Las Vegas Weekly

May 14, 2009 · 11:26 AM

Strip Scribbles Photo Galleries: Criss Angel, USS Enterprise and Charlie Trotter

By Robin Leach

Criss Angel with his unprecedented five Merlin Awards.

Photo: SFE PR

There’s no official word yet, but I have confirmed that Mindfreak magician Criss Angel will get his own wax double next Thursday at Madame Tussauds in The Venetian. Criss, who stars in Believe for Cirque du Soleil at the Luxor, will attend the unveiling.

Advance photos of the illusionist make it almost impossible to tell the difference between the real magician and his double! Criss sat for more than 300 photos taken of him during a full afternoon photo session several months ago.

Expect the official release about the Madame Tussauds event sometime before the beginning of next week.

*Burger King executives at Planet Hollywood for a marketing and franchise convention, took over the Theater for the Performing Arts and turned it into the USS Enterprise from Star Trek. Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue captured these images just before the burger boys got a sneak preview of the new blockbuster movie.

*X Burlesque producer Angela Sampras has two reasons to celebrate today: her The Men of X revue at Hooters has just had its contract renewed, and her son’s rock band The Stript won its audition to appear on the next America’s Got Talent.

*We told you earlier that Palazzo restaurant owner and multiple James Beard Award-winning chef Charlie Trotter has penned a new book Lessons in Wine Service. Charlie, hailed as one of America’s best chefs, was joined by his wine director Conrad Reddick for an invitation-only wine event at his Restaurant Charlie in the Palazzo. Now we have the photos of the exclusive presentation. Charlie served four wines and sake to go with 19 taste treats, including the delicious tempura squash blossoms with octopus, Spanish blue fin tuna with sesame and barley miso and peekytoe crab salad with sake and rice milk. The man is one of the world’s most creative geniuses when it comes to the finest of foods!

*Menopause the Musical will make a much-deserved move to the Strip and begin performances May 26 in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor. The Las Vegas cast will include Queen Emily, a finalist in America’s Got Talent,

and Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle in the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast.

Star surveillance

Rapper Too Short, accompanied by his girlfriend, partied at Moon inside the Palms and emceed the “Cash Is Queen” girl-on-girl kissing contest. … Actor Danny Masterson donned his DJ Mom Jeans persona to spin at Rain in the Palms after dining at the adjoining N9NE Steakhouse on crab legs and filet mignon washed down with Patron. … Cuban American rapper Pitbull, the 28-year-old headliner on the Fast and Furious soundtrack, performed tracks from his debut album M.I.A.M.I ( Money Is A Major Issue), which has gone gold and includes the hit “I Know You Want Me,” at the ND Club in The Rio.

Tonight’s tip

Motocross stunt rider Carey Hart wants you to join his new regular Thursday night motorcycle ride. It starts downtown with a 6 p.m. party at Hogs & Heifers and moves en masse at 8:30 to the Hard Rock Hotel and his Wasted Space nightclub and Hart & Huntington Tattoo Parlor there. He has the Sin City Sinners performing live at the club every Thursday, too.

Tomorrow’s teases

Golf superstar Tiger Woods heads into town for his 12th Annual Tiger Jam charity party and concert with No Doubt, Paramore and The Sounds, plus the big night arrives for The Lion King with its premiere at Mandalay Bay, and we wrap up our weeklong series of star interviews before curtain up. It’s also the unveiling of former boxing champion Mike Tyson’s new docu-drama, and Helldorado days, which takes us back to the early founding of Las Vegas, gets underway downtown.

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