Las Vegas Weekly

January 16, 2009 · 1:33 PM

Strip Scribbles: The Divine Miss M receives Woman of the Year award

By Robin Leach

Bette Midler.

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

Caesars Palace headliner Bette Midler has quick-change, extra-fast double-duty when she performs her regular sold-out concert at The Colosseum tomorrow night. Right after the curtain comes down, she has to race off to the Nevada Ballet Theatre’s Black & White Ball in an upstairs ballroom, where the Divine Miss M will be honored as Woman of the Year. Just a shame, for some odd reason, that she has decreed no media interviews or photographs. That sure hurts getting the message out about one of the prized cultural assets of Las Vegas.

The glamorous, glittering gala marks the 25th anniversary of the yearly fundraiser and is sponsored by the wonderful folks at Cartier. It would’ve been nice if Bette had relaxed the rule so the theater could get tons of publicity, which must have been the original plan. My friends Zowie Bowie will entertain the guests, and they told me to bring all the photogs I want. However, they all have to leave before Bette arrives!

Photo: Blush

Joey Fatone at Blush.

Photo: The Light Group

Christopher McDonald, Alan Thicke and his wife Tanya.

Photo: Blush

Natalie Gublis and Gray Maynard at Blush.

Star surveillance

It’s been a busy week of stars partying up and down and off the Strip, and our photographers managed to catch up with them. ’N Sync star and Singing Bee host Joey Fatone danced till 3 a.m. at Blush in the Wynn. … My pal actor Alan Thicke was with gorgeous wife Tanya at the Bank in the Bellagio with actor Christopher MacDonald (Happy Gilmore). Adult film star Jesse Jane, a former Hawaiian Tropic swimsuit pageant winner, also was in the VIP section. … My actor friend Dennis Haskins of Saved by the Bell dined at the new restaurant Society in the Encore and then partied at Blush, where pro golfer and The Apprentice star Natalie Gulbis celebrated her birthday with UFC fighter Gray Maynard. … Shar Jackson, the mother of Kevin Federline’s two children before his short marriage to Britney Spears, partied at Jet in The Mirage. … The Smashtime weekly parties have resumed at Body English in the Hard Rock Hotel, and Clinton Sparks of E!’s Daily 10 did turntable duty for the partygoers who included Zack from Avenged Sevenfold and his girlfriend. Next door at Carey Hart’s Wasted Space, the alternative band Wingman performed.

Photo: Hard Rock Hotel

Wingman at Wasted Space.

Photo: Hard Rock Hotel

Clinton Sparks at Wasted Space.

Photo: The Light Group

Shar Jackson.

Photo: Hard Rock Hotel

Zack of Avenged Sevenfold.

Now here’s all the other colorful weekend highlights that, as you know, around here we affectionately refer to as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

Friday, Jan. 16

*Lavo should be packed tonight with fanatical fans of Golden Globe-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix. The Oscar-nominated star is making a very special appearance and after dinner will be the VIP guest host. Expect the photographers to be out in full force for this rare Las Vegas showing.

*Natalie Cole is “Unforgettable” with her performance of those silky, smooth and smoky songs from yesteryear that her proud poppa immortalized. She sings them in concert at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm and makes the 30-minute drive worthwhile. In a sense, they are “Inseparable,” and Natalie will join forces with her dear father’s voice for a duet of “Walking My Baby Back Home.” No wonder “The Best Is Yet to Come.”

Photo: Liberace Museum

Elvis and Liberace do it up madcap-style backstage at the Riviera on Nov. 14, 1956.

*Close your eyes and you’d swear your ears were telling you that Liberace was alive and well again. That’s the magic of Wes Winters, who plays with the same glitzy brilliance of the late pianist. Wes re-creates the magic of the 40-year Vegas Strip showman in concert up at the Suncoast. At age 5, Wes was inspired by Liberace’s music to learn piano, and he practiced at least 4 hours a day for seven consecutive years to hone his talents as a child prodigy. Wes is neither a look-alike nor an impersonator, but his tribute show is uncanny in capturing the spirit and enthusiasm of Liberace. Wes won the Liberace competition in 2003.

*It’s a family affair when Righteous Brother Bill Medley goes solo and introduces his special offspring and guests McKenna and Darrin Medley at the South Point.

*Carey Hart, spotted with estranged wife Pink yesterday jogging together in Hollywood, serves up another helping of rock and roll at his Wasted Space in the Hard Rock Hotel as he presents Conflict of Interest with Bydeathsdesign as guests.

Photo: Sarah Feldberg

Mom Linda Thompson, son Brody Jenner and girlfriend Jayde Nicole.

*To celebrate the launch of his new MTV reality series Bromance, handsome hunk Brody Jenner will host a party at the Bank in the Bellagio. The son of Olympic champion Bruce Jenner and actress Linda Thompson, he is stepbrother now to E!'s hottest family the Kardashians. Brody, who appears on The Hills, has been linked romantically with Hollywood starlets including Lauren Conrad, Kristin Cavallari and Nicole Richie and is currently seeing Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole.

Saturday, Jan. 17

*Country queen Reba McEntire is our all-time-favorite awards host entertainer, but this Vegas visit, she’s performing in her own concert of country hits at The Orleans Arena. She’s been singing since she was discovered in 1974 giving her rendition of the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma. In her four decades of superstardom, Reba has racked up 20 No. 1 hits and a slew of other chart hits. I can attest that she is one of the genuinely nicest women in all of showbiz.

*For a dose of R&B, Keith Sweat works up the temperature with his show at the Silverton Casino & Lodge.

*When Boyz II Men answered Justin Timberlake’s call for his charity concert, they brought the house down with a mere 10-minute set. Now they’ve got the whole night to themselves at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm. That should be plenty of time to include a reprise of all those No. 1 hits they racked up from 1992 through 1997. This is “One Sweet Day” when the four-time Grammy winners go down “On Bended Knee.” Since hitting it big with “I’ll Make Love To You,” Boyz II Men have gone on to sell more than 60 million albums worldwide.

*If raunchy and vulgar comedy is on your agenda this weekend, then foul-mouthed femme fatale Lisa Lampanelli’s show at the Palms will be the place for wacky, insulting laughter. She’s been labeled the Don Rickles of unladylike humor.

*It’s a metal rock fest at the Santa Fe Station with Enuff Z Nuff and their guests Bulletboys, led by former Ratt guitarist Marq Torien. EZN was formed in 1989 and has released 10 albums, including Brothers last year.

*Tickets go on sale today for two great shows: The Dave Matthews Band will play back-to-back concerts May 8 and 9 with Jason Mraz at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and Poison frontman Bret Michaels leaves Rock of Love long enough to serve up dangerous medicine at The Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms on Jan. 31. He’s in the middle of filming his TV series sequel The Rock of Love Bus, and doubtless the remaining girls on the wheels will be parked backstage. Congrats to Bret on his recent $250,000 win on Don’t Forget the Lyrics, which he donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Bret has lived with Type 1 diabetes since age 6.

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

Sunday, Jan. 18

*The 52 Miss America contestants will be speed demons when they race against one another on the 45-mph electric golf karts at Pole Position Raceway. Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue will be right up close on the track, and we’ll have those photos for you Monday.

*You can’t be pound-foolish when Pennywise hits the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay for a rock show with The Vandals.

Monday’s tease

We’ll have an extraordinary photo collection of the 52 Miss America contestants at play throughout the Strip over the weekend. We’ll also have the full photo report from rocker Vince Neil’s charity poker tournament at the Hard Rock Hotel. Remember: All week long, Vegas DeLuxe is the best place for the biggest and brightest coverage of the Miss America Pageant as we get ready for three nights of preliminary competition leading up to next Saturday’s live telecast of the crowning of the 2009 pageant queen.

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