Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003 | 10:51 a.m.
Sometimes it seems that a new Vegas stage show is just an ancillary product of a larger marketing and sales campaign.
One example is the Celine Dion boutique at Caesars Palace. On some days the boutique takes in more revenue than does the box office at The Colosseum for Dion's "A New Day ..."
Of course, most of the seats are sold elsewhere -- mainly through Ticketmaster or celinedion.com -- but the store routinely clears $25,000 in a day and has had some days where it has hit triple that figure.
Merchandising revenue for the recent Oscar De La Hoya/Sugar Shane Mosley fight at MGM Grand Garden -- a one-day event -- was more than $500,000, according to one source. That's a lot of $20 visors, $50 polo shirts and $350 embroidered jackets.
The latest example is a new themed boutique at New York-New York, which sells all things "Zumanity."
We browsed through the space the other afternoon and found that the offerings are infinitely more interesting than the show itself -- and certainly far more erotic than the adults-only Cirque du Soleil production. Cheaper, too.
For a mere $9, you can buy a bar of chocolate soap. Ten bucks more gets you a nice-sized container of passion fruit-scented body oil. Add on another sawbuck and you can buy edible body paint, complete with an applicator brush.
The store also features some beautifully crafted masks, including, at the top end, a $295 stone-encrusted masterpiece. There is also sensibly priced and artfully designed lingerie, makeup, false eyelashes and a $39 board game called Strip Chocolate.
Thankfully, the store does not feature shot glasses, beer cozies or playing cards with the "Zumanity" logo slapped on them. But it does have inexpensive candles and T-shirts.
Shockingly, there are also books for sale, including Martha Hopkins' "Inter Courses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook" -- which is divided into chapters based on "erotic" ingredients, from chocolate to rosemary to pine nuts. There are also various Cirque DVDs, CDs, postcards and original photos of the "Zumanity" artists.
Ultimate acts
Paul Lynde is alive, and his name is Jeff Hobson.
Hobson is the manic host of "V -- The Ultimate Variety Show," which marked its one-year anniversary in The Showroom at The Venetian on Monday night.
With his exaggerated swishy mannerisms and his devilish -- yet never X-rated -- sense of humor, Hobson seems to channel the famous "Hollywood Squares" center square and sitcom character actor.
And in a town full of retread jokes, his patter is fresh and original. Before Monday, we never knew the real definition of faux pas was "stepfather."
The show also features quick-change artist Joe Trammel, Michael Holly -- who artfully juggles two bowling balls and a peanut M&M -- and Russ Merlin, whose hilarious act incorporates audience volunteers without embarrassing them.
The show is similar to an up-to-date version of the popular TV variety shows starring Ed Sullivan and Carol Burnett -- and there are no Michael Jackson impersonators or topless women in the "V" show at all.
"It is a simple formula," producer David Saxe told VegasBeat after he toasted his cast and creative team at a party Monday night at V Bar. "I took a bunch of acts that I liked and put them in a show."
Bad news
One of the nation's most influential television critics, Tom Shales of the Washington Post, was quite critical of the debut episode Monday night of "Las Vegas."
"Hookers, hustlers and drifters mingle with high-rollers and zanies in bunny slippers, and none of it seems at all consequential -- or credible," Shales wrote.
Shales adds that co-star Josh Duhamel "looks as if he should be modeling suits in a Montgomery Ward catalog."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, initial ratings for the show were "OK."
The 10 p.m. premiere (the show will usually air at 9 p.m.) garnered 12.6 million viewers nationwide, coming in third in its time slot behind "CSI: Miami" and "Monday Night Football."
Figures for the Las Vegas market were not immediately available Tuesday.
VegasBits
Metal alert: Heavy-metal favorite Metallica will rock The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on New Year's Eve. Tickets go on sale Saturday. Seats are $514, and standing-room-only tickets are $314. Prices include tax and service charges, but not party favors or noisemakers ...
Countdown: Also on New Year's Eve, we hear the Goo Goo Dolls are going to play the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. An official announcement is expected shortly ...
On sale: Rap princess Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot, who won MTV's Best Video of the Year honors last month, plays at Rain in the Desert at the Palms on Oct. 28. Tickets, priced at $35 and $75, go on sale Friday ...
Talent scout: Controversial Crazy Horse adult club owner Rick Rizzolo was spotted at the Playboy party at Rain on Friday night. Looking for new blood for his club, perhaps? ...
Namesake: Nicky and Paris Hilton stayed at ... Paris Las Vegas last weekend, when they were in town for the Playboy and "Zumanity" parties ...
Break: The "X" show at the Aladdin takes a three-week break next month while the Center Stage Showroom is renovated for a new early act, reported to be Steve Wyrick's relocated (from the Sahara) magic show. This week, the women in the production are spending a few days on a yacht in Lake Mead taping a video.
From Sun wires
For weeks, the translation of Hillary Clinton's autobiography has been one of China's hottest books. But some portions of the senator and former first lady's original text have been censored or shortened in the mainland version, and the U.S. publisher is demanding a recall.
New role for Grammer? The star of "Frasier" may be ready to move from radio psychology to politics. Kelsey Grammer says he might be interested in running for the U.S. Senate from California when he's finished with acting.
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