Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2003 | 10:29 a.m.
Showman Michael Flatley has returned from South Africa where he met with Nelson Mandelaand other officials about bringing his tap spectacular, "Lord of the Dance," to Sun City.
A version of the popular dance show plays the Showroom at The Venetian. There are also two international touring versions.
But Flatley says he will put together another entirely new group for the engagement in South Africa, which he says he hopes will begin in March.
Through a spokeswoman, he told VegasBeat he plans to dance in the new production on a limited basis.
"I was very honored that Nelson Mandela was able to meet me," Flatley said.
Sun City is an entertainment resort just outside of Johannesburg. The city is best known as having been the focus of the entertainment world's anti-apartheid movement.
When apartheid was the law of the land in South Africa, activist entertainer Steven Van Zandt gathered more than 50 artists to record his 1985 anthem, "(Ain't Gonna Play) Sun City." Van Zandt is well known as a guitar player in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and for playing Silvio Dante on "The Sopranos."
Party
It was a very spirited crowd -- and a large one -- at the Bootlegger Bistro Monday night for entertainer Kelly Clinton's 40th birthday bash.
Among those helping her blow out the candles and taking the karaoke microphone (but not at the same time): entertainers Clint Holmes, Sheena Easton, Jimmy Hopper and Bill Fayne, artist Ruby Mazur, Fox's New Year's Eve show producer Rick Garson, KLAS Channel 8 weatherman Mark Pfister, Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt -- who also issued Clinton a birthday proclamation -- and nine members of the Miss Indiana 1960 pageant who were having a reunion.
Hands down highlight of the evening: 87-year-old Audrey Holmes (yup, Clint's mom) on the karaoke mike, belting out a stunning, operatic version of "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing."
The place went nuclear with cheers and applause.
Hot spot
Fiamma Trattoria, the new MGM Grand eatery, had its Vegas VIP opening party Monday night.
Owner Steve Hanson welcomed Robin Leach, VEGAS Magazine publisher Michael Carr, 311 Boyz lawyer James "Bucky" Buchanan, television personalities Ron Futrell, Dana Wagner and Jim Snyder and about 200 others.
On Saturday the sleek room hosted HBO's private party after the big Shane Mosley/Oscar De La Hoya fight. Guests included Jim Lampley, Tommy Lasorda, Howie Mandel, Tony Curtis, Jim Gray, Michael Keaton, Clea Duvall, Jamie Foxx and Michael Buffer ("Let's get rrready to rrrummmble?").
Get a piece
Finally! A chance to own part of a casino.
Treasure Island -- which formally is being renamed TI on its 10th anniversary next month -- is auctioning off more than 500 items of pirate memorabilia that had been part of its old sea-faring theme.
Among the items up for grabs to the highest bidder are brass lamps, wooden and brass chests, swords, pirate costumes, baskets, pirate sculptures and two rare bone chandeliers valued at $500,000 each.
A preview of all the items will be at the hotel on the afternoon of Sept. 26. Registration for the next day's live, public auction begins at 8 a.m. Saturday.
King show
CNN's "Larry King Live" has a Vegas theme scheduled for broadcast Friday. Guests will be Jerry Lewis, Shirley MacLaine and Dean Martin's kids Ricci Martin and Deana Martin.
Among other topics, they'll be discussing the Martin-Lewis offspring's show at the Suncoast this weekend. Ricci Martin's tribute show to his dad is co-headlining with Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
King is in Las Vegas this week to address the Global Gaming Expo.
Royal club pair
New York nightlife queen Amy Sacco was in town last week for a series of quiet meetings about bringing a branch of her fashionable Bungalow 8 club to Las Vegas.
The club queen was spotted several times Sunday night on a club crawl with Vegas scenester Michael Shulman, who is often called Vegas' nightlife king.
The pair had dinner with Aureole General Manager Christophe Chadron-Michaud at Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel before heading off to ICE, where they were greeted by newlywed owner Ed Williams and wife Kalani.
The evening finished off with stops at Tabu (MGM), Caramel (Bellagio) and Light (Bellagio).
VegasBits
Party: "2 Fast 2 Furious" star Paul Walker and 15 friends celebrated his birthday among the post-fight activity at Prana on Saturday night. Some others wishing him well: the film's director, John Singleton, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Tara Reid ...
Mealtime: "Oz" actor and longtime Hell's Angel Chuck Zito had dinner Sunday night at Simon Kitchen and Bar, two tables away from "Girls Gone Wild" producer Joe Francis ...
Happy Days: Illusionist and Vegas regular David Copperfield turns 47 today; Vegas resident and guitar icon B.B. King turns 78 ...
Tech: Danny Masterson ("That '70s Show") wasn't paying close attention to the stage during the surprise Britney Spears show Saturday night at Rain in the Desert at Palms. He spent much of the show fiddling with his Blackberry, presumably alerting friends to his whereabouts ...
Tunes: Lyle Lovett plays The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Oct. 11. Tickets, priced at $48 and down, go on sale Saturday ...
White: Celeb Chef Emeril Lagasse -- who has a restaurant at the MGM Grand -- is the new face of Crest Whitening Expressions toothpaste ...
Brit book: Readers of Conde Nast Traveller (United Kingdom) have named the Bellagio as the best hotel to shop at, and the third best overall hotel in the Americas and Caribbean. "It is a remarkable honor," said hotel operations veep Randy Morton ...
Organizer: Vegas promoter Scott E. Rodder will help produce the Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Authority's annual Start of the Season Mixer Friday night at the Hyatt Grand Champions in Indian Wells, Calif. He is bringing in Vegas Rat Pack impersonators Andrew James (Frank Sinatra), Rick Michel (Dean Martin) and Doug Starks (Sammy Davis) to entertain ...
Lit crit: The Vegas Valley Book Festival gets a nice plug in the current edition of Publisher's Weekly, the book industry bible. The event takes place Oct. 25 to Oct. 27 at several local venues.
From Sun wires
Yoko Ono performed her legendary 1960s "Cut Piece" Monday, inviting the audience to cut off her clothing with scissors in the name of world peace.
The 70-year-old avant-garde icon sat in a chair on stage alone at Paris' intimate Ranelagh theater and asked that each member of the audience silently cut off a piece of her clothing and send it to a loved one.
One by one, the 200 audience members filed onstage and snipped away pieces of Ono's outfit -- a long black silk skirt with matching long-sleeved top. Among them was Ono's 27-year-old son, Sean Lennon.
archive
