Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: No joshing: Soldier takes hold of LV

The soldier came, he saw and he conquered.

Lance Cpl. Joshua Menard, who had his left hand nearly blown off in Iraq, celebrated his 21st birthday with a whirlwind Las Vegas vacation last weekend.

Menard became a national media star after an NBC News crew handed him an international cell phone on the battlefield and broadcast his touching call home to his mom when he told her he had been wounded but was alive.

A few weeks later he told Katie Couric on "Today" that he wanted to spend his milestone birthday in Las Vegas.

Thanks to the generosity of many Las Vegas entertainers and dignitaries, that's exactly what happened.

Among the highlights for Menard, girlfriend Kristin Douglas, sister Jade and mom Elizabeth: a personal tour of the Casino Legends Hall of Fame from founder Steve Cutler and hall members Mafalda and Freddie Bell, backstage meet-and-greets with Siegfried & Roy and Rick Thomas, a private meeting with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and a birthday cake presented onstage by Wayne Newton.

Local entertainment producer and casting powerhouse Jaki Baskow, who set up the visit for last weekend after she saw Menard on "Today," said the young Texan had "the time of his life."

"Many people really extended themselves for this and Joshua said he was extremely touched," Baskow said. "It all came together because of a terrible tragedy, but it ended up being a wonderful and moving experience for everyone involved."

Vegas, baby

The hottest ticket in town right now looks to be the invite for the Vegas Magazine launch party at the Palms on June 26.

So far, according to co-publishers Jerry Powers and Michael Carr, confirmed attendees include Paris and Nicky Hilton, Carmen Electra, Alonzo Mourning, Maxim model and "Reba" star JoAnna Garcia, singer Jaron Lowenstein and director John Singleton ("2 Fast 2 Furious").

The magazine, which bills itself as a world of sun, sizzle, indulgence, opulence, celebrity, fashion and supreme decadence -- like its namesake city -- debuts in July with cover girl Heidi Klum.

Vegas Magazine and this newspaper are both part of the Greenspun Media Group.

Fancy feast

It is as if Ralph Lauren were your private tailor and Jerry Seinfeld your own court jester, or Steven Spielberg was directing Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep in backyard skits for you and your friends.

Steve Wynn isn't offering those amenities -- yet -- but what high-roller patrons of Le Reve will be offered is in the same league.

We hear that famed restaurateur Daniel Boulud, one of the world's top chefs, will be the personal chef for the 10 planned luxury suites atop Le Reve when it opens in April 2005.

Neither Boulud spokeswoman Georgette Farkas nor anyone from Wynn Resorts would confirm or deny the agreement, but we hear from a reliable source that for a minimum of 110 days per year Boulud will be in Las Vegas and at the beck and call of Wynn's most prized guests.

Then, after 10 p.m., Boulud will make appearances in the restaurant that he has earlier said he is opening in the hotel. The planned 400-seat gourmet palace will be near the hotel's Ferrari dealership.

Clubber

As VegasBeat first reported, Keith Barish is out at Light. Now comes word that another Light fixture, Marklen Kennedy, is also gone.

The former "Melrose Place" actor and current nightlife denizen and stylemaker is starting a weekend club at Prana, the new Aladdin eatery.

Kennedy will draw on many of the celebs that not only frequented Light, but Prana's sister hot spot in Beverly Hills, Calif., called Crustacean.

The opening party there is Saturday night.

Rank tune

The music network VH1 this week released its Top 100 Songs of the Past 25 Years.

Amazingly, a VegasBeat tally shows that 27 of the 100 songs have been performed live in Las Vegas -- by the original artist -- within the last few months. Or they will be before the end of the summer.

The list includes Prince's "When Doves Cry" and "Little Red Corvette," "Time After Time" from Cyndi Lauper, Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," "Under the Bridge" from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones.

Also on the list: hits from Shania Twain, Journey, Sheryl Crow, Meat Loaf, Beastie Boys, Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi, Pretenders, Beck, Hall & Oates, Nelly, Goo Goo Dolls, Mary J. Blige, Duran Duran, Norah Jones and Melissa Etheridge.

Plus, there are a pair of Michael Jackson songs on the list -- "Billie Jean" and "Beat It."

The No. 1 song was Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." See Page 2E for the complete list.

Days away

The bachelor party for Chef Kim Canteenwalla of Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel started with a dinner at the Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Decorum prevents us from reporting where it ended up, how long it took to get there and what happened along the way.

Canteenwalla marries restaurant consultant Elizabeth Blau in Lenox, Mass., this weekend.

Vegas personalities ranging from Wynn to Mark Julian, Kerry Simon, Victor Drai, Peter Morton and Andrew Sasson are slated to attend the nuptials.

VegasBits

Carb up: "King of Queens" star Leah Remini was at the Pasta Shop & Ristorante on Tropicana and Eastern avenues over the weekend with her fiance, Angelo Pagan, and sister Nicole ...

Media star: The current edition of the trendy men's mag, Details, has a profile on Palms owner George Maloof ...

Love meal: Actress Michelle Pfeiffer and her producer-husband David E. Kelley ("Ally McBeal," "The Practice") enjoyed a romantic dinner last weekend at Aureole's Swan Court ...

Fine wine: Cameras from Wine Spectator magazine took over Spago at the Forum Shops at Caesars Wednesday afternoon. The mag took pictures of Master Sommelier Luis DeSantos, Chef David Robins and Wolfgang Puck ...

Call me: VegasBeat is back for its weekly radio call-in bit with "Las Vegas Today" host Andy Vierra on KNUU 970 AM (K-NEWS) today at 4 p.m. Call the studio line at (702) 735-6397 and we'll dish.

From Sun wires

Jackson settles: A $12 million lawsuit against Michael Jackson by former financial advisers that could have revealed details of his finances has been settled, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Union Investment Corp. of South Korea and its financial adviser claimed Jackson owed them $12 million in unpaid fees and expenses for their efforts to put his financial affairs in order.

Harry chooses army career: Britain's Prince Harry, who finished his Eton education with the last of his exams on Thursday, has decided to train for a career in the army, St. James's Palace announced.

Harry, 18, will apply to Sandhurst military academy before taking a year off from studying. If he is accepted, he would expect to join the army late next year, Prince Charles' office said.

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