VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Celine’s guests called to the (red) carpet

Friday, March 21, 2003 | 10:42 a.m.

It might be muted, but it will still be something.

The famous faces are still coming to Las Vegas on Tuesday for the premiere of Celine Dion's "A New Day."

"The hoopla will be determined by the attendance, and Celine is very much looking forward to Tuesday night," Dragone spokeswoman Jennifer Dunne told VegasBeat.

"The show will go on, and the red carpet will be rolled out."

Several celebs have canceled on the Oscars on Sunday in Los Angeles, but none have yet taken Celine off their calendar.

According to an executive at Golin/Harris, the Los Angeles firm helping to coordinate opening-night activities, among those who said Thursday that they would not be scared off by war or terrorism fears include Dick Clark, Lance Bass, Tim Allen, Barry Manilow, Suzanne Somers and Alan Thicke.

Scores of local entertainers, ranging from Danny Gans to Phyllis McGuire, are also set to attend.

As VegasBeat reported Thursday, the post-show reception has been called off, "in keeping with the tonality of world events," said Park Place spokesman Michael Coldwell -- but it will likely be rescheduled. No date has been set.

Park Place wants to celebrate Celine and the show, but is waiting for world events to change.

"It is inappropriate to do an event like that at the current time," Dunne added.

Also, Wolfgang Puck told VegasBeat Thursday that there will be no hot dogs on the concession stand menus inside The Colosseum. The chef said he'd received the catering contract to feed fans inside Celine's new theater. The menu will lean more toward sushi and white wine rather than Cheetos and Budweiser.

In other Diva Las Vegas news, she was scheduled to receive the 2,221st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today at a ceremony in front of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel at 11:30 a.m. But Celine called it off.

"I do not feel it is appropriate at this time to celebrate this milestone in my career when we are on the brink of war," she said in a statement issued moments before the war started Wednesday night. "My thoughts and prayers are with the men, women and children who are involved in this at home and overseas."

Continuing our 24/7 Celine coverage, the first shipments of Celine's new fragrance, Celine Dion Parfums, arrives in stores today.

Such retailers as J.C. Penney and Sears are featuring the eau de toilette, body gel and lotion.

The stuff goes for a lot less then her concert tickets; the eau de toilette sells for $20 to $44 -- depending on size -- and tubes of the other products are $12.50 each.

The beauty products go on sale Tuesday, the same day that "A New Day" opens and her new disc "One Heart" is released.

Meanwhile the New York Daily News reported about Celine on Thursday, noting the size of her Caesars dressing room, which at 2,600 square feet, they said was "the size of a house."

The item also noted all the amenities in the dressing room, such as a massage room, an office for her husband and manager, Rene Angelil, and several Sony plasma televisions.

Finally, Thursday was Theresa Dion's birthday -- she's Celine's mom.

We were too polite to ask how old.

Wild and crazy

"Jackass" indeed.

Anyone who can parlay idiotic frat stunts into big business ain't that dumb in my book.

Some would say the combination of stupidity, randomness and calculated inspiration performed by Steve-O is nothing short of brilliant.

Decide for yourself at the Beach on Saturday night when Steve-O (real name: Stephen Glover) brings his "Don't Try This at Home World Tour" to Vegas.

The demented stage show at the Paradise Road club starts at 9 p.m. The tour is in support of his new DVD "The Steve-O Video, Vol. 2," which is a string of clips that make the viewer repeatedly flinch.

Glassed up

The "flair" bartending phenomena -- made famous by Tom Cruise in "Cocktail"-- has grown into a competitive sport.

The fifth annual Flair Off takes place at the Aladdin on Monday and Tuesday.

Contestants include three-time champ Ken Hall, defending champ Christian Delpech and 100 other competitors from 15 countries.

More than $20,000 in prize money is up for grabs.

The event is a peripheral attraction to a bartenders and nightclub convention in town next week. Also as part of the convention, rocker Sammy Hagar is playing a private show at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Tuesday night.

Do Hickey

The April edition of Harper's magazine features an article about 16th century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, written by University of Nevada, Las Vegas prof Dave Hickey.

Hickey, a 2001 MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" winner, is also giving a lecture Wednesday as part of UNLV's Klai Juba architecture series.

He and his wife, UNLV art professor Libby Lumpkin, are still at odds with the university about its decision to bump her from the tenure track, which VegasBeat originally reported on last month.

But obviously the couple are plowing ahead.

In tune

The Arnold Shaw Popular Music Research Center at UNLV is tossing a spectacular 80th birthday party for a true jazz legend: Johnny Pate.

The March 30 event will feature performances by Monty Alexander, Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, Shirley Horn, Harvey Mason, James Moody, Marlena Shaw and Phil Woods.

The concert will be recorded and released on the TNC Jazz label on Pate's birthday, Dec. 5.

For many years Pate led a trio who served as the house band at Chicago's Blue Note, where he played with such icons as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn.

From Sun wires

Anthony Michael Hall, who stars in the television series "The Dead Zone," is being sued for more than $612,000 by the show's insurer, which says he failed to disclose a mental illness.

In the negligent misrepresentation lawsuit, Chubb Insurance claims production of the series in Vancouver, British Columbia, was disrupted when Hall was admitted to St. Paul's Hospital on May 11, 2001, following an episode of "bipolar affective disorder depression with psychotic features."

Hall had stopped taking his prescribed medication for the illness, previously known as manic depression, according to the court filing.

Lawyers said Hall would respond to the lawsuit. No trial date has been set.

Getting with the program: Liza Minnelli has entered a "self-help" program at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in rural Pennsylvania, her publicist said.

Minnelli's visit to the Caron Foundation, set in a former resort hotel in bucolic Wernersville, is routine, Warren Cowan & Associates said.

Minnelli has spoken openly about being addicted to alcohol and painkillers and about her past stints in rehabilitation programs.

To catch a (dress) thief: Angelina Jolie was left frockless for Sunday's Academy Awards after the gown she'd planned to wear was stolen from the car of British designer Scott Henshall.

The $4,700 gown was among seven dresses, jewelry and accessories worth a total of $62,400 that were snatched from the back of the designer's convertible in London's Knightsbridge district Wednesday, spokesman Paul Bhari said.

Jolie's outfit was a body-hugging, red corset dress decorated with cherubs. Also stolen was a sequined minidress destined for hotel heiress Paris Hilton.

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