VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: ‘Hairspray’ could keep Mirage in style

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004 | 10:38 a.m.

"Hairspray" appears to be one of the two shows being considered to replace "Siegfried & Roy" at The Mirage.

According to an acquaintance of VegasBeat who has appeared in several John Waters movies, Waters said that his Tony Award-winning Broadway hit and a Cirque du Soleil production, thought to be "Yellow Submarine," are the finalists to take over the vacant Mirage showroom.

Attempts to reach Waters today were unsuccessful. He is in his native Baltimore, shooting "A Dirty Shame," which stars Tracey Ullman as a blue-collar convenience store owner who suffers a concussion and experiences carnal lust she can not control.

Messages left for Waters' Creative Artists Agency rep, Ken Stovitz, at his Beverly Hills, Calif., office, also were not returned.

MGM MIRAGE corporate spokesman Alan Feldman said, "Once again, I can tell you that no decisions have been made and that we are still considering multiple options for the showroom."

"Hairspray," based on Waters' 1988 film of the same name, swept the 2003 Tony Awards, winning in 11 different categories, including Best Musical.

Harvey Fierstein won for Best Actor in a Musical, and Marissa Jaret Winokur won for Best Actress in a Musical.

A Vegas version would likely use a local cast, similar to the Mandalay Bay production of another Broadway smash "Mamma Mia!"

The "Hairspray" story is typical Waters -- an enjoyable, trashy comedy about the racial integration of a teen dance show in the 1960s. The original film featured Sonny Bono, Divine, Pia Zadora, Ricki Lake, Jerry Stiller and Debbie Harry.

Other campy Waters works include "Female Trouble," "Pink Flamingos" and "Polyester," which was released in Odorama -- scratch-and-sniff cards were distributed to movie patrons before each showing.

Birthday bash

Hollywood power agent Patrick Whitesell -- his clients include Jennifer Lopez -- is having a birthday party Friday night at the Hard Rock Hotel's penthouse suite. That's the one with the bowling alley.

Organizers say that after attending the David Bowie concert at The Joint, Whitesell and friends such as Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Eva Mendes, John Stamos and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Gisele Bundchen, Patricia Arquette and Maggie Gyllenhaal will head upstairs to party.

Reunited?

Was Britney Spears in town last weekend with her ex-husband, Jason Allen Alexander? Could have been. Are they still an item? Could be.

Alexander was spotted at a few places, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship at Mandalay Bay on Saturday night. But there were no confirmed Spears sightings, and none of our Strip sources would confirm the couple were at their hotel.

But speculation was running hot and heavy that Alexander did not come alone. We called Spears' spokeswoman Leslie Sloan to try to clear up the mystery, but she did not return our call.

Meanwhile, the latest issue of US Weekly reports that the couple talk constantly and are only apart because Spears' family came between them.

"If they do it the right way, her family will let them get married," Alexander's friend Jared Prescott told the magazine.

Clothes call

Here's a new promotional idea: a "Shop Hop."

A couple of Platters and a pair of Drifters will be at Du Barry Fashions at 3375 S. Decatur Blvd. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Customers who sing eight bars of any song get 50 percent off any clothing purchase.

And the best singer, as judged by the pros, gets to appear on a CD with them.

Play cop

New Las Vegas resident and budding VegasBeat regular Allen Fawcett, star of the old lip-sync TV show "Puttin' on the Hits," is joining the cast of "Ba-Da-Bing," the popular interactive dinner theater show at the Ovation Theatre at Desert Passages (Aladdin).

He'll play an Irish cop -- Officer O'Reilly -- who shadows Cousin Vinnie, the star of the show, played by its producer, Ben Morgan.

Fawcett is also developing his own afternoon variety-type show, possibly to go into the Ovation space.

Have Heart

February is American Heart Month, so today at 6 p.m. the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas is hosting "Afternoon Fantasy Fashion," presented by the American Heart Association and Kim Mervine, who runs the designer consignment store La Belle Boutique in Henderson.

Among those lending their support: Laurie Porter (the wife of Rep. Jon Porter), who will be speaking at the gala, Station Casinos exec Leslie Pittman, cardiologist Dr. Pamela Ivey and former state Sen. Christine Milburn.

Some tickets remain. For more information, call 367-1366.

VegasBits

Chip: The Rio is introducing a series of Chippendales gaming chips. The first of six $5 chips with images of the show's hunky performers will be available Friday, with new ones released every Friday through March 12 ...

New name: The Palms is altering the name of its signature nightclub. It will now officially be called Rain Las Vegas, to help with the national recognition factor. Locally, it will be called Rain Nightclub. Regardless, it remains in the desert.

From Sun wires

Jackson reconsiders Grammys: In reaction to the racy Super Bowl halftime show, Janet Jackson's publicist said she may back out of Sunday's Grammy Awards, and Justin Timberlake admitted his own family was offended by the pop stars' stunt.

The NFL responded to outrage over the Super Bowl show by replacing one of Timberlake's 'N Sync bandmates, JC Chasez, in the Pro Bowl halftime show Sunday in Honolulu.

ABC said it will implement an audio and video delay of undetermined length for its broadcast of the Academy Awards on Feb. 29. NBC decided to remove a glimpse of an elderly patient's breast in today's episode of "ER."

Lydon leaves: Former Sex Pistols singer John Lydon -- who let fly with a string of expletives on a live celebrity reality TV show -- walked off the set today.

Early morning viewers of "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" saw Lydon, formerly known as Johnny Rotten, hug his fellow contestants before walking off the set in the Australian rain forest.

His departure came just hours after ITV producers gave the 47-year-old a dressing down for swearing on a live segment of the popular program that is being followed by about 10 million Britons each night.