VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Jackson could be starting something

Tuesday, April 29, 2003 | 10:48 a.m.

Perhaps it would be a risk for any casino to host a rumored and much-discussed Las Vegas production starring Michael Jackson .

The Gloved One has in the recent past met privately with a variety of performers, producers and casino executives to explore his own Celine-type extravaganza.

Multiple sources say Jackson recently met with Kenneth Feld, of the famous circus family, whose name sits atop Siegfried & Roy's on The Mirage marquee.

But a strange visit by Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, to a much smaller Vegas venue Saturday night has tongues wagging that perhaps the erstwhile King of Pop is setting his sights a little lower these days.

"He walked into the Stirling Club at 1 a.m. on Saturday night, unannounced, and asked for a tour of all the lounges," a person who has no business or personal ties to the posh private club, but was there as a guest, told VegasBeat.

"He said he was Michael Jackson's father, and wanted to see the place. So he was given a tour. It took about 15 minutes. To say everyone was stunned would be an understatement."

The Stirling Club is a members-only facility inside Turnberry Place, a luxury high-rise condominium on Paradise Road. It has at least three lounge areas and several dining rooms, along with gym and spa facilities.

The largest lounge there can accommodate perhaps 300 people. A decade ago Jackson was performing to sold-out crowds at 75,000-seat stadiums.

"Jackson said that he was looking at rooms for a show he was thinking of putting together, but he never said that it had anything to do specifically with Michael," the guest said.

Two club members confirmed the Jackson senior visit.

Messages left for a Jackson spokesman were not immediately returned late Monday.

A story in the March edition of Vanity Fair was the latest in a string of published reports saying Jackson is financially strapped and has borrowed upward of $240 million to support his extravagant lifestyle despite declining record sales.

He obtained several monster loans on the back of his most valuable and cherished asset -- The Beatles' song catalogue.

Jackson reportedly started to make the Vegas inquiries to raise cash to pay back the loans and support his expensive tastes -- and the $5 million annual upkeep on his Neverland Ranch, among other expenses.

Art stars

As VegasBeat first reported a few weeks back, the next show at the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum at The Venetian is called "American Pop Icons."

It features '60s art stars such as Andy Warhol, Larry Rivers, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichtenstein.

Museum officials Thomas Krens, Peter B. Lewis and Peter Lawson-Johnston are expected to join many of the artists at a private May 14 opening party.

With relish

Wolfgang Puck caters to fans seeing her perform at Caesars Palace, but Celine has decidedly more proletariat tastes.

There is a freshly autographed picture of Diva Las Vegas at Hot Dog Heaven, an authentic Chicago-style hot dog hut on Lake Mead Drive near Boulder Highway.

She and husband Rene Angelil stop in there from time to time on the way to and from work. They live a few miles directly up the road in Lake Las Vegas.

Their son, Rene-Charles, 2, is also apparently an emerging frankfurter aficionado.

Wenches wanted

Last week, VegasBeat wrote about some adult-themed changes coming to various casinos.

One of the items was Treasure Island dumping its kiddie pirate show for a more mature version.

Now comes news that Monday, the newly named "TI" starts its search for the "Sirens of TI" to star in the new show. What exactly does being a "Siren" constitute?

"Part pirate, part wench, part temptress," reads the hotel's casting call announcement. It is looking for females aged 21-28. "Candidates should come in a body-conscious outfit and bring heels."

The new show is being put together by Kenny Ortega, best known, appropriately, for choreographing the 1987 movie, "Dirty Dancing."

The new show debuts Oct. 26 for the hotel's 10th anniversary celebration.

Mano a mano

Lance Burton went head-to-head with Ronn Lucas on the Game Show Network's new show, "National Lampoon's Funny Money," filmed at the Improv at Harrah's Monday night.

The Monte Carlo magician's $32 billion in Funny Money topped the $20 billion won by The Rio's resident ventriloquist.

It translated into $2,900 in real greenbacks -- which Burton promptly doubled by looking at one-fourth of a "Back to the Future II" poster and identifying it correctly.

So his designated charity, Opportunity Village, ended up with $5,800.

Lucas earmarked his $1,000 for the Humane Society.

The show airs Sunday nights starting June 15 on Cox cable channel 68.

Down time

The team of Tony Perry and Tezz Yancey perform six nights a week as Soul Desire in the Big Apple Bar at New York-New York.

So what do they do during the day?

Perry attends a Classical Cuisine class at Southern Nevada Community College. Yancey tests the recipes, and then works it off playing pickup basketball.

VegasBits

Tiger fans: Joe Pesci, his wife, Martha Haro, and their 4-year-old daughter, Tiffany, explored Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden at The Mirage Monday afternoon and then saw the show Monday night ...

Happy Days: Las Vegas' own Andre Agassi turns 33 today. Also today Jerry Seinfeld turns 49. He plays The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Friday and Saturday nights ...

More Happy: Joyce Kotnick, the AM executive producer for KVBC Channel 3 news, celebrated her 30th birthday Saturday night with friends at Aureole ...

About time: "Polkapalooza" is coming to Vegas this fall. Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra hit the Stardust Ballroom Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 ...

Head games: The newest Vegas figure to get his own bobblehead? Longtime "La Cage" star Frank Marino. Write your own joke here ...

Gremlins: I am very aware that Nevada Sen. John Ensign is a Republican. During the production process, the wrong letter -- "D" -- was inadvertently inserted after his name in Monday's column. VegasBeat regrets the error.

From Sun wires

Luther Vandross contracted pneumonia after suffering a stroke and had to undergo a tracheotomy to help him breathe, but the procedure didn't damage his vocal chords, his representatives said Monday.

The Grammy-winning singer remains in critical but stable condition, and spokeswoman Lois Najarian told the Associated Press: "We expected him to be out of intensive care right now."

His business manager, Carmen Romano, released a statement Monday confirming that Vandross suffered pneumonia during his hospitalization and had to have a tracheotomy, a procedure in which a hole is made in the throat and a tube is inserted to assist breathing.

Romano also said Vandross is minimally responsive neurologically "and we're waiting for him to regain full consciousness. I am told that this may take some time."