Las Vegas Weekly

January 27, 2009 · 1:58 PM

Strip Scribbles: All Yoko Ono needs is Love at The Mirage

By Robin Leach

Yoko Ono and the cast of The Beatles' Love at The Mirage.

Photo: Ana Dobrijevic

Yoko Ono made a return visit last night to see The Beatles Love at The Mirage. Her lawyer Peter Shukat and two friends accompanied her. After the 7 p.m. performance, Yoko, sipping on Fiji water, led the group backstage to meet the cast and crew. The widow of John Lennon was intimately involved in the creative process of the Cirque du Soleil show for more than a year before it opened. She attended workshop run-throughs and the premiere and has returned several times to see it.

Photo: Ana Dobrijevic

Yoko Ono and Bernhardt.

Yoko always has positive comments about the cast and artists. In the documentary The Making of Love, Yoko is seen making numerous contributions to the storyline, script, dance and musical choices. There’s no word yet why Yoko came to visit the show again or how long she is staying in town. But I’m told that once again “she loved it.”

Photo: Michael Morales/Cashman Photography

Ice-T and wife Coco visit Criss Angel's Cirque du Soleil show Believe.

Photo: Michael Morales/Cashman Photography

Ice-T, his wife Coco and the cast of Believe at the Luxor.

*It was an action-packed, three-day Las Vegas visit for rapper and actor Ice-T and his busty bombshell wife Nicole “Coco” Austin. First stop was Iron Chef Kerry Simon’s Cathouse restaurant in the Luxor. As always, Coco showed as much of her assets as was legally possible in her signature, over-the-top attire. They feasted on Kerry’s duck, salmon, beef short ribs and signature truffle macaroni cheese, complemented with syrah and red zinfandel. The couple stayed at the Luxor, and wherever Ice-T went, he was friendly to fans posing for photographs and signing autographs. The couple donned matching red and black outfits to watch Criss Angel’s Cirque du Soleil show Believe and went backstage to meet the illusionist, his love mate Holly Madison and the cast and crew. Criss cast a spell over his visitors and whisked them off to the main stage at LAX. The magic worked because Ice-T freestyled on the mic while Criss and Holly joined fans on the dance floor below.

Photo: Tom Rutan

Criss Angel and Ice-T.

Photo: Tom Rutan

Holly Madison, Criss Angel, Ice-T and Nicole "Coco" Austin.

*Hard Rock Hotel officials have now confirmed that New Year’s Eve will see the closing of Body English, with a new, expanded nightclub in the new south tower opening there. In addition, AJ’s Steakhouse is to be shuttered this spring and will be replaced with a Rare 120 steakhouse.

*Tomorrow is the announcement from producer Nicole Durr that her Raw Talent Live, which recently closed at the Sahara, will be reborn in a live nightclub format at Prince’s former showroom at The Rio. Think of the old glory days of the Copacabana in New York City! The other Rio show Tony & Tina’s Wedding will close Saturday night but reopen the following Friday with guest audiences taking part in the wedding reception chaos in a ballroom at Planet Hollywood.

Photo: Pure Management Group

Nick Cannon and Shane West at Pure.

*No sign of superstar singer Mariah Carey when husband Nick Cannon turned up for turntable DJ duty at Pure in Caesars Palace, but Nick stuck to work and stayed away from the party scene. Actor Shane West was among the crowd listening to Nick’s beats. Other partygoers included 2007 Miss Hawaii Ashley Layfield, New Orleans Saints pro Aaron Glenn, MMA fighters Mike Whitehead and Mark Beecher and Starlight Tattoo mogul Mario Barth, who was celebrating his wife’s birthday. Over at LAX, Playboy Playmates Stephanie Larimore, Heather Rene Smith and Shannon Stewart hosted a party that brought out rapper Too $hort and a female entourage, while poker prince David Williams looked on while sipping his Dom Perignon champagne.

*Normally, we stay focused on Vegas happenings, but there were so many stars at Pure’s sister club Aura in the Bahamas, we would be remiss not to report some of the big names who flew there for the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational after-dark party. The platinum parade included former President Clinton, Hilary Duff, Gabrielle Union, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Tucker and Alex Rodriguez. DJ Tony Okungbowa of The Ellen DeGeneres Show spun the soundtrack of the evening enjoyed by Spike Lee¸ Brian Baumgartner (The Office), John Ventimiglia (The Sopranos), Alan Thicke, TV news anchor Stone Philips, Angie Everhart and Aidan Quinn.

Many legendary athletes attended the star-studded event, including Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza, Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon, ESPN sportscaster Joe Morgan, Kenny Lofton, Jimmy Rollins, Ozzie Smith, Richard Dent, Chris Doleman, sportscaster Ahmad Rashad, Laurence Taylor, Terry Crews, Alonzo Mourning and Charles Oakley. ESPN sportscaster Stuart Scott, Miss USA Crystle Stewart, Miss Florida Jessica Rafalowski and Speed Channel’s Unique Whips auto expert Will Castro also were spotted at the swanky soiree.

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

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz on the red carpet at Pure.

*New dad Pete Wentz plays bass with Fall Out Boy at the Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Event airing live on VH1 on Sunday. The day before, tickets will go on sale for the group’s April 5 concert at The Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms as part of the Believers Never Die Part 2 Tour, which might also include the Cobra Starship, Metro Station, All Time Low and Hey Monday. For the first time, fans can use the new Fall Out Boy iPhone app to buy their pre-sale tickets at www.falloutboyrock.com. I’m told tickets won’t go higher than $41. FOB’s latest album is Folie a Deux.

*The Chinese New Year celebrations continue throughout town with traditional dragon and lion dances. Venetian and Palazzo Chairman Sheldon Adelson, his wife Miriam and President Rob Goldstein joined in the festivities.

Andy Warhol, Flowers, 1967, Silkscreen on Synthetic Polymer Paint on Canvas, 115 1/2" x 115 1/2", copyright: The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Artists Rights Society, New York, photo: Philipp Scholz Rittermann.

*It’s a case of out with the old and in with the new. The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art has moved on from the late 19th century masterworks of previous displays to the next generation of artists in its new contemporary exhibition. Call it classic contemporary with iconic artists including Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, whose innovative use of materials and imagery put them at the forefront of Pop Art and Minimalism. The new exhibit in partnership with San Diego’s Museum of Contemporary Art debuted last weekend and will be on display through September. It is the largest exhibit of contemporary paintings and sculptures from the 1960s and ’70s to ever go on display in Las Vegas.

Frank Stella, Sabra III, 1967, Acrylic on Canvas, 120" x 120", copyright: Frank Stella/Artists Rights Society, New York, photo: Philipp Scholz Rittermann.

Ellsworth Kelly, Red Blue Green, 1963, Oil on Canvas, 83 5/8" x 135 7/8", copyright: Ellsworth Kelly, photo: Pablo Mason.

Tonight’s tip

Fresh from his ninth North American tour as opening act for Julio Iglesias, comic John Joseph returns to comedy club standup and headlines at the Improv in Harrah’s through Sunday. His supporting act is “King of the Piano Bars” Johnny B, and the two have created a unique musical theater comedy production in “One Man Show With 2 Guys.” … Seven-time gold medalist Tanner Hall hosts Red Bull’s 2nd Annual Snowball at Blush in the Wynn. … It’s an explosive mix with Molotov at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.

Photo: Denise Truscello

Shanna Moakler at Prive.

Tomorrow’s tease

Our salute to the chefs and restaurants at Steve Wynn’s the Encore, plus former Miss USA Shanna Moakler’s night on the town. Get ready for the new Latin dance show at The Rio, and prepare for the lights to go out for an hour as details of Earth Hour are released.

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