Wednesday, April 23, 2003 | 10:35 a.m.
Remember that trend to make Las Vegas a more family friendly destination?
It is officially dead.
Bring on the dancing girls!
Executives from New York-New York were overseeing the handing out of bra straps -- and big red candles wrapped in satin corsets -- on the Strip Tuesday night at an event announcing an explicit new Cirque du Soleil show that will not admit patrons under age 18.
"Forget all your inhibitions -- Forego what is safe" promotional material for "Zumanity" trumpets.
And forget regular seats. For the first time, producers are selling "duos" -- you can rent a love seat or a couch for two people to more intimately watch the show.
So much easier than kissing over an armrest.
But the adult news doesn't stop there. Another hotel, Treasure Island, is altering its name to the more sleek "TI" and dumping its popular kiddie-friendly pirate show in favor of a more adult version.
And three other properties -- Mandalay Bay, Caesars Palace and the Hard Rock Hotel -- are planning to have special topless sunbathing areas this summer.
"You have to go too far before you know what too far is," reasoned Andrew Watson, the director of creation for "Zumanity."
The "Zumanity" event, on New York-New York's faux Brooklyn Bridge, was hosted by MGM MIRAGE Chairman and Chief Executive Terry Lanni and New York-New York President and Chief Operating Officer Felix Rappaport.
Noted French fashion designer Thierry Mugler also made an appearance. He is designing the costumes.
"This is absolutely going to be a provocative show where viewers will pass through a sequence of emotions. But it is not vulgar," Watson told VegasBeat. "Everything Cirque does has impeccable taste. And after all, the subject matter is nothing people aren't already pretty familiar with."
Watson, who joined Cirque in 1987 as a trapeze artist, said the name comes from the "animal passion" sparked in the show.
"You'll certainly know it is a Cirque show -- but with a degree of sensuality, romanticism and eroticism that you will not find elsewhere."
He said the show has been 15 months in the making. It starts performances in July and officially opens in September. Tickets go on sale May 22.
Cabaret bar stools in the 1,267-seat theater will go for $55, seats for $75, love seats are $150 for couples and sofas are $190.
"Our goal is to shatter the stereotypes of what is beautiful, to make the audience more accepting when they leave the show," Watson said.
At the soon-to-be-former Treasure Island, President Scott Sibella repeatedly used words such as "trendy," "spectacular," "sexy" and "adult" to describe the hotel's new theme.
"We've evolved ... to a more sophisticated feel," he said of the 10-year-old property.
Souvenirs
Capitalism is roaring to life in Iraq.
A co-worker with a husband working for Halliburton in Kuwait and Iraq reports getting some T-shirts in the mail the other day that her husband had purchased.
On the front it says, "Operation Enduring Freedom," in a design featuring lots of palm trees.
On the back, in big block letters, it says, "Mission Accomplished."
Next package will include a shirt that says, "My spouse went to Iraq and all I got was this lousy T-shirt."
Look, ma
Cinnamon Girl, a women's clothing boutique at Fashion Show mall, is seeking contestants for a mother-daughter look-alike competition scheduled for Mother's Day.
The May 10 mall activities also include celebrity stylist Jose Eber doing some mother-daughter makeovers and an appearance by Dr. Gadget, billed as one of the world's top product promoters and inventors of convenience-oriented gadgets.
Entry forms for the look-alike contest are available at the store.
Also, on May 9 the "Morning Zoo" show at KLUC 98.5-FM is having its Second Annual Pregnant Moms Bikini Contest in its West Sahara Avenue studio.
Contact the show's producers at [email protected] for info and more details.
Drink up
The big three-day UNLVino event kicks off Thursday with a champagne tasting at Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock.
Expect most of the Howard Stern crew -- including that day's guests, David Spade and Robin Leach -- to attend the Simon event.
They should all be able to find their way back there; tonight Stern is doing a meet and greet at Simon with local advertisers, Hard Rock execs and other local bigwigs.
Also, Cris Judd -- Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband, who became friendly with Stern sidekick "Stuttering" John Melendez when both appeared on "I'm a Celebrity -- Get Me Out of Here!" -- appears on today's Stern radio broadcast.
Among Tuesday's guests was Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.
VegasBits
Bunny scene: Playboy magazine will be at Jillian's Wednesday and Thursday afternoon scouting female talent for its 50th anniversary celebration. Hugh Hefner will host a three-day weekend blowout in Las Vegas in the fall to mark the milestone ...
Moving on up: Michael Flatley has been penthouse shopping on Manhattan's Upper East Side, reports the New York Post. Flatley plans on bringing a version of his Las Vegas show, "Lord of the Dance," to Broadway in the fall ....
Happy day: Vegas scenester Michael Shulman celebrated his 30th birthday Tuesday night at Caramel. Then he hopped on a red eye to New York. He is having another 3-0 bash at the Gotham hot spot Bungalow 8 Monday night ...
More book: Poker playing author James McManus ("Positively Fifth Street") was featured in The New York Times again Tuesday ...
Aisle laugh: Some jokers have registered as Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez on the bridal registry on the Bloomingdale's website. Unless it really was them.
From Sun wires
The Montana Supreme Court has ruled that the daughters of the late CBS correspondent Charles Kuralt must pay $350,000 in estate taxes on land their father left to his mistress.
The decision issued by the five-judge panel Monday upheld a lower court ruling in the dispute between Kuralt's daughters and Pat Shannon, with whom Kuralt had a 30-year relationship.
Kuralt, the folksy CBS reporter who described the lives of ordinary and outstanding Americans, died in 1997.
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