Las Vegas Weekly

June 25, 2009 · 10:47 AM

Strip Scribbles: Cher signs on as Christina Aguilera’s mentor in Burlesque

By Robin Leach

Christina Aguilera.

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

It’s now confirmed that our Caesars Palace headliner Cher will join pop singer Christina Aguilera in the new movie musical Burlesque. Remember when Christina was at Tao in The Venetian recently? I grilled her about the teaming, and she was reticent about giving me the full story but dropped enough hints to say that the contract signing with Cher was in the works.

Now it’s official that Cher will play the role of a former dancer and now struggling owner of a burlesque club who gives Midwestern girl Christina her first shot at success. Filming will commence in November while Cher is on her breaks from her show at The Colosseum.

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

Penn & Teller.

*Magic duo Penn & Teller appeared last night on comedienne Chelsea Handler’s E! series Chelsea Lately, which followed the True Hollywood Story on Criss Angel. The Rio headliners used the appearance for their off-beat humor and unexpected tricks to promote Season 7 of their Showtime series Bullsh*t.”

*Here’s what you missed last night if you weren’t following our real-time breaking news on Twitter: For the first time since its Halloween opening, the Cirque du Soleil Criss Angel Believe show at the Luxor had a major mechanical failure. Last night’s second show was “totally lost and had to be canceled” when the lighting grid completely failed in the opening number. The audience was given a full refund. … Cleveland Cavaliers hero LeBron James is a “big superstar surprise booking” for Tao at The Venetian over next weekend’s Fourth of July celebrations, which also include a daylong Holly Madison-hosted pool party. … The gorgeous and sexy violin-playing Alizma triplets, who live here in Las Vegas, appeared on last night’s America’s Got Talent. Follow us at Twitter.com/robin_leach for all the latest as-it-happens news.

Photo: Luck Media

Abbacadabra.

*More than 3,000 enthusiastic fans turned up for the three-night engagement of Abba tribute band Abbacadabra at the Hilton in their first Las Vegas run. Abbacadabra performed 20 hit songs of the Swedish pop group during the 90-minute show, and word is that they received such a great reception and standing ovations that they’ve been booked for at least two more appearances soon.

*Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck is nearing the end of a whirlwind eight days of putting an entire new look on his restaurant Lupo in Mandalay Bay. By this weekend, he will have completed the ambitious round-the-clock facelift. When the black curtains are removed, there will be a new entrance and furniture, and flooring and the restaurant will be painted from top to bottom. The layout and menu remains the same, but I’m told it will look and feel like an entirely new dining experience.

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

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping and ESPN radio personality Seat Williams host the Stock 'Em and Load 'Em veterans supply drive at Findlay Toyota in the Valley Auto Mall.

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

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping and ESPN radio personality Seat Williams host the Stock 'Em and Load 'Em veterans supply drive at Findlay Toyota in the Valley Auto Mall.

*UFC fighter Michael Bisping hosted the Stock ’Em & Load ’Em veterans supply drive with ESPN’s afternoon gridlock personality Seat Williams at Findlay Toyota in the Valley Auto Mall. Four Nevada Veterans chapters benefited from the donations. Michael posed for photos with fans and signed autographs urging everybody to support our veterans.

*The prized signature wines from Rao’s in Caesars Palace are now available at two outside locations. For the first time, celebrity owner and actor Frank Pellegrino Sr. has authorized the retail sale of his Rao’s wines to Whole Foods Markets here in Las Vegas. His son Frank Pellegrino Jr., managing partner of the Caesars Palace outpost, his wife, executive chef Carla Pellegrino, and winemaker Robert Summer held debut tastings in the markets. Also on hand were Rao’s sommelier Krista Rediske and maitre ’d Bubbles. Six lucky customers at each store walked away with autographed copies of the family cookbook.

Photo: Tryst

Alex Ovechkin at Tryst.

Photo: Bryan Steffy

Rapper Too Short at Blush in the Wynn.

Star surveillance

Singer John Mayer, UFC fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and poker stars David Williams and Nenad Medic were all having fun around their dance floor VIP tables at Tryst in the Wynn. NHL star Alex Ovechkin, who has fallen for our nightclubs and their cocktail servers, was seen there yet again. Also in Wynn was Los Angeles Lakers star Derek Fisher, who celebrated his NBA championship with a 15-strong entourage of family and friends at the Society Cafe with mac and cheese bites and penne pasta and then continued to Blush, where rapper Too Short waved congratulations from an adjoining table. … On a quick three-day break from filming a movie at Lake Havasu, Gossip Girl actress Jessica Szohr arrived at the Hard Rock Hotel at 4 a.m. to hang out with a friend for the pool party with Ben Lyons and shared pitchers of mojitos with a group of female fans. Boyfriend and fellow Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick flew in to join her for the visit, which ended three days later to return to the set. Chelsea Handler’s “Little Nugget” Chuy Bravo of Chelsea Lately was part of the fun crowd.

Tonight’s tips

You can taste as many as 28 wines from seven wineries on a Vineyards of Style stroll through the Shoppes at the Palazzo. There’ll be live jazz from David Van Such and cuisine from Charlie Palmer, the new First Food & Bar and Zine. Proceeds benefit Three Square food bank. … It’s the official premieres of Peepshow with Holly Madison and Shoshana Bean, Lord of the Dance and the comedy of Andrew Dice Clay, all at Planet Hollywood.

Photo: TVT

Lindsay Lohan, Robert Earl and Mel B at the Peepshow premiere in Planet Hollywood.

Tomorrow’s teases

We get ready for Lindsay Lohan’s weekend poolside escapades as a galaxy of stars invades Las Vegas for the All-Star Hardbat Classic Table Tennis Tournament for a $100,000 prize and Howard Stern’s wild and wacky sidekicks party with 300 strippers!

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 Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

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