Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003 | 10:43 a.m.
Celebrities. Poker. The Palms. National television. More celebrities.
It had to happen.
And whoop -- here it is!
VegasBeat has learned the Bravo cable network is coming to Las Vegas next month to film a show called "Celebrity Poker Showdown," where some A-list stars will play a six-week series of games of No Limit Texas Hold 'Em, with all winnings going to charity.
The genesis for the show came from an idea by actor Joshua Malina, who plays speechwriter Will Bailey on "The West Wing" (he replaced Rob Lowe).
Malina is also an avid poker player, as are many of his Hollywood friends and "Friends," all of whom have eagerly agreed to appear on the show.
A partial list of those coming to Vegas to hit the felt: Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, Emily Procter ("CSI: Miami"), rapper Coolio, Jack Black, Sarah Silverman, Hank Azaria and Nicole Sullivan ("King of Queens") and several of Malina's "West Wing" colleagues, including Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff and John Spencer.
"It will be a hip and hilarious hour of television," Malina, who is also co-producing the show, told VegasBeat.
Poker champ Phil Gordon and actor Kevin Pollack will host the telecasts.
The show's format has the winners of the first five weekly games meeting in a championship game.
"Great celebrity poker games have taken place privately for years and this series offers viewers a rare opportunity to witness a new side of their favorite stars," Bravo President Jeff Gaspin said in a statement e-mailed to VegasBeat.
Filming will be at the Palms, with broadcast tentatively scheduled for the first week of December.
A sponsor is now being solicited. The celebs will not play with their own money.
All summer long, the boob tube has been saturated with highly rated broadcasts of various poker tournaments. In fact, reruns of "World Poker Tour" on the Travel Channel are earning more viewers than the broadcasts did the first time around in the spring, averaging more than 900,000 viewers per show.
ESPN also regularly repeats the Binion's World Series of Poker.
Honors
The list of 2003 inductees to the Casino Legends Hall of Fame was announced Wednesday.
Honorees include Frankie Valli, Connie Stevens, Breck Wall, Cook E. Jarr and Bill Acosta.
Murray Hertz, the creator and executive editor of What's On, The Las Vegas Guide, will receive the Joe Delaney Award, named for the late Las Vegas Sun entertainment journalist.
The invitation-only ceremonies take place at the Tropicana on Oct. 19.
Mack match
One of the singles looking for companionship on Match.com, the popular website that features personal ads, is Las Vegas Councilman Michael Mack.
The twice-divorced 40-year-old, whose online handle is CMANLV (Councilman Las Vegas, get it?) lists "skinny dipping," "flirting" and "power" among his "turn-ons."
He says his potential match should have kids, as he has two -- and he has their picture in his ad.
The ad says: "I am not bitter because I'm single."
Then, "I am a very busy person, both managing my own business and being a public official for one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S."
When we called to ask him about it, he had a City Council press aide call us back to say that the matter was "personal," and that it was an old ad he no longer paid for or acknowledged.
Wayne sings Celine
Wayne Brady recently conducted a sit-down interview with Celine Dion. For the first time we can recall, she let an interviewer share her microphone -- Brady joined her on stage at The Colosseum.
He also gently teased her about all the items for sale at the Celine boutique adjacent to her theater.
One of his questions: "I've got a new Celine Dion day bag and I've also got the pillow. Tell me, have you ever had a drink of your own water?" (There is bottled water with a Celine label for sale.)
Hear her answer when the show airs Friday at 11 a.m. on KTNV Channel 13.
Good deed
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was to appear on several local radio shows this morning to urge people to eat or have a drink today at one of the three area locations of Chevy's, the popular Mexican restaurant chain.
The eatery is donating all proceeds from food sales today to the Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross.
VegasBits
Cooking: Food Network personalities and celebrity chefs Bobby Flay and Mario Batale partied at Tabu (MGM) on Wednesday night. Flay is opening a Vegas branch of his New York eatery Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace next year ...
Anthem: Las Vegas resident Patricia Welch, who starred alongside Yul Brynner in the original Broadway version of "The King and I," will sing the national anthem before Saturday night's Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ...
Changes: As part of the push to go grown-up, a new store has opened at Treasure Island -- "Sirens Lingerie." The hotel's new adult, pirate-themed show, "Sirens of TI," opens the weekend of Oct. 24 ...
Issue 2: VEGAS Magazine celebrates its second issue tonight with a private party at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino. Cover girl Molly Sims is on the guest list, as are several of her "Las Vegas" television show co-stars ...
Happy: Former "Queer as Folk" star and current "X" show comedian Hal Sparks turns 32 today ...
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. It is also available online at Knews970.com. Also, we're back with Melanie & Tom on LITE FM, KMZQ 100.5-FM on Friday at 7:30 a.m.
From Sun wires
The appearance of semiretired supermodel Naomi Campbell on the runway Wednesday during London Fashion Week wearing a skimpy, sparkling bikini came with a twist -- emblazoned across her chest was the slogan, "Use a Condom."
The stunt was the latest of several attempts by British designer Katharine Hamnett to marry her 20-year career as one of the country's leading designers with her strong political views. Hamnett said Campbell's appearance was designed to draw public attention to the AIDS epidemic in Africa and to promote safe sex.
Dave Matthews in concert: The Dave Matthews band kept tens of thousands of fans on their feet at a free concert Wednesday in Central Park in New York as part of a fund-raiser for music programs in the nation's largest public school system.
The concert was sponsored by America Online, which has held other fund-raisers and donated $1 million to New York City schools. AOL handed out 70,000 free tickets before the concert through its website and on the streets.
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