Las Vegas Weekly

August 14, 2009 · 11:01 AM

Strip Scribbles: Donny Osmond on DWTS? Mindfreak premieres

By Robin Leach

Donny Osmond.

Photo: Scott Doctor

Expect the official ABC announcement next week for the lineup of the Season 9 cast of Dancing With the Stars set to premiere Sept. 21 -- with or without Paula Abdul as a new judge! Silence is wrapped around the dancers, except for Russian Anna Demidova, who was voted in as a new professional by viewers at the end of Season 8.

The veil of silence extends to Flamingo headliner Donny Osmond, who we believe will follow in his sister Marie’s waltzing footsteps. Donny was originally tapped for Season 8, but because of scheduling with his variety show at center Strip, the logistics never quite jibed. We’ll see if that problem has been solved for this new season very shortly.

Meantime, expect the number of celebrity contestants to increase from a starting lineup of 13 to a massive 16, with three back-to-back eliminations decimating eight of the duos!

Photo: MGM Mirage

Carrot Top and Criss Angel at Liquidity in the Luxor.

Photo: MGM Mirage

Criss Angel at Liquidity in the Luxor.

*The Criss Angel Mindfreak Season 5 premiere party for his hit A&E series was held at the newly named Criss Angel Liquidity with some 300 guests in attendance, including fellow Luxor headliners Carrot Top and the bare-almost-all dancing girls of Fantasy. Luxor executives presented Criss, whose Cirque du Soleil Believe is at the Luxor, with a signed and framed Houdini memorabilia item to add to his collection and an extraordinary Mindfreak cake. The Fantasy beauties, incidentally, will be our Vegas DeLuxe guest columnists all weekend long!

Photo: Ana Dobrijevic

AnnaLynne McCord.

*Managers of Wet Republic at MGM Grand are still booking celebrities to draw crowds, and they’ve landed one of America’s now most notorious fathers, Jon Gosselin, from Jon & Kate Plus Eight for my birthday weekend of Aug. 29 and 90210/Nip Tuck star AnnaLynne McCord, who will kick off Magic Fashion Week the next day. This weekend, Wet Republic has E! News’ Giuliana Rancic for her birthday celebration and pregnant Kourtney Kardashian and sister Khloe hosting a day at the pool to celebrate the premiere of their new E! reality show Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami.

Photo: Luxor/Menopause

Actresses Annette Houlihan Verdolino, Emily David, Paige O'Hara and Laura Lee O'Connell arrive at the premiere of their show Menopause the Musical.

*Congratulations to the cast of Menopause the Musical celebrating its Sweet 1,600th show this week at their new home in the Luxor. The show has now entertained more than 500,000 people. The cast here includes Queen Emily, a finalist and vocal powerhouse in last year’s America’s Got Talent, and Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle in Beauty and the Beast.

*Congratulations to the toothy cast of Bite at the Stratosphere, where the topless, bloodless vampire revue celebrates its fifth anniversary this weekend. Launched on Friday the 13th in August 2004, Bite has performed its mix of sexy, erotic topless dancers, acrobatics, rock ’n roll and allure of vampires to 500,000 audience members in 1,500 dates.

Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage

Holly Madison at the premiere of The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard at Planet Hollywood.

Star surveillance

Checking out the competition? On her night off, Peepshow star Holly Madison watched X Burlesque at the Flamingo and greeted the cast afterward, saying she really loved the striptease dance numbers. … Actor Jeremy Piven dined at Strip House in Planet Hollywood before the premiere of his new movie The Goods. … Playboy’s Women of Wall Street featured model Alicia Taylor was spotted at The Executive Lounge networking event in the Stirling Club. … NASCAR Winston Cup champion driver and ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett was at Studio 54 in MGM Grand enjoying an evening with friends. … Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics dined at N9NE Steakhouse in the Palms with 10 friends for dinner. They feasted on the signature rock shrimp, Kobe short ribs with macaroni and cheese and Colorado roasted lamb chops.

*The former Las Vegas showgirls who make up the Deadly Seven headline tonight at the Key Club in Hollywood, and VIPs have RSVP’d to see what mayhem the lascivious, luscious ladies cause this time at the sold-out gig.

Now it’s our time to turn the key and open the locks on this weekend’s madness, mischief and mayhem closer to home on and off the Strip with a VIP package we refer to affectionately around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

Photo: Courtesy

Roger Williams.

Friday, Aug. 7

*Premiere piano artist Roger Williams will play his 5,000th concert this weekend here as he headlines for three nights through Sunday at the South Point. At age 84, Roger is the last keyboard virtuoso in show business. Known as “Mr. Piano,” the music legend has recorded 116 albums.

*Grammy Award winners Los Lonely Boys combine country, soul, rock and blues with their distinct sound at the Hard Rock Hotel pool, with Los Lobos as the opening act -- yes, two Los, and not a typo!

*Longtime hit makers KC & The Sunshine Band provide the warm glow for three nights through Sunday at The Orleans, while beloved locals’ favorite Sonny Turner pounds out performances for three nights up at the Suncoast.

*You can count on Jackyl lead vocalist Jesse James Dupree’s chainsaw performance as just one of the gimmicks during their concert at the Sunset Station.

*Travel down I-15 south to Primm for Buddy Guy with Dr. John and the Lower 911 all in concert at the Star of the Desert Arena.

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

Will Ferrell at the premiere of The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard at Planet Hollywood.

Photo: Pure Management Group

Bill and Giuilana Rancic.

Party patrol

It’s a Wonder-full DJ tribute to the music of Stevie Wonder at Azure Pool in the Palazzo for six hours with DJ Spinna and DJ Bobbito of New York City playing nothing but Stevie for the Red Bull Music Academy. … Dive in for fun at Mandalay Bay movie on the beach when Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, gets the screening treatment. … Giuliana Rancic, also the star of the Style Network’s Giuliana and Bill, hosts her 35th birthday celebration at Tabu Ultra Lounge in MGM Grand. …. Down and Derby, the national roller skating outfit tearing up roller rinks from NYC to Los Angeles, throws another roller disco event in downtown Las Vegas at Beauty Bar, with DJs Supra and Mike Attack spinning inside the electro-styled discotheque alongside resident skate guard DJs SHR3D, Justin Hoffman and Franki Dubs. The skating will feature a limbo contest on wheels with Ludacris tickets as the prize.

Saturday, Aug. 8

*Wayne Brady celebrates his new CBS show Let’s Make a Deal and his extended residency at The Venetian showroom with an exclusive, luxury all-day party at Azure Pool. Wolfgang Puck will serve up the taste treats, and there will be surprise entertainment and celebrity guests to watch the beautiful models parading -- and dancing to the DJ.

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

Wayne Brady at the 70th birthday celebration for Mayor Oscar Goodman at the Golden Nugget on July 31.

*Hard to believe it was back in 1972 that Jackson Browne debuted, and he can proudly claim two of his albums on Rolling Stones’ list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer plays an open-air concert on the sand at Red Rock Resort.

*It’s a double-header with America and Christopher Cross at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm. … Chris Cagle entertains poolside at the Silverton Casino Lodge. … Those raindrops still keep falling with B.J. Thomas in concert at Santa Fe Station, while Dennis Wise is set for Boulder Station. … The Chantels, The Crystals and Three Degrees are at the Cannery. … Jeremih is at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.

Photo: Luxor

Mel Gibson at the Bodies exhibit in the Luxor.

*It’s the first anniversary of the Bodies exhibit at the Luxor, and visitors will be rewarded with a birthday cupcake and free massage from the Academy of Healing Arts. The 12 full-body and 263 partial-body specimens have been seen by nearly 300,000 guests and have encouraged more than 500 to quit smoking and 1,000 to sign up as organ donors. Mel Gibson, Michael Buble and Carrot Top are among the celebrities who have toured the exhibit.

*Top Rank presents another round of world championship boxing at the Hard Rock Hotel, as Nonito Donaire battles Rafael Concepcion in the title bout.

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

Rumer Willis.

Party patrol

At the stroke of midnight, actress Rumer Willis, the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, will get to legally enter Tao in The Venetian to celebrate her 21st birthday. Cast members of her new horror film Sorority Row are expected to join her. … Electro-pop duo The Veronicas will perform at Pure in Caesars Palace.

*Tickets go on sale today for Kid Rock’s Sept. 17 concert at The Pearl in the Palms.

Sunday, Aug. 9

*Newly announced pregnant Kourtney Kardashian is joined by sister Khloe to launch the sexy socialites’ Miami-based E! reality series with an all-afternoon pool at Wet Republic. Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami premieres Sunday. Kourtney won’t reveal the father’s identity but says the baby will be born in December.

Photo: G4

The contestants of G4's online poker reality TV series 2 Months, $2 Million Danny Stern, Brian Roberts, Emil Patel and Jason Rosenkrantz.

*The new 10-episode half-hour series 2 Months, $2 Million filmed entirely in Las Vegas premieres on the G4. Four seasoned online poker-playing whiz kids have two month to parlay their stake into a high-roller’s $2 million payoff while living together as roommates here.

*A reminder that tickets go on sale tomorrow for the Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto “Firepower” battle set for Nov. 14 at MGM, with tickets at $150 to $1,000.

Monday’s teases

As I begin my return from a sun-filled European vacation, we’re down to a couple of remaining guests columnists: Luxor comedy headliner Carrot Top and Las Vegas Weekly nightlife queen Xania Woodman.

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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