Columnist Kate Maddox: Hopper to skip, jump to Bellagio

Kate Maddox

Friday, June 23, 2000 | 9:13 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Reach her at kmaddox@lasvegassun.com.

Looks like singer Jimmy Hopper will end up at the Bellagio's Fontana Lounge. Sources say that Hopper, who recently left his spot at Ra at the Luxor after a brief six-week stay, will settle in at the upscale Bellagio space beginning July 4. Hopper has been spotted making frequent visits to the MGM's executive offices, most likely to seal the deal and secure his new contract, which is rumored to be a lengthy one. Insiders say that Hopper's eclectic singing style will be showcased at the Fontana, which is being revamped to host a hipper, late-night crowd.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman presented the key to the city to actor James Gandolfini on Thursday at the Plaza hotel-casino. Gandolfini, who plays the mob heavy on HBOs megahit "The Sopranos," is a co-star of "The Mexican," which wraps up shooting in Las Vegas this week. The mayor also gave keys to the film's director and producer. Goodman has been jockeying for a small role in the "Sopranos," offering to play a corrupt mayor. Well, if his version of the casting couch is having to dole out keys to Las Vegas to connected Hollywood brass, let's hope he lands the part. After the presentation the mayor and Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald got a private tour of the movie set.

Funk-dance band Earth, Wind and Fire will turn up at the Mandalay Bay Theater sometime in mid-August. The band will play three or four nights at the showroom, which has been without a steady headliner since the closing of "Chicago" in February. The band should pull in the same high-number crowds that Barry Manilow managed to corral when he took the stage there last month.

Impressionist Danny Gans will get a needed respite from his show at the Mirage. Gans will be on vacation July 7-9, and the plush Danny Gans Theater will be dark. This isn't a sign that Gans is suffering from summer slump ticket sales -- his show is still filled to 100 percent capacity and even those waiting in the standby ticket lines are being turned away.

Even though the rumors are still circulating that David Cassidy's show at the Rio is costing the hotel some losses in the ticket-sales department, his forever loyal fans are clamoring for the opportunity to see the former teen idol in action. Cassidy and several celebrity pals auctioned some memorabilia and trip packages on Yahoo! to raise money for the singer's KidsCharities.org program.

Although most of the items up for grabs received ho-hum bids (not even a nibble for the Sammy Davis Jr. three-piece green plaid suit!), everything Cassidy was hot. The online auction, which ended Thursday, had 94 people willing to duke it out for two tickets to "At the Copa" starring Cassidy and Sheena Easton, two nights at Cassidy's "personal suite" at the Rio, a backstage photo op and a "meet-and-greet" with the star.

Although the value of this extravaganza evening package is listed as "priceless," Cassidy fans managed to outbid one another all the way from $500 to the selling price of $6,260. A bargain? Well, I guess that depends on how big a fan you think you are.

Personally, I found myself inexplicably drawn to item No. 20, the autographed Tiger Beat magazine with young Cassidy on the cover. And I wasn't alone. Thirty-eight people bid on the mag (which also featured a secondary cover story entitled "The Hidden Osmonds"), and it ended up selling for $260. I'll never tell if I've added it to my personal collection of Tiger Beats, but I will say that the Cassidy photo -- all feathered hair and dimples -- is a clincher.