Las Vegas Weekly

March 30, 2009 · 11:26 AM

Strip Scribbles: Beauty queens and Playboy Bunnies head for the Palms pool

By Robin Leach

Carmen Electra and her Playboy Bunny peers.

Photo: TVT

The place to hang if you’re on the lookout for gorgeous girls all next weekend long will be the sixth-floor pool in George Maloof’s Palms Place condo-tel with reservations for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Iron Chef winner Kerry Simon’s restaurant. That’s because this Saturday, Hugh Hefner will be there celebrating his birthday with all his Playboy playmates and his new three-pack of gal pals, including the twins! Then Sunday, the 51 Miss USA contestants will be on parade there sunning and swimming at the weekly Simon pajama party brunch. The new Miss USA is crowned April 19 on the live NBC telecast and then goes on to face the challenges of the Miss Universe Pageant. The 51 Miss USA contestants will gather altogether for the first time Friday, as they arrive during the day to take up their 16-day stay here at Planet Hollywood alongside reigning Miss USA Crystle Stewart.

Wicked whispers & racy rumors

There’s no secret that guest stars will rotate every 90 days through the ranks of the headliners at the new Peepshow burlesque cabaret production at Planet Hollywood, which opens in official previews tomorrow. But do the producers have their eyes already on two more Dancing With the Stars contestants? Kelly Monaco, who won the first season of DWTS, is the first of the alumni to debut the show. I’m hearing serious rumblings that one contestant from last season and another from this season are being considered for future Strip stardom!

*Superstar singer actress Bette Midler had the gourmet French restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace all to herself and husband Martin with their special guest Lorraine Alterman Boyle after hours over the weekend. My friend Lorraine, who was married to actor Peter Boyle before his sad death from, used to work for me back in the 1960s when I started Go magazine. Although they are neighbors in New York, she’d never seen Bette’s show at Caesars, so Lorraine saw the production and then did the dinner catch-up tete a tete late night after the show. Lorraine reported that Bette gave a shout-out during the show to a couple who had donated generously to her environmental plant project charity in Manhattan. The next evening, friends Ray Romano and Kevin James hosted Lorraine at their late-night Mirage comedy headliner show.

Actor comedian Adam Sandler joined Ray and Kevin the night before, along with I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry co-star Jonathan Loughran, for dinner at Stack feasting on calamari, Kobe steak and two lobster tails with black cod miso lettuce cups. The drink order was for Crown Royal and Belvedere vodka.

Adam joked around with several of the surrounding tables and even sat down with one bachelorette party posing for photos with the future bride and her party. Later after their Mirage standup show, it was time for some wild fun at the nearby Beatles Revolution lounge. The foursome sat at the interactive tables enjoying Amstel Light and more shots of Belvedere. Adam decided to hold an impromptu casting call for an upcoming movie and had the go-go dancers there audition. That led to Kevin standing on the white leather banquette and attempting successfully to do handstands on top of the table! Club-goers were in hysterics with the large actor kicking his legs in the air while balanced on the table and gave him a long round of applause. It was 2:30 a.m. when the four kings of comedy called it a night!

*Whoever would have thought the nightclub business would become the subject of a case study at Harvard Business School? Now the professors at the hallowed halls of learning have invited Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg, the owners of our Tao and Lavo restaurants and nightclubs at The Venetian and the Palazzo, to speak to grad students about their business. The duo’s lecture is set for today at Harvard, which conducted a hands-on, close-up study on their other hot nightclub Marquee in New York City. Meantime, back home here, their Tao Beach -- topless optional -- opens today for the summer season from 10 a.m. to sunset daily in its private, screened-off area at The Venetian’s amazing pool deck.

Star surveillance

Oscar winner Adrien Brody switched from The Pianist to the Lil’ Wayne concert at The Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms. Afterward, he went off for a late supper at Tao and then returned to The Playboy Club at the Palms to party with poker pro Wayne Boich playing blackjack. … San Diego Chargers standout defender Shaun Phillips was at Victor Drai’s XS while nearby sharing a VIP table were poker stars David Williams and Nenad Medic. … Hilton headliner Barry Manilow entertained a group of friends at next-door Tryst in the Wynn. … Actress and newly single mom Jamie Pressly celebrated her friend’s bachelorette party with all her girlfriends in a suite at Palms Place. … Rapper MC Hammer filmed an episode of his upcoming A&E reality show at VIP tables in both Moon and Ghostbar in the Palms … Also at Moon, Laguna Beach actor Dieter Schmitz. … Missouri quarterback Chase Daniels, who will be a top draft pick, was at Tao Beach in The Venetian. … Actor Allen Evangelista of The Secret Life of the American Teenager was the fashionista in pinstripe vest, black tie, jeans and white wingtip shoes dancing, singing and partying at Lavo. … Pro skateboarders Jake Brown and Jeremy Rodgers bounced between The Playboy Club and Moon while drinking Le Tourment Vert Absinthe!

Tonight’s tips

Tonight’s planned preview opening of Peepshow has been turned into a producers and hotel partners only final technical rehearsal. It’s to ensure that all the effects, sexy scenic props, elevator mechanics and staging of the supersized little red wagon and its milk bath, Brickhouse magical illusion and the full-sized red car used in one of the sex scenes all run perfect! Regular previews start tomorrow at Planet Hollywood, with the gala red carpet opening set for April 18. … Drummer Steven Adler lays down his sticks and skin from his normal Guns ’n’ Roses role to twist the turntables with sidekick DJ Rush when they host the party at Prive. Steven was featured on the reality series Sober House.

Tomorrow’s teases

More photos than ever before as we look in on Lil’ Wayne, Charlie Daniels and Dee Snider with the rockers of the Monster Circus. Then an amazing story of the unnerving theme park and casino that Michael Jackson’s brother Marlon plans to build. We’ll also have the overnight photos of the Dancing With the Stars battle of the ill fated injured and set the scene for my trip to Hollywood for the results show and double-elimination that looms. We’ll have that spoiler-alert story shortly after the live telecast to the East Coast.

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.

Share This