Las Vegas Weekly

February 23, 2009 · 5 AM

Morning Call: Drew Barrymore marks 34th birthday with girlfriends at Lavo

By Robin Leach

Drew Barrymore with the Las Vegas Pussycat Dolls at Caesars Palace.

Photo: Pure Management Group

There was no sign of rumored British boyfriends Hugh Grant and Clive Owen or actor Keanu Reeves. In fact, it was just the girls who turned out for Drew Barrymore’s 34th birthday that wrapped yesterday at the Palazzo. Drew has been linked with all three actors after back-to-back parties on both coasts in recent days.

Here, though, it was a double-birthday blast with Drew’s actress-girlfriend Ellen Page (Juno), and both wound up with cakes and candles in Lavo at the Palazzo.

It all began when Drew and her girlfriends, including Ellen and Kristen Wiig of Saturday Night Live, arrived at the Palazzo on Saturday afternoon. En route to Drew’s luxurious, 3,000-square-foot, two-bedroom penthouse suite there, they created a scene straight out of High School Musical.

Drew led the group Pied Piper-style through the casino with her boom box playing old-school jams, and the girls sang and danced their way to the suite! Drew is making her directorial debut with Whip It, which features Ellen and Kristen -- so maybe this was a run-through from the flick?

They turned up at Lavo with Drew in a short, black, sequined, backless dress and Ellen in jeans. Halfway through dinner, they wandered onto the patio where they discovered the hookah smoking area. The free-spirited gang loved the atmosphere so much, they decided to stay out there for the remainder of their multi-course meal.

The last-minute visit to Las Vegas by Drew meant there were no photographs. Our Vegas DeLuxe shots here are from her last visit to Pure in Caesars Palace when she partied at the Pussycat Dolls Lounge with then-boyfriend Justin Long. New York tabloid reports in the past week have noted she has been in public party lip-lock with the other three actors!

“This was a free-spirited, casual group of good girlfriends having a grand time,” one spywitness said. After dinner, Drew and Ellen were surprised by dual birthday cakes made locally by Marie’s Bakery. Drew’s was a pink marble with daisies and fairy figurines, and Ellen’s was built from cupcake cones.

After dessert, they went upstairs to the nightclub, where they had a VIP table on the dance floor. They ordered champagne and Red Bull -- but hopefully didn’t mix them! When the 1980s dance songs played, Ellen danced on a banquette until early yesterday morning while Drew danced with her girlfriends. They called it quits after 90 minutes and returned to Drew’s suite to continue the celebration. The crew of cuties checked out yesterday afternoon after the mini-vacation to return to Hollywood in time for the Oscars.

Drew returns to New York next week as one of the first guests with Tina Fey, Cameron Diaz, Jon Bon Jovi and Ludacris on the debut week of Jimmy Fallon’s NBC Late Show. Drew will be teamed with star chef Mario Batali, who has three restaurants here at the Palazzo and The Venetian.

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