Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Rain flooded with celebs for VEGAS party

VegasBeat appears Sunday through Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Timothy McDarrah can be reached at [email protected] or at (702) 259-4096.

Believe the hype. VEGAS Magazine delivered.

"This is the best party I have been to in a long time -- and I go to a lot of parties," socialite Paris Hilton told VegasBeat.

The new nationally distributed glossy had its launch party at the Palms Thursday night; the event was like a room full of party pictures come to life.

You know, those glossy snapshots of fabulous people, all glamorously dressed, drinking exotic beverages, looking like they don't have a care in the world?

Even Pamela Anderson was looking relaxed. She came with a close friend, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) honcho Dan Mathews, not Tommy Lee or Kid Rock.

"The last time you were in Las Vegas, you drove out to the middle of the desert and got engaged," Robin Leach said to Anderson on the red carpet.

She hemmed and hawed and finally said that she and Kid Rock are officially "over."

"We remain good friends, but we have two different lives right now. I am with my kids and I couldn't be happier," she said.

Anderson left the party promptly at 11 p.m. to go up to her room and watch the premiere of "Striperella" -- the new animated TNN show where she voices the main character.

"We were going to have a viewing party at Club Paradise, but when I called them they said they didn't have a TV to watch it on," Anderson said.

Before she left, Anderson received a $10,000 check made out to PETA from VEGAS Magazine co-publisher Jerry Powers. Powers often donates ad space to PETA in his other magazine, Miami Beach's Ocean Drive.

Disclosure time: VEGAS Magazine is also published by Michael T. Carr and the Greenspun Media Group, whose many properties include this newspaper. But there is no question that a new national magazine coming to Las Vegas is news -- especially with the star power this party had.

"Stars? Are there any stars here?" said a delightfully humble Colin Hanks (yes, his dad is Tom Hanks). The young actor was just named by People magazine as one of the nation's 25 hottest bachelors.

"Stars? I haven't seen any good ones yet," said Wilmer Valderrama, a star of "That '70s Show."

He displayed a magnificent ability to not answer questions about his co-star Ashton Kutcher and Kutcher's new girlfriend, Demi Moore, no matter how many different ways it was phrased.

"The drinks! The girls! Look at this place! I may be six feet under by the time this party is over," cracked Matthew St. Patrick, star of the smash hit HBO series, "Six Feet Under."

At 10 p.m. sharp, the inside portion of the party, at the nightclub Rain in the Desert, ended, and everyone moved outside to the Skin Pool Lounge.

Palms owner George Maloof was a gracious host, taking an up-close-and-personal interest in guests like Carmen Electra and Daisy Fuentes.

"The Green Mile" star Michael Clarke Duncan and former UNLV and NBA star Reggie Theus discussed the NBA draft, which had taken place earlier.

Among the Vegas denizens we spotted were Wynn Las Vegas execs Don Marrandino and Kevin Steussi. We tried to ask them about a report in the upcoming US Weekly that Madonna has been offered a gig as a headliner at the new casino.

But they said Steve Wynn had placed a "gag order" on his people regarding talking to the media. So we'll have to ask Madonna next time we see her.

Also making their way through the packed house: Siegfried; Spago's Tom Kaplan; new Planet Hollywood honcho Mike Mecca; Jennifer Dunne from Dragone Productions; Beach Boy Billy Hinsche; producers Angela Sampras and Bobby Boling and their "X" girls (who are featured in the magazine); Kris Lingle from Concerts West and "A New Day..."; Brad Brennan from Commander's Palace, Chef Kerry Simon, Monti Rock III, Aureole wine maven Andrew Bradbury , and several power social couples, including Gianni Orland Buchanan and James "Bucky" Buchanan and Josh and Meital Grantz.

The cast of "Chippendales" also was there, as was restaurateur Bradley Ogden, power player and deal maker Bernie Yuman; Kenny Ortega, who is putting together the new "Sirens of TI" show at Treasure Island; and state Transportation Services Commissioner Kimberly Maxson-Rushton (her father is former UNLV prez Robert Maxson -- known as the guy who ran Jerry Tarkanian out of the Rebel program).

There was also an impressive Miami contingent in the house, including fourth generation Joe's Stone Crab restaurant owner Stephen Sawitz, legendary South Beach promoter Tommy "Pooch" Puccio; photographer Keith Lander and a line of Florida media there to interview publisher Powers and his new Vegas partners.

"I love Las Vegas," Powers said. "It is a very, very different place than Miami, and I love both of them.

"I mean, look around at this place, all the people here tonight and everything there is to do in this town. It is perfect, and VEGAS Magazine is the perfect vehicle to let the country know what an amazing place Las Vegas is."

VEGAS, baby. Believe the hype.

VegasBits

Champ: David Robinson of the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs and 12 members of his family had lunch Thursday at Wolfgang Puck's Chinois restaurant inside the Forum Shops at Caesars ...

Ultra dirrty: Christina Aguilera partied until the wee hours at Tabu after her MGM Grand concert the other night ...

Family ties: Today is Jeanteil' Jackson's last day at PR Plus, a leading Las Vegas entertainment publicity firm. Jackson starts working next week with her grandmother, Flamingo Las Vegas headliner and Grammy winner Gladys Knight ...

Back in action: Charo plans a July 8 announcement regarding her future at Sevilla. We hear she'll return to the stage there in a joint deal with M&H Building Specialties. Charo and M&H are each suing the bankrupt Desert Passage facility, and plan is for the suits to be settled by the time she returns to the stage.

Video star: Andy Kaye, co-host of the KOMP 92.3-FM morning show, heads to New York today to film an episode of "The Sopranos." He'll play a truck driver who works for the Bada-Bing club ...

Fab one: Ringo Starr and His All Star Band play The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Aug. 30. The current All Star lineup includes Colin Hay (Men at Work), John Waite (Bad English), Paul Carrack (Squeeze), Mark Rivera and Shiela E. The Joint has also added John Mellencamp to its calendar for July 25.

From Sun wires

Five days after the release of the fifth book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," J.K. Rowling arrived at Royal Albert Hallin London on Thursday for what her publicists billed as her only scheduled public event to discuss the book with fans.

With 4,000 young people packing a hall and with untold millions logging in for a live webcast, Rowling used the spell of Internet technology to top history's biggest book release with its biggest book reading, after fielding a series of choreographed questions.

"Do you believe in magic?" The question came in a chorus from pupils at the Korean International School in Hong Kong.

"I'm sorry to say this, but I don't believe in magic in the way it appears in the book," Rowling replied, to groans from an audience chosen mostly by lottery from British schools.

archive