Friday, April 4, 2003 | 10:47 a.m.
Some people would be insulted to be asked to pen their own obituary.
Not veteran Vegas comic Bernie Allen. He said he was thrilled that anybody knew he was still alive to ask.
The 87-year-old tops a list of celebrities who were just asked by Larry King to write their own eulogies for a new book he is doing for Doubleday, titled, "Remember Me When I Am Gone."
"Of course I am on top of the list -- it is alphabetical!" Allen cracked.
Several Vegas-connected performers and personalities are on King's list, which includes David Copperfield, Anthony Hopkins, Merv Griffin, Brian Boitano, Donald Trump, Margaret Cho, Maya Angelou, Jenny Craig, Tommy Lasorda, Calvin Klein, Ted Turner, Erica Jong, Yogi Berra, Yoko Ono, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pat Boone, Art Garfunkel, Rob Reiner, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Ed Koch, Bob Dole, Susan Lucci, Billie Jean King, Ted Danson, Tony Randall and Phil Donahue.
"Based on his TV show ratings, I think that last one is dead already," Allen said after reeling off the names.
King's letter asks contributors to write something serious or humorous, or to also include a drawing or illustration, before April 24.
The book is expected to be on the publisher's fall list.
All wet
Now it is possible to get soaked while getting soaked -- without even going outside.
The Tropicana is opening indoor swim-up blackjack tables.
Starting May 24, the two water tables (they can accommodate seven players each) will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Don't know if there'll be mermaid, er, waitress, service.
Cowboy mom
Judy Shepard, the mother of Matthew Shepard, is coming to Las Vegas this weekend.
In a widely publicized 1998 incident, Shepard was fatally beaten in Wyoming by two men who attacked him because he was gay.
Along with Mayor Oscar Goodman, she is one of the grand marshals at the BigHorn Rodeo, a Nevada Gay Rodeo Association event that starts today and continues into the weekend at Horseman's Park on East Flamingo Road.
Broadway dance?
Usually shows start on Broadway and end up elsewhere.
But Michael Flatley says he might bring his Las Vegas show, "Lord of the Dance," to Broadway.
Flatley first said in an interview with the Sun's Jerry Fink in November that the Great White Way was a "priority."
At a recent gala dinner at the Plaza Hotel in New York for The Irish American newspaper that honored Flatley (as well as journalists Pete Hamill and Bill O'Reilly, boxing figure Gil Clancy and author Mary Higgins Clark), the dancing entrepreneur told Fox.com gossip Roger Friedman that Broadway is now squarely in his sights.
"Lord of the Dance" played for four years at New York-New York before re-opening at The Venetian last fall.
Heeeere's Ed
Ed McMahon is slated to get the humanitarian Norman Vincent Peale Award personally from Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington on Sunday.
Then it is back to Vegas for McMahon. He makes an appearance with a Hummer at The Orleans Tuesday morning in connection with his new business partnership with the property and a million-dollar April 15-16 bingo event.
Also Tuesday, McMahon is doing a live remote at The Orleans' Brendan's Irish Pub with Duke Morgan from KJUL 104.3-FM; the public is invited, free of charge, to sit in and listen.
Stork news
Spring -- or something -- is in the air.
The beautiful and talented Ceres Hill, an account director for Kirvin Doak Communications, the powerhouse Vegas publicists, told friends this week that she is pregnant.
Her husband, Matt Hill, was just called up by Air Force Reserves and might be away for much of her pregnancy. He is now at a California base. Here's to hoping he's home way before her Oct. 5 due date.
VegasBits
Filmmaker Spike Lee took in the 10:30 p.m. performance of "La Femme" at MGM Grand on Wednesday night ...
What has it all come down to? How about this: The WB cable network is recruiting people for a new show called "Celebrity Look-A-Like."
So, if you feel you look like Britney Spears or Jennifer Lopez, send your material to [email protected] ...
From the stage of her show at MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre on Wednesday night, Ann-Margret introduced Penn Jillette, who was in the audience. She had attended Penn & Teller's Rio show in September and had invited them to see her the next time she performed in town ...
A dinner with Goodman -- and a patriotic-themed Goodman bobblehead doll -- went for $900 in a silent auction at the 14th annual Friends of Channel 10 Splendor in the Glass wine and beer tasting at Las Vegas Hilton on Saturday ...
A new website went up this week -- tigerjam.com -- devoted to the April 19 "Tiger Jam VI" benefit at Mandalay Bay, featuring Bon Jovi, the Goo Goo Dolls and an onstage welcome from Tiger Woods ...
Matt Stone and Trey Parker were at ghostbar atop the Palms Thursday night. They had patrons cracking up as they did some "South Park" characters. The duo created the hit Comedy Central show ...
Enrique Iglesias, sans mole and sans Anna Kournikova, made the Vegas rounds Thursday night. He started his evening at Caramel, then caught a bite at China Grill and ended up at Sapphire, the Industrial Road gentlemen's club.
From Sun wires
Peter Arnett is back on the air from Baghdad.
Within days of being fired by NBC, Arnett found an unlikely new audience Thursday: the Dutch-speaking citizens of northern Belgium.
"Thanks Peter Arnett, we are proud to have you on our team," said VTM news anchor Dany Verstraeten after Arnett finished the first of his daily reports, which will be subtitled in Dutch, for the private Belgian TV network.
A Greek TV channel also announced Thursday that it hired Arnett.
Science fare: The futuristic sci-fi sequel "The Matrix: Reloaded" will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
The second film in the "Matrix" trilogy, "Reloaded" will be shown out of competition on May 15, the second day of the festival. That's the same day the film will be released worldwide.
Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss reprise their roles from 1999's "The Matrix."
The final film in the trilogy, "The Matrix Revolutions," is scheduled for release in November.
Enter Metallica: Avril Lavigne, Limp Bizkit, Sum 41 and Korn are among the performers who will honor Metallica as this year's "mtvICON."
The tribute to the veteran metal band is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. EDT May 6 on MTV. The 90-minute special will include covers of Metallica's hits, testimonials from musicians who've been influenced by the band, and a finale in which Metallica will perform.
Previous artists to receive the "mtvICON" treatment are Aerosmith and Janet Jackson.
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