Las Vegas Weekly

January 29, 2009 · 12:57 PM

Strip Scribbles: N.Y. and L.A. stations pick up Marie Osmond’s new talk show

By Robin Leach

Marie Osmond and her dolls.

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

At the National Association of Television Program Executives convention in Mandalay Bay yesterday, Marie Osmond received word that TV stations in the crucial New York and Los Angeles markets have picked up her new variety talk show for next fall. That puts the nationwide clearance at 70 percent, so everything is looking good for the Las Vegas-based program to get the official green light in 30 days. One of my Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous and Star Search colleagues is spearheading the sales and production efforts.

My New York agent Barry Weiner brought his Food Network client Paula Deen, the queen of southern cuisine, y’all, to Las Vegas for TV convention-related activities. While here, Paula saw Phantom -- The Las Vegas Spectacular at The Venetian. Reveling in the limelight of Pure in Caesars Palace was Wicked’s Broadway star Megan Hilty, who has been attending the convention where she has a new talk show pilot up for syndication.

*Rap master Snoop Dogg performed a free concert for snowboard fans attending the SnowSports Industries America, or SIA, trade show, also at Mandalay Bay, and the lines of fans snaked from Rain to outside the Palms and into the parking lot last night!

Photo: Tao

American Gladiator Tanoia "Toa" Reed at Tao.

Photo: Tao

Sgt. Harvey Walden and Kimberley Locke at Tao.

*Can you believe 110 push-ups in just 60 seconds? That was the amazing feat by Las Vegas resident Daniel Pacheco at the Boot Camp contest in Tao at The Venetian. The party was hosted by muscle-bound Celebrity Fit Club’s Sgt. Harvey Walden and American Gladiator star Tanoai “Toa” Reed. Sgt. Harvey was in his signature black shirt and camouflage pants with singer girlfriend Kimberley Locke, a Season 2 American Idol finalist. They met when she was a contestant on his Celebrity Fit Club: Men vs. Women. The stars had dinner at Tao before narrowing down the Boot Camp entrants to three finalists. Daniel won the $1,000 cash prize for his push-up coup!

Photo: Marion Curtis/StarPix

Ashton Kutcher at Tao Lounge at Sundance.

Photo: Marion Curtis/StarPix

Billy Bob Thornton and Kyle MacLachlan at Tao Lounge at Sundance.

Tao Lounge at the Sundance Festival kept the Vegas presence front and center with the celebrities. Our Tao executives created the Stella Artois Cutting Room at the Sundance Lift, and it became a hangout for Billy Bob Thornton, Kyle MacLachlan and Ashton Kutcher. Kyle and Billy Bob celebrated the success of their film Manure, and Ashton toasted wife Demi Moore with a Stella Artois at the Spread after-party.

*The tattoo parlor at the Palms is to undergo a facelift and be transformed into the world’s first tattoo ultra lounge complete with guest DJ, water features and ornate staircases. Nightclub promoter John Huntington, who was co-producer and star of A&E’s reality TV series Inked, is coming out of semi-retirement in Costa Rica to rejoin George Maloof’s team. The tattoo lounge will be known as Huntington Ink and will reopen this spring as a high-end, Asian-inspired venue, replacing Hart and Huntington. I’m told that there will be an interactive wall of touch screens to watch an ever-changing array of tattoo artists work, a sound system for DJs and a stage where guests can still get decorated right in the middle of the party!

*Meantime, friendly rival Starlight Tattoo mogul Mario Barth took his wife out on the town, as her birthday celebrations continued, with a visit to Pure in Caesars Palace. They sipped on hot Asian liqueur Ty Ku.

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

Holly Huddleston of The Olly Girls.

Tonight’s tip

Comedian Drew Carey swaps his The Price Is Right hosting duties to lead Improv all-stars into the MGM Hollywood Theatre for four nights of mature-content comedy. Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff Davis, Chip Esten, Sean Masterson, Julie Larson and Kathy Kinney are in the lineup from The Drew Carey Show and Whose Line Is It Anyway. Drew got his big break on our old Star Search back in 1988! … Blonde bombshell Holly Huddleston of The Olly Girls from Sunset Tan will prove that blondes have more fun when she hosts a bash at Tao in a Blondetourage salute to our hospitality industry’s hottest, most powerful blondes.

Photo: AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher

Arizona Cardinals Matt Leinart has his bicep measured by Ines Sainz of TV Azteca during Super Bowl XLIII media day at Raymond James Stadium.

Tomorrow’s tease

It’s Super Bowl weekend, and our sports books will be bursting at the seams with bettors rooting for either Big Ben Roethlisberger and his Pittsburgh Steelers or veteran Kurt Warner and his Arizona Cardinals. … It’s not all football action, though, because we’ve got the epic and highly anticipated battle of UFC champions B.J. Penn and Georges St. Pierre. … Plus, a slew of stars ranging from Jerry Seinfeld to Brett Michaels to the Smothers Brothers will offer music and comedy alternatives to the Big Game house parties!

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