Monday, Aug. 18, 2003 | 10:09 a.m.
Although "Zumanity" has officially opened, its creators are still slaving away to make it work.
As VegasBeat reported Friday, the audience's reaction after Thursday's opening-night show was generally unenthusiastic, to put it kindly.
On Friday "Zumanity" representatives sent an e-mail to a few journalists, friends of Cirque du Soleil and subscribers who had previously signed on to the "Zumanity" website, promising "stabilization of the work."
The missive read:
"Last night was 'Zumanity's' first encounter with the public ... months of creative work were unveiled in front of an exhilarated crowd. As all of the characters have experienced the public's reaction, the troupe is now devoting itself to one of the most important phases of creation, which is often unknown to the spectators: the last steps toward the stabilization of the work."
Acknowledging the multimillion-dollar production has received less-than-stellar early reviews, the e-mail promised that the adults-only show -- which features everything from full-blown orgies to intimate and explicit same-sex encounters -- "will grow with the public's feedback and will soon breathe and live on its own."
The note concludes that Cirque founder Guy Laliberte and New York-New York prez Felix Rappaport "anxiously await" the show's planned gala Sept. 20 national media and celebrity opening.
Bold facers
It was an especially insane weekend for celebrity sightings at Palms.
Attendees at Jaime Pressly's party at Rain in the Desert on Saturday night to introduce her new lingerie collection included Nicky and Paris Hilton; David Alan Grier; Damon Wayans, Aisha Tyler, Tom Green, Orlando Jones, Lance Bass, Rick Yune ("The Fast and the Furious"), and a contingent from "That '70s Show": Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderamma and Danny Masterson.
Returning to town was "Real World Las Vegas" star Arissa Hill. The collection of TV notables also included Henry Simmons ("NYPD Blue"), Vincent Young (Noah on "Beverly Hills 90210") and Jennifer Garner's new "Alias" -- and personal -- love interest, Michael Vartan.
Over at N9NE, Chef Brian Massie welcomed Dr. Dre, Grandmaster Flash and Robin Leach -- who was having dinner with some friends, including a state trooper.
Then, variously, at ghostbar, Rain, and the Skin Pool Lounge, Tisha Campbell, Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Lance Burton, Mekhi Phifer, Nicole Eggert, Gary Dourdan, Reggie Jackson and 2000 U.S. Open tennis champ Marat Safin made the scene.
Clothes war
A federal lawsuit filed against Marshall Mathers III, better known as Eminem, by three local businessmen continues to move forward.
Attorneys for Mathers had asked that the trademark infringement suit be dismissed, but U.S. District Judge Robert Hunt denied that motion last week.
The lawsuit -- filed by William S. Wallace, Kevin Thomas and Nathan Moon--alleges Mathers has sold items marked with the words, "Shady Limited." The men contend that they own the rights to that trademark.
According to Las Vegas Sun federal court reporter Jace Radke, attorneys for Mathers attempted to get the case dismissed on the grounds that Nevada is not the proper venue for the suit, but Hunt disagreed.
"Plaintiffs make a sufficient showing that venue is proper in Nevada because sales of the allegedly infringing products have occurred here," Hunt states in his written order.
Eminem's line is available at Macy's and many other stores in the Las Vegas area. Hearing dates in the case have not yet been set.
Ante up
Saturday evening kicked off "The Game," a rotating celebrity and VIP poker game hosted by Robert Goulet and organized by Goulet and developer pal Jack Wishna.
"It is gossip and fun in a private and relaxed setting," Wishna told VegasBeat. "A lot of us miss the old days and wanted to do something together that evoked it."
The first evening brought Tony Curtis, Vincent Falcone (Frank Sinatra's keyboard man), old-school drummer Santo Savino and veteran Vegas media type Norm Johnson.
Wolfgang Puck catered. Steve Lawrence is taking part next weekend at Goulet's place.
VegasBits
Bright: The Saturday night crowd at Light (Bellagio) lost its collective cool when Michael Jordan arrived. Even the most blase, jaded hipsters were pointing and staring. Jordan was in a fab mood; a source tells us he had won nearly six figures earlier in the evening playing craps ...
Hoops: NBA champion San Antonio Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo and NCAA champion Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim were part of a foursome at Shadow Creek on Friday. The next day they were guests at Nets star Kenyon Martin's wedding at Caesars Palace ...
Ink: Club promoter John Huntington and extreme sports motocross icon Carey Hart (boyfriend of pop singer and Las Vegas resident Pink) are opening the Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co. inside the Palms in February ...
Party: Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson's on-again, off-again boyfriend, will perform at the Palms on Sept. 21 as part of Playboy's 50th anniversary weekend. Anderson, of course, has famously posed for the magazine ...
Celebrate: Simon Kitchen and Bar, the popular and celebrity-friendly Hard Rock Hotel restaurant, will be closed Wednesday night. Partners Elizabeth Blau and Kerry Simon are taking the entire staff to Jillian's at Neonopolis for disco bowling and eats as a thank-you to all the workers who have helped make the restaurant's first year a success.
From Sun wires
Actor Tom Sizemore faces up to four years in prison for his conviction on misdemeanor charges of harassing, annoying and physically abusing former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss.
But a jury in Los Angeles Friday acquitted the 41-year-old star of "Black Hawk Down" and "Saving Private Ryan" of 10 other counts.
Sizemore said he was pleased with the outcome, noting he was acquitted of most of the charges, including most of the serious ones.
"I feel great about it, I really do," he said outside the courthouse.
After stopping briefly to talk to reporters, Sizemore gave a thumb's up gesture as he got into a car and left.
Sizemore was tried on 16 counts of injuring, threatening and harassing Fleiss and vandalism. He was convicted of six counts and one lesser offense within a count on which he was otherwise acquitted.
Fleiss said she was pleased Sizemore was held accountable, adding she knew that coming into court she was in "a minus position because of my past."
She began a two-year relationship with Sizemore shortly after serving 21 months in prison for money laundering, tax evasion and attempted pandering.
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