Chateau Nightclub finds a windfall, and its name is Charlie Sheen

Thursday, April 28, 2011 | 2:49 p.m.

Say this for Charlie Sheen: He gets paid, quite handsomely, for doing what he’d certainly pay to do anyway.

Such as, make merriment with beautiful women and fawning fans at a Las Vegas nightclub.

For the first time since he embarked on his touring “My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat Is Not an Option” one-man show, Sheen is to appear at a club event in Vegas. On Saturday night -- no, rather, early Sunday morning -- Sheen is to appear at Chateau Nightclub & Gardens at Paris Las Vegas.

It’s a “hosting” event. Either the club is hosting Sheen, or Sheen is hosting at the club. Depends on your perspective, I guess.

Either way, the undeniably gifted actor who, for a time, was the top-paid TV star in the country before running afoul of CBS execs who produce Sheen’s former sitcom, “Two and a Half Men,” is trading his name, image and time for a healthy payment to do little more than behave as he would on any weekend in Vegas.

Sheen’s TV career began to unwind back in late February because of his erratic behavior off-set during the taping of “Two and a Half Men.” Sheen has since been a focal point of media coverage -- both traditional and social -- with his manic online monologues, caterwauling Twitter updates and, of course, his roller-coaster theater tour.

It was about a month ago, during the infant stages of that tour, that executives at the new, 45,000-square-foot Chateau made a move to book Sheen for a night of revelry.

“It’s not as hard as it sounds,” says John Lewis, Chateau's VP of marketing and events. “We book great talent all the time, and Charlie has always been in the press at a high level. We like him a lot, and he is the biggest PR draw of anyone we could get right now.”

The benefit to the club is twofold: On the night of Sheen’s appearance, the club will be packed, and table sales will vault. In the immediate aftermath of his appearance, the world will be aware that Charlie Sheen was physically present at Chateau.

“We want to make money, but it’s not always about the exact amount of money we’d make from that night,” Lewis says. “The press and marketing is just as important to us in an event like this, the pickup we get worldwide from having Charlie Sheen here.”

For Sheen, the night should be a cakewalk. Make that a red-carpet walk.

“It should be easy for him,” Lewis said. We’re not asking him to carry rocks back and forth, put it that way.”

Unless by “rocks,” you mean “babes.”

And what is expected of Sheen upon arrival?

“In general, celebs all come in for a duration of time to be in the club, allow their image to be used for fliers, walk the carpet and take some photos, “ Lewis said. “We want him to do what he’d normally do in Las Vegas. He’s not going to hide in his room when he’s here. … We just want him to have a good time here and have that good time documented.”

Sheen is scheduled to show up sometime after 12:30 a.m., hustling to a jet after a performance at Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. Lewis and the team at Chateau are not concerned about Sheen maybe missing a flight or taking another jet to Cabo. But with a show in S.F. and possible weather considerations in play, the over-under on Sheen's arrival could be set at 2 a.m.

Nonetheless, even with his away-from-the-set drama, Sheen has a solid reputation as a pro who honors his professional commitments.

“Charlie is interesting,” Lewis says, giving way momentarily to radical understatement. “Even in his situation with the show, he was able to do amazing work and did an amazing job for them. It wasn’t that he wasn’t handling his business.” (Still, CBS is moving forward with plans to continue "Two and a Half Men" without Sheen.)

Lewis says Sheen should be in the club for a couple of hours. The warlock might well run the clock ’til dawn, too.

“He might be there until we close at 4 or 5 a.m.,” Lewis said. “Like I’m saying, if the night goes well in a great, fun place, he might leave when the lights come on.”

That is when all warlocks must be back in their … suites. Cheers to Sheen, who might be the one guy who has it all figured out.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow "Kats With the Dish" at twitter.com/KatsWithTheDish.