Monday, June 2, 2003 | 10:40 a.m.
The unmistakably booming voice of former New York Yankees shortstop and broadcaster Phil Rizzutowas literally making ripples in the pool at the Palms.
Meat Loaf was doing a 5 p.m. sound check for his Saturday night poolside gig. After members of the crew got their cues down for "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (which features a famous Rizzuto narration of a "player" about to "score"), Mr. Loaf tossed out some songs he figured his all-star band could play.
Apparently there is a little less spontaneity in those all-star band jams than one may have thought.
"Do you know 'All Shook Up?' -- we are in Las Vegas -- ought to do an Elvis song," he said to Steven Adler (Guns N' Roses), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Billy Hinsche (Beach Boys) and Billy Burnette (Fleetwood Mac, and the son of rockabilly star Dorsey Burnette).
The tight ensemble delivered a rousing rendition to an attentive audience of, well, no one besides VegasBeat and a couple of bartenders slicing lemons.
Then came the Rolling Stones classic, "Honky Tonk Woman."
Bach was at the front mike. "I don't -- know the -- words to -- this song can somebody help me out?" he sang in perfect rhythm to the music.
Vocalist Patti Russo took over. One of the roadies called it "a Meat Loaf singalong."
We were hoping things would go bad so he would have instead called it a "rocky horror" show, from the 1975 cult movie that featured Marvin Lee Aday (what Mr. Loaf's parents named him).
But everything went smoothly at the concert and at the other charity events -- including a softball game and a golf tourney -- to benefit the Lili Claire Foundation at UNLV.
Other names making the Meat scene: ex-NFL stars Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson and Willie Gault, television host Bob Goen, former "Saved By the Bell" star Dennis Haskins, 'N Sync's Lance Bass, actor Brett Cullen and "Home Improvement" star Richard Karn.
Dance-ski
Alert (the Mandalay Bay bar) Red Square! Vladimir Putin may be coming to Vegas.
The Russian president Sunday told Michael Flatley he wants to come to Las Vegas to see his "Lord of the Dance" show at The Venetian, according to wire service reports.
Flatley was in St. Petersburg over the weekend to perform at the city's 300th birthday celebration.
Room to party
We hear that the Hard Rock Hotel is building the ultimate party suite.
The spread will feature a pole for dancers, a hot tub big enough for six, a pool table and a regulation bowling alley.
The suite is expected to be ready by mid July, and reportedly Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst wants to be the first to book it.
Love fest
It was hardly the bacchanalian affair that one would imagine taking place around Robin Leach's Spanish Trail swimming pool.
Instead, as The Rich and Famous One described the event, it was "a warm evening of fine food, wondrous wines and fab friendships."
Among the partying types: the stunning new KVVU Channel 5 morning anchor Cher Calvin (whose date was her father), Meredith Broadcasting veep Micah Johnson, actress Joan Severence, Canyon Ranch honcho Michael Boychuk, Wolfgang Puck senior partner Tom Kaplan and wife Misty, Chef Kerry Simon, Karen and Frank Lieberman, Shellee Renee, Venetian executives Bruce Himelfarb and Ken Davenport, Judy Bryer, the talent coordinator for Leach's upcoming live national Fox late-night show "Penthouse F," "X" producers Angela Sampras and Bobby Boling and an assortment of Crazy Girls, Tilted Kilt Girls and Showgirls.
Magician Tony Blanco wowed the group, as did Isis the Belly Dancer from the restaurant Morocco and cool jazzman Michael Anthony Hegland's trio.
Party on, and on
Including the Leach bash, it was an especially busy Saturday night on the Vegas party circuit.
A midnight performance by a 300-pound Elvis impersonator was the highlight at Penn Jillete's party at his west side warehouse/museum/home.
The self-proclaimed "Desert Diva," Monti Rock III, had his fifth annual 60th birthday party at Chameleon Studios.
And the society types were all at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas to meet Carolina Herrera and see a show of her fashions benefiting Las Vegas Philharmonic.
The group included Sue and Paul Lowden, Wendy and Richard Plaster, Barbara Greenspun, Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson and Susan and Andy Tompkins.
M.J. is OK
Last week we reported that 700 women were expected at jeweler M.J. Christensen's event at its new Boca Park store Friday night.
Actually, more than 1,000 women turned out. The highlight of the event was watching the women battle to get closer to the Chippendales dancers, who arrived to a cheering, stomping ovation.
After the event, which was a benefit for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, revelers adjourned next door to Tre.
There, new restaurant general manager Miguel Aston wowed Foundation director Susan Strang and daughter Brittney Schriever -- along with the rest of the packed room -- with his flaming beverage-making theatrics.
At the Tre bar, Wynn Resorts power players Don Marrandino, Kevin Stuessi and Grant MacPherson were pranking gullible reporters by saying that MacPherson, who had recently returned from Macau, had a 103-degree fever and was suffering from SARS.
It was a good 10 minutes before VegasBeat realized MacPherson was fine and the joke was on us.
VegasBits
More Ben, Jen: In addition to shopping at The Venetian, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck spent some quality time at the Hard Rock Hotel last week. They had a quiet dinner at Nobu, but then hotel security was called to protect them from gawkers when the couple hit the high-stakes blackjack tables for an hour ...
Celebrate: Friends of cosmetic dentist extraordinaire Patrick A. Simone and his new wife, Pam Perry, tossed the couple a surprise party at Wild Sage Cafe on Sunday afternoon ...
Family affairs: At the private "Duets" after party, Lisa Marie Presley spent significant time chatting with her ex-father-in-law, Joe Jackson -- Michael Jackson's dad.
From Sun wires
In an April 3 story about a Great Dane rescue operation on property in Norco, Calif., where former "Batman" actor Burt Ward lives with his wife, the Associated Press reported erroneously that water quality authorities ordered him to clean up runoff that flows from his property in into a creek.
After inspectors found unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in stormwater runoff flowing into a ravine near the property, Ward contacted officials with a cleanup proposal and since has installed a septic system, said Milasol Gaslan, a spokeswoman for the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board.
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