Las Vegas Weekly

April 15, 2009 · 1:25 PM

Strip Scribbles: Local filming wraps up for E! special on Criss Angel

By Robin Leach

Criss Angel.

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

E!’s True Hollywood Story cameras wrapped up a week of filming here for their Criss Angel and Believe one-hour special. Producers also traveled east to Long Island and Boston for other video segments with the Mindfreak magician’s family and friends.

After my intensive 30-minute sit-down for the cameras along with Luxor President Felix Rappaport and Criss’s managers and PR executives, I was told that the show will air starting the second or third week of next month.

Photo: Jet

Local makeup artist Heidi Bell as the police officer and Angela Shih as the topless robber.

*Scores of Sin City’s hottest ladies dressed up in sexy costumes for the outrageous “Handcuffs and Heels” party organized by Steven Lockwood, Jet’s marketing director. The industry bash at The Mirage nightclub was packed with blondes and brunettes competing to win $5,000 as the best “bad girl cop and lady robber duo.” Winners were the dynamic pair of local makeup artist Heidi Bell as the bad girl cop and Playboy Club bunny Angela Shih as a topless lady robber.

Photo: Candi Cazou

Husband-and-wife team Marty Allen and Karon Kate Blackwell.

*Congratulations to veteran comic Marty Allen, who returns this week from a series of cruise ship shows with his partner Karon Blackwell. Marty just celebrated his 87th birthday and is still going strong, and they will appear together at the South Point the weekend of June 12.

Photo: Wayne Bernath

Photo: Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc.

Magician Lance Burton and Sunshine Foundation participants.

*For the eighth consecutive year, master magician Lance Burton hosted the Sunshine Foundation’s wish granting. Chronically ill, physically challenged and abused children ages 3 to 18 are given a week in Las Vegas for a vacation. Lance entertained them at his Monte Carlo headliner show and made them magician’s assistants for the night.

*The new Capo’s Italian Steakhouse built as a darkened Chicago speakeasy is rapidly becoming the hangout of the chic celebrity crowd. It features a hidden entrance that will baffle and confuse, plus a sliding Al Capone painting reveals a hidden poker and roulette room. The food is fantastic, and the Godfather’s mafiatmosphere is awesome.

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

Gordie Brown at the Golden Nugget.

I just missed Palms owner George Maloof with Playboy beauties Kelly Carrington and Holly Madison, who were tucked in one corner. Porn princess Tera Patrick was there with rocker husband Evan Seinfeld, and at another hidden-away table, Golden Nugget headliner Gordie Brown and funnyman Jamie Kennedy had just left before I arrived to devour the delicacies.

I loved it because after dinner, I could go off to the cigar room! It’s so dark in there, the menus come with a built-in flashlight. The chef is Jason Catheline, who lived to tell the story of Hell’s Kitchen 4 after tangling with TV’s loud-mouthed lout Gordon Ramsey! Owner Nico Santucci says the unique Vegas restaurant is such a hit, customers have asked him to build follow-up ones for them in Pennsylvania and Hawaii.

*A new 12,000-square-foot all-American bar and grill that mixes mechanical bull riding with its rock and roll-inspired eatery opens tonight at Town Square. The Cadillac Ranch even has a 1959 Caddy atop the stacked stone and a large door main entrance. It’s open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. with drinks just $3 from 3 to 6 p.m. Its specialty is hickory smoked BBQ ribs, wings and Angus beef burgers!

*Celebrities and poker pros turned out for the fourth annual poker tournament to benefit our beloved local charity Opportunity Village. It was a record attendance with more than 170 players, including magician Penn Jillette, the Fantasy Girls from the Luxor, Chippendales from The Rio, singer pianist Dian Diaz from the Bellagio and Kato Kaelin, who was the Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding guest crasher at Planet Hollywood.

Photo: Opportunity Village

Howard Lederer and Penn Jillette.

Photo: Warner Bros.

The Chippendales dancers appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Poker pros included Howard Lederer, Perry Friedman and “Poker Babe” Erica Schoenberg. The winner was Las Vegas’ Jerett Edwards, who won a seat to the World Series of Poker without one re-buy during play! He’s going to donate a portion of his WSOP winnings back to Opportunity Village. Caesars Palace and Pure generously donated their venues, staff costs and food, so all $120,000 raised went directly to the charity.

Photo: Denise Truscello

Shanna Moakler at Prive.

Photo: Shane O'Neal

Too Short at Moon in the Palms.

Star surveillance

Playboy model and Danity Kane songstress Aubrey O’Day took her mom for sushi in the fountain dining room at Koi in Planet Hollywood. Newly single yet again -- after the bust-up with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker -- former Miss USA Shanna Moakler also was there dining with friends. … Rapper Too Short hung out at Moon atop the Palms Fantasy Tower and happily posed for photos with fans. … Downstairs in N9NE Steakhouse, MLB free agent Frank Thomas enjoyed steak and spinach with wine for a second consecutive night. … It was a VH1 reality show throwdown at Cathouse inside the Luxor. Shawn and Ryan “Matsuflex” Matsunaga of VH1’s Tool Academy put away their fists and differences and dined there with Frenchie, from Rock of Love and I Love Money. Later, they drank Ketel One cocktails and posed for photos with fans. Shawn and Ryan even stood at the entrance to the Cathouse for 20 minutes greeting guests as they entered! … Members of the sexy X Burlesque show at the Flamingo and Men of X at Hooters entertained with their seductive dance moves as they taped a segment for an upcoming episode of Foursome, Playboy TV’s hot reality dating show, which will air this summer.

Photo: Denise Truscello

Ryan "Matsuflex" Matsunaga.

Tonight’s tips

Actor and comedian Sinbad brightens up tax day at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm. Sinbad, named one of the Top 100 standup comedians of all time by The Comedy Channel, was originally discovered on our old show Star Search. … Kevin Rudolph canceled his “Let It Rock” concert at the last minute in the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay with guests Hypercrush, but he’ll still make a 4 to 6 p.m. appearance at Metroparks inside Mandalay Place and later at Rok Vegas at New York-New York. … Sin and comedy collide at the Harmon Theater in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile when comedian John Padon presents Drake Witham and the Legendary Wid on its debut opening. Two burlesque dancers will sing and dance between the week’s run of comedy performances.

Photo: Nevada Cancer Institute

Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart at the Nevada Cancer Institute.

Tomorrow’s teases

AEG Live/Concerts West head honcho John Meglen reveals Michael Jackson’s rehearsal secrets and a wish list of superstar rockers, including David Bowie and The Rolling Stones, for The Joint. … Serendipity 3 has been a favorite New York restaurant of many stars, and now it’s packing them in here, even though it’s been open only one week. … We’ll have the final interview with reigning 2008 Miss USA Crystle Stewart as she gets ready to hand over her crown Sunday night, and before the end of the week, our one-on-one sit-down with Miss USA President Paula Shugart. … Hotel mogul George Maloof and TV chef Guy Fieri are honored with the Award of Excellence at the 35th annual UNLVino Bubblelicious champagne poolside party. … And musicians LL Cool J and Dee Snider make wild Vegas visits.

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.

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