Columnist Kate Maddox: Sin City awaiting Second City

Kate Maddox

Friday, Oct. 6, 2000 | 10:07 a.m.

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

The ink has yet to dry and the hotel is staying mum on details, but with a contract on the table this week there is little doubt a second branch of the Second City comedy troupe will call the Flamingo Las Vegas home by early 2001.

In negotiations since July, Second City's only glitch seemed to be which current Flamingo production would be willing to share a room.

Initially, it looked like the guys of "Forever Plaid" would sacrifice their late shows (they play six nights a week, at 7:30 and 10 p.m.) in order to accommodate the arrangement, but now it seems the long-running '50s musical will no longer be complying with the plans at all. In fact, one source confirms "Forever Plaid" will be out of Bugsy's Celebrity Theatre by the time Second City gets to town, taking care of the sharing issue altogether.

One hotel insider said there was just no way to work both shows into Bugsy's without some concessions, and "Forever Plaid" considered cutting back on its productions a major hang-up. So the Flamingo, intent on signing the "best of" comedy revue, has reportedly adopted an out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new attitude and will most likely give "Plaid" its walking papers soon.

Still, the cancellation of "Forever Plaid" is lingering in rumorville. The Flamingo's vice president of marketing, Randy Sears, denied the demise of the show, insisting its six-year run at the hotel has been nothing if not successful.

Well, I'll toe the official line for a little while, but the word on this one is solid. Second City signed on the dotted line this week, with the promise of its own late show time in its own space.

Jay Leno took to the Paris (Las Vegas) streets on Wednesday night, interviewing tourists at the hotel for a segment of his popular bit on the "Tonight Show," Jay Walking.

Leno wasn't alone, either. He brought with him White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart. Washington's premier spinmeister taught some of the interviewees how to twist the truth just enough to make the bad seem, well, good. (A nifty trick presumably honed to perfection in the Clintonian White House.)

One husband admitted to Lockhart and Leno that he was in town gambling and didn't tell his wife. Lockhart quickly rephrased the statement, instructing the wayward hubby to simply tell his spouse that he was in Vegas "investing for their future."

The Jay Walking segments are scheduled to air throughout next week."

The scene stealer at Tuesday night's Steve Wyrick show at the Sahara had to be Christina Hodgkins. No, she wasn't one of Wyrick's cheesed-out dancers, she was the 3-year-old "assistant" who helped the magician with a levitating trick. Teeny-tiny with red patent-leather shoes and a penchant for taking bows, little Christina had the audience in the palm of her hand. Selected "at random" from the crowd, Christina also happens to be the daughter of Sahara President Craig Hodgkins.

Tiger Woods prepared for this weekend's Tiger Jam III concert at the Mandalay Bay Events Center by relaxing at Studio 54. Woods, along with a blonde female companion, occupied the VIP area of the club on Wednesday night. The couple had to work around a crew from A&E that was there to film some of the "Crazy Girls" dancers for an upcoming special titled "After Dark."

Las Vegas and the Fox network haven't seen the last of the big-ratings wedding specials. I won't reveal anything else, but "never again" may be sooner than you think.