VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Moore-Ashton pairing ends in TI

Monday, July 14, 2003 | 10:19 a.m.

Coolness achieved.

And it sure didn't take long for the suddenly hot TI, the former kiddie-friendly casino known as Treasure Island that is making an accelerated push to join Celebrity Nation.

Just minutes after the conclusion of an event at Siren's Cove (the former Buccaneer Bay) in front of the hotel introducing the underdressed contestants for the racy new "Sirens of TI" show, VegasBeat literally ran into (OK, walked into) the world's hottest celebrity couple, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, at a private party at the TI's tropics-themed bar, Kahunaville.

They were sitting at a dark table in the front room among other patrons who were oblivious to the stars in their midst.

Security was nearby, but not close enough to draw attention to the couple. The 25-year-old Kutcher sported a red T-shirt and one of his familiar trucker-style mesh baseball caps. The 40-year-old Moore wore a black top and dark, snug-fitting slacks.

She appeared to be drinking bottled water, he a bottle of beer. For the hour or so they were there -- they left about 12:15 a.m. -- they were totally engrossed in each other, whispering in each other's ears, she sometimes sliding on to his lap for a smooch.

Coincidentally, Moore's ex was also in town over the weekend. Bruce Willis' band, The Accelerators, played earlier Friday evening at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

Moore and Kutcher attended the Kahunaville event in part because it was not open to the public. The party featured mainly hotel high-rollers and the potential Sirens in their Alexander McQueen outfits.

VegasBeat attended as the guest of Kenny Ortega, the Emmy Award-winning producer, director and choreographer who is creating not only the new Sirens show, but Gloria Estefan's multimedia extravaganza playing at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in October.

Earlier in the evening, as Willis was performing, Moore and Kutcher were at Bellagio attending a performance of "O."

Art of the deal

A good sign for the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum at The Venetian: it is finally going to replace Barbara Bloemink, the director who decamped for New York's Cooper-Hewitt museum last fall.

The Guggenheim Foundation today announced UNLV faculty member and longtime gallery educator Elizabeth Herridge has been appointed as the museum's new director.

All night

Rock 'n' roll overflow.

The Hard Rock Hotel has already booked Elvis Costello at The Joint Friday night. Now, also Friday night, it is hosting Macy Gray and the supergroup Camp Freddy -- Dave Navarro (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Billy Morrison, (The Cult), Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses), Scott Ford and Donovan Leitch -- on a makeshift stage by the hotel pool.

The last time the group played Vegas -- at the opening of Sapphire -- Slash and Duff McKagen came onstage and a GN'R reunion broke out.

"X"-ed out

"X" show star and Playboy's Miss August 1999, Rebecca Scott, is out.

She collapsed onstage last week, apparently after partying too hard during the day. Producers gave her another chance -- and she did the same thing the very next day, so she got the boot.

Scott, who confirmed that series of events to VegasBeat, later apologized to the cast and crew. And she seemed fully recovered and in good spirits when we saw former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee flirting with her at casino host Jimmy Tipton's Naughty Nighty Nite party at the Palms pool Saturday night.

The spectacularly decadent event was lingerie optional, but most of the female guests chose to exercise that particular option, making the event seem like a Victoria's Secret catalog -- and every adolescent male's fantasy -- come to life.

Also at the party: Playboy's Miss August 2003 and Las Vegas veterinarian Colleen Marie and, of course, Robin Leach.

Meanwhile, replacing Scott in the monthly rotating lineup in "X" for the rest of July is Playboy lingerie model Stacey Linde. Vegas resident and Playboy Cyber Girl video star Amy Miller takes over in August and Miss May 1996, Shauna Sands-Lamas (Lorenzo Lamas' ex-wife and also a Vegas resident) assumes the role in September.

Viva Vegas

A big announcement is scheduled for this week on something called CarnaVe 2003. Organizers say it will be a new annual event catering to the burgeoning Hispanic tourism market in Las Vegas.

What the organizers say is a "world-class celebration" of Latin music and culture is slated for the weekend of Sept. 12 and backers expect such guests as Oscar De La Hoya (who is fighting in Las Vegas that weekend), Daisy Fuentes and Edward James Olmos.

Also, the big MesoAmerica International beauty pageant will be moved to Vegas, probably to The Venetian Showroom, as part of the festival.

Oscar, Oscar

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was his typical bombastic self in an interview with Philadelphia magazine.

Regarding those who didn't cast votes for him when he ran for reelection: "I will hunt them down like the Simon Wiesenthal of voters."

The "only difference" between himself and George Washington: "Washington didn't want to be king."

And, "I could not live without Bombay Sapphire. As part of my Atkins diet, I drink a bottle of gin a night."

He didn't say what size.

Goodman once practiced law in the City of Brotherly Love. The interview appears in the mag's July issue.

VegasBits

Zoom: Legendary auto racing figure Andy Granatelli went backstage at Paris Las Vegas on Friday night to offer hearty congratulations to Dennis Miller and his opening act, Vegas resident Stephen Sorrentino ...

Boom: Ed McMahon and son Jeff among the ringside faces at The Orleans Arena on Saturday night watching Ricardo Mayorga defend his WBC/WBA welterweight crown against Vernon Forrest. Friday night McMahon took in "X" and went backstage afterward to tell the girls it was a "four-star performance" ...

Room: There was a large photo in the New York Times Sunday travel section of the Stratosphere -- and its Top of the World eatery -- to accompany a story about revolving restaurants ...

Kaboom: A new A&E spy series, "MI-5" -- the Brit version of the CIA -- gets a gala premiere tonight at Madame Tussaud's at The Venetian. The show premieres July 22 ...

Hot, hot, hot: Driving home from the Palms at 1:02 a.m. Sunday, the dashboard thermometer read .... 102 degrees. Hot town, summer in the city.

From Sun wires

The economics of television advertising discriminate against black-oriented shows and those who work on them, says actor-comedian Steve Harvey.

Advertisers pay less for such programs even when the ratings equal or exceed those of other shows, Harvey told a meeting of the Television Critics Association on Sunday.

The result is, "African-Americans don't get to make what they deserve to make when they have a hit show," Harvey said, appearing before TV critics to promote his WB fall series, "Steve Harvey's Big Time."

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