VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Gerber no longer Sky light

Friday, Jan. 10, 2003 | 4:21 a.m.

Rande Gerber has taken his bar and gone home.

He wants to reopen one on the Strip.

The owner of the former Whiskey Sky bar at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino severed all ties with the Henderson casino and hotel on Jan. 1, a spokeswoman confirmed.

Gerber -- who is married to supermodel Cindy Crawford -- left because the casino, which caters to locals, did not attract enough celebrities and high rollers for his taste, friends of the couple and a Whiskey Sky worker told VegasBeat.

The space is now called simply Whiskey Bar, and is operated by the casino.

George Clooney has been an occasional visitor, and Kid Rock partied at the club before his December concert at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

But compared to such haunts as ghostbar at the Palms, Light at Bellagio or even the center bar at the Hard Rock Hotel, Whiskey Sky is not in the same league in terms of celebrity clientele.

When the club opened, Gerber said it was "a haven" away from the Strip. Now, it seems Gerber has changed his mind and is looking to relocate. He has reportedly contacted Steve Wynn and Don Marrandino about opening a Whiskey Sky at Le Reve (slated to open in 2005).

Gerber has also had preliminary conversations with officials at The Mirage, including Chief Executive Officer Bobby Baldwin, about relocating there.

Marrandino helped woo Gerber to Green Valley when Marrandino worked for Station Casinos; Wynn is a close friend of Gerber and Crawford.

Calls to Midnight Oil, Gerber's holding company and office in New York City, were not immediately returned.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will soon need more than a war chest to hold all the campaign cash he is raising. An airplane hanger might be more appropriate.

Wednesday he generated around $150,000 at a fund-raiser inside Austin's Steakhouse at Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta's Texas Station.

And more big dogs are coming out for a Feb. 6 event. Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada president Larry Ruvo and political consultant Sig Rogich are hosting a $1,000-per-person event at Bellagio.

To date, Goodman has raised more than $700,000; organizers hope the Feb. 6 event should up that figure to more than $1 million.

Goodman's campaign co-manager Jim Ferrence said that every significant name in the Las Vegas gaming community should be at Bellagio, as well as scores of local entertainers and personalities.

"What is also interesting is that this is first time the Mayor has been allowed, in a sense, to have a fund-raiser on the Strip," Ferrence said. "He is in everyone's good graces these days."

As of now, Goodman has no opposition in his re-election race this spring.

At this rate, he won't get any.

VeagsBeat got a call Friday from "60 Minutes" reporter Steve Kroft, who is in Las Vegas this weekend. I used work with his wife, Vanity Fair contributor Jennet Conant.

Kroft is in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show, to give a speech to benefit an education charity and to film an upcoming "60 Minutes" segment on the adult video convention that just wrapped up at The Venetian.

There are rumblings of life at the Stardust.

It just signed Louie Louie, a high-energy rock act, to perform at 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night in the Wayne Newton Theater. Louie Louie starts Jan. 24.

Best part is that locals can get in for just $9.95.

Ben Affleck is coming back to Las Vegas on April 3.

Affleck, Stephen Baldwin and Cigar Smoker magazine publisher Jonathan Scott are co-hosting a charity golf tournament at the Bali Hai Golf Club on the Strip.

The tournament will benefit the Several Sources Foundation; tourney chairman Jim Ednie said proceeds from the event will go to building homeless shelters in four Nevada counties.

Others expected to hit the links: Will Smith, Matt Damon, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, Mike Ditka, Kevin Costner and Joe Mantegna.

Don't know if Jennifer Lopez is a golfer.

Hey, Stephen Sorrentino, our fingers are crossed for you.

The Las Vegas funnyman is in New York this week to audition for leading roles in touring productions of "Hairspray" and "The Producers," the two hottest shows on The Great White Way.

"I have no problem dressing in drag for the Harvey Fierstein role (in "Hairspray")," said Sorrentino, one of the world's leading Elton John impersonators.

"But shaving my knuckles every morning is such a hassle."