VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: LV shifts gears for GODSPEED

Friday, Nov. 22, 2002 | 4:13 a.m.

Monday night marks another one-year Las Vegas anniversary.

It might not have the same Hollywood star wattage as the Palms anniversary did last weekend, but it will be similarly fabulous.

Michael Fuller's Monday night party GODSPEED, at the House of Blues Foundation Room, has attracted the creme de la creme of junior Las Vegas society.

His regulars include Seth Schorr (his father, Marc Schorr, is Steve Wynn's COO), Mario and Lauren Maccioni of the famous Le Cirque culinary clan, Jeff Fine, who spends his days running The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Nicole Ruvo -- daughter of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada President Larry Ruvo, Tom Breitling, Evan Glusman, Meital and Joshua Grantz, Corey Jenkins, Wayne Jeffries, Andre Bryley and Coyote Ugly vixen Jen Worthington.

The evening kicks off around 11 p.m., with local bon vivant Michael Shulman on the turntables. Shulman defies explanation, other than to say he is a guy that has yet to find a hat he won't wear.

And then tell you how he could have designed a better one.

Sandy Hackett, who runs a comedy room at Greek Isles, is branching out.

Gov. Kenny Guinn has asked Hackett (son of Buddy Hackett) to perform at the Western Governors Conference, which takes place Dec. 5 and Dec. 6 at the Green Valley Ranch Station Casino.

Newcomers to the group include New Mexico's Bill Richardson, who is the former U.N. Ambassador and federal Energy secretary under Bill Clinton, and Arizona's governor-elect, Janet Napolitano.

Ran into Chicago native Jonathan Scott before the Odyssey dinner in Las Vegas the other night.

The producer and Cigar Smoker magazine publisher made his fortune with the Host Air Travel Network. He usually hangs in the Windy City with his friend Steadman Graham and Graham's gal pal Oprah Winfrey.

Scott has found another way to spend all his money. Well, two ways: Las Vegas and Hollywood.

A regular Vegas visitor, he is looking to buy a place (we dropped him off at Turnberry Place for a look-see).

And he is producing "Bad Meat," a Chevy Chase movie that takes place in and around a meatpacking plant.

Mamma Mia! This is a publicity campaign!

A touring production of "Mamma Mia!" -- the Broadway musical based on the songs of the Swedish '70s band ABBA -- is set to open at Mandalay Bay on Valentine's Day.

On Monday, in the Mandalay Bay lobby, the producers are putting up a "countdown clock" to mark time until the opening, as well as mounting a gold record signifying sales of 500,000 copies of the musical's original cast recording.

Tickets for the show will start to go on sale at 10 a.m.

The show "Shock," which just left the Riviera and is reopening Friday night at Bourbon Street, promises to be a lot more, well, shocking, this time around.

Among the new acts is a topless woman lying face down on a bed of nails.

The show, based on the famous Coney Island side shows, is still looking for warped talent. So if you think you have what it takes, shoot them an e-mail at twistedproductions@ juno.com to arrange for an audition.

Wolfgang Puck has a huge presence in Las Vegas, but he isn't in town that often.

That is why his Dec. 5 visit is especially special.

Arguably one of the world's most successful and recognizable culinary figures, Puck will be at the Wolfgang Puck Cafe in the MGM Grand signing copies of his new book, "Live, Love Eat!"

Following that, he will attend a special dinner there featuring selected items from the Kendall-Jackson Winery.

The dinner is open to the public, and is fairly reasonably priced; for $100 you get not only a fancy dinner but a copy of the book for him to sign.