Monday, Nov. 3, 2003 | 10:30 a.m.
Boo. As in boo-hoo.
The annual Halloween house party that has evolved into one of Las Vegas' most anticipated, hosted by Rio exec Adeana Shendal and her husband, popular KVBC Channel 3 anchor Jim Snyder, was missing something this year.
The hosts.
"I spent the entire party in bed, being sick," Shendal said. "I don't know if it was food poisoning or the flu, but as soon as I put on my costume I just did not have the strength to move."
Shendal dressed as the bride of Frankenstien.
Snyder, meanwhile, was stuck at the station gathering info on the California wildfires and didn't arrive home until after midnight.
"I heard it was a great party," Shendal said. "Hopefully next year I can go to it again."
Perhaps the second-best costume we saw over the weekend was the one Atlantic City show producer Seth Yudof was wearing at a party tossed by celeb real estate broker Rob Wilner at his Pebble Road abode (Wilner just sold David Cassidy's Las Vegas home).
Yudof was dressed in a fat ballerina suit, and was calling himself "Lard of the Dance."
Best costume was, well, the VegasBeat get-up. We were covered in sponges and paper towels.
Naturally, we were ... self absorbed. Get it?
Honorary mention goes to local infomercial producer Ben Kalb, who was covered in cereal boxes and ketchup.
He was a "cereal killer."
Stratosphere publicity man Mike Gilmartin had planned to affix Barbie dolls all over his body and go as a "chick magnet," but eventually decided not to wear the costume.
Sugar plums
Now that Halloween is over we can focus on Christmas and "The Nutcracker."
The Nevada Ballet Theatre announced that its rendition of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece will perform at The Rio's Samba Theatre from Dec. 19 to Dec. 23.
More than 100 children from the Academy of Nevada Ballet Theatre auditioned and were cast in the production.
Look sharp
Now that he has shed nearly 30 pounds, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is sprucing up his look.
He'll be on KMXB 94.1-FM (The Mix) with Mark & Mercedes Tuesday morning with Frank Marino, as the "Evening at La Cage" star and a few of his friends give Hizzoner the "Queer Eye for the City Hall Guy" treatment.
That afternoon Goodman will be taken to various Fashion Show mall locales for a makeover, including a haircut, a manicure, a set of new duds and eyewear circa 2003, in place of the last-century specs he currently sports.
Results will be evaluated on Wednesday's show.
Green rain
No word yet on whether Dennis Rodman was legally drunk when he crashed a motorcycle into a utility pole after leaving Treasures, the newest Las Vegas gentlemen's club, last weekend.
But word is filtering out about what Rodman was doing before he left the club.
Seems he gave a club VIP host seven Ben Franklins and asked for 700 George Washingtons. Then Rodman approached dancers he liked and literally showered them with the money.
"He seemed to really like the blizzard effect," our source said. "He would laugh like a little kid as he'd drizzle the money on the girls."
No bettor
William H. Macy plays a chronically unlucky Vegas gambler in the fall release, "The Cooler." But in real life he is not a player.
"I don't like to gamble," he tells celebrity columnist James Brady in Parade magazine. "I never played Vegas. I have no relationship to that world."
In the film, Macy is hired by mob boss Alec Baldwin, who hopes Macy will cool off high-rollers by gambling with them.
All goes well until he falls in love with a cocktail waitress, played by Maria Bello.
In other Vegas movie news, "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" opens nationally Friday. The partially animated feature film, which stars Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman and Steve Martin, was filmed in Las Vegas, and features an extended cameo by Mayor Goodman.
Parrot Head alert
Flamingo Las Vegas is opening a new bar and restaurant called Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.
This week the hotel is looking to staff the new entry. Interested bartenders, cooks, hosts and servers canapply at the hotel's Platinum Ballroom between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. through Friday.
VegasBits
Celebrate: Jackie Titone and her husband, Adam Sandler, took Rob Schneider and several pals to "Zumanity" on Saturday night. Then the group hit Tabu and some other hot spots to mark Schneider's 40th birthday -- he was born on Halloween 1963 ...
Famous face: Vince Neil had dinner at Palms steakhouse N9NE Friday night. We don't exactly see the resemblance, but he was mistaken by at least one autograph seeker for NASCAR star Rusty Wallace. Must have been the Miller Lite racing suit Neil was wearing. Neil serenaded another fan, who did recognize him, with a verse of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" ...
Keeping up: The Hard Rock Hotel is close to hiring "Extra" producer Carmine Scialfo and a special events creator and celebrity wrangler. Not only is Hard Rock owner Peter Morton concerned about all the celeb hubris at the Palms, but he's anticipating heavy competition for the hip customer from Robert Earl's Planet Hollywood and Steve Wynn's Wynn Las Vegas.
From Sun wires
Former prisoner of war Pfc. Jessica Lynch plans to visit her fiance's family this Thanksgiving and to marry Army Sgt. Ruben Contreras in June, the groom-to-be's mother said.
Contreras' mother, Lisa Latorre of Widefield, Colo., would not disclose the exact date and location of the wedding, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported in Sunday's editions.
Lynch, 20, and Contreras met almost two years ago at a Taco Bell near Fort Bliss, Texas, where they were stationed.
Puffing Diddy: Running on a bum right knee and after just two months of training, hip-hop entrepreneur Sean "P. Diddy" Combs completed the grueling New York City Marathon, raising $2 million for children -- double what he had planned.
Combs' official race time was 4:14:54. It was his first marathon.
The producer-rapper said he had raised $2 million since announcing in September that he would run. The money will be divided among two children's charities and New York City public schools.
Innes honored: Actress Laura Innes received this year's Artistry Award from the gay rights organization Power Up for her portrayal of a gay character, Dr. Kerry Weaver, on the hit medical drama "ER."
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