Friday, May 2, 2003 | 10:46 a.m.
In 1977 Newsweek called Jacqueline Bisset "the most beautiful film actress of all time."
She was still looking especially delicious when she was handed a fist-sized silver fortune cookie upon leaving the Prana restaurant opening party at Desert Passage at the Aladdin very early this morning.
The message inside was an ancient Vietnamese proverb: "May everything you touch return to you 10,000 fold" -- sort of like wishing people the Midas touch.
It is a very appropriate thought for the evening.
Helene An's family -- once Vietnamese royalty, but who arrived on U.S. shores with nothing -- have now expanded their culinary empire to Las Vegas.
"We are delighted to be here and hope that Las Vegas will come and try us out," a delightfully humble An told VegasBeat.
Hundreds of Vegas swells -- and some of An's fans from their Beverly Hills and San Francisco restaurants -- jammed into Prana's magnificent split-level space to mark the new eatery's arrival.
Among the notables from in and out of town: Mario Lopez, Phyllis McGuire, Bucky and Gianna Buchanan, Dena Duboef Chatfield, Willie Gault, Danny and Robin Greenspun, Roger and Sandy Peltyn, Laila Ali, Robert and Vera Goulet, Jack Wishna, Josh and Meital Grantz, Susan and Irwin Molasky, Dr. Scott Lewis and Kelly Karl from Lewis' "Shock" show, Ronn Lucas, Gianni Russo, Michael and Andrea Weinberger.
The band was tight. It featured no professional musicians, but did include former Sahara owner Paul Lowden, Dr. Michael Seiff and social types Alan Molasky, Christie Molasky, Mark Chatfield, Stephen J. Cloobeck, Jeff Gale and Jane Gale.
The true mark that the party was a success: Departing guests were hovering around the maitre d' stand before they left, trying to make reservations for when the restaurant opens for business Saturday night.
Star guests
Unlike the most recent media guy broadcasting from the Hard Rock Hotel -- Howard Stern -- who interviewed guests who were in large part human oddities, Carson Daly has a very impressive lineup of visitors coming to Vegas to appear on his show.
So far his producers have lined up Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Dylan McDermott, Blue Man Group, Mila Kunis, Camp Freddy, Carmen Electra, Tyra Banks, Famke Janssen, Harland Williams and Lounge Against the Machine with Richard Cheese.
If you want to get tickets to see the May 7 to May 10 tapings of "Last Call With Carson Daly" in person, shoot an e-mail to [email protected]. There are two tapings nightly, at 5 and 8:30.
Thief!
Bob Stoldal, the boss over at KLAS Channel 8 news, doesn't sit still for long.
Last week he lost Assistant News Director Carla Alston to Metro Police, where she starts next month as the department's chief spokeswoman.
So Stoldal went out and raided his two main competitors for some new talent.
He lured Stacy Aegerter from KVBC Channel 3 to become a producer at "Day One," which airs on KLAS' sister cable station, Las Vegas ONE. Then he hired Rudy Murrieta away from KTNV Channel 13 to be the new executive producer for KLAS' morning news program. They both started this week.
Stage hand
Drats. Hate to be wrong. But it might happen on this one.
VegasBeat reported a few weeks ago that Celine's contract with Caesars Palace would not allow another female singer to take her stage at The Colosseum during her down time.
Well, we hear from sources in Los Angeles that at least two prominent female recording artists are in negotiations to do just that during Celine's next break, over the summer. One is Mariah Carey.
Meanwhile Jerry Seinfeld, who plays The Colosseum tonight and Saturday, is completely sold out.
Big 3-Oh!
It wasn't exactly one of those Malcolm Forbes birthday parties -- where he'd airlift folks such as Elizabeth Taylor to Morocco -- but it was pretty darn impressive nonetheless.
Vegas scenester and philanthropist Michael Shulman had the second of three 30th birthday parties in New York City Monday night (the first was at Caramel inside Bellagio last week; the last one is in Los Angeles next week).
Since many of Shulman's friends are fashionistas, like designers Patricia Field, Billy Erb and style.network host Lloyd Boston, the first stop for the evening for most of his guests was the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Afterward many of the swells at the Met, looking for a place to continue the evening, ended up at Shulman's party at Amy Sacco's Bungalow 8.
Among the fabulous were Tommy Boy Records founder Tom Silverman, Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein, hot young actor Ashton Kutcher and designer Roberto Cavalli.
"It was stunning," said an unusually humble Shulman when he got back to Vegas on Thursday.
TV party
For the first time, this year the Kentucky Derby will be broadcast in HDTV.
So today, the folks at the ESPNZone at New York-New York are finishing the installation of all their new HDTVs -- including the big projection screens.
They'll unveil the latest in television technological advances for Saturday's big race.
VegasBits
Cherchez: 1980s supermodel Carol Alt was at the 8:30 p.m. performance of "La Femme" at MGM Grand Wednesday night ...
Righteous: Bobby Hatfield from the Righteous Brothers was at "Showgirls of Magic" Thursday ...
Cookin' Good: Picasso's Julian Serrano was in New York Thursday, cooking at a dinner at the renowned James Beard Foundation ...
Happy day: Vegas fixture Engelbert Humperdinck turns 67 today ...
New Gugg: One of the Las Vegas Guggenheim Museums is shut, but a new branch is set to open in Brazil. The city of Rio de Janeiro is putting up $170 million to build a new outpost on its famous waterfront ...
Party redux: Local spectacle Monti Rock III is looking to become a national spectacle once again. At his fifth annual 60th birthday party May 30, he'll unveil his new cabaret act, which he plans to take on the road ...
Good host: Palms owner George Maloof hosted an early 24th birthday party for Lance Bass at ghostbar Thursday night (the actual birthday is Sunday). Among those raising a glass were Jessica Alba and Jeremy Shockey.
From Sun wires
A sold-out crowd in Greenville, S.C., cheered, danced and sang along during the Dixie Chicks' summer tour kick-off concert, showing little concern for the controversy that has surrounded the band since singer Natalie Maines criticized President Bush.
Maines didn't wait long to address the problems that have arisen from her comments. "We have a plan for this," she said. "If you're here to boo, we welcome that. We're going to give you 15 seconds to do that."
And when Maines counted to three, the crowd erupted in cheers and the Chicks broke into "Long Time Gone."
"Wing" man no more: Saying it's time to take on new challenges, Aaron Sorkin has announced he is leaving NBC's "The West Wing," the Emmy-winning White House drama he created four years ago.
Thomas Schlamme, an executive producer, also is leaving. The show will continue with John Wells, another executive producer, in charge. Wells' other series include NBC's "ER" and "Third Watch."
archive
