Las Vegas Weekly

June 4, 2009 · 7 AM

Photo Gallery: Holly Madison kicks up her ruby red slippers at Oz exhibit

By Robin Leach

Laura Croft and Holly Madison check out the ruby red slippers designed by Betsey Johnson.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Four Dorothy lookalikes plus reality TV stars Holly Madison and Laura Croft joined Planet Hollywood President Tom McCarthy when he walked the red carpet at his resort casino’s salute to the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz!

Holly and Laura even had friends create “ruby red, high-heeled, sparkly shoes” for the occasion. “It’s one of my all-time favorite movies,” Holly told me as she and Laura inspected each exhibit with requisite “ooh’s” and “ah’s.”

Our contributing photographers Denise Truscello and Tom Donoghue joined me in snapping photos of Dorothy’s original movie dress, the artist paintings memorializing her 70-year story and a collection of fashion designer creations. Everybody from Christian Louboutin to Jimmy Choo to Manolo Blahnik produced modern-day interpretations of the famous ruby red slippers.

Executives from Warner Bros.’ licensing department told me that Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz is still a cultural phenomenon around the world, and they were busy signing new deals for licensed products. Holly, unexpectedly, also found herself in high demand to discuss licensing deals for when her new reality follow-up series to The Girls Next Door is broadcast in Britain. As Vegas DeLuxe reported this week, her new TV series will follow her exploits as she starts in Peepshow from June 22 onwards at the Planet Hollywood Theater.

I got to meet SpongeBob SquarePants creator Todd White over cocktails at the unveiling party. He contributed one of the art pieces for the exhibition. This ultimate collection of traveling ruby red slippers is at Planet Hollywood through tonight.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter HERE.

Share This