VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Opportunity knocks, and Dion answers

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004 | 10:46 a.m.

VegasBeat appears Sunday through Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Timothy McDarrah can be reached at tim@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-4096.

Until now, Celine Dion has been taking baby steps with her charitable involvement in Las Vegas.

No more. Diva Las Vegas announced Tuesday that on Easter she is turning over proceeds from every seat to her "A New Day ... " show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace to Opportunity Village, a local nonprofit organization serving those with intellectual disabilities.

"Wow. That's all anyone around here can say today," a still-stunned Linda Smith, chief development officer of Opportunity Village, told VegasBeat in a phone conversation after Dion's announcement.

If every ticket is sold, the donation could end up topping $1 million, Smith said.

Dion's spokeswoman Kris Lingle told us that it is not the first, but this was "far and away" the largest donation Dion has made to a Las Vegas charity.

In a statement, Dion said that she and her husband, Rene Angelil, "have fallen in love with this wonderful organization and the brave individuals it serves."

"Opportunity Village has been working so hard ... helping thousands of adults with disabilities and their families. They deserve international exposure, and I am honored to be able to help them deliver their message on behalf of people with profound disabilities."

Dion is donating the proceeds from 3,700 tickets for the April 11 performance. Caesars Palace is donating the other 400 seats in the room for Opportunity Village to sell as special packages that include a meet-and-greet with Dion.

"We have waited 50 years for something like this to happen to us," Smith said. "Lots of Las Vegas entertainers -- especially Wayne Newton -- have been extraordinarily generous to us, but this is special."

New mags

There is more media buzz in Southern Nevada, as another magazine is being launched.

On Monday we reported on 89052, a new magazine serving residents in that ZIP code, which is primarily in the Anthem and Seven Hills area.

Now, RB Communications, publishers of Summerlin magazine (and a Gannett subsidiary), are expanding south.

According to Summerlin Editor Kirk Kern, RB is preparing a launch of a new glossy called 215 South, which will cover the same Seven Hills/Anthem area as 89052, and also the Green Valley Ranch, MacDonald Ranch and Silverado Ranch communities.

The magazine is looking at a summer launch, with a circulation of about 35,000.

The company also just launched a magazine called 101 North in North Scottsdale, Ariz.

Once again

Another Monday, another night of astonishing talent on display -- absolutely free -- at Bootlegger Bistro.

This week the Kelly Clinton-hosted karaoke evening had everything from lounge legend Cook E. Jarr performing 50 Cent's "In Da Club" to impromptu offerings from Vegas headliners Frankie Scinta (The Rio), Clint Holmes (Harrah's) and Martin Nievera (Golden Nugget).

Cameras from Fox's upcoming reality show "The Casino" were on hand to capture it all.

Hey, Jude

Academy Award nominee Jude Law ("Cold Mountain") has been named ShoWest 2004 Male Star of the Year, it was announced Tuesday. He'll receive the honor at a ShoWest dinner March 25. ShoWest -- the world's largest motion picture industry convention -- will be from March 22 to March 25 at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.

More Poker

The poker explosion continues. We hear that The Mirage is in the process of adding seven more tables. The poker room is said to be expanding into an adjacent keno area and will grow to 24 tables.

Also, the Palms is adding five more poker tables, supposedly to be ready by next month. It also plans to offer no-limit hold 'em with blinds of $1 and $2, a hotel insider confirmed. The idea is at that low limit, "regular people" can play the popular game, sitting down with a few hundred bucks rather than tens of thousands.

VegasBits

Puck: "View" co-host Star Jones and fiance Al Reynolds had lunch at Spago (Forum Shops at Caesars) Monday ...

History: On Feb. 18, 1956 -- 48 years ago today -- Elvis Presley appeared on the charts for the first time with "Heartbreak Hotel" ...

Star: Las Vegas resident Maria Gara -- aka TheSnakeBabe -- hosts Comedy Central's hit series "Friday Night Stand-Ups" this week. She bills herself as America's sexiest comedy magician. The show airs locally on Cox Cable channel 56 at 8:30 p.m. ...

Winner: As part of next week's MAGIC clothing and fashion gathering, hip-hop entrepreneur Sean "P. Diddy" Combs will be named as the recipient of the Humanitarian Award at the Urban Fashion Awards Show. It takes place Feb. 25 at the Thomas & Mack Center ...

Shoot: Photographer Anne Geddes is shooting pictures in Las Vegas this week of Dion and her son, Rene-Charles, for Geddes' forthcoming book "Miracle" ...

From Sun wires

Love appears: A judge threw out an arrest warrant for rocker Courtney Love after she appeared for a court hearing in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Tuesday.

The judge dismissed the warrant and ordered Love to return to court on March 16 for a hearing in her felony drug possession case.

Suit settled: A civil lawsuit accusing shock rocker Marilyn Manson of sexual assault has been dismissed after the two sides reached a settlement, an attorney for the plaintiff said Tuesday.

Security guard Joshua Keasler was working on the stage during a 2001 performance in Detroit when Manson allegedly approached him, wrapped his legs around the guard's neck and gyrated against him.

Producer sentenced: A former business partner of Steven Seagal was sentenced to a year and a day in prison Tuesday in New York after admitting he plotted to have the mob shake down the action-film star.

Julius Nasso, a producer of early Seagal films, also will pay a $75,000 fine and receive mental-health counseling after his release from prison. He pleaded guilty last August in federal court to extortion conspiracy.

Jewish ghetto on exhibit: A new exhibit on the Jewish ghetto in Krakow, Poland, is scheduled to open this summer, with a grant of about $40,000 from Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation, a city official said Tuesday.

The exhibit in the former "Under the Eagle" pharmacy, located in the heart of the district where the Nazis forced 17,000 Jews to live from 1941-43, will document the history of the ghetto.