Friday, Oct. 10, 2003 | 10:50 a.m.
VegasBeat appears Sunday through Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Timothy McDarrah can be reached at [email protected] or at (702) 259-4096.
In this corner, Nancy Sinatra. In that corner, U2 frontman Bono.
Stuck in the middle: George Bugatti, the headlining piano man at the Ritz-Carlton in Lake LasVegas.
Seems that Bugatti and Sinatra have recorded versions of "Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad," a song Bono wrote for Frank Sinatra.
But only Bugatti had permission to cover the tune. It appears on his new CD, "A Night for Romance," which was produced by "American Idol" and longtime Andrew Lloyd Webber producer Nigel Wright.
Bono originally shared the song with Frank Sinatra, just before Ol' Blue Eyes passed away, and more recently offered it to Bugatti, whom he knew first professionally and later personally.
According to British news reports, Bono was upset when he heard the song was now being recorded for an upcoming album by Nancy Sinatra. And he became angrier still when he learned Sinatra had added and changed some words to the song.
The first time he heard of the new version was apparently after Sinatra performed it in July at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.
According to the London Sunday Mirror, Bono's lawyers have contacted Sinatra and told her to cease and desist.
"I really love George's version -- in fact, I have actually been listening to the CD in my car," U2 manager Paul McGuinness told VegasBeat after confirming U2 lawyers had contacted Sinatra.
Bugatti simply told us he was honored Bono allowed him to record the tune.
Calls to Sinatra's Los Angeles-based rep were not immediately returned.
Bono and Frank Sinatra were a mutual admiration society; together they performed "I've Got You Under My Skin" on the 1993 Sinatra album, "Duets."
Last dance
The curtain has not fully come down for the cast members of Siegfried & Roy's Mirage show.
Their last performance as a group will now apparently be a previously scheduled appearance at Golden Rainbow, an Oct. 30 HIV/AIDS fund-raising event.
Also participating will be the new "Sirens of TI," dancers from "Folies Bergere" at the Tropicana and performers from Celine Dion's "A New Day ..." at Caesars Palace.
There will also be a costume contest, with a grand prize of $1,054. The event takes place at Studio 54 (MGM Grand).
General alert
Democratic presidential hopeful Gen. Wesley Clark is scheduled to come to Las Vegas next week.
He had a previously planned (before he announced his White House aspirations) date to be keynote speaker at a business conference at The Rio on Wednesday.
The conference is closed, but the public will likely be allowed to attend a signing of his new tome, "Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism and the American Empire." Time and location have not yet been firmed up.
New art
Former New York gallery owner Karen Hamilton had to close her doors after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Her Whimsy Blue space was located in the Tribeca neighborhood, adjacent to the World Trade Center.
Tonight she is reopening her eclectic space -- in Henderson.
The new Whimsy Blue is being celebrated with a private party at its new 11115 S. Eastern Ave. home. It opens to the public Saturday at noon.
Hit me
Thirty professional golf caddies -- in town for the PGA's Las Vegas Invitational event -- did some competing of their own at the Rampart Casino at the Resort at Summerlin on Wednesday night.
They were competing in a "Who's Your Caddy?" blackjack tournament.
Several of the pros showed up to cheer on their course companions.
VegasBeat
Five: Michael Flatley will attend the Saturday night performance of his "Lord of the Dance" show, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary at The Venetian this weekend. He's also hosting a private party after the show ...
Be a Pepper: Penn Jillette was in the fourth row center at the Red Hot Chili Peppers show at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Wednesday night ...
Mrs. John Travolta: Actress Kelly Preston partied the night away with pals at Tabu (MGM Grand) Wednesday night ...
Big names: Jewel plays the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts on Nov. 22; Michelle Branch takes the stage Nov. 26. Tickets for both shows go on sale Oct. 18 ...
Stylin': Bobby Trendy from "The Anna Nicole Show" was spotted shopping at Albertsons at Charleston Avenue and Town Center Drive ...
Scary: The Halloween-themed entertainment Fright Dome at Circus-Circus opens tonight. It plays this weekend, next weekend, and then Oct. 23 through Halloween. Former MTV personality Ray Munn, Frank Marino, Breck Wall and various Chippendales dancers were at Tuesday's private opening party ...
Hello: Gloria Estefan took a break from rehearsals for her Caesars Palace engagement to answer phones Thursday at the Spanish-language call center for VEGAS.com's new website, www.espanol.vegas.com. Estefan plays the Colosseum tonight through Oct. 19 ...
Clubbers: Spotted recently at the new gentleman's club Treasures (by one of our readers -- not by us): Mike Tyson, Dennis Rodman and former NFL star Roger Craig ...
March on: The fourth annual Hispanic Day Parade kicks off downtown at 10 a.m. Saturday. Sen. Harry Reid leads a list of dignitaries scheduled to participate ...
Get ready: Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Tim McGraw have confirmed their attendance for NBC's "2003 Radio Music Awards," which is being broadcast live from the Aladdin on Oct. 27.
From Sun wires
Courteney Cox Arquette and her husband, David Arquette, are hoping to bring a new friend into their lives: a baby.
But it hasn't been easy. The actress says she gets pregnant easily but has had "many miscarriages." Similarly, her "Friends" character, Monica, has been trying to have a baby.
"I actually have done in vitro (fertilization)," Cox tells Barbara Walters in an interview airing on ABC's "20/20" at 10 tonight.
"It's a wonderful thing that people can do in this day and age," the 39-year-old says of the procedure. "And I'm lucky enough to be able to afford to do it. But I think it's great. And I will do it again."
Cox and Arquette, who married in 1999, say they'd consider adopting a child, but she added, "I do want his genes, and I would try probably a surrogate before that ... but then, absolutely, adoption."
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