Las Vegas Weekly

June 7, 2012 · 4:29 PM

Strip Scribbles: ‘Legends’ to Rio? Cirque, Donny & Marie, ‘Jersey Shore’

By Robin Leach

Flamingo headliners Donny and Marie Osmond.

Photo: Courtesy

Just as the weekend is about to begin, we have more …

WICKED WHISPERS & RACY RUMORS

Following up on my exclusive report Wednesday on the stage musical maneuvers with “Million Dollar Quartet” and “Legends in Concert” at Harrah’s, I’ve now learned that “Legends” will probably move to the Rio in the fall to replace a few shows there.

Wall Street bankers are happy with MGM Resorts forecasts that Cirque du Soleil’s “Zarkana” coming to Aria in CityCenter will swing from the $15 million annual loss on “Viva Elvis” to a $30 million profit (“Zarkana” opens Nov. 8) after a 10-week limited engagement at New York’s Radio City Music Hall that ends Sept. 2.

MGM execs also are telling Wall Street that group convention business is already on an upswing for 2013 and 2014, with an increased number of events moving here from other markets.

Watch for my tweets Sunday night when executives from one of our Strip hotels invade New York for a special announcement and unveiling.

Will Donny and Marie Osmond be spending less time at their Flamingo theater? They normally take time off for other concert appearances in the U.S. pre-Christmas -- this year seven shows in Phoenix starting Nov. 27. Now they’ve just signed on for a British tour starting Jan. 20 in London’s 02 Arena and ending Feb. 2 in Liverpool with 10 concerts on top of seven shows they’ll perform at Caesars in Atlantic City starting July 31.

How often will we see the lesser-known stars of “Jersey Shore” here now that MTV reportedly says it will call it quits with the series after Season 6. DJ Pauly D, Snooki , The Situation and JWoww will do fine here for a while hosting club gigs, but will the other four vanish from sight?

L.V. CELEBS ON ‘TOP CHEF’: Our stars play a key role in the new Season 4 of “Top Chef Masters” on Bravo starting July 25. Holly Madison has a cameo, as do Sugar Ray Leonard, The Indigo Girls, Dita Von Teese, Brian Boitano and The B-52’s (appearing at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday). Even I turn up in one extraordinary luncheon sequence where I had to invite eight gal pals for one of the culinary contests.

Twelve new chefs compete for $100,000 for their favorite charity. Chef Curtis Stone is back as host, as are judges James Oseland and Ruth Reichl, with new judges food and travel journalist Krista Simmons and Gilt Taste Features Editor Francis Lam. The season was shot at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, but our episode was filmed at The Venetian.

$12 MILLION MORE: Twelve new poker players have each agreed today to ante up $1 million each to join those already playing in Cirque chief Guy Laliberte’s One Drop charity tournament at The Rio starting July 1. That now means the prize pool eclipses $35 million. The winner will walk away with a 10-figure payday, the largest ever in a poker tournament, breaking Jamie Gold’s $12 million win at the 2006 WSOP Main Event.

LORENA’S NEW ‘SOULJA’: “Fantasy” at the Luxor has introduced an exciting ensemble dance number performed to headliner Lorena Peril’s newest single “Soulja” and choreographed by “Fantasy” showgirls Sonya and Dar. They’re naughtily clad in military-themed outfits designed by Las Vegas entertainer and designer Jeffrey de Barathy.

STAR SURVEILLANCE

2011 Miss USA Alyssa Campanella and her "The Tudors” star boyfriend Terrance Coombs received Michael Boychuck’s head-to-toe pleasure treatments at his Color salon in Caesars Palace. Then it was back to her home in L.A. after a year in Donald Trump’s NYC apartment and onward to Hawaii for a weeklong vacation. Actor Kunal Nayyar (“The Big Bang Theory”) watched “Ka” at MGM Grand with wife Neha Kapur, Miss India 2006. British pro boxer Amir Khan and pal Arsenal footballer Marouane Chamakh partied to DJ Alesso at Surrender in Steve Wynn’s Encore on Wednesday night.

Comedian Jo Koy visited with “Mystere” performers at Treasure Island on Wednesday night; Jo headlines at The Mirage on Friday. “I’m a huge ‘Mystere’ fan, and I just love the ‘Mystere’ stage. It’s that rare theater where every seat is a good seat,” he said. And rising-star rapper Wallpaper electrified LAX in the Luxor on Wednesday night and was joined by Novena Carmel.

TONIGHT’S TIPS

Hotel tycoon Steve Wynn, along with wife Andrea, Ashley Tisdale, Cheryl Burke and DJ Afrojack, with or without Paris Hilton, hosts the unveiling of Mizumi at the Wynn. As part of 2012 EDC Week, our contributing rock and roll photographer and entertainment documentarian Erik Kabik will display photography from the 2011 Electric Daisy Carnival at Lavo in the Palazzo through Sunday.

Andrew Dice Clay is at the Riviera for five nights. The Rubber Duck Party resumes at Palms Place pool every Thursday with 25,000 of the yellow birds scattered in the pool with prizes for partygoers. Scooter and LaVelle are the guest DJs at Liquid Pool Lounge in Aria. Ricky Reyes is at L.A. Comedy Club in Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile through Sunday. Josh Blue headlines three nights at Empire Comedy Club in the Paris.

Rao’s restaurateur and “On the Grill” cookbook author Frank Pellegrino Jr. is at Whole Foods in Town Square for a book signing, meet-and-greet and cooking demo. Bassrush with Bass Nectar, Excision, Noisia, 12th Planet, Knife Party, Sigma and Fury is 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. at Orleans Arena. And Carnevale continues at the Venetian and Palazzo with art exhibits, an electric light parade and a clock tower light show nightly.

TOMORROW’S TEASE

A knockout weekend with the return of Celine Dion now fully recovered from her throat illness problems, the mammoth Electric Daisy Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the possible upset if Manny Pacquiao falls to undefeated Timothy Bradley Jr. in their world welterweight battle at MGM Grand.

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