VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Ozzy harried over Venetian talk

Friday, Oct. 18, 2002 | 4:44 a.m.

Ozzy Osbourne was not thrilled that VegasBeat wrote about his family's imminent visit here.

The Osbourne family's publicist called VegasBeat the other day to say they had changed plans and were not going to stay at The Venetian this week as part of the production of their MTV reality show, "The Osbournes."

"What you wrote was entirely accurate -- but now the family feels it is a security issue if people know where they are staying," family show mouthpiece Lisa Vega told me.

Oh, please. As it was the Osbournes' choice to put their personal lives on display for the world, it seems odd that they are worried that people may know what hotel they are staying at.

Vega asked who my source was.

Once again: Oh, please.

Don't worry, Kurt Loder, your secret is safe with me.

So, Osbourne is still scheduled to play at Rain in the Desert at the Palms on Thursday, and his family -- wife and manager Sharon and offspring Kelly and Jack are still coming.

And as soon as they decide where they'll be staying, you can read it right here.

What, did someone just whisper to me that they will be staying in the "Real World" suite at The Palms?

The inimitable Monti Rock III told VegasBeat he's sealed a deal to headline a new nightclub act at the Rita Rudner Theater, starting Nov. 2.

"It's my 53rd comeback," said the gay icon and occasional guest on the Johnny Carson show. Rock also sold 7 million copies of the single "Get Dancin' " and played a disc jockey in "Saturday Night Fever."

"I'll do my usual material -- which could be anything!" he said, before walking off in his trademark leopard-print fedora and matching cape.

When we called the theater to confirm Rock's story, they had a slightly different version.

"It would just be a one-night stand, and it is still on the table," a spokesman said.

"We love Monti but he does tend to exaggerate sometimes."

A British rock band announced last week it was were suing Celine Dion for allegedly stealing its name for her new Las Vegas show.

The thrasher band Muse said they were furious at the Canadian chanteuse for calling her upcoming Caesars Palace show ... "Muse."

The band says it has trademarked the name in the United States. However, Caesars now says "Muse" is not the name of the show.

"It was under consideration, but it is not the final choice," a Casears spokeswoman said.

The hotel is planning a press conference Monday to announce the name and to show the progress on construction of the 4,000-seat theater they are building for Dion.

Dion will attend -- via video from Belgium, where she is rehearsing.

She is getting more than $100 million for her three-year gig, and reportedly offered the band $90,000 for the name, Muse lead singer Matt Bellamy told the British press.

But the band refused the offer, apparently prompting the name change.

Growl.

That's what local organizers of the Invensys Classic in Las Vegas were saying when they heard that Tiger Woods was hitting the links in town last weekend -- but not at their tourney.

Woods cashed his first professional paycheck after winning the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational at the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin. He finished tied for 36th the next year and hasn't been back at the event (now called the Invensys Classic) since.

The absence of Tiger has been an issue; whenever he plays, spectator interest -- and revenue -- increases exponentially.

Eldrick (Tiger's real name) was spotted teeing it up at Steve Wynn's exclusive Shadow Creek Golf Club while the Invensys was under way.

The NBC television newsmagazine "Dateline" is back in Las Vegas.

Earlier this year it did an hourlong feature on the Ted Binion murder case.

Now, according to Sun police reporter Jen Lawson, they are snooping around the William Rundle case.

A camera crew was at Rundle's home on the 4700 block of Poppywood Drive when authorities executed a search warrant last week, taping Metro police exiting the house with a baseball bat wrapped in a sheet, among other items.

Rundle was nabbed in Florida last week and is suspected of killing his wife, Shirley.