Columnist Kate Maddox: Quasi-celebs get real at UNLV

Kate Maddox

Friday, Oct. 19, 2001 | 9:28 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Reach her at259-2309 or kmaddox@lasvegassun.com.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was seeking celebrities who could talk issues with students for an upcoming Artemus Ham Hall lecture series, so they turned to three former MTV "Real World" housemates -- and boy did they hit the "issues" jackpot.

Rachel and Puck, from the San Francisco cast, and Syrus, from Boston, will bestow their words of wisdom on impressionable college kids from UNLV on Oct. 29 -- and get paid $3,000 a pop for the privilege.

Nice to know 15 minutes can stretch for years, despite the fact that their fame was gained from shooting snot rockets, fighting with roommates and loafing joblessly in two of America's most beautiful cities.

And, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Puck the one who served time in an L.A. County jail a few years back for bashing his live-in girlfriend's head against a wall? I'm pretty sure his real, real-world persona pleaded guilty to one count of corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant in that one. So my question is, why does UNLV's entertainment department see fit to spend a reported $9,000 on these "peers"?

Apparently Broadway can't keep its hands off of our celebs. Penn & Teller are the latest headliners to sign up for duty in "The Rocky Horror Show," which re-opens in New York City at the end of this month.

The comedy/magic team will play the role of Narrator -- the same part Robin Leach performs in November.

Penn & Teller make their official Broadway acting debut (although their magic production played the Great White Way for a number of years) in the third week of December and wrap up the musical-based-on-movie before the holidays. The local duo, who recently re-upped with the Rio for another 20 weeks next year, open at the hotel on Thursday and run through Nov. 11.

Insiders are guessing there will be serious fallout if Aladdin's 30-year lease agreement with Showclubs of America crumbles in the wake of the hotel's bankruptcy announcement. The multimillion-dollar plans for a 40,000-square-foot entertainment venue appear to be up in smoke and Showclubs is frantically looking for a way out of the money-loser.

One source is "almost 100-percent sure" Showclub's nightclub/production deal, which includes the Carmen Electra vehicle "Lumiere" and a $12 million futuristic club, will be scrapped as the property struggles to keep up with mounting debt.

An insider close to the Electra project says that if Showclubs is released from its lease, which the Aladdin has yet to announce, the former "Baywatch"-er "can kiss (her headlining deal) goodbye for good."

It was much better than "Cats." I'd see it again and again. That old joke worked well on "Saturday Night Live," but apparently not in Vegas, where Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of the feline fantasy played at Aladdin's Theatre for the Performing Arts for six nights last week.

Seems the touring show of the ages-old Broadway hit was such a bust with local audiences that many walked out. One audience member said the production was so bad it was "laughable," and that by intermission there was a steady stream of show-goers walking out and demanding refunds.

Muhammad Ali is being asked to help lure high-rollers back to the Strip. At Paris Las Vegas this weekend, the champ will be on hand to distribute LeRoy Neiman serigraphs of himself to the hotel's favorite whales and big spenders. Ali will be the guest of honor at a VIP invite-only bash hosted by Tony Danza and featuring Neiman and a handful of other celebrities.