Las Vegas Weekly

January 20, 2009 · 11:25 AM

Strip Scribbles: Las Vegas sets up shop at Sundance, and celebrities from Sting to Paris show support

By Robin Leach

Ben Affleck at the Sundance Film Festival.

Photo: Marion Curtis/StarPix

Many of our hot nightclubs have set up satellite hot spots during the run of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and the stars are showing up in droves as if they were partying in Vegas! Pop superstar Sting and his wife Trudie Styler still proved that they are lovebirds all this time sharing kisses while drinking Stella Artois and grooving to the music in Tao Lounge near the Sundance Lift in Park City. The Venetian nightspot also has already welcomed Paris Hilton, Michelle Trachtenberg, Robin Thicke, Russell Simmons, Aubrey O’Day, Kim Porter and Paula Patton. Our spywitnesses are on hand there, and if there’s any news involving our Vegas stars, you can be sure it will be reported right here!

Photo: Marion Curtis/StarPix

Sting and Trudie Styler in Tao Lounge at Sundance.

Photo: Marion Curtis/StarPix

Paris Hilton at Sundance. Her winter cap is hot. Prrr ...

Paris arrived with her posse at 2 a.m. and wound up dancing in a fur hat with Aubrey on the club’s banquette. Robin requested a song set -- which didn’t include any of his own material! -- from the DJ for his dance floor moves. Paula, who co-stars with Mariah Carey in their Sundance movie Push, sang the singer’s praises for her acting. “You don’t even know she is that good,” Paula exclaimed!

Photo: Marion Curtis/StarPix

Ben Lyons and Sam Rockwell at the Sundance Film Festival.

Photo: Marion Curtis/StarPix

Michelle Trachtenberg at Sundance.

Others attending were Ben Affleck, who enjoyed coffee at the MySpace cafe; Jill Hennessy stuck to beer at the Stella Artois Cutting Room; Body English host Ben Lyons played waiter to Sam Rockwell; and Wesley Snipes discussed his new film Brooklyn’s Finest at Tao Lounge. Others who stopped by included Ashton Kutcher, Ashley Judd, Mark Harmon, Nick Cannon and Tom Arnold.

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

Lisa Lampanelli.

*The “Lovable Queen of Mean” Lisa Lampanelli proved that she’s a no-holds-barred insult comic at her show in The Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms, and the audience loved all the venomous put-downs! Our contributing photographer Erik Kabik was up front for this great shot. Lisa, who is shooting a one-hour HBO special, also is working on a pilot deal with HBO for her own sitcom! After the show, Rio headliner magician Penn Jillette took Lisa to dinner at Nove Italiano in the Palms. They’re good friends from when she appeared in The Aristocrats, his outrageous comedy flick about the world’s dirtiest joke.

Photo: Harrah's

Ice-T and wife Nicole "Coco" Austin.

*Rapper and reality stars Ice-T and wife Nicole “Coco” Austin ordered the famous meatballs and spaghettini when they dined at Cafe Martorano inside The Rio. Accompanied by two friends, the couple also ordered up chef and owner Steve Martorano’s Philly-style, American Italian favorites including the caprese salad. Steve, who not only appeared on The Jimmy Kimmel Show last month but stayed on to cook for Jimmy’s private dinner party, is returning to the late-night talker. Ice-T and Coco turned up later in Victor Drai’s XS nightclub inside Steve Wynn’s just opened the Encore.

*When a famous choreographer such as Cris Judd revamps a topless adult cabaret show in Vegas, it’s a guarantee that all his peers will come to town to check it out. Sure enough, his Fantasy show at the Luxor last night attracted High School Musical 3 producer, director and choreographer Kenny Ortega and dance designer Travis Payne.

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

Keith Sweat.

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

Keith Sweat.

Photo: The Light Group

Keith Sweat and Flavor Flav.

*Soul singer Keith Sweat turned up the temperature for his full house at the Silverton Casino Lodge, and our contributing photographer Scott Harrison was front row center for these shots. After the show, Keith took off for Jet in The Mirage, where his friend Flavor Flav and fiancé Liz were waiting to meet up with him. Flav moved around the packed club in a playful mood with other patrons and wound up in the DJ booth giving shout outs to Keith and the party revelers. Watching all the antics were San Diego Chargers Shawn Phillips and Stephen Cooper.

Photo: 2nd Nature Productions Inc.

The Living Garden in the Palazzo.

Photo: 2nd Nature Productions Inc.

The Living Garden in the Palazzo.

*A one-of-a-kind entertainment experience, “The Living Garden” has opened quietly at the Palazzo, and the Miss America contestants were among the first to watch it unfold. The show combines the beauty of nature, classical music and graceful choreography, and the awe-inspiring daily performances have already become a must-see attraction. “The Living Garden” features three statue-like female performers in elaborate makeup and incredible costumes. They march in procession to the base of the cascading waterfall inside the Palazzo, where an elegant transformation from statue to living fountain evolves. Delicate jets of water appear from their fingertips as a shimmering halo cascades from the crowns of their heads during three musical pieces. They pose for photographs with the audience and then, still in procession, move to The Shoppes at The Palazzo, where they are greeted by two living vine characters. Stunning and mysterious, the female vines stand more than 9 feet tall and, moving with acrobatic grace, interact with shoppers. The troupe, which has been seen at such prestigious celebrations as the Grammy Awards, presents five performances daily starting at noon.

Photo: 2nd Nature Productions Inc.

The Living Garden in the Palazzo.

Photo: 2nd Nature Productions Inc.

The Living Garden in the Palazzo.

*I’ve been keeping a lookout for super bargains during these tough times of economic doom and gloom, and I think I’ve unearthed one of the best! The Mirage, much like a fine wine, gets better with age. Now to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the casino resort is offering its vino-loving guests the opportunity to purchase bottles of wine at 50 percent off the regular price. Twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the half-priced bottles are available at Onda Wine Lounge, Kokomo’s steak and seafood, Samba Brazilian Steakhouse, Caribe Cafe and the Cravings buffet. More than 900 labels are available in this half-priced promotion. The price now drops in some cases down to just $15, and if you aren’t feeling any pain in the wallet, now is the time to splurge on a 1982 Chateau Petrus. Although to be fair, that wonder of the world only gets 20 percent off!

*The “Queen of Hearts” poker tournament, which was launched in 2005 for ladies to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for children’s charities, is to become part of the history, tradition and future of the World Series of Poker going forward. Founder Lisa Tenner said: “It’s a win-win for everybody and recognizes all the efforts of the stars, the poker princesses and the women who have participated over the years. Now we play with the boys!”

*The new Aliante Station casino starts a four-week run of “Flashback Features” as of tonight. It kicks off with Paul Newman and Robert Redford’s blockbuster Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to mark the film’s 40th anniversary and wraps Feb. 10 with Elvis Presley and Ann Margret’s Viva Las Vegas celebrating its 45th anniversary. In between are Humphrey Bogart’s Casablanca on Jan. 27 and Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland’s Robin Hood on Feb. 3.

Photo: Poetry Nightclub

Tonight’s tip

Poetry Nightclub in the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace will host a special formal Inauguration Ball with free admission and free champagne for all. … Another triple-threat talent trio takes to the stage at the Improv Comedy Club in Harrah’s, with Bruce Fine headlining and Chipper Lowell and Ron Morey as the supporting jokesters for a six-night run. Bruce, who won the grand prize on America’s Funniest People, also was a semifinalist on Last Comic Standing 4. He was the comedy producer of The Wayne Brady Show and is on a national tour with Shawn Wayans.

Photo: The Light Group

Brody Jenner at the Bank.

Tomorrow’s tease

It worked as a reality series for Paris Hilton when she searched for a new BFF! So why wouldn’t it work for handsome hunk Brody Jenner? He’s hunting for a new best guy friend despite the fact that he’s been linked with some of the hottest actresses in Young Hollywood. The MTV reality star came to town solo style to celebrate his search for Bromance and left ladylove 2008 Playboy Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole home alone in Hollywood! … We’ll also have the earliest overnight photos from the first preliminary Miss America competition, plus photo galleries of Ray J’s debut at Poetry as new investor, and Snoop Dogg celebrates Prive’s first anniversary! … By the time Rita Rudner ends her next contract run, it will be 11 consecutive years on the Strip -- and she’s just signed for another three years headlining at Harrah’s through to 2012! That’s some kind of a record!

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