Columnist Kate Maddox: USO show is far from so-so

Kate Maddox

Friday, Oct. 12, 2001 | 9:10 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Reach her at 259-2309 or kmaddox@lasvegassun.com.

Look for even more Strip headliners to join the Nov. 11 benefit for the USO at Mandalay Bay Events Center. Rick Springfield and the McGuire Sisters have been added to an impressive list that already includes Siegfried & Roy, Clint Holmes, Wayne Newton, the Scintas, Bob Anderson, Lance Burton, Earl Turner and Bill Acosta. Rumor has it the stars of "The Rat Pack is Back," as well as cast members from both "Mystere" and "O," are also trying to work the Sunday afternoon event into their schedules.

The bargain $25 tickets officially go on sale Saturday, but a handful of corporations have already requested group blocks for as many as 500 tickets. And don't be surprised to hear a second show is in the works. At a press conference on Wednesday, Newton pledged, "We'll do a second show if we have to ... Whatever it takes."

Newton's support of the military has been a lifelong passion. After being told he couldn't join to fight in Vietnam due to an asthma condition, the singer volunteered to entertain troops in 1966 and 1968. On Nov. 12 Newton and a group of celebrities rumored to include Jessica Simpson and Chris Rock, will again perform for the military on a weeklong tour. According to Newton, scheduled stops will include Macedonia, Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Brad, Janet, a sweet transvestite and our very own Robin Leach. Oh my.

Leach, who these days divides his time between Las Vegas and Antigua, will briefly move to the Big Apple for a Broadway role this fall. Leach takes over the part of the Narrator for two weeks in early November after "The Rocky Horror Show" resumes performances this month. The production closed Sept. 23 due to financial difficulties following the terrorist attacks in New York.

Leach says a new TV personality takes over every couple of weeks. Jerry Springer has been pegged to fill the role prior to Leach's arrival.

So how does the man, who frequently fills the VIP booths at such local haunts as V Bar and Spago with a bevy of beautiful young lady friends, feel about relocating to New York City for a few weeks?

"I have no hesitations about living in New York," said Leach, who keeps an apartment in the city. "I aim to eat out every night to help the restaurant economy -- plus, drink a lot of champagne to help the bar economy!"

But Wolfgang Puck need not worry. Leach will still be on hand to ribbon-cut at Spago's reopening celebration on Monday. The new Spago opened to the public last week, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony will only be a part of the festivities. A fancy, celeb dinner bash is in the works in coming weeks.

David Cassidy is "delighted with the outcome" of a two-year court battle with the beneficiaries of Frank Sinatra's estate. Cassidy, who co-produces "The Rat Pack is Back," was involved in a suit filed against the Desert Inn by the families of Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. involving ownership and licensing issues stemming from the public use of such terms as "Rat Pack." Last week a judge dismissed the case, exonerating both the property and Cassidy, who says the decision was "what I expected all along." Cassidy is on tour promoting his newest album, "Then and Now," which is No. 5 on the U.K. charts this week. (Don't ask. They also fancy haggis and monarchies. Search me.)

Cassidy was represented by local intellectual property specialist, attorney Mark Tratos. Tratos, who works with many Strip casinos and entertainers, introduced the Right of Publicity Statute in 1989.