Las Vegas Weekly

March 4, 2009 · 10:29 AM

Strip Scribbles: The Men of X take it all off (almost) at Hooters rehearsal

By Robin Leach

The Men of X.

Photo: Matt Stabile

When you think of Hooters, images of hotties in orange shorts and tight white tank tops come to mind! Well think again, because now the guys have taken over the turf! And these Men of X are happy and willing to show off more than the girls do in their sexy annual calendar.

It’s part of Hooters’ new marketing pitch to make certain people know that the girls are welcome to Hooters just as much as the boys! Now there’ll be a brand new attraction to lure in the ladies.

At long last, the male counterparts of the gorgeous girls of X Burlesque at the Flamingo have found a home, and the hard-bodied hunks have begun rehearsals at Hooters, opposite the MGM Grand, for their March 13 premiere. My trainer Richard Jimenez, who manages to work out the aches, pains and creaks in my body every morning at the crack of dawn, is one of the men of pecs!

You can get a close-up look at the bulging biceps and magnificent muscles when they make a guest appearance at the media night opening of Dixie’s Dam Bar on Friday. The Men of X includes Dr. Love, Tarzan, motorcyclists, teachers, cowboys and firemen who have to put out the audience fires! When the curtain goes up on a thunder and lightning storm, there will even be a tribute to the men of our armed forces.

Said producer Angela Stabile: “Hooters is well-known for having beautiful girls. Now they’ll be offering something sexy to the ladies, as well.”

*Vegas DeLuxe readers knew more than a week ago the news of changes at Lavo in the Palazzo. Yesterday, Lavo execs finally confirmed the twitters we reported and issued the following statement: “Since opening six months ago, Lavo has become a significant dining and nightlife destination in Las Vegas. During that time, we have noticed a trend of strong consumption of items from the Italian portion of our menu and have decided to further enhance those offerings. Chef Ralph Scamardella, a corporate chef for Tao Group and previously executive chef and partner at Carmine’s in New York City, will be manning the kitchen at Lavo and overseeing the redesign of the menu to feature more classic Italian fare. As a result of this change, Chef Ludo Lefebvre, who served as opening chef, will be departing as of Saturday.” You can always rely on Vegas DeLuxe to bring you the news first and fast!

*When Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger with Pittsburgh Steelers teammates Willie Colon, Darnell Stapleton and Trai Essex requested Coke at his table, he insisted that it be served “in the aluminum bottle -- and not from the gun” while partying at Tao in The Venetian. Big Ben knew the newest Coke product, and the sexy servers happily obliged.

*Meantime, Dennis Dixon of the Steelers joined with friendly rivals Jonathan Stewart of the Carolina Panthers and Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs for their party at Pure in Caesars Palace. Alongside their main stage VIP table were New York Giants wide receiver Micah Rucker, NBA’s Robert Horry and comedian Russell Peters mingling with friends on and off the dance floor.

Over at Pure’s sister nightclub LAX in the Luxor, Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Ferrell put on an unexpected performance. First he jumped behind the wheels of steel and later grabbed the mic for a four-song set accompanied by his wife Etty.

*Congratulations to director Zack Snyder with Friday’s release of Watchmen, set against the Doomsday Clock with Russia and America ticking at five minutes to midnight. Zack, who made his directorial debut in 2004 with Dawn of the Dead, went on to box office success with 300. Zack and his wife, producing partner Deborah, are at work on an animated 3D flick The Guardians of Ga’Hoole and an adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s classic The Illustrated Man. Now Zack’s been named 2009 ShoWest Director of the Year and will receive the award at the movie convention’s closing night ceremony at Bally’s and Paris on April 2. More than 5,000 members of the motion picture industry from more than 50 countries will be attending.

*The new Aria resort casino at MGM’s CityCenter has begun accepting reservations from Dec. 17 onwards. The soaring 4,004-room steel-and-glass tower is the centerpiece of the complex, and an 84-foot silver cast of the Colorado River by Maya Lin will dominate the reception area. This is where Cirque du Soleil will present its newest spectacular celebrating Elvis Presley. Chefs and restaurateurs will include Masayoshi Takayama, Michael Mina, Julian Serrano, Sirio Maccione, Shawn McClain and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The spa will have 62 treatment rooms, and the pool-deck will include lush, oversized palm trees surrounding three primary pools and a topless optional swim and play zone.

*The World Team Tennis league is reporting that our hometown hero Andre Agassi will play two matches for the Philadelphia Freedoms: one July 10 in the City of Brotherly Love and a week later (July 17) in Newport Beach, Calif. It’s the 34th season of the co-ed league formed by Billie Jean King and featuring 10 teams playing throughout July. Other participating tennis aces include Serena and Venus Williams, John McEnroe, Anna Kournikova, Martina Navratilova and Michael Chang. Unfortunately, no matches in Vegas!

*The National/Las Vegas Hall of Fame Entertainment & Sports Awards will be held over Memorial Day weekend (May 22-24) at the Las Vegas Hilton Events Center. Producer John Astor-White promises a slew of stars for his three-hour TV special. They legends of yesteryear, going back to 1984 when he first founded the awards, will include Shirley MacLaine, Debbie Reynolds, Harry Belafonte and 13 new inductees selected by last year’s winners Jerry Lewis, Tom Jones, Wayne Newton, Don Rickles and Johnny Mathis.

Tonight’s tip

Head downtown to the Fremont Street Experience for double action with stunt performers on one stage and Carl Ferris on another stage as he plays his saxophone to make marvelous music. … One of my favorite chefs, Geno Bernardi at NOVE Italiano in the Palms, is serving a $900-per-person feast to benefit the Las Vegas Art Museum. The five-course extravaganza with Opus One wines from 1981 to 2005 includes Japanese and Australian Waygu carpaccio, California farm-raised squab with risotto, veal pot au feu and global farmhouse cheeses and ending with Italian butter cookies. I might pop in just to see who can afford these delicacies!

Tomorrow’s tease

An exclusive one-on-one with gorgeous Nip/Tuck vixen Kelly Carlson, who reveals the end of the sexy F/X series and her own entanglements with plastic surgery after not one but two near-death crashes! We go south of the border to the luxury hideaway where all the stars and hotel honchos head for their own R&R, and Trent Carlini opens up about what Elvis Presley really means to him.

Share This