Las Vegas Weekly

March 19, 2010 · 3:55 PM

Strip Scribbles: Are Nicky Hilton and David Katzenberg getting engaged?

By Robin Leach

Nicky Hilton and David Katzenberg at XS in the Encore on Dec. 31, 2009.

Photo: Jeremy Pond

Rumors are flying that socialite and entrepreneur Nicky Hilton might become engaged this weekend while in Las Vegas when she throws a birthday party for longtime boyfriend Hollywood agent David Katzenberg. The couple will be dining with friends at Rare 120 in the Hard Rock Hotel tomorrow before the celebration in nearby Vanity.

Meantime, the buzz about sister Paris Hilton and her upcoming engagement with boyfriend Doug Reinhardt is intensifying, too, particularly when they dined and vacationed with both sets of parents this week. Paris and Doug will not be attending Nicky’s party, so the spotlight is fully on the younger Hilton sis!

Photo: Really Useful Group

Jack O'Brien, Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess at work on Love Never Dies.

*Our former Phantom -- Las Vegas Spectacular star Sierra Boggess, who has become the toast of the town in London for the new Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber Phantom sequel Love Never Dies, will be a presenter and performer at the 34th Annual Olivier Awards in the West End on Sunday. The awards are regarded as the British Tony Awards, and Sierra’s co-star Ramin Karimloo will accompany her. Neither is eligible for the awards until next year.

*With pools opening all over town at our casino resorts now that the weather has warmed, the folks at The Mirage’s Bare Pool Lounge have started serving lunch poolside today. I’m going to stop by to check out the action from one of the six VIP cabanas or eight daybeds. It’s a little too early to be dipping my toes in the two luxury VIP pools, but we’ll tweet all the action. The 3rd Annual Bare It All summer grand opening is April 19 with DJ Donald Glaude.

*Rapper Chingy celebrated a belated 30th birthday at Tao’s Worship Party last night at The Venetian, and Denise Truscello was there and joined the party for these photos. Chingy’s entourage took over the private dining room and capped off dinner with a cake sporting almost as much bling as Chingy himself. The birthday boy grinned when it was brought out, and his friends sang “Happy Birthday” while he took a picture with his cell phone and toasted with Patron. Chingy got on the mic in the nightclub and thanked the crowd for coming to his birthday. Club goers went crazy when DJ Five played Chingy’s hit “Right Thurr” while he drank Moet Rose and Dom Perignon.

Photo: Von Loyrangsy/Cashman Photography

Canadian women's Olympic bobsled team members Heather Moyse, sixth from left, Kaillie Humphries, sixth from right, and Shelly-Ann Brown, fifth from right, are flanked by cast members of Cirque du Soliel's O.

Photo: Von Loyrangsy/Cashman Photography

Canadian women's Olympic bobsled team members Heather Moyse, Kaillie Humphries and Shelley-Ann Brown with the cast of Cirque du Soleil's Ka at MGM Grand.

Heather Moyse, Kaillie Humphries and Shelley-Ann Brown, members of the gold medalist Canadian Olympic women’s bobsled team, really love their home country’s Cirque du Soleil shows, as the ladies attended Ka at MGM Grand and O at the Bellagio the past two nights. They met the cast of O backstage in the training room and passed their gold medals around, showing that no two medals are alike. They also met the cast of Ka backstage.

Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage

Billy Bush at Tao in The Venetian on March 18, 2010.

STAR SURVEILANCE

Comedian Carlos Mencia held court at a VIP table on the dance floor at Blush in the Wynn, while Daft Punk were at another table. … Members of the Neal Schon Band were at Lon Bronson’s show in Ovation at Green Valley Ranch last night. … Actor and comedian Martin Lawrence had dinner with friends at Nove Italiano in the Palms last night. Executive chef Geno Bernardo came out of the kitchen for a toast with Martin, and the twosome posed for photos. After dinner, Martin and his party hit The Playboy Club. Martin performs at The Pearl tonight and tomorrow. … Dining at Tao after last night’s ShoWest Awards was Access Hollywood host Billy Bush, who returned to Tao for his third annual benefit for the Lollipop Theater Network. … Roslyn Papa, who was ousted from The Bachelor this season, was at a VIP table in the Opium Room at Tao. E! film critic Ben Lyons was at a nearby VIP table.

Leila Navidi

Mayor Oscar Goodman poses in front of a portrait made of ice, which was unveiled at the Minus 5 Experience at Mandalay Place.

*Each day during March Madness, I’m going to try to find something special to bring to your attention. Today’s tip has to be the coolest seat in town for the three-week men’s NCAA College Basketball Tournament. Stay cool during all the hot action at Minus 5 Ice Lounge in Mandalay Bay. It’s North America’s only ice lounge, where the temperature is a constant -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit!) -- perfect for ice glasses for the near-frozen vodka cocktails. There is a frozen Pop-a-Shot arcade basketball hoop where guests who sink consecutive shots receive prizes during The Big Dance. Minus 5 is open from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. seven days a week. … Today’s the day when Captain Morgan brings 16 of his hottest Morganettes to spice up the sizzle at Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, The Mirage and the Monte Carlo. The 16 Western beauties will compete against 16 others each from the North, South and East for the title of Ultimate Morganette as Captain Bracketmaster to appear on Spike TV. College basketball legend Ed O’Bannon is joining the group.

Now it’s time for us to get caught up in all the weekend hoopla we affectionately refer to around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

Photo: Erik Kabik/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Jeff Dunham.

FRIDAY, MARCH 19

*It’s all about comedy this weekend around town. Ventriloquist phenom Jeff Dunham activates his cast of stick puppets that have become cult heroes, especially Achmed the Terrorist and talking hot pepper Jose Jalapeno, for two nights in The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. … Carlos Mencia is at Treasure Island tonight, Martin Lawrence begins his two-night stand at The Pearl, and Andrew Dice Clay continues his run at the Las Hilton through Monday.

*Collective Soul headlines at Silverton Casino Lodge. … The Neal Schon Band is at Ovation in Green Valley Ranch. … Bill Bellamy entertains for three nights at South Point. … New Found Glory with guests Fireworks, Saves the Day and Hellogoodbye are at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.

*Gentlemen of the Night features urban jazz with the saxophones of Paul Taylor, Marion Meadows and Michael Lington at Aliante’s Access Showroom, and you can go face-to-face with Face to Face and Lydia Vance at Carey Hart’s Wasted Space in the Hard Rock Hotel.

Photo: Courtesy

James Taylor.

SATURDAY, MARCH 20

*Nicky Hilton hosts a birthday party for her boyfriend David Katzenberg at Vanity.

*Singers Eddie Money and John Waite perform at Eastside Cannery’s new state-of-the-art concert venue, while Grand Funk Railroad wails on the tracks to Silverton Casino Lodge and Sick Puppies seek the right prescription at House of Blues.

*Cirque du Soleil hosts the 9th Annual Run Away with a 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk to benefit Springs Preserve, and Mayor Oscar Goodman handles the shotgun start. There will be lots of Cirque ticket prizes and merchandise giveaways for the first 1,200 participants.

*Filipino American standup comic Jo Koy has gone from working at a Las Vegas sporting goods store to headliner standup comic, and his one-man show is at Terry Fator’s theater at The Mirage.

*Tickets go on sale for the James Taylor and Carole King Troubadour Reunion Tour concert at MGM Grand on July 17. Tickets for the Styx, Foreigner and Kansas triple-header United in Rock Tour stop at Mandalay Bay on May 22 also go on sale today, as do tickets for Jackson Browne and David Lindley at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel on July 20.

PARTY PATROL

Hip hop artist Kid Sister performs her hit single “Pro Nails” along with tracks from her new album Ultraviolet at LAX in the Luxor. … Sony Pictures will showcase its Spring Break movie releases, with Bounty Hunter starring Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston, Salt starring Angelina Jolie and Grown Ups starring Adam Sander all on screens at Prive in Planet Hollywood. … Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski hosts a seductive night at MGM’s Tabu Ultra Lounge.

Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Actor Rick Faugno of Jersey Boys attends the opening night gala for the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas at CityCenter on Dec. 4, 2009.

SUNDAY, MARCH 21

*Rick Faugno, the original Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys at the Palazzo, reprises his critically acclaimed one-man song-and-dance show Songs My Idols Sang & Danced at South Point’s showroom. Broadway’s triple threat showcases his skills in the 80-minute show of standards backed by a seven-piece band he describes as the Strip’s “baddest cats.”

MONDAY’S TEASES

We’ll have full photo and video coverage of Dancing With the Stars as 11 celebrity contestants and their professional dance partners are all lined up for the Season 10 premiere with host Tom Bergeron and new co-host Brooke Burke. … We’ll keep watch on Nicky Hilton and David Katzenberg to see if he pops the question and if she says yes and wears the engagement ring. … Plus, full photo coverage of all the weekend entertainment highlight attractions, including David Hasselhoff’s Knight Rider Festival downtown. Next week, we also have two extraordinary photo galleries of Vince Neil’s new aviation fleet and an astonishing aerial tour of Las Vegas and attractions including Hoover Dam.

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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