No. 1 country hit singles and was the first female country artist to have three No. 1 songs from the same album. Almost hard to believe she’s a Massachusetts girl with all her country success that will be seen and heard at The Orleans for the next three nights. … Even Carey Hart turns over his Wasted Space at the Hard Rock Hotel to country’s Jesse Dayton for two nights of guitar-genius, hard-charging Texas music. … Blake Shelton performs tonight and tomorrow at Silverton Casino Lodge, Blaine Gray tips his Stetson at South Point, and the Lost Trailers find their way safely to Imperial Palace.

Photo: Pure Management Group

Criss Angel and Sully Erna displaying the angst at LAX.

*Godsmack guitarist, drummer and singer Sully Erna has heavy-metal double-duty this weekend with tonight’s show at Green Valley Ranch and then tomorrow at the just-opened Aliante Station in North Las Vegas. He’s certain to perform his hit “I Stand Alone” from The Scorpion King soundtrack, which also stands out from his career that began over a decade ago in Boston. He’s a regular Vegas visitor and often hangs out with best friend Criss Angel at LAX in the Luxor. … Holiday Jam celebrates with Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand, with special guests The Ting Tings and Carolina Liar in the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.

*Jazz favorite Brian Culbertson has put together a one-night-only jazz holiday show with an all-star cast including vocalist Vesta Williams, guitarist Tony Maiden from Rufus and saxophonist Mike Phillips. Brian will play smooth songs from his own album Soulful Christmas at Boulder Station.

*You’d expect Jay Leno to be celebrating this weekend when he performs for two nights in Terry Fator’s new theater at The Mirage. Jay was about to vanish from his late-night NBC slot to be replaced by Conan O’Brien, but this week he signed a new contract that moves him ahead nightly to 10 p.m. with a five-day-a-week new series of comedy and talk. I’m told he’ll still commute back and forth to Hollywood, so he can sleep in his own bed, though -- and not go out to party here!

*Please go support my friend Carol Linnea Johnson, who plays Donna in Mamma Mia! at Mandalay Bay, when she sings with the new acoustic gypsy jazz group Hot Club of Vegas at the Vox Lounge in Henderson. It’s made up of Strip performers including Mundo Juillerat, who is lead guitarist in Le Reve, Chris Davis, who plays contrabass in Phantom: Las Vegas Spectacular, Gabriel Falcon, drummer for the Donny & Marie show and rhythm guitarist Marlow Valentin. (Check them out at www.hotclubvegas.com.) Gypsy jazz is a musical style first made popular in the 1930s and ’40s in France. Carol, who appeared on Broadway in The Full Monty and on television’s Law and Order and All My Children, tells me they’ll include a version of “Key to Her Ferrari,” for which I recorded the original introduction back in 1988 for Thomas Dolby’s album Aliens Ate My Buick.

*We never seem to have enough magic in Vegas despite the fact that more princes of prestidigitation conjure up here. Now comes more with the World Stars of Magic to amaze and astound up at the Suncoast through Sunday night. Our Vegas magic expert Johnny Thompson will be performing alongside British comedy magician John Archer, interactive video sleight-of-hand illusionist Tony Chapek and unconventional Kevin James, who actually invented many of the tricks that others have scored big with over the years.

*Party patrol: Actor Stephen Colletti, who began in Laguna Beach and now resides on One Tree Hill, hosts a party at Prive in Planet Hollywood, and Common celebrates an album release at Jet, with the first 100 guests through the door getting a free copy of the rapper’s new CD.

Saturday, Dec. 13

*The eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC reality series on Spike TV, started with 32 wannabe fighters, and now it comes down to the finalists. Team Mir goes up against Team Nogueira at The Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms to crown The Ultimate Fighter. Two other battles are set: the rematch between UFC welterweights Kevin Burns and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson after their controversy July bout, and middleweights Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald and Wilson Gouveia rumble in the mixed martial arts match-up. Afterwards, Frank Mir hosts his official Team Mir after-party at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile, and UFC fighter Wilson Gouveia hopes he’ll be celebrating victory when he hosts his after-party at Prive.

*Another battle will rage down at Star of the Desert Arena on the Stateline in the Lucha Libre warfare between father-and-son team Rey Misterio battling father-son duo Cobarde Sr. and Jr. Part of Mexico’s culture for nearly 100 years, Lucha Libre features quick-paced athleticism and daring maneuvers while wearing masks. Also fighting are Octagonito vs. Espanito, Payaso vs. Sergio, Fly Boy vs. Pistolero 2, Kendo vs. Ruby, Sol Azteca vs. Syndrome and Aguilita vs. Saul.

*For something completely different, it’s the redneck country comedy of Larry the Cable Guy at The Orleans Arena, and the cowboys from the rodeo will race there after the final award presentations. Country fans also can enjoy singer Leon Russell at the Canyon Club in the downtown Four Queens and lovely Lorrie Morgan out at the Casablanca Ballroom in Eastside Cannery.

*Rock fans aren’t left out of the final country weekend. They’ve got Nine Inch Nails to flatten opening act The Bug at Planet Hollywood, or they can celebrate the 5th anniversary of Smash Magazine with a mini-fest at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay with Escape the Fate, 7th Plague and Destruction of a Rose -- and don’t forget Sully Erma’s second night in town, this time at Aliante Station in North Las Vegas.

Sunday, Dec. 14

*Incredible illusionist David Copperfield returns to MGM Grand for a run of two nightly shows that will take him through Jan. 12. It’s mighty magic that is truly spellbinding.

*It’s not just because handsome hunks Bob and Mike Bryan are twins that they get massive attention -- the dynamic duo also are the reigning U.S. Open doubles champions. To wind down after their second annual Camp Bryan tennis weekend here, they will host a party at Lavo in the Palazzo.

*We’ll have the full photo wrap-up of Carmen Electra’s Playboy Club blackjack dealer stunt posted, so be sure to check back here.

Photo: E! Entertainment

Pamela Anderson looking great while having text.

Monday’s tease

We’ll have the intriguing story of Pamela Anderson’s surprise reunion with magician Hans Klok on a secret trip to Europe, plus highlights of Jamie Foxx’s birthday bash. Get ready for our exclusive interviews next week with Flamingo headliner Donny Osmond and new Mirage entertainer Terry Fator, who both spill some interesting and intimate secrets that will make headlines elsewhere after we’ve revealed them! Meantime, since the holidays are now officially upon us, we’ll leave you with a Merry Christmas weekend wish from the topless beauties of X at the Flamingo who promise they’ve been both naughty and nice for Santa’s upcoming visit!

Photo: Matt Stabile

An X Girls Christmas.

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