Columnist Kate Maddox: Take Note: ‘Stevie D’ a Blue man

Kate Maddox

Friday, Aug. 31, 2001 | 8:59 a.m.

Club promoter Steve Davidovici is making a comeback. Davidovici was once famously involved with Club C2K, the venue he helped run before it was shuttered in September only to reopen without him a few months later. After a round of lawsuits and finger pointing, "Stevie D," (as he is often referred to) has been laying low, waiting for people to forget all the bad vibes associated with his departure.

But Davidovici has resurfaced at the sagging Blue Note Las Vegas, teaming with CMI Entertainment to promote the club's after-hours party on Saturday nights. And whatever he's doing, it seems to be working.

The past two Saturdays have drawn more than 3,000 attendees to the nightclub's "upscale, hip-hop, R&B" parties. Davidovici says patrons adhere to a "strict dress code" and enjoy live jazz in the cafe and DJs in the main room.

In addition to the Blue Note project, Davidovici says he's opening Hush in what is currently the Lounge at Polo Towers. The "sleek, upscale" (those words again) bar/lounge will be connected to a second-floor roof area, complete with pool/Jacuzzis and "the best Strip views in the city," as Davidovici says. Hush is slated to open on Oct. 5.

Continuing his comeback streak, Davidovici will also be involved with Kassbah, an 11,000-square-foot restaurant and lounge scheduled to open it's doors in December at Aladdin.

Whatever anyone else says about the "official" Madonna parties, the real-deal, Official Official After-Party will be Sunday night at Utopia. HBO, the cable network that aired the Material Girl's concert last weekend, has bought out the club's VIP area and is expecting Madonna, Mr. Madonna (Guy Ritchie), as well as her backup dancers and singers.

But don't look for Madonna to stick around for long at any of the after-concert fetes. Sources say she's going to keep the engine running on the jet and head back to her Los Angeles home soon after the shows on Saturday and Sunday nights.

Not only will the 400-room boutique hotel Steve Wynn is reportedly planning to build on the Desert Inn property include swank suites designed by one of the world's most popular fashion designers, but interested parties may also have the option of purchasing a condo.

Insiders who have seen Wynn's full design plans are spreading rumors that the upper floors of the upscale, nongaming space will house luxury condominiums -- for those willing to spend in the millions, natch.

No one was more surprised to learn that "The Sopranos' " Dominic Chianese's scheduled concert in Englewood, Colo., had been cancelled due to protests, than co-star Steve Schirripa.

Chianese, who in May performed two well-received shows at Sunset Station (that were hosted by Schirripa), was set to take the stage Sept. 19 at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre in a concert sponsored by Opera Colorado. However, numerous complaints from three national Italian-American groups forced organizers to cut his singing appearance, according to the Denver Post.

Schirripa, the former Riviera entertainment director who plays Chianese's right-hand man in the hit show, also stands up for his friend and co-star in real life.

"That's absolutely ridiculous," Schirripa said of the protest. "I've heard about those (groups), the names keep popping up, but I've never had any trouble with them at appearances."

Schirripa has spent most of his summer making the publicity rounds on such shows as "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn," and "Politically Incorrect." Filming on next season's "Sopranos" begins Oct. 15 and Schirripa says he's "really looking forward to it."

But in the meantime he remains puzzled about the pro-Italian-American groups, which insist that "The Sopranos" promote negative stereotypes.

" 'The Sopranos' doesn't glorify the mob," Schirripa says. "It really just shows them for what they are and what they do."