Columnist Kate Maddox: Feisty Katz declawed by DMV

Kate Maddox

Friday, Nov. 3, 2000 | 10:11 a.m.

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

The months of cruel jokes endured by DMV workers have apparently left some scars. Jeff Katz, a morning talk show host on KXNT 840-AM, was scheduled to do a live remote broadcast of his program from the DMV outpost on West Flamingo Road on Thursday. (Originally he wanted to do it on Halloween, since Katz says the DMV is the scariest place on Earth. Har-har.) But the DMV decided not to roll out the red carpet, or any carpet, for Katz and his crew after hearing that Katz has been playing the parody song "I Hate the DMV" for the past month.

Katz calls the song, which was written and recorded by comedian Sandy Hackett, a "fun, very lighthearted look at the DMV." Apparently, not lighthearted enough.

Kevin Malone, spokesman for the DMV, told Katz the beleaguered workers' "feelings were hurt" by the ditty and that he was no longer welcome to do his show from the government building. Undaunted, Katz is trying to set up another remote from Sean Patrick's, the Irish pub directly across the street from the Flamingo DMV office, on Thursday. Maybe if he talks loudly enough ...

A number of celebrities might be getting anti-aging fixes at a local "wellness and anti-aging" center. Ted Casablanca, the catty E! Online gossip scribe, reports the Cenegenics Health Center in Summerlin is allegedly doling out the latest in wrinkle-fighting fads: animal placenta.

That's right, the as-yet-to-be-FDA-approved method is the "in" thing with the Hollywood crowd. According to Casablanca's sources, one of the best places to get the injection (eww) is right under our very own noses (so to speak).

Charlie Sheen is apparently a follower of the Cenegenics method, as are Cher, Madonna and Dennis Rodman, to name a few. The head of Cenegenics, Dr. Alan Mintz, denies the partaking of placenta at his center, but admits he has a celeb clientele for whom he will open the doors after hours in an effort to keep identities hush-hush.

Last week's opening party for the Rio's "De la Guarda" was such a success that, well, it's going to happen again.

Tonight the hotel plans another welcome-to-Vegas opening bash for its newest production, and this time the celebrity lineup looks a little more worthy of the boldface. Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mickey Rourke (there's a puzzler), Tori Spelling, the Wachowski brothers (directors of "The Matrix"), "Matrix" star Keanu Reeves (possibly), actress Ali Larter, and popstress Christina Aguilera are all scheduled to take in the show. A pre-party will again be held in the VooDoo Lounge.

And speaking of celebrities at the Rio: Enrique Iglesias gave a small private concert in the hotel's Samba Theatre on Thursday night. Iglesias, the heir apparent to Ricky Martin (from bum-shaking alone, a career is not made, mi amigo), warbled for a few hundred radio contest winners from the Los Angeles area.

The 1,500-seat Samba Theatre has technically been empty since "Footloose" bombed out back in August. There are no immediate plans to fill the new space with an incoming production so the entertainment department plans to periodically open the theater to headliners.

First up will be comedian David Spade, making rare Vegas stand-up appearances on Nov. 24-25. Spade will be followed by more "Saturday Night Live" alums when Jon Lovitz, Norm MacDonald and Victoria Jackson share a billing in late December.