VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Comic Leno a big winner on star search

Wednesday, April 28, 2004 | 10:40 a.m.

As a professional gossip, we're prone to hyperbole.

But it is not an exaggeration to say that Jay Leno has booked perhaps the most impressive guest lineup in talk show history when he broadcasts from Paris Las Vegas the week of May 10.

Decide for yourself.

"The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" opens its Vegas visit with the three stars of the hottest show on television, "American Idol" -- judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. Comic Wanda Sykes and singer Usher round out the day.

May 11 guests are Pamela Anderson, Clay Aiken and Lance Burton.

Then comes Wednesday, or synergy, or shameless cross-promotion day. Caesars Palace headliners Celine Dion and Jerry Seinfeld appear on the show. Paris Las Vegas and Caesars Palace, of course, are part of the same company -- Caesars Entertainment.

Thursday's highlights include Cirque du Soleil, boxing champ Roy Jones Jr. and comedian Billy Crystal.

The week winds down with Paris Las Vegas headliner Dana Carvey and musical guest Lenny Kravitz.

Horn goes up

We'll take good Siegfried & Roy news anywhere we can get it.

Today's nugget comes from Karl-Heinz Wunschelmeier, president of their German fan club. According to an official fan club Web site posting, Roy Horn's progress remains steady and encouraging.

Wunschelmeier, who recently visited Horn at Jungle Palace, said: "Yes, Roy can walk and he can take the stairs up to his own bedroom -- that's what he wanted so much! It's still very difficult for him and it takes all his strength, but he can do it!"

Horn's walking is still assisted, Wunschelmeier cautioned.

Wynn date

Start the countdown.

One year from today Steve Wynn plans to throw open the doors at Wynn Las Vegas, his $2.4 billion resort going up on the Strip.

The April 28 date has dual significance for Wynn. It is the birthday of his wife, Elaine (we are far too polite to ask how old), and it is also the date the original Desert Inn opened in 1950.

Also, it was on April 28, 2000, that Wynn purchased the property. Wynn Las Vegas is going up on the property where the DI once stood.

Buy back?

Rumors were swirling this morning that producer David Saxe had bought back the Ovation Theatre (Desert Passage at Aladdin) to house his "V -- The Ultimate Variety Show," which is being forced out of its Venetian showroom. The final show is Friday.

He used to have an interest in the room and the show "Ovation" but sold out earlier this year to concentrate on opening a show in San Francisco.

Saxe declined comment on the rumors.

Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance" is also leaving The Venetian Friday. No plans for its future have been announced.

Good Elton

Syndicated columnist Liz Smith of the New York Post reported Tuesday on her recent lunch with recurring Caesars Palace headliner Elton John.

"My opinion of Elton John on first meeting? He is a compelling man in person, one who has raised millions for the AIDS fight. He is smart, up on everything, has interesting opinions, is a conspiracy believer, active and attractive."

Others breaking bread at their table at Michael's, a noted New York power lunch destination: Elton's companion David Furnish, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen and media mogul Joe Armstrong.

VegasBits

Style: "Enfant terrible" French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier attended the 10:30 p.m. performance of "La Femme" (MGM Grand) on Monday night. He is famous for, among other things, creating the conical bras Madonna wore on her 1990 Blonde Ambition tour ...

Meat: Tom Arnold treated six lady staffers of his "Best Damn Sports Show Period" to dinner at N9NE (Palms) Monday night ...

Return: Eric Dickerson had dinner for the second consecutive night Monday at Crustacean (Desert Passage at Aladdin). He's also in town for "Sports Show." He appeared on the Fox show Monday with his former Los Angeles Rams coach John Robinson, who now, of course, coaches at UNLV ...

Benefits: Invitations are in the mail for a big May 14 fund-raiser. The event, hosted by Robinson and developer J. Christopher Stuhmer, marks the unveiling of the Street of Dreams -- a group of fancy new homes in MacDonald Highlands. Proceeds go to UNLV athletics ...

Film: Las Vegas resident and actress Joan Severence is in Georgia for the next few weeks filming "First Offense" with Corbin Bernsen ("L.A. Law"). The action thriller is slated for a fall release ...

Throwback: Crosby, Stills & Nash hit the road for a 35th anniversary tour this summer. The veteran rockers will play The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Sept. 10, sources tell us ...

Sign: Former Frank Sinatra valet George Jacobs, who penned a memoir about his experiences with the Chairman of the Board, will be signing copies of "Mr. S: My Life With Frank Sinatra" at the Clark County Library on East Flamingo Road at 7 p.m. Thursday. Co-author Bill Stadiem will also be signing copies of the book ...

Actor: Timothy Busfield ("The West Wing," "Thirtysomething") had dinner Tuesday night at N9NE (Palms) ...

Celebrate: Happy 15th wedding anniversary to Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi. The high school sweethearts were married at the Graceland wedding chapel in Las Vegas in 1989 ...

Hitched: The Game Show Network has ordered a hidden-camera documentary series that looks behind the scenes of quickie marriage chapels in Las Vegas, according to Smart Brief, a cable industry newsletter. The show, hosted by Darva Conger, was inspired by some famous impromptu weddings (Britney Spears) and is slated to hit the airwaves June 18 ...

Gaming business: Poker is going public. WPT Enterprises Inc., the fancy legal name for the World Poker Tour, announced the other day that it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed initial public offering.

From Sun wires

Twins: Oscar-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, 44, who won a supporting-actress Academy Award for 2000's "Pollock," gave birth to twins Thursday in New York, her publicist said.

Downey divorcing: Robert Downey Jr.'s marriage to actress-singer Deborah Falconer is ending in divorce. Divorce papers were filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The couple, who were married in 1992 and have a son, had been separated.

Downey, 39, is engaged to film producer Susan Levin.

Jackson solvent: Michael Jackson -- long rumored to have been close to bankruptcy -- is financially solvent, a close investment adviser says.

Earlier this year, his outstanding loans were estimated as great as $250 million, and Jackson reportedly owed a balloon payment of as much as $70 million. But Jackson took advantage of then-falling interest rates to consolidate debt and lower his loan payments.