Columnist Kate Maddox: Hermitage plans still in flight

Kate Maddox

Friday, Sept. 28, 2001 | 8:40 a.m.

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

Despite recent grumblings surrounding the opening of the Hermitage museum at Venetian, hotel officials are stating that everything will be in place for the Oct. 7 premiere.

Some Vegas bigwigs were spreading the word that Hermitage, fearful of flying their priceless collection to Las Vegas, had pulled out of the opening festivities. One insider said Russian museum officials became overly protective following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

However, the source added that last-minute preparations, which may have included a small army of private planes and pricey beefed-up security, convinced the Hermitage that the artwork would be well-protected.

Venetian officials deny the rumors and insist there was no trouble with the Hermitage collection.

Guests at next week's Guggenheim-Hermitage opening celebration will be privy to a special viewing of both museums, as well as a performance by the famed Mariinsky/Kirov Ballet in Venetian's C2K Showroom. A scaled-down cocktail reception and benefit dinner will follow.

Some are saying the multitude of media coming to town to cover the historic museum opening will be treated just as well as the VIP guests. In addition to a welcoming dinner at Postrio, the art-journos will be able to beat their jet lag with a party at Venus, the yet-to-officially-open '50s nightclub at Venetian.

Inside word on the new-and-improved Spago has the place ditching the early '90s mod design and replacing it with a sunnier, California feel.

The celeb-heavy eatery is scheduled to reopen today with minimal fanfare, although a grand-opening celebration is in the works in coming weeks. Fans of Spago's bar scene, who have been strapped for a watering hole during the renovation, will be happy upon return to toast a bigger bar area with more seating. Sources say both the cafe and the main dining room, post-facelifts, will feature new paint, new artwork, a new floor plan -- even new uniforms for the waitstaff.

Don't look for high-roller action on the Strip these days. One casino host at a major property, where she usually spends her days seeing to the needs of one hundred or more big spenders, says only four checked in one day this week. Numbers have been so low that some hosts are reportedly worried that the days of big gaming might be gone for good.

MGM MIRAGE is still tampering with show schedules in the wake of Vegas' financial crisis. After initially cancelling two shows a week, "O" at Bellagio has now resumed its Saturday and Sunday shows. Over at Mirage, however, magicians "Siegfried & Roy," will only perform an early show on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., nixing the later one until more tourists return to town.

Danny Gans, whose audience numbers are back to sold out after a brief slowdown, will donate $1,000 from every performance to the Red Cross until the end of the year.

Bored? Tired of looking for love in all the wrong places? Ever wondered what a first date would feel like with a camera crew in tow?

If you answered "yes" to any of those pressing questions, then "Blind Date," (Vegas-style, of course) might be for you. The popular late-night dating show, which is often filled with gut-wrenching awkward silences and embarrassing mating faux pas, will hold a recruitment party tonight at Monte Carlo.

Mix, mingle, keep your eye out and cross your fingers that one of the "Blind Date" producers in the crowd will tap you for the upcoming Vegas dates. Singles are invited to the Pub & Brewery at the hotel at 8 p.m.