VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: A real tip-off: Stern scouting Las Vegas

Friday, Jan. 31, 2003 | 9:30 a.m.

VegasBeat appears Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the Sun.Timothy McDarrah can be reached at tim@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-4096.

"Hello, Oscar? It's me, David Stern."

We weren't lucky enough to actually eavesdrop when Stern, the commissioner of the National Basketball Association, called Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman a few days ago.

But it must have been quite a chat.

Seems that in the wake of Stern's decision to award ownership of the WNBA expansion team Connecticut Sun to the Mohegun Sun Indian casino (the team will play at the casino, too), Stern called Goodman to discuss a women's pro team coming to Las Vegas.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said he was unaware of the specific conversation, but did acknowledge that Stern knows Goodman's number.

In 1999 Goodman met with Stern in New York, and they also huddled in Las Vegas in January 2001 at the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association show.

Goodman has also met with some pro owners, including reps from the Vancouver Grizzlies -- just before the team moved to Memphis, Tenn. -- about a team moving to Las Vegas.

The issue of a pro team coming to Vegas -- but not Stern's phone call -- was also addressed Thursday in a sports column in The New York Times, which specifically mentioned the 61 vacant downtown acres as a possible site for a new arena.

Also in Thursday's Times, the front page of its Home section had a big illustrated feature on the 2003 International Builders' Show that just wrapped at Sands Expo & Convention Center.

"Whoever made the executive decision to stage the builders' show in Las Vegas is something of a wit, or a genius," William E. Hamilton wrote.

"On the Strip, The Venetian canals, the Eiffel Tower, the volcanoes and the pyramids were not that dissimilar from the synthetic English-style moldings, the Tuscan-style flagstones and the French-style paneling that crowded the aisles inside the Convention Center, cheek by jowel with insulation and house wrap.

"Las Vegas is the nation's weirdest construction site, and the new American home is not far behind."

Fly, Robin

Las Vegas resident Robin Leach isn't going anywhere yet, but ABC had a goodbye party for him anyway up at ghostbar Wednesday night.

The faux farewell was filmed for broadcast on Feb. 19, the first night of the new reality-survival series "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!"

For 15 consecutive prime-time broadcasts, Leach and Melissa Rivers, Howard Stern sidekick "Stuttering John" Menendez, Alana Stewart, Tyson Beckford, onetime MTV personality "Downtown" Julie Brown and Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner will be wandering the Australian outback, looking for food and trying to, well, survive.

Each night of the broadcasts, ghostbar will be featured in the opening credits -- some pretty good exposure for George Maloof's Palms. Again.

Leach and companions don't actually leave the United States until Feb. 15.

ABC filmed such local personalities as Charo, the Scintas, former Beach Boys keyboard man Billy Hinsche, Spago's Tom Kaplan and Chef David Robins, Rita Rudner, Michael Boychuck of Canyon Ranch Spa, a bevy of Coyote Ugly girls, several of the "Crazy Girls" and a local gossip columnist (yours truly) all sending Leach off.

The show's winner is awarded $500,000 to donate to his or her favorite charity.

Leach said he'd donate half to the Lou Ruvo Alzheimer's Care Facility in Las Vegas, and the rest to Meals on Wheels in New York, where he sits on the board of directors. Leach said he's also working to get a Meals organization in place for Las Vegas.

Greaski

Continuing the tradition started by Aussie Olivia Newton-John of a foreign-born performer playing all-American girl Sandra Dee (Dumbrowski) in "Grease," we bring you Hanna-Liina Vosa.

She is a native Estonian.

The production of "Grease" at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts is her American stage debut.

Newton-John is actually coming to town, but after "Grease" ends its limited run on Feb. 2.

John Travolta's onetime "Grease" co-star performs with a 20-piece orchestra at Paris Las Vegas from Feb. 20 through Feb. 23.

Stored up

Couple of hot store openings and events at the Forum Shops at Caesars.

M.A.C. (Make-up Art Cosmetics) throws its doors open today, and is having a private party tonight.

The company will present a $15,000 donation to Golden Rainbow, a Las Vegas volunteer agency that provides affordable housing and direct financial assistance to individuals and families with HIV/AIDS.

Also tonight Celine Dion appears at a private event at Terrazza, an Italian restaurant at Forum Shops, to introduce Celine Dion Parfums, a new fragarance from Coty Beauty.

Then on Monday the long-awaited Roberto Cavalli Boutique opens for business in the Forum Shops with a champagne party.

Sourced

Want to see a gossip column come to life? Spend an evening at the bar at Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Dinnertime voyeurs this week would have seen Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin, George Clooney, Michael Jordan's former Chicago Bulls teammate Ron Harper, Montecristo Rum's Tim Haughinberry, William Morris agent and Hollywood player Brian Dubin, actress Meg Ryan and a large posse of X-treme athletes and product manufacturers, including Robert Earl and Tony Hawk, who were in town for the SIA/Burton Snowboards show.

VegasBits

Former "Beverly Hillbillies" star Max Baer Jr. will be appearing tonight at 6 p.m. at the Cannery, the new North Las Vegas hotel and casino. The onetime Jethro Bodine will be signing autographs and posing for photos with fans to help promote a new slot machine based on the classic '60s sitcom ...

The Tiger Woods Foundation has announced that Bon Jovi will headline Tiger Jam VI April 19 at Mandalay Bay Events Center. The annual charity event raises big bucks for Las Vegas and Los Angeles charities. Tickets go on sale Saturday ...

Among those picking up their In Business Deal of the Year Awards at Chinos Thursday night: restaurateur Mario Maccioni, The Rouse Co. exec Rita Brandin, Majestic Realty veep Rodman Martin, Tim Snow of the Thomas & Mack Development Group and Christina Rousch of CB Richard Ellis' private client group ...

Wayne Brady has committed to hosting the "Red Bull Center Stage Talent Show" at the Monte Carlo's Lance Burton Theatre on Feb. 24. The show features local servers and bartenders singing, dancing, performing magic and stand-up comedy. Brady returns to Paris Las Vegas over the Fourth of July weekend ...

Listen up! VegasBeat makes our regular Friday radio appearance on KNUU 970-AM (K-NEWS) today at 4:10 p.m.