VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Martin and Lewis make headline news

Wednesday, July 30, 2003 | 10:55 a.m.

Will lightning strike twice?

Martin and Lewis will be performing together again in Las Vegas.

Dino's kid Ricci Martin and Gary Lewis -- Jerry Lewis' oldest son -- have been signed to play the Suncoast the weekend of Sept. 20, with an eye to them being part of the casino's rotation of headliners.

The pair appeared together for the first time at an Italian festival in Buffalo, N.Y., earlier this month. It was the first time a Martin and a Lewis had played together since the original duo broke up in 1956.

For the Vegas engagement, Martin will open with his Dean Martin tribute show, and Lewis and the Playboys will close.

Both will play 45-minute sets, and then Martin and Lewis will appear together to perform numbers their fathers used to do.

The famous offspring had never even met before this month.

"Actually, we have all become fast friends," said Martin, who turns 50 the weekend of the shows.

"Everyone in both groups just hit it off. We have a lot of common experiences," added Martin's musical director Billy Hinsche, who was in the '60s group Dino, Desi and Billy with Ricci's older brother, Dean Jr., and Desi Arnaz Jr. Hinsche was also a longtime member of the Beach Boys.

Lewis turns 57 Thursday. He was spending some quality birthday time with his father aboard dad's yacht in San Diego and was not immediately reachable.

Prime Vegas

The ABC newsmagazine show "PrimeTime Live" is preparing some segments on Las Vegas.

Producers are now speaking to local authorities, ranging from award-winning Las Vegas Sun columnist Jeff German to casino mogul Steve Wynn.

The season's first show, which will compare nocturnal activities in several locales to those in Vegas, debuts Sept. 8 after "Monday Night Football" (or before the telecast on the East Coast) on Channel 13.

Other segments will feature the Binion murder case, poker tournaments and adult entertainment.

Oh, Henry

"Fame" finalist Serena Henry of Henderson made her professional debut in David Saxe's "V -- The Ultimate Variety Show" at The Venetian on Tuesday night.

The night before, she was feted by a nice crowd at the M&M Soul Food restaurant on South Jones Boulevard, and sang some songs for the group. The assembled audience included Las Vegas Councilman Lawrence Weekly, Bubba Knight, Clint Holmes, Michael Crowley, the former Aladdin entertainment director who gave Serena one of her first gigs at the Blue Note Las Vegas, and Serena's mom, Gem Wiltshire, the national director of John Robert Powers Las Vegas, an acting and talent school.

Ice cool

The new club Ice is set to finally open its doors next week, but one of its creators won't be there.

Popular Vegas party promoter and DJ Michael Fuller, who helped make the Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay such a cool destination, was brought in to help bring the same pre-opening buzz to Ice, which he did. Now he is out. He said the reason was the old "creative differences" thing.

A few hundred of Fuller's nearest and dearest joined him at Light on Sunday night to wish him well. The guy can certainly draw a crowd.

A press release issued by the club quoted unnamed "Ice management" as saying that there would not be a replacement for Fuller in his creative director role, and that former Rain and House of Blues DJ Robert Oleysyck would take over his spinning duties.

Stage right

The current edition of the local entertainment tab Call Back is positively bursting with casting and audition calls for quality productions.

First, there is an open call Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 for every role in the Las Vegas production of "Mamma Mia!" at Mandalay Bay. A spokesman said that simply meant the production is looking for performers to serve as understudies and fill in as cast members go on vacation or move on to other productions.

There are also calls for "Tony n' Tina's Wedding" at The Rio, go-go dancers at Studio 54 and a "Major Event Spectacular" at Sam Boyd Stadium in September, probably a football halftime show.

VegasBits

Lawrence of Vegas: Controversial comic and "Bad Boys II" star Martin Lawrence and a large entourage enjoyed Wayne Newton's show at the Stardust on Monday night.

Bet on it: Jay-Z was spotted late Sunday night at Bellagio's high-stakes blackjack tables after the "Roc the Mic" show at the Thomas & Mack Center ...

Host: "Taste of Vegas" publisher John R. Bonds has signed a long-term deal to host an 11 a.m. Saturday food, nightlife and travel talk show on KSFN 1140-AM. One of his regulars will be Bellagio mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim, who just returned to Vegas after winning the prestigious Bacardi Martini Grand Prix competition in Italy ...

Recording: The DVD "Carrot Top Rocks Vegas" hits stores nationwide in September. The comedy disc was recorded during his shows earlier this year at the MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre ...

Booked: Now we know why Bob Dylan was so mysteriously taking notes before and after his show at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel in October: He is writing his autobiography. The first of a planned three-volume work called "Chronicles" is due from Simon & Schuster in 2005.

Small screen: As we reported in June, "Will & Grace" star Sean Hayes went to see Celine Dion on his birthday. Now we hear she has accepted his offer to make a guest appearance on the highly rated NBC comedy next season.

Local girl: Las Vegas resident and pop singer Pink is being considered as the next James Bond girl, according to Britain's Sky News. She'll also be the Queen of Ceremonies at the Palms' "Pimp 'N Ho" party over Labor Day weekend ...

From Sun wires

With TV's Jerry Springer set to decide within days whether to run for Senate, the prospect of his candidacy Tuesday drew snorts, chuckles, groans and eye rolls from the very group he wants to join: Democratic senators.

"Lord help us," said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. "He's an American citizen, and he has the right to run. But all I can tell you is if our politics have deteriorated to that level, Lord help us all."

"I think it's a mistake," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. "To go from the show to the highest legislative elected office in the country is a very big jump."

Springer, 59, who is vacationing in Italy this week, won't make his final decision for several days.

JFK boxers on display: For three brief days, Dublin has an unlikely new tourist attraction -- a pair of John F. Kennedy's boxer shorts.

The white cotton underwear, dating from Kennedy's early career as a U.S. naval officer in World War II, went on display Tuesday in the window of a central Dublin, Ireland, menswear shop.

Paul Allen, an Irish admirer of Kennedy's, purchased the shorts for $5,000 at an auction last week.

archive