Las Vegas Weekly

June 15, 2010 · 6:05 PM

Strip Scribbles: Miss USA Rima Fakih returns here after Fox TV challenge

By Robin Leach

Rima Fakih celebrates after winning the 2010 Miss USA Pageant at Planet Hollywood on May 16, 2010.

Photo: Miss Universe Organization

2010 Miss USA Rima Fakih, who won her title here at Planet Hollywood last month, returned to her New York City elementary school yesterday. No, she’s not back in class! It was in preparation for her upcoming appearance on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader? Mrs. Cregan, Rima’s fifth-grade teacher at P.S. 69 in Jackson Heights, Queens, hosted the assembly and re-created the game show with more than 200 students. Rima answered questions posed by them on math, science and social studies.

Rima flies to Fox Studios in L.A. next month to compete in the real program before she flies here for the Miss Universe Pageant. All of her winnings benefit Gilda’s Club, one of the official Miss USA alliances, that assists men, women and children living with cancer. Rima is spending the year of her reign as an advocate for breast and ovarian cancer education and awareness.

NBC, Donald Trump and Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, have previously announced that the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant will air on NBC on Aug. 23 from Mandalay Bay. “Las Vegas is so fabulous, we had to come back again for the Miss Universe Pageant,” Paula said. “The world will be watching as women from all around the globe, including Rima, descend on Mandalay Bay to compete for the crown and the title.”

“We are thrilled that Mandalay Bay and Las Vegas have been selected to host Miss Universe in August," said Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. 2009 Miss Universe Stefania Fernandez crowns her successor at the end of the two-hour telecast, and Rima is already being tipped to finish in the Top Five among more than 80 contestants.

*Billionaire Phil Ruffin, who purchased Treasure Island from MGM but was rebuffed in buying The Mirage, has mandated comedy kings for his summer entertainment schedule. Carlos Mencia kicks things off June 25, followed by Bill Cosby on July 2 and Bill Engvall on Aug. 13.

*Restaurant discounts are beginning to surface as the hot summer weather heats up. Las Vegas residents get 20 percent off their tabs at Boa Steakhouse and Sushi Roku in The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Owners at Origin India had such great success with their participation in Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation that they’ll continue donating 10 percent of all table checks through month’s end to the charity combating child hunger.

*Eight of Fantasy’s dancers, including leading lady Angelica Bridges, hosted the biggest singles party in Las Vegas with DJ Chet Buchanan at the Luxor pool. They mingled with the third annual Single in the City guests and participated in water gun wars, beer pong and a mojito mix-off. Afterward, Angelica and the cast walked the red carpet for singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw’s concert at LAX.

Photo: Al Powers

Shane West celebrates his 32nd birthday at Lavo in the Palazzo.

STAR SURVEILLANCE

It was a weekend-long party for the cast of the new MTV series The Hard Times of R.J. Berger, who gathered at Lavo in the Palazzo with the show’s writer/director David Katzenberg, Nicky Hilton’s longtime boyfriend, and writer Seth Grahame-Smith to celebrate the premiere. Stars Paul Iacono, who plays R.J., Jareb Dauplaise, Kara Taitz, Amber Lancaster and Jayson Blair hammed it up on the red carpet before dinner. The young Hollywood group danced, drank and was surprised with a shout-out and a cake in their honor. Actor Shane West, who stars in the new CW series Nikita, celebrated his 32nd birthday with dinner at Lavo before heading upstairs to the nightclub, where the party continued with cake and cocktails. Shane also lounged at Tao Beach, dined at Tao in The Venetian and partied at The Bank in the Bellagio with Real World Sydney’s Trisha Cummings during his birthday weekend. Actor Josh Henderson and 90210 star Ryan Eggold were at nearby tables at Lavo when Alexis Bellino of The Real Housewives of Orange County continued the party for husband Jim’s 48th birthday. Alexis hosted a mojitos-fueled luau for Jim at Tao Beach and was mobbed by fans wanting photos. Also at Tao Beach, Beyonce’s younger sister Solange Knowles in a colorful Boxing Kitten dress and Yves St. Laurent shoes played afternoon DJ and then dined with friends at Tao. The Hard Times cast also partied at Tao Beach, Tao and Lavo. For the second consecutive night, comedian David Spade returned to Tao for dinner and partied at The Bank.

TONIGHT’S TIPS

Cheap Trick resumes its Sgt. Pepper Live shows at Paris through Saturday (but is dark Thursday). The show premiered Friday night. … Grammy-winning hip-hop sensation Chamillionaire performs his hits at Pure in Caesars Palace. … Comedians Gary Valentine (Cousin Danny on King of Queens for nine years, Mike Burton and Lachlan Patterson are at Harrah’s Improv through Sunday. … World Cup parties are being held at Lavo with Norwegian soccer star Jan Solti to support Las Vegas Soccer Club and Las Vegas Indoor Soccer and at Blush in the Wynn with giveaways from the sexy referee-uniformed employees.

Chamillionaire.

TOMORROW’S TEASES

Distinguished words from Sir Richard Branson about his new direct Virgin flights that will expand British tourism to Las Vegas. … The new super-hip Rumor boutique hotel gets ready to open to give the Hard Rock Hotel a run for its money across the street, plus Greg London reveals secrets of his new show at the Riviera after a nearly three-year run in Reno.

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.

Share This