Columnist Kate Maddox: Gans won’t make an impression

Kate Maddox

Friday, Oct. 12, 2001 | 4:26 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column also appears Tuesdays and Fridays in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach her at 259-2309 or kmaddox@lasvegassun.com.

With all the good buzz floating around the upcoming Vegas USO star-packed concert, you can't help but notice a glaring omission to the list of headliners who have volunteered to perform at the Nov. 11 event.

"Where's Danny Gans?" was the predominant whisper at last week's press conference to announce the event at Mandalay Bay. On a stage packed with such names as Wayne Newton, Clint Holmes, Lance Burton and the Scintas, Gans' absence had some tongues wagging.

One insider said Gans, who was reportedly asked to join the lineup more than once by a number of the performers, turned down the benefit concert because "he doesn't play well with others."

Chip Lightman, who represents Gans, said the Mirage impressionist "thinks it's wonderful" that the stars are pitching in, but added that Gans "has a show to do later that night ... with a sound check starting at 5:30." Fair enough, but most of the stars in the USO concert plan to follow the volunteer work by performing later at their paying gigs.

Another source indicated a pending lawsuit between Gans' former keyboardist and musical collaborator, Pat Caddick, had something to do with Gans' decision to turn down the offer to join his fellow headliners.

Caddick, whose lawsuit against Lightman and Gans has yet to be settled, is popular with other Strip performers and will be instrumental in arranging the music for the USO concert.

Lightman said the dispute with Caddick "has nothing to do with Dan's decision not to participate ... it wouldn't have an effect on us either way." For his part, Gans has been donating $1,000 from every Mirage performance to the Red Cross and plans to continue to do so through the end of the year.

Mayor Oscar Goodman is looking to put together a charity boxing match, with proceeds benefitting Las Vegans who have been hurt by recent layoffs. Goodman is scheduled to meet with boxing promoter Don King next week to try to arrange the exhibition bout.

Bad news for those of us who got caught up in the 1999 romance between the teenage Bahraini princess and the Marine. After a whirlwind love affair and a daring escape from her home country, Meriam al-Khalifa seemed to have found her prince in Jason Johnson. A Las Vegas wedding at the Candlelight Chapel, followed by a reception at Taco Bell, sealed the deal in November of '99.

But the events of Sept. 11 appear to have rocked the marriage to the core. The couple, who have been residing in Las Vegas, have apparently split and al-Khalifa Johnson has reportedly returned home to Bahrain to be with her family. An insider familiar with the couple's woes speculates they won't make it through these troubled times and that divorce is being contemplated. The Johnson family couldn't be reached for comment.

A local construction worker has nabbed a spot in the November Cosmopolitan's "Stud Showcase 2001." Usually I don't tout the shamelessly sex-filled women's mag, but 24-year-old Matthew Foreman is kinda cute, and he is the only one from Nevada to make the cut, and he does admit to the nation that he's a "sucker for romantic movies," (yikes) and he did get nominated by his girlfriend -- who by the way is prepared for the emails that will surely follow once the mag hits stands next week.

Add Susan Anton to the growing number of Vegas stars participating in the Veteran's Day USO benefit at Mandalay Bay.

The maritally troubled politician of a couple weeks ago may end up in more rumor mills following all of his recent public rendezvous with a well-known Vegas socialite.

MTV is expected to return to town this month for its annual Sports and Music Festival. The extreme sporting event will feature Carson Daly and will reportedly be held on Fremont Street.

Don't look for Cher at Britney Spears' Nov. 18 concert at MGM Grand. The diva, who was scheduled to perform a duet with Spears, is going be busy promoting a new album and won't be able to make Spears' Vegas date -- but she promises the two will work together in the future.