Friday, March 28, 2003 | 10:15 a.m.
There is no formal Social Register for Las Vegas.
But a good jumping-off point would be the guest list for tonight's engagement dinner for one of Las Vegas' true power couples, Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla.
The exclusive private event is being tossed by Blau's cousin Stephanie Kramer. Her husband, Ron Kramer, is the president of Wynn Resorts.
The locale is Victor Drai's eponymous restaurant.
Of course Steve and Elaine Wynn are expected, along with a large Le Reve contingent including Don Marrandino and his wife, Carol, Becca and Kevin Stuessi, Grant MacPherson and Tom Cook.
Others on the gilded guest list include Bob Arum and wife Lovee, Susan and Irwin Molasky, Hard Rock President Kevin Kelley and wife Terry, Caesars President Mark Juliano and wife Jackie, Roy Hillis from the Stirling Club, Lisa Hoyt, Andrew Sasson, and Marc Schorr and wife Jane.
Le Cirque's Lauren and Mario Maccione are also invited, as are Josh and Meital Grantz, Margo Rogich and Renoir's Alex Stratta.
Each of the 79 guests will get to keep the crystal picture frame that is serving as their place card at the dinner.
Proud parents Lynn and Jeffrey Blau made the trip from Massachusetts for the special event; the marriage is in the Berkshires in June.
The bride-to-be runs a Las Vegas-based international restaurant consulting business and is a partner in Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel.
Canteenwalla was until recently the executive chef at the MGM Grand.
For real
For a town that is not exactly dripping with reality, reality television shows have had a tremendous presence lately in Las Vegas.
In the last week crews -- and stars -- from "The Bachelorette," "The Bachelor" and "Married By America" have been spotted at The Rio, Aladdin, the Hard Rock Hotel and the Riviera.
The episode of "Fear Factor" that was filmed in Vegas last fall was broadcast a few weeks ago and replayed last week, along with some bonus footage of how the show was put together.
On Wednesday "Joe Millionaire" finalist Melissa Jo called VEGAS.com's 1-866-80-Shows hotline.
She asked to secure her free admission this weekend to the clubs ibiza USA and Rain in the Desert.
The operator politely refused, and says that MoJo, as she was nicknamed on the Fox show, quickly turned belligerent, pulling the familiar and fetid "Don't you know who I am?" routine.
Finally, next Tuesday most of the cast of "Real World Las Vegas" returns to the Palms to watch the season finale on MTV.
Stub no more
The days of ticket stubs are about to end. New bar-code technology -- which aims to prevent counterfitting and the reusing of a ticket if an usher doesn't rip it in half -- is being used with tickets for Celine's show.
(As if a day would go by without a Celine item!)
Patrons hand their tickets to a person who scans it with a laser beam, just like when you are buying groceries at the supermarket.
Kind words
He's gone, but not forgotten.
Michele LaFong, who opens for Jackie Mason at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre Thursday through April 9, quotes late Sun entertainment writer Joe Delaney in her new promotional material.
"Her bread-and-butter closer is a tour de force of ventriloquism tricks ... multiple voices, voices from various distances ... heavy stuff" Delaney once wrote of LaFong.
Delaney died last summer at age 80. He had been a Las Vegas Sun writer since 1967.
LaFong said this week: "Joe was a wonderful, wonderful person. I know he is still missed."
Spinnin'
One of the world's most famous nightclub disc jockeys, Junior Vasquez, was scheduled to spin Thursday night at Studio 54 inside MGM Grand as part of the nightclub and beverage show.
Vasquez (real name: Donald Mattern) was a co-founder of the Sound Factory, one of New York's hottest spots in the 1980s.
His mixing skills led to gigs with Madonna, Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper and the Pet Shop Boys, among others.
Conan heads to LV
Talk show host Conan O'Brien arrives in Las Vegas early today to host the Christopher Reeve Foundation benefit this evening at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Before he left, he told VegasBeat that he had booked the critically acclaimed band the White Stripes as a musical guest on his show for four consecutive nights starting April 22.
"It is exciting to have a band as creative and relevant as the White Stripes at 'Late Night' for a whole week," O'Brien said via e-mail. "In fact, they're staying at my apartment."
VegasBits
"Karate Kid" star Pat Morita celebrated his ninth wedding anniversary with Evelyn Guerrero at Buddha Bar inside the Palms on Wednesday night. Robin Leach and local magazine publisher Michael Politz, who were a table away, sent over a bottle of champagne ...
An editorial cartoon about the war by the Sun's Mike Smith was featured on CNN Thursday ...
The women from the "X" show at Aladdin are featured in the current edition of Gene Simmons' Tongue magazine...
Siegfried & Roy are holding tryouts Saturday afternoon for dancers for their long-running Mirage show. Auditioners are asked not to wear black legwear. Maybe it upsets the tigers? ...
Kansas City Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil, spotted while sitting by his lonesome at the Spago bar Thursday night, devoured an entire salmon pizza ...
Among the faces at the opening party of the new restaurant and club Ah Sin and Risque at Paris Las Vegas on Thursday night: KVBC Channel 3 reporter Ben Correa, Monica Martarano of the hot new restaurant Panevino, Leach, Las Vegas magazine editor David Tyde and Tabacalera Perdomo cigar exec Michael Argenti.
From Sun wires
Appearing in court for the first time since he was allowed to post bail March 14, a healthier-looking Robert Blake pleaded innocent to murdering his wife and waived his right to a speedy trial until October, when proceedings are likely to begin.
The star of the old "Baretta" TV detective series told reporters he has gained about 12 pounds and has been sleeping a great deal.
"I want to thank Judge (Lloyd) Nash for saving my life," Blake said of the Los Angeles judge who granted him release on $1.5 million bail and ordered him to trial. He is confined to his residence with electronic monitoring.
The road not taken: Filmmaker Michael Moore said he almost decided not to turn his Oscar acceptance speech into a political statement.
"The thought crossed my mind that the easy way ... would be to soak up the love," Moore told about 1,000 students at the University of Rochester's Strong Auditorium in New York on Wednesday.
"I would have ridden the high right out of the building to the Vanity Fair party," he said. "The other voice (in my head) says, 'No, you have a responsibility. People are dying, and they're dying in your name.' "
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