Friday, April 21, 2000 | 9:10 a.m.
Kate Maddox's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Reach her at [email protected].
It looks like one Strip entertainer may have snagged a role in the new DreamWorks movie "The Mexican," which will be shooting here in June. Frank Marino, the star of "An Evening at La Cage" at the Riviera hotel-casino, auditioned for the role of -- what else? -- a drag queen.
Marino, who is pretty certain that he wowed producers with his rendition of a movie star from the past, will hopefully be cast opposite Brad Pitt. Marino's character would be that of a down-and-out former gambler who hitches a ride with Pitt to get to Vegas. The two men engage in some mild flirtation -- Marino tries to "pick up" the hunky blond actor.
After a little road trip they arrive in Vegas and when Pitt's character turns up at a nightclub a couple of days later, who does he see onstage? Marino, in full drag as Lana Turner.
Marino, who is most famous for his portrayal of Joan Rivers in "La Cage," had never tested the waters as Turner, so he immediately got an outfit together, had his hair done a la Lana and studied a couple of her movies. Marino is fairly confident that he'll hear good news from the movie people. He was proud of his Turner impersonation and, besides, Marino said that another person up for the part was more Ted Turner than Lana Turner.
Tonight's closing party at Caesars Palace's Court restaurant will be an intimate affair. Only 60 of the hotel's nearest and dearest past and current guests will be on hand to quietly shutter the famous dining spot, and there will not be an appearance by Celine Dion.
Keeping up with the changes at Caesars is not an easy task. The hotel is revamping just about every aspect of its operation. In addition to the closure of Palace Court and the Bacchanal, Circus Maximus will shut its doors to make way for luxe high-roller suites. The hotel is also working on remodeling 600 rooms, putting new facades on the older buildings and adding a new 24-hour poolside restaurant, which is scheduled to open in September.
Don Johnson was apparently so upset about his Mercedes being stolen from the Desert Inn on Wednesday that he refused to appear in a scheduled taping of a commercial for CBS -- the network that airs his cop show "Nash Bridges." Johnson's Benz was heisted by a car thief who posed as a valet and drove off with it from the DI while it was being detailed.
Cast members of "Nash Bridges" were in town this week shooting their season finale. Steve Wynn showed up on the set on Thursday as a guest of Johnson, who was staying at Wynn's Mirage hotel-casino. The scenes that day guest-starred a handful of Playboy Playmates.
Johnson was scheduled to appear in a Cinco De Mayo promo ad for CBS along with his co-star, Cheech Marin. But Johnson was too distraught over the loss of his rented Mercedes to do the spot and Marin had to go solo.
The "Nash Bridges" Las Vegas taping was a coup for lots of local actors who were cast in minor parts with Johnson, Marin and Yasmine Bleeth. Shooting took place at the Mirage and at the Desert Inn. The season finale is scheduled to air on CBS in three weeks.
Other Hollywood crews in town this week included the cast of a new indie film, "The Center of the World." Directed by Wayne Wang -- whose previous movies include the Susan Sarandon/Natalie Portman chick flick "Anywhere But Here" and "The Joy Luck Club" -- the new movie stars Balthazar Getty. Yes, of those Gettys. The Venetian hotel-casino provided the backdrop for this week's shoot.
Monday night's 50th anniversary party at the Desert Inn should be a good chance to see celebrities. Tony Curtis, Kevin Sorbo, Steve and Elaine Wynn, Dick Van Patten and his son, Vincent (who stars on "The Young and the Restless"), Rip Taylor, Lanie Kazan, Susan Anton and Dick Kelley (President Clinton's stepfather, who is a D.I. regular) are all scheduled to attend the black-tie dinner gala.
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