Vegas Beat — Timothy McDarrah: Rockets red glare — and no singer is there

Friday, Feb. 28, 2003 | 10 a.m.

VegasBeat appears daily except occasional Thursdays in the Sun. Timothy McDarrah can be reached at tim@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-4096.

The troop mobilization for a potential war with Iraq has had at least one Las Vegas-related repercussion.

The military vocalist from Nellis Air Force Base who was going to sing the national anthem at Sunday's UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was shipped out a week ago, leaving race officials scrambling to find a replacement.

"It is a very unusual situation, to say the least, but we understand and deeply respect what is happening," track spokesman Jeff Motley told VegasBeat.

"Luckily, Tina stepped in and saved the day."

That would be Las Vegas resident Tina Walsh, starring in "Mamma Mia!" at Mandalay Bay Theatre.

"I saw her on opening night," Motley said, "and she was fantastic. The whole show was fantastic. So we went right after her when the Nellis thing fell through."

Walsh did a sound check at the track Thursday afternoon and quickly had hundreds of racers, crew members, speedway workers and media mesmerized by her performance.

This will likely be her most-seen performance ever -- in addition to 140,000 fans in the seats there is a global television audience. It will be seen locally at noon on KVUU Channel 5.

Also, since a chunk of the local electorate will be there, pols Harry Reid, John Ensign, Oscar Goodman and Jon Porter will all be at the track on Sunday shaking hands.

The country group Ricochet sings the anthem at Saturday's Sam's Town 300.

Low/high brow

Gotta love an awards ceremony where one of the hottest restaurants in Las Vegas, Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel, and the home of the Grand Slam breakfast, Denny's, can both walk away with honors.

The culinary dichotomy transpired at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Wednesday night when Las Vegas Weekly dished out its Reader's Choice awards.

Simon won for Best New Restaurant; Denny's for Late Night Snack.

Other winners in some of the more creative categories: Andre Agassi won for Best Local Athlete and Best Philanthropist; Diversity won for Best Tattoo and Body Piercing Place; and Goodman won for Biggest Ego.

Come on in

When Goodman has a public event, such as a news conference, he is truly inclusive.

During Thursday's regular 11 a.m. meeting with local news media at the City Council chambers, a seemingly homeless woman wandered in.

Dressed in a used purple floor-length coat, a white blouse and dark slacks, she was pulling a luggage cart with a pair of matching suitcases.

She sat quietly off to the side while Goodman, followed by Las Vegas Motor Speedway General Manager Chris Powell, spoke and then answered questions from the press.

To the credit of both the mayor and his staff, none of them said a negative word to her or tried to run her out, and she was appropriately respectful of the proceedings.

McDonald's lunch

Las Vegas Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald is having lunch with President Bush today.

Boggs McDonald is one of about 100 national black figures who will be at the White House for the special Black History Month event.

Afterward she has a private session with Republican National Committee Chairman Marc Racicot to discuss her political future.

McDonald, one of the nation's relatively few elected black Republicans, is still considered a rising party star despite losing a congressional race last fall to Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

Now, 'X' cooks

Producer Michael Gerren has made a deal with the local UPN affiliate, KTUD Channel 14, to air his cooking show "Sexy Recipes."

It'll be hosted by Roy's chefs Alan Morgan and Steve Potovsky and feature rotating women from the "X" show at the Aladdin.

The show is set for a late March debut.

VegasBits

Former perennial Super Bowl loser Jim Kelly, baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and shock rocker Alice Cooper were among the early arrivals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for this weekend's events. All three are associated with (different) teams running in the Busch Series Sam's Town 300 race on Saturday ...

Bally's tennis pro David Pate -- a former Australian Open doubles champ -- has a new student: Olivia Newton-John ...

There is a new restaurant family dynasty taking shape in Las Vegas. On Saturday night Laurie Kendrick and her husband, Stan Carroll, are opening Wild Sage at 8991 W. Sahara Ave. Kendrick and her brother, Wes Kendrick, opened Wild Sage Cafe on Warm Springs Road a year ago; it recently won an Epicurean Award from Las Vegas Life magazine as Best New Restaurant off Strip ...

Dale Earnhardt Jr. led a party of 20 into Studio 54 at MGM Grand Wednesday night ...

ABC is filming a reality show pilot in the Hard Rock Hotel's parking lot this weekend. (And despite what you may have read elsewhere, Robin Leach is not involved.) So if you are planning to go to the Hard Rock for any reason this weekend, go early or good luck finding a parking space, as most of the Paradise Road lot is being used for the filming.

From Sun wires

Actress Bridget Fonda was hospitalized for minor injuries after crashing her car on a rain-drenched section of the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

The 39-year-old "Single White Female" star was alone in the car when it tumbled over an embankment Thursday, a sheriff's deputy said.

She was taken to St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica. Her publicist, Nancy Seltzer, said Fonda was "fine and doing well" and hoped to be released today.

Hot wing: Gov. Jeb Bush's plane was struck by lightning that zapped a hole in a wing during a flight Thursday from Tallahassee to Orlando, Fla., a spokeswoman said.

None of the seven people onboard was injured, aide Alia Faraj said.

Bush said he wasn't scared. "Alia, on the other hand, was frightened, paralyzed," he said wryly.

The twin-engine Beechcraft King Air, which seats up to 10 people, landed safely at its destination. The governor and his staff took another plane to Miami Beach.

Some extra "D'oh!": "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling has been transfigured into a yellow-skinned, four-fingered cartoon character for an upcoming guest spot on "The Simpsons."

The British creator of the best-selling books has lent her voice to the show for an episode set for broadcast next season, the Fox network said Wednesday.

Other guests in the episode include "The Lord of the Rings" actor Ian McKellen, who also plays himself.

The Simpson clan cross paths with the author and actor when they travel to London. The episode is likely to air in November or December.

They'll be back: Count on more cloak-and-dagger drama next TV season.

Fox has renewed the real-time cliffhanger thriller "24" for a third season, and ABC has ordered another run of the female spy adventure "Alias," which will also be in its third year.

"24" stars Kiefer Sutherland as a counterterrorism expert attempting to face down shadowy threats over the course of one day, with each hour of the show representing one hour of his pursuit.

"Alias" stars Jennifer Garner as an international secret agent working alongside her father (Victor Garber) in a web of double-dealings among the CIA and assorted villains.

ABC also announced plans Wednesday to renew its sitcoms "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter," "According to Jim," "George Lopez," "Less Than Perfect," "Life With Bonnie" and "My Wife and Kids."