Las Vegas Weekly

January 11, 2010 · 7:11 PM

Strip Scribbles Photo Gallery: Maksim Chmerkovskiy celebrates The Big 3-0

By Robin Leach

Maksim Chmerkovskiy celebrates his 30th birthday more than a week early at XS in the Encore on Jan. 8, 2010.

Photo: Danny Mahoney/XS

Season 7 Dancing With the Stars winner and Las Vegas Academy graduate Derek Hough made his Broadway debut over the weekend in Burn the Floor, replacing another DWTS pro, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and joining co-star Kym Johnson, who won this season as Donny Osmond’s partner. Maksim has a choreography credit for Le Reve at the Wynn.

Derek and Kym remain with the Broadway production through February, when a tour gets underway with 30 U.S. cities including Las Vegas. Although a Broadway debut for Derek, 24, he starred in a West End production of Footloose.

Meantime, Maks flew back here to Victor Drai’s XS in Steve Wynn’s Encore and found himself on the receiving end of a surprise early birthday celebration. The gorgeous XS cocktail servers presented him with a birthday cake at his VIP table as 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” played, and he happily posed for photos with fans, while former Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Jerome Bettis watched the celebration -- and took a slice of cake!

Tomorrow, we’ll have the new starting date for Season 10 of DWTS and tip the news that two Las Vegans are being considered for the next lineup.

*As I tweeted exclusively over the weekend, rapper and music entrepreneur Flavor Flav will open his own nightclub in Monte Carlo near the walkway to CityCenter. Flav, a part-time Las Vegas resident, became a reality TV star favorite with Surreal Life and told me on the AVN Awards red carpet that’ll open Club Flav next month. He says he’ll master Twitter before the opening.

“Until now, I didn’t want thousands of people knowing what I was doing and where and when I was doing it,” he told me. “But next month, I’ll want everybody to find me at the new club, so I’ll have Twitter down by then.” More on his new club later this week!

*I also tweeted exclusively that comic book legend and superheroes creator Stan Lee will host the premiere of his Iron Man 2 on May 6 at Brenden Theatres in the Palms. I’ll host the red carpet festivities and a Celebrity Walk of Fame Star ceremony, with celebrities attending the gala.

*Backstreet Boys singer A.J. McLean hung out with his girlfriend Rochelle Kardis and friends at Wasted Space in the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday and then snuck off to Rocks the Jewelers to pick up a gift. A.J. was going to buy a bracelet but then went for an engagement ring! He raced back to the club, and at exactly midnight, as the morning became his birthday, he jumped onstage and asked Rochelle to join him. Once she got up there, A.J. dropped down on one knee and proposed. She said “Yes!” and the crowd went crazy.

The couple stayed in the new HRH Tower Spa Suite and turned up the next night to celebrate at Vanity, where Vanity co-owner Jason Giambi celebrated his 39th birthday with friends. Jason sent champagne to A.J. and Rochelle to celebrate their engagement, and DJ Clinton Sparks wished A.J., Rochelle and Jason “Happy Birthday” and congratulations from the deejay booth.

Star surveillance

Wasted Space owner Carey Hart took his singer wife Pink for a night of gaming in the HRH Tower, where Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill played blackjack. Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis also checked in separately, and Extra host Mario Lopez worked out in the new Reliquary Spa fitness center there. ……Hip-hop moguls Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Dr. Dre had a rap summit over celebrity chef Michael Mina’s five-method cooked seafood at his new restaurant American Fish in Aria at CityCenter. …. Iron Chef Kerry Simon’s Simon in Palms Place was the restaurant of choice for Whitney Port, Brooke Shields, Tera Patrick, Taylor Wayne and Kelly Monaco. Kelly and her boyfriend had flown in on a whim over the weekend and confessed that they’d almost wed. Kelly was stranded here an extra night and returned to L.A. today, as all outbound flights were booked solid with departing CES and AVN conventioneers. … Celebrities at Cirque du Soleil shows this past weekend included Dr. Dre at Love in The Mirage and Stevie Wonder at O in the Bellagio, with his son describing the acts as they were performed onstage. Cozy new couple Jessica Lowndes of 90210 and Aaron Paul of Big Love and Breaking Bad also watched O and then the next night Love. Then they took off for Tao, where their affection for each other during dinner had diners wondering if they would run off and get married before finishing dinner! … Excalibur headliner comedian Louie Anderson watched Grandma Lee’s show at Bonkerz Comedy Club in Palace Station. … Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder watched Blue Man Group at The Venetian, while upstairs, Flavor Flav was at Smokin’ Hot Aces and wound up onstage with adult film legend Ron Jeremy.

Tonight’s tip

Soulja Boy Tell ’Em appears at Jet in The Mirage, and in addition to his hosting and DJ duties, watch for him to “Tell ’Em.”

Tomorrow’s teases

Three Las Vegas star chefs filmed a TV special at The White House in a culinary contest against the Obamas’ executive chef, and first lady Michelle even stopped in to watch. Plus, we’ll tell you the Las Vegas star names being considered for Season 10 of Dancing With the Stars, plus our exclusive about the VIP headliner who’s coming to the Strip in a one-man show without any advertising or publicity -- and tickets will be free! We also have the story of superstar donating his services to a local charity.

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 at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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