Las Vegas Weekly

May 14, 2010 · 2:35 PM

Strip Scribbles: Las Vegas stars and casts have gone to the dogs

By Robin Leach

Holly Madison at the Fourth Annual Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament at The Venetian to benefit the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on April 13, 2010.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

There’s been an extraordinary outpouring of support from Strip stars and casts for May 23’s dog adoption at The Orleans Arena. Entertainer and The Mirage headliner Terry Fator will host a parade of the most loveable strays our city has ever seen, as The Animal Foundation presents its 7th Annual Best in Show. Even organizer Dale Wynn told me that each one of 60 dogs from Lied Animal Shelter walking for the title is ready for adoption.

Best in Show is the largest fundraiser for The Animal Foundation’s Lied Animal Shelter’s work caring for more than 50,000 animals a year. The show starts at noon, and Peepshow headliner Holly Madison will be there with her reality TV show cameras to walk some of the adorable pets.

The donations from the casts and headliners will be just as big an attraction. Dale gave each cast a plain white clay life-sized dog and asked them to decorate it. The response has been incredible, with everybody from Frankie Valli joining in on the Jersey Boys creation to Phantom -- Las Vegas Spectacular and Bob Mackie designing a special wardrobe for Cher’s project.

“They are all unbelievably beautiful,” Dale told me. “Every show on the Strip went to the dogs to paint, decorate and accessorize with fabulous costumes. People will be fighting in a frenzied bidding war for these creations.” I know because last time I bought the dogs created for Folies Bergere from the Tropicana and John O’Hurley’s Spamalot round-table knight!. I’ll help with the auction, but meantime, go online to The Orleans Arena or the Lied Animal Shelter to buy tickets.

Photo: NBC

Today's Ann Curry, Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and Al Roker.

*A tip of my hat to Today host Matt Lauer for his opening voiceover for the Cannes Film Festival this week. Matt is a longtime friend who I discovered as a relative unknown to host the show Preview I produced many years ago. It lasted only eight weeks, but Matt was promptly hired by NBC. In his return tip of the hat to me, he said in his setup to Cannes: “The true essence of champagne wishes and caviar dreams.” I guess it still sets the bar after all these years!

Photo: Mindfreak/A&E

Criss Angel's Mindfreak.

*Congratulations to Mindfreak magician Criss Angel, who will be saluted Wednesday by the Make-A Wish Foundation with an award for all of his unpublicized work for the charity. The award will be presented to the Luxor headliner at Bali Hai Golf club near Mandalay Bay, with many of the children taking part in the ceremony.

*Now that summer nights are upon us, the best Strip spot for cigars and cocktails is the open-air patio ultra lounge at Rhumbar in The Mirage. Every weekend, DJ Rodney spins, and there are new events midweek. There’s jazz under the stars every Tuesday and the Puff and Pulse hookah and reggae party -- I attended last night’s opening. Rhumbar has the largest selection of rums in America, but champagne isn’t forgotten, with it served up for Bubble Wednesdays.

*Huge buzz for an imaginative new restaurant and lounge that’s just opened in Town Square appropriately named Nu Sanctuary Lounge. World-class art is on display at the indoor-outdoor space dominated by a sprawling tree at its center with the branches providing an awning spanning the ceiling. It’s on my list for next week as my pal DJ Shoe makes the music, and nightly at 11, there’s a dynamic and dramatic transition as the space divides into heaven and hell with a bold flash of light and sound. Up-and-coming chef Brian Howard, who has worked with Thomas Keller, Andre Rochat and Kerry Simon, has created a global fusion progressive menu.

*Congratulations to Las Vegas chef Stephen Hopcraft of Michael Mina’s Seablue at MGM Grand on being selected to compete against 16 chefs on Season 7 of Bravo’s Top Chef premiering June 16. The contest is set in Washington, D.C., and my pal Buzz Aldrin will be involved in one challenge where the chefs get direction from a NASA astronaut orbiting Earth. Our MGM restaurateur Tom Colicchio continues as head judge, and our Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health supporter Eric Ripert, chef of Le Bernardin in New York, joins the judges panel. Looks like a political pots and pans war because CIA Director Leon Panetta and White House chef Sam Kass also are taking part in the series.

Now it’s time for us to fire up the grill and sort out all the ingredients on the menu for our weekly taste treat that we affectionately serve up around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

FRIDAY, MAY 14

*Country superstar Kenny Chesney might well be taking a year off from giant touring gigs, but he’s going the intimate route with two concerts at The Joint in the Hard Rock tonight and tomorrow. Plus, he’s back July 2 and 3. Check back for our Editor Don Chareunsy’s review of tonight’s show.

*The Tonight Show host and comedian Jay Leno returns to The Mirage for two nights of standup.

*Toots and the Maytals take over the pool stage at the Hard Rock Hotel as the fourth season of concerts under the stars continues. Award-winning Ambhar tequila throws an open bar as the official sponsor.

*All those lovable characters that comedy star Tim Conway brought to life on his TV show and with Carol Burnett, including the very short man, will turn up in his two nights of shows at Las Vegas Hilton.

Photo: Bill Boatman

Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey cut their first anniversary cake at Moon in the Palms.

PARTY PATROL

Maxim holds a model search for beautiful and bodacious blondes and brunettes at Tao Beach in The Venetian, with $5,000 for the winner. … Mariah Carey’s better half Nick Cannon is guest DJ for the party at Pure in Caesars Palace.

SATURDAY, MAY 15

*Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner and singer Robin Thicke present the 2010 Playmate of the Year in Rain in the Palms, and it’s the first time the public can watch the red carpet and buy tickets for the festivities.

*We may never find out who Mom loved best! That’s because brothers Tom and Dick Smothers are still asking the question after 45 years of comedy and music. One of the longest-living comedy teams in showbiz -- dating back to 1959 -- play The Orleans for two nights.

*The horse still has no name, but America will perform the No. 1 hit along with all their other Hall of Fame classics at the Cannery. … Hometown favorites the Scintas -- brothers Joey and Frankie, sister Chrissi and the Irish Scinta Pete O’Donnell -- entertain for two nights at the Suncoast. … Alonzo Bodden is at South Point for two nights, and Hombres G is at House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Lady Gaga introduces her new signature in-earphone Heartbeats at the Monster booth at CES 2010 on Jan. 7, 2010.

*Tickets go on sale today for Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour stop at MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 25. It’s never too early! …. Santana’s Aug. 25-Sept. 5 shows at The Joint. … Rocker Billy Idol’s concert at The Pearl in the Palms on Aug. 21. … And Silversun Pickups with Against Me and Henry Clay People at The Joint on July 16.

PARTY PATROL

Rap royal Ludacris is at Pure and debuts his single “Porn Star Dancer,” which he filmed here at the Palms and Vanity and SkyBar at the Hard Rock Hotel. … Gorgeous Fantasy headliner Angelica Bridges showcases hot new bikini fashions favored by Beyonce and Karina Smirnoff as she hosts the Laguna Beach Jeans show with 14 fashions modeled by her stunning Luxor cast at Eve in Crystals. … Tao Beach in The Venetian continues its Maxim weekend hosted by May cover model and sexy UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste, who later hits Tao to celebrate Captain Morgan’s birthday. … Olivia Munn, new Hollywood It Girl who just bared all for PETA and stars in Iron Man 2 and Date Night, parties with the bikini-clad crowd at MGM Grand’s Wet Republic.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Donald Trump and Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton of North Carolina.

SUNDAY, MAY 16

*The 2010 Miss USA Pageant finally arrives onstage at Planet Hollywood as reigning beauty queen Kristen Dalton crowns her successor.

*The tidal wave of Paramore’s fame continues to roll with its third album Brand New Eyes rocketing to gold status. Paramore arrives at The Joint, and Don Chareunsy will be in the audience after the Miss USA Pageant.

*Happy Birthday, Liberace! To mark what would have been his 91st birthday today, The Liberace Foundation and Museum has a full schedule of events starting at 11 a.m. with Danny Wright and Valeri Glava in the Cabaret Showroom, then Abigail Varghese followed by a cake-cutting ceremony and Happy Birthday sing-along with Retro bakery cupcakes handed out to everybody attending. Mid-afternoon, there’s Ali Spuck’s “Here I Am” and then the evening finale with Christopher Joel Carter IV complete with champagne. Here is my long-ago interview with Mr. Showmanship on Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous.

*A special shout-out to my Pilates instructor Nikki Steven and her Method Motivation Studio, who present a daylong party fundraiser at Town Square’s park to support her nonprofit that fights childhood obesity in our schools.

PARTY PATROL

It’s bikinis and barbecue for the launch of Sway Pool and Lounge at Silverton Casino Lodge, with Lucille’s serving up the taste treats and Jeremy Cornwell Project as entertainment. … The Beatport Beach Party with Insomniac and Manufactured Superstars wraps the weekend at Tao Beach.

MONDAY’S TEASES

We’ll have our one-on-one interview with the new Miss USA and Playboy Playmate of the Year Hope Dworaczyk, plus photo galleries and videos of both weekend events. Plus our inside preview of the Dancing With the Stars semifinals with two of our Las Vegas dance professionals and their celebrity partners.

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