VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Celebrities start rolling in for Stones

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2003 | 9:15 a.m.

Look for celebrity gridlock in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The largest event is probably the Rolling Stones concert at MGM Grand Garden Arena. When Mick Jagger and the Geriatrics performed in Las Vegas in November, fans such as Bruce Willis, Kiefer Sutherland, Lara Flynn Boyle, Naomi Campbell, Stephen Dorff, Luke and Owen Wilson, Estella Warren, Stephen Bing and two of Keith Richards' daughters -- Theodora and Alexandra Richards -- turned out.

This time Sting, Macy Gray, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Molly Sims, Johnny Knoxville, Rachel Hunter and Jessica Capshaw might also see the World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band -- as they have already RSVP'd for the big one-year anniversary bash for Light at Bellagio, to be held later on Saturday night.

The new hipster lounge Carmel, across the casino floor from Light, is also holding its grand opening that night.

At the exact same time is the opening party for the new show at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, "Andy Warhol: The Celebrity Portraits." Dennis Hopper, featured in one of the portraits, and Liza Minnelli, who recorded the accompanying audio narrative for the exhibition, are expected to attend, as are a selection of art world and Warhol figures.

Jagger, whose mug is in the show, has said he'll also try to stop in after his little gig.

Saturday also brings the Nathan Adelson Hospice fund-raiser at Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall, featuring a fashion show hosted by design superstars Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

Steve Wynn will introduce the evening's honoree, developer Irwin Molasky. More than 500 society types are expected at the event, which is expected to raise more than $1 million.

The wall-to-wall celebrity action should be equally busy the next weekend, with the openings of "Mamma Mia!" at Mandalay Bay, the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas resort and a cacophony of Valentine's Day events, including rocker Vince Neil's porno version of "American Idol."

Neil is hosting something called "Girls, Girls, Girls!" -- a contest to find the "sexiest girls on the planet" at Rain in the Desert at the Palms and Jaguars.

"The Surreal Life" contestant will be joined in judging by George Maloof, Dennis Rodman, Lakers owner Jerry Buss, "Weakest Link" host George Gray, NFLer Jonathan Ogden and some former Playboy models.

First prize is $25,000. One of the categories the contestants compete in will be Lap Dance.

Now that promises to be one classy event.

Some fortune

It was a perfect ending to a demented evening.

Amazing Johnathan would have it no other way.

He and Psychic Tanya made their Flamingo Las Vegas debut Monday night.

The show paralleled his old Golden Nugget routine; he stuck scissors in Tanya's head, joked about such taboo topics as the Ku Klux Klan and made crude references to his genitals -- and everyone else's.

"I am excited to see what kind of damage we can do here on the Strip," he told me afterward. "If you liked the show tell your friends. If you didn't, tell your enemies."

Then, at a party in the Flamingo's Savoy Room, one of the post-buffet "treats" was fortune cookies for all the guests.

Mine read, "You just ate a dog."

Others at the table: "You don't have an inferiority complex. You're just inferior."

And, "You are often wrong."

Among those caught laughing at Johnathan's naughty bits: Lance Burton, Mac King, Monti Rock III, Dennis Bono, Darren Romeo, Kristi and Greg Gleason and most of the casts from "The Second City," "The Best of Bottoms Up" and "Society of Seven."

Purity

Talk about a square peg in a round hole ...

On second thought, maybe that is a bad analogy.

Seems the South Dakota-based National Abstinence Clearinghouse is holding its 2003 convention in Las Vegas.

One activity it has planned is to pass out "good girl cards" depicting images of virgins, as a counter to the handbills advertising strippers and sex clubs that are usually passed out on the Strip.

The organization's newsletter says it is "certain that the abstinence message must be brought to this region."

A little too late for that, huh?

Good year

Those are some smart people at Caesars Palace.

They have gussied up the place to accommodate their many patrons who celebrate the Chinese New Year.

For example, they have tried to tone down or cover anything colored blue, or containing the number four, which both signify death.

They have also stocked up on "lucky bamboo" plants and have lots of good-luck Mandarin orange trees in the hallways and on the casino floor.

Cookin' good

Roy's Chef Alan Morgan has been signed to host a new television show, "Sexy Recipes."

Every week he'll appear with a different Las Vegas showgirl, preparing a variety of ethnic dishes.

The producer is Las Vegas resident Michael Gerren, a former European pro basketball player.

He is negotiating a deal with an undisclosed station for a March debut.

Cristal clear

Rising R&B star Ginuwine -- and enough technical equipment to power a Third World nation -- descended on V Bar at The Venetian to shoot a music video Monday.

The shoot for a two-minute scene lasted from 7 a.m. until after 8 p.m.

That may have been because V Bar kept sending the crew complimentary bottles of Cristal. After all, who'd want to go home when they're putting out $500 bottles of champs?

Joe from Jersey

Former Stardust sports book director Joe Lupo is now hobnobbing with stars on the other coast.

He recently left town for a management position at the Borgata, the first Atlantic City gaming property to be opened in more than a decade. It opens this summer and is a joint venture of Boyd Gaming and MGM MIRAGE.

An event called "Taste of the Borgata" in New York City the other day had plenty of Las Vegas connections.

In addition to Lupo, Renoir's Alex Stratta introduced Luke Palladino (the former executive chef at Onda in The Mirage), who will have two eateries -- Speccio and Ombra -- at Borgata.

Then Food Network emcee Bill Boggs presided over a ceremony where Borgata presented a $60,000 check to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Also appearing were art star Julian Schnabel and actor Scott Wolf.

From Sun wires

Record producer Phil Spector and Lana Clarkson, the actress found slain in his mansion in Alhambra, Calif., reflected the two sides of success that exist within Hollywood's pop culture landscape.

Spector, 62, the music industry wunderkind who struck it rich in his teens and changed the face of pop music, became an eccentric millionaire with a castle in the Los Angeles suburbs.

Clarkson, 40, a B-movie actress who sold her pinups on the Internet and modeled herself after Marilyn Monroe, was a success within the exploitation movie world.

She was discovered by B-movie king Roger Corman and starred in a series of films that made her a semi-cult figure. She played a superheroine called "Barbarian Queen," a character Corman said was the model for TV's "Xena: Warrior Princess."

Spector was arrested before dawn Monday for investigation of first-degree murder after Clarkson's body was found in the foyer of his mansion. No charges have been filed.