Las Vegas Weekly

July 1, 2010 · 4:17 PM

Strip Scribbles: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck support Ante Up for Africa

By Robin Leach

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage

Poker pro and Celebrity Apprentice star Annie Duke is “thrilled” with the pledged celebrity turnout for her fourth annual Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament she hosts with Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle at the 2010 World Series of Poker kickoff this weekend at The Rio. To date, they’ve raised more than $3 million to fight the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Annie told me that in addition to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, our friend Brad Garrett, Tropicana’s new comedy tower, will walk the red carpet just after noon Saturday with Montel Williams, Evander Holyfield, Kenny Smith, Chris Webber, Jerome Bettis, Ron Artest, Sara Rue and the princes of the poker planet Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Erik Seidel and Phil Gordon. Play begins at 2 p.m., and the public is invited to watch. We’ll be there for the fun and festivities and will post a photo gallery Sunday.

*American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth excelled in her guest debut as an improv comedienne last night at the premiere of Matt Donnelly’s comedy show Executive Monkeys at the Palms. After a comedic tarot card reading, cast members invited her to join them for the remainder of the show doing improv, and she proved her talents, with a full house applauding her instant punchlines, jokes and one-liners! The new show is there every Wednesday night, and the audience uses Twitter to give suggestions to the cast to turn into a comedy routine.

Produced by Penn Jillette’s wife Emily Jillette, the show won much applause, with everybody saying Shannon, who also is a poker pro playing this weekend, has yet another cap to wear. Shannon revealed that she’s directing her debut movie this fall and promised the audience if it doesn’t shoot in Philadelphia, she’ll move the location to Las Vegas.

*Cast members from Viva Elvis at MGM CityCenter’s Aria perform on tonight’s So You Think You Can Dance on Fox. The performance features 20 dancers and acrobats in a specially choreographed version of the “Return to Sender” routine. Choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo and Mandy Moore have created a new arrangement of the act to fit the stage. … Also on network TV tonight, Steve Wynn’s own star chef David Walzog appears on ABC News’ Nightline. David will demonstrate popular dishes that he serves at SW Steakhouse and discuss his experiences in the culinary world.

*Rocker Vince Neil, who is performing songs from his new CD Tattoos & Tequila tonight at the Palms Pool & Bungalows, heads to Detroit afterward as the headliner for the weekend Stars and Stripes Festival. Shows run 12 hours each day tomorrow through Monday with talented local musicians from the School of Rock, plus Vince and his band. Then he returns to spend all next week at home here in Las Vegas.

STAR SURVEILLANCE

The gorgeous and sexy Crazy Horse Paris dancers from MGM Grand hosted at Signature’s Blue Hour pool party and performed an amazing outdoor show. … General Hospital star Julie Berman, who won a second consecutive Daytime Emmy Award as Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series, celebrate with castmates and friends at Sushi Samba in the Palazzo. … Star chef David Burke made a lunchtime stop at First Food & Bar in the Palazzo. … Pint-sized singer Lil Elijah, formerly of The Lion King at Mandalay Bay, is closing in on the 100,000 mark in two weeks of launching his single and video “Let Me Do My Thang” on YouTube.

TONIGHT’S TIPS

Wayne Brady’s Making Sh*t Up wraps its run at The Venetian through Monday. … Tao at The Venetian throws the largest pillow fight ever in Las Vegas at midnight, and the girls will be in their sexiest PJs, I promise. It’s a shame Pamela Anderson isn’t celebrating her July 10 birthday there tonight because you know she’d jump right in. … Regular Chelsea Lately guest Heather McDonald is at The Playboy Comedy Lounge in the Palms through Saturday. … The first fireworks of the holiday weekend light up the sky at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. … Mr. Freeze hosts I Am Hip Hop at Revolution Lounge in The Mirage.

TOMORROW’S TEASES

The World Series of Poker reaches the “really big show” as thousands of competitors start with four days of first play to thin down the crowd, with amateurs sitting alongside poker pros in the hunt for the multimillion-dollar payday . … UFC 116 means the wait is over and the undisputed heavyweight championship battle begins in the Octagon as Brock Lesnar defends against interim belt-holder Shane Carwin -- a clash of the titans a year in the making. Plus, the full four-day rundown of all the Independence Day holiday happenings, with everybody from Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt to the cast of The Sopranos.

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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