Las Vegas Weekly

April 20, 2009 · 11:43 AM

Will Vegas darlings Julianne or Chelsie face the ax on DWTS?

By Robin Leach

Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough.

Photo: ABC TV

On ABC’s top-rated Dancing With the Stars tonight, we start getting down to the short list. Facing the judges’ wrath will likely be Lawrence Taylor and partner Edyta Sliwinska and bronco-riding cowboy Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower, the 19-year-old Las Vegas-born dancer who was a finalist in the most recent season of So You Think You Can Dance. It’s also possible that Las Vegas Academy graduate Julianne Hough with country singer boyfriend Chuck Wicks could be in the bottom three and face the chopping block.

That leaves a fab foursome at the top of the leader board who all look safe for the finals unless they trip and fall: singing star Lil’ Kim with pro partner Derek Hough, Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson with pro Mark Ballas, Sex and the City hunk Gilles Marini with partner Cheryl Burke and former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Melissa Rycroft partnered with Tony Dovolani.

Vegas DeLuxe will have the judges’ scores shortly after the broadcast tonight from Hollywood back to the East Coast time zone for primetime viewing.

Photo: TVT

Dana Delgado and Oscar Goodman.

‘Las Vegas Dancing With the Stars’

On Wednesday, we’ll have our full photo coverage -- both behind the scenes and on the dance floor -- of the “Las Vegas Dancing With the Stars” cancer fundraising event. Despite injuries, our Merry Mayor of Mirth Oscar Goodman, who was partnered with Dana Delgado for the tango, put on a strong showing with the judges but lost out in the audience vote to boxing champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, who won the most votes. Tony Delgado, who organized the event, told me at the judges’ table that he’s going to make this an annual event.

Photo: TVT

Tony Delgado and Tara Palsha take part in "Las Vegas Dancing With the Stars."

Also dancing there was fiery redhead Tara Palsha, who was recruited for the Peepshow cast as Little Red Riding Hood just five days before Saturday’s grand premiere! My friend Tara has lived in Las Vegas for the past six years, has danced with the Fantasy Girls at the Luxor for the past three years and is a student at Tony Delgado’s studios here. The Hungarian stunner, who has won raves as the nursery book character, told me she learned the Red Riding Hood choreography in less than four days of intense rehearsals and preview shows! We’ll have the full interview and photos right here on Wednesday.

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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