VegasBeat — Columnist Timothy McDarrah: Stars have riches in the bag

Friday, Feb. 27, 2004 | 4:28 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.

WEEKEND EDITION

Feb. 29, 2004

Talk about the rich getting richer.

The estimated retail value of the so-called "swag bags" that Academy Award presenters and nominees receive this evening is more than $100,000 apiece.

The goodies include a two-night penthouse package at Caesars Palace, four tickets to see Celine Dion's show and $9,000 in spending (read: gambling) money at the hotel.

Why $9,000? Well, with most financial transactions, once you hit $10,000 the IRS gets involved.

Other goodies in the gilded gift bags include a trip to New Zealand, a state-of-the-art, 43-inch high-definition TV and a certificate for laser eye surgery.

So, exactly how many Oscars will everyone's favorite, "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King," capture?

According to Bally's/Paris Las Vegas oddsmaker Johnny Avello, the over/under on the film is 6.5 statuettes. It was nominated for 11 awards.

We'll take the under on that prop bet.

Avello also offers over/under lines on a couple of other pictures and makes some interesting trifecta picks. All of his picks are available on his website, ballysraceandsports.com.

The casinos do not take action on events like the Academy Awards, where there is a predetermined winner.

This week, Avello said, after the Oscars have concluded, he is going to get serious about his "American Idol" odds, which he'll release once the final group has been selected.

"But I can tell you right now that I am very disappointed that William Hung is no longer in the competition," Avello told us.

Seen at the Aladdin on Friday: Vanessa Williams, Lou Diamond Phillips, jocks Cal Ripken, Terry Bradshaw, Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Carmelo Anthony, George Gervin, Howie Long, Ozzie Smith and NASCAR's Matt Kenseth.

All were there for events this weekend sponsored by Radio Shack.

When "Stuttering" John Melendez starts his new assignment as announcer for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on March 29, it'll be Vegas' own Robin Leach who will be introducing the former Howard Stern sidekick.

At Stuttering John's request, Leach will tape a "This is Your Life"-type tribute to the comic announcer, which will air when Melendez debuts.

Leach told us some of their adventures together last year in the Australian rain forest (for the ABC reality show "I'm a Celebrity -- Get Me Out of Here") will provide perfect comic fodder.

Rappers Nelly and Murphy Lee gave a surprise performance at Prana (Aladdin) on Wednesday night. Among other songs, they performed their No. 1 hit, "Shake Ya Tailfeather."

Harrah's afternoon headliner Mac King and Sammy's Woodfired Pizza are joining forces to support The Public Education Foundation's Clark County READS program.

During the month of March, anyone who brings in a new or "gently used" children's book for a reader aged 3 to 17 to any Sammy's restaurant will get a free Messy Sundae certificate from Sammy's. King plans a series of public appearances in support of the program.

Lots of entertainers, from Roseanne to Kate Smith, from Jimi Hendrix to Whitney Houston, are noted, one way or the other, for performing the national anthem.

That list also includes Las Vegas resident Robert Goulet, who is slated to belt out "The Star Spangled Banner" before the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next Sunday.

On May 25, 1965, before the rematch of heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine, Goulet began, "Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early night ..." -- instead of "dawn's early light.

"I'll never live it down, but I have certainly gotten over it," Goulet told us. "I was pretty excited that night -- not only is Lewiston my mother's hometown, but it was my first attempt at the anthem.

"I got a lot of grief for that. One word wrong and everyone said I was a bum. But I've rebounded and have sung the song hundreds of times -- perfectly -- since then."