Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Listen up: We are women, hear us roar

It's sometimes hard being a woman in this town.

For example, the current Power List issue of Las Vegas Life magazine checks out the valley's 25 most powerful individuals. Only three of them are women.

It is especially challenging for a female exec. Just ask casino boss Becky Binion Behnen. Or Riviera producer Marlene Ricci.

Behnen, scion of the famous Las Vegas Binion family, told KLAS Channel 8 anchor/reporter Lisa Johnson in an exclusive interview this week that if she were a man, Binion's Horseshoe would not have been the target of regulators, who shut down chunks of the casino's gaming operations because of an alleged shortage of cash.

Said Behnen: "Being the only woman running a casino -- I'm finding out what it is like to be the only woman in a man's world -- and it is not that easy."

Then there's Ricci, who this week shook up the schedule of the showroom she runs, Le Bistro Theatre at the Riviera, and the carping started before the ink was dry on the changes.

It is a familiar story. A man who makes tough business decisions has chutzpah, the huevos to pull the trigger when necessary.

A woman who does the same thing is a five-letter word that rhymes with witch.

The Riviera changes include funnyman Steve Sorrentino leaving, an extended run for Ricci Martin's tribute to his father Dean Martin, a new Motown tribute act, the Fourever Tops, and a new name for Jay White's Neil Diamond act.

Also on tap are new times for continuing acts Trent Carlini, Dr. Scott Lewis and Ricci herself, a singer who once was an opening act for Frank Sinatra.

Sorrentino in particular has not been shy in his criticism of Ricci.

"I do think that there are lots of people in this town that resent a woman who has any kind of power," Ricci told VegasBeat. "They really need to get out of the Dark Ages about that."

"I made the adjustments based on what I felt was best for everyone involved. As far as Steve (Sorrentino) is concerned, he is like a scorned lover. His show is great and he is a talent, but he simply wasn't pulling the numbers."

Be Paula

Cable channel VH1 is looking for "The ultimate Paula Abdul fans in Las Vegas."

They asked VegasBeat to help spread the word that they're looking for Paula wannabes.

So, if you think you have what it takes, e-mail your story to them at [email protected].

Mayor Martini

Today at 5 p.m. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman publicly celebrates his endorsement deal with Bombay gin at the Saloon on Fremont Street.

The invitation pointedly mentions that "proceeds benefit the City of Las Vegas 501-C-3 charitable fund."

The good folks at Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada are co-sponsoring the event.

They can probably scarcely believe their luck to get a mayor that is so active in the alcohol consumption business.

However, all this revelry will quickly stop once the first drunk leaving a Goodman event gets pulled over for a DUI -- or worse.

That's Italian

The Augustus Society (a nonprofit Las Vegas association of Italian-American professionals) is sponsoring its annual Columbus Day Ball Saturday night at The Rio.

The group will honor The Scintas as the Italian-American Family of the Year. Their Justinian of the Year is U.S. District Judge (and Las Vegas resident) James C. Mahan.

Offspring

If you got it, flaunt it, I say.

Not everyone agrees. Such as Jakob Dylan, who insists that advertising for his band "The Wallflowers" omit mention of his famous dad, Bob Dylan.

Or Rhonda Ross, offspring of legendary Motown boss Berry Gordy and Supremes diva Diana Ross.

Rhonda is starring with Kim Fields and Glynis Bell in Eve Ensler's monstrously entertaining "The Vagina Monologues" at Cashman Center.

But her official bio makes no mention of her famous parents.

Meanwhile, seeing the show Tuesday night sort of brought me back to elementary school -- and the wonders of the girls' bathroom.

What was in that mysterious pink-tiled room? What do they do in there? What do they talk about?

"Monologues" finally gave me those answers.

It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. Mainly, it makes you think -- both men and women.

The show continues through Oct. 20; go get tickets today.

Hill(ary) of beans

In his astute and brilliant Ralston Report, Nevada's leading political pundit Jon Ralston surmises that the reason 3rd Congressional District candidate Dario Herrera didn't want any attention when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton came to town last week was because she is too polarizing -- especially for the conservative local electorate.

The junior senator from New York was in town to speak to the National Carpenters Union and appear at a hush-hush Herrera fund-raiser at Judy Ghanem's house.

Frankly, anything to save Herrera from himself at this point in the race couldn't hurt. A plethora of polls and prognosticators predict a punishing Jon Porter plurality.

The influential D.C. newsletter Roll Call is the latest periodical to say Herrera is a likely Election-Day loser.

While much of the establishment East Coast media -- and the esteemed Mr. Ralston -- may paint Clinton as polarizing, I maintain that she has evolved into anything but.

She polarized her first opponent in the 2000 New York senate election right off the ballot. Not to lessen Rudolph Giuliani's prostate cancer (the reason he, uh, pulled out early), but his health really hasn't been in the news lately.

And she polarized, as well as pulverized, the replacement Republican, Rick Lazio, right out of politics.

Any woman who has had trouble in her marriage can identify with and relate to her. Her prodigious fund-raising skills have made her friends with everyone in her party.

Plenty of people still love her husband. Some of them perhaps literally.

And Clinton's moderate stance and ear to the ground has enamored her to the rural New York state voters everyone thought would never cast a ballot for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

So, would it have been such a disaster for Herrera to dominate the weekend news cycle in a photo op with the former first lady?

Of course, if Herrera wanted my advice, he'd have called me back.

Porter, meanwhile, hosts a fund-raiser featuring the first President George Bush on Tuesday at MGM Grand.

Check out

Gastone Laliberte -- the father of Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte -- at Aureole, two tables from Silvano Marchetto, who runs the art world hangout Da Silvano in New York City ... "Barbershop" actor Anthony Anderson at Studio 54 ... Bring your autograph book to the new Galyan's sporting goods store, which opens today at Galleria at Sunset mall in Henderson; former UNLV All-America hoopster Reggie Theus makes an appearance there at 6:30 tonight, and Maury Wills, Ted Hendricks, Janet Evans, and Rick Barry will be there Saturday.

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