Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2004 | 10:37 a.m.
One big drawback to being an entertainer in Las Vegas (or anywhere, really) is the lack of benefits -- such as health insurance.
But when the chips are down, few band together better than the singers, dancers, comedians and musicians who perform in Las Vegas.
So when word got out that Christine Anderson was suffering from cancer, entertainers sprung into action.
Anderson was a performer in the Rat Pack tribute show that played at the Desert Inn and Sahara.
On Thursday at the Improv in Los Angeles, and then on Aug. 22 at Boulder Station, a long and impressive list of stars are doing benefit shows to help raise money for Anderson's mounting medical bills.
"The nature of the business is that there is generally no medical insurance so we are trying to step up and help Christine out as much as we can," said Chad Hyams, who was the production manager of the tribute show.
The talent coming to perform at the Boulder Station event includes Anderson's former show mates, Dean Martin impersonator Rick Michel, Frank Sinatra impersonator Steve Lippia and Sammy Davis impersonator Doug Starks. Also scheduled to be on hand are Lance Burton, Clint Holmes, Lon Bronson, Bill Acosta, "Downtown" Gordie Brown, Cook E. Jarr, Robin Leach and the wise-cracking KTNV Channel 13 weatherman Mark Pfister, who will emcee the 2 p.m. show.
Tickets are $40 and are on sale at all Station Casinos. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to Anderson's care, with a portion also going to the Shade Tree women's shelter.
The L.A. event will be hosted by Garry Shandling. The talent has not yet been set for that show, but the names on e-mail that went out asking for folks to donate a few minutes include "The Daily Show" co-creator Lizz Winstead, Kathy Griffin, Kevin Nealon and Patton Oswalt.
Some of those folks might also turn up at the Vegas benefit, Hyams said.
Hava-no
The Stardust has finally given up on waiting for the cast of "Havana Nights" to arrive from Cuba.
On Tuesday night the hotel officially pulled the plug on the show, which was originally supposed to run from July 31 to Sept. 6 -- but never opened as the cast was unable to leave Cuba because of a dispute with that government.
"The show is off our entertainment calendar. Starting today we are looking to book new acts into the showroom during the time they were supposed to be there," Stardust spokesman Jim Seagrave said this morning. "Obviously it is a hardship for us to have the showroom empty for so long, but if 'Havana Nights' can gather the cast before Sept. 6, we will certainly talk to them."
In a statement released Tuesday night, Stardust General Manager Tony Taeubel said: "We do hope one day the 'Havana Nights' performers can bring their exciting performance to the United States and wish the company the very best."
Taeubel said that while the hotel "excitedly anticipated the arrival of this prestigious ensemble to Las Vegas, as the venue and not the producer of this event we have no involvement in the political logistics involved in bringing the singers, dancers and musicians to the United States."
"We cannot ask our guests to continue to wait for a now uncertain arrival."
Class clown
Overnight filming on "Las Vegas" stretched out a lot longer than anticipated Tuesday morning at The Venetian.
Seems that guest star Jon Lovitz kept the crew in stitches as he'd continually break out doing tag lines -- such as "Yeah, that's the ticket," from his old "Saturday Night Live" characters.
In his guest role, Lovitz plays a former down-on-his-luck gambler who hits it big to become a multimillionaire. He then attempts to woo Nessa Holt, the "Ice Queen" blackjack dealer on the show, who is played by Marsha Thomasen.
Heavy stuff
Apparently, it is harder than it appears to walk around in one of those ostrich-feather headdresses.
"Excuse me," said Bally's/Paris Las Vegas marketing veep Randy Sears. "But I just can't keep my head up."
He was onstage reading a proclamation -- and wearing full showgirl headgear -- at the Jubilee Theatre on Monday night before a performance of the show that would welcome its 10 millionth guest.
"These things are heavier than they look," Sears said to laughs from a crowd that included Tony Curtis, Mac King and "Bottoms Up!" producer Breck Wall.
The show was its usual spectacular and overblown self, made even more entertaining by the priceless looks on the faces of Connie and John Rakoske -- who were guests 10,000,000 and 10,000,001.
The couple from Ipswich, Mass., making their first trip to Las Vegas, were brought onstage and given a lifetime ticket to the show, a commemorative leather jacket and a fully comped luxury return trip to Bally's.
VegasBits
Eats: Presidential candidate John Kerry and family had dinner at Le Cirque (Bellagio) Tuesday night after his rally at the Thomas & Mack Center. They tried to keep it all on the down low by making the reservation under a different name, but few in the eatery were fooled as the host led "the Heinz party" through the restaurant. Owner Lauren Maccione was in the house to greet the candidate ...
Shout: ESPN talker and radio host Jim Rome was at ghostbar Saturday night, entertaining a bachelorette party of 10 young NBC publicity staffers from Burbank, Calif., for the weekend ...
Ink: There's a handsome two-page spread -- with photos and recipes -- in the current Bon Appetit magazine featuring star Hard Rock Hotel Chef Kerry Simon and his Simon Kitchen & Bar eatery ...
Boxer: WBA super middleweight champ Frankie Liles was partying at OPM's (Forum Shops) "SEX Sundays" party ...
Creative: An exhibition of paintings and drawing by Rolling Stones guitar player Ron Wood opens at the Jack Gallery (Mandalay Bay) on Sept. 4 ...
Back: Bette Midler brings her "Kiss My Brass" tour back to the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 26 -- the Friday after Thanksgiving. Midler also played MGM on Feb. 14 on the first leg of her tour. No ticket info for the November date has been announced.
From Sun wires
Arrested development: "60 Minutes" correspondent Mike Wallace, arrested in a dispute with New York City parking inspectors, says he wonders why anyone thought that he, at 86, was a threat.
Wallace was handcuffed and taken to police precinct headquarters after the incident Tuesday evening. He was released after being issued a summons citing him with disorderly conduct.
The dispute began as Wallace was leaving an Upper East Side restaurant, WCBS-TV reported. Wallace saw two Taxi and Limousine Commission inspectors interviewing his driver, who they said was double-parked.
The TLC said Wallace approached the inspectors and became "overly assertive and disrespectful," according to WCBS. The inspectors then asked him to step away from the car and Wallace refused, lunging at one of the inspectors, according to the TLC.
Wallace laughed off the notion.
"I'm an 86-year-old man," he told the New York Post.
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