Monday, Nov. 4, 2002 | 9:12 a.m.
In and around Las Vegas, not only can you vote for the political candidate of your choice, you can party with him or her on Election Day.
The Republicans are having what they hope will be a victory celebration outdoors at the pool at Caesars Palace on Tuesday.
GOP congressional candidates Jon Porter and Lynette Boggs McDonald, Gov. Kenny Guinn, Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, attorney general candidate Brian Sandoval and Sen. John Ensign are slated to sip refreshing beverages and watch results.
The Nevada State Democratic Party will, well, party, in Riviera's Grand Ballroom.
Headlining the room will be Sen. Harry Reid, House hopefuls Dario Herrera and incumbent Shelley Berkley and John Hunt, who is running for attorney general.
Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Erin Kenny will party away at Instant Replay on Flamingo and Lindell roads.
Question 2 opponents will gather at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center on East Sahara Avenue. Supporters of Question 9, the so-called "pot initiative," will gather at the Pro 9 headquarters on West Sahara Avenue; opponents will rally at the Elks Lodge on West Charleston Boulevard.
Also, the nation now knows a good deal about Nevada politics: In Saturday's New York Times the Herrera-Porter nastiness was the focus of a long feature about this year's crop of negative ads, and on Sunday the self-proclaimed Newspaper of Record wrote about Question 9 in a story about key ballot initiatives.
Jay hey
Having trouble staying up until 11:30 p.m.?
That's OK -- Jay Leno is performing a little earlier when he comes to Las Vegas this month.
The famous chin is doing three shows at MGM Grand's EFX Theatre, at 10 p.m. on Nov. 15 and 16, and 9 p.m. on Nov. 17.
The long-form topical monologues he does in concert are hilarious, pointed and not X-rated, like the material of many other comics.
Wood work
Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood will not be basting a turkey Thanksgiving eve.
Instead, VegasBeat has learned that he will host a very private reception at the S2 Art Gallery at The Venetian.
This will be the first event Woody (his preferred nickname) has ever hosted for his artwork.
The respected gallery currently has on display several affordable Wood lithographs of fellow music gods Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Marvin Gaye, John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley and Wood's band mates Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Several original Wood paintings, which are on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, are being flown to Las Vegas for a special Thanksgiving weekend exhibit, gallery Director Leah Murawsky confirmed.
"We're excited," Murawsky said. "This is not the type of thing that Mr. Wood often does -- ever does, actually -- and we are looking forward to his coming."
The Stones play The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Nov. 29 and MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 30.
Ripples
A visiting friend wanted to see a "real" Vegas floor show.
"Something that would make Ed Sullivan proud," he said.
He added one important caveat: It must have showgirls.
Not knowing where to go, I called a trusted source, one who has lived in Las Vegas for many years and who does not work for a casino.
He came back with "Splash," the long-running Riviera revue (it debuted in 1985).
Before we went, I checked with one who knows: Meshulam Riklis, who helped bring the show to the hotel he used to own.
"You'll love it, but do not expect any Oscar-caliber performances or for the show to answer any great intellectual questions," Riklis, ex-husband of Pia Zadora, said.
It was the perfect attitude to have.
And while no intellectual questions were answered, the performances were pretty solid.
The juggling Richard Brothers pulled some stunts we'd never seen, the Madonna and Janet and Michael Jackson impersonators were dead-on, and the bikers in the steel cage at the end were certainly different.
And of course, they had the gorgeous show goils, as he pronounced it, in such glamorous costumes.
Simply, it is a fun evening. There aren't enough of them.
Tall tails
Studio 54 bar back Eric Forbes was plucked by MTV to appear on its "Tail Daters" show.
The show sets up beautiful young people on dates and films whatever transpires. Forbes' segment was taped last week.
Sometime after dinner at Conrad's Steakhouse, Forbes, 26, ended up in a Flamingo Las Vegas hot tub with his date, one of her friends, and one of his pals.
You'll have to watch the show to see what happened. No air date is set.
Doing good
Wednesday marks the 11th annual Southern Nevada Philanthropy Day celebration.
The Las Vegas chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals is having a lunch to note some especially giving folks.
Honorees will include Outstanding Philanthropist Jackie Gaughan; Carolyn Sparks, the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser; the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Lucy Klinkhammer, Outstanding Professional Fundraiser; and three corporate entities that give back more than their share to the community: Station Casinos, Lamar Outdoor Advertising and Las Vegas Founder's Club Gold Foundation.
You, too, can give a little. Tickets costing $50 are still available, and the money goes to some good causes.
Details are on afplasvegas.org.
Check out ...
Courteney Cox Arquette losing an Alexander Hamilton at a $1 slot machine at Bellagio on Friday, with husband David Arquette at her side ... George Foreman enjoying a (grilled?) rib eye at Wolfgang Puck's Trattoria Del Lupo inside Mandalay Bay on Thursday ... Country crooner Toby Keith at Simon Kitchen & Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel, then Whiskey Sky at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino on Saturday night ... Dennis Haskins (goofball school principal Richard Belding on "Saved By The Bell") and Chad Lindberg (who starred opposite Vin Diesel in "The Fast and the Furious") at Studio 54 at MGM Grand on Saturday ... Los Angeles Times scribe Tom Gorman sitting next to The Rouse Co. executive Rita Bradin and Elaine Wynn at the Alexander McQueen fashion show at the opening of Fashion S how mall Friday night (look for some coming Left Coast ink on the mall expansion project) ... Clint and Brenda Ho! lmes at Penn & Teller Sunday at The Rio ... Cris Judd, Jennifer Lopez's ex, at ghostbar Saturday night; also atop the Palms: Jamie Foxx (with VH1 cameras close behind), boxer Floyd Mayweather, September Playboy playmate and Cimarron Memorial High School grad Shallan Meiers and everybody's favorite houseboy, Kato Kaelin.
archive
