Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2004 | 10:27 a.m.
The kid was fairly nervous when he sang before Pope John Paul II . Less so when he sang for President Bill Clinton.
So Las Vegas Academy grad Michael Keown, 19, was as relaxed as one can reasonably be when he recently sang in front of "American Idol" meanie Simon Cowell.
Keown was on Monday's installment of Fox's "American Idol," the phenomenally popular talent contest that has made household names out of Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken.
Monday's broadcast (which aired locally on KVVU Channel 5 at 8 p.m.) included Keown's audition performance of the Righteous Brothers classic "Unchained Melody" before arbiters Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
"I camped out for two days in New York City, on a sidewalk, to get the audition," Keown told VegasBeat on Tuesday.
Keown passed his first test.
"Simon told me that he loved my performance and that 'Unchained Melody' was one of his favorite songs," Keown said.
After that he was flown out to Hollywood for more competition, some of which may also be broadcast tonight.
He sang before the three judges, along with show producer Nigel Wright -- who also produces Vegas entertainer George Bugatti and was the longtime collaborator of Brit musical genius Andrew Lloyd Webber.
"I signed a confidentiality agreement, so I can't really say too much more," Keown told VegasBeat.
Growing up in Green Valley, Keown said he was always a singer and was in many school productions in addition to the class trips to sing for luminaries such as the pope and the president.
In other "American Idol" news, first-season winner Clarkson and second-season runner-up Aiken will perform March 27 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Maggie, Hey!
Do they think it's sexy to charge such prices?
The trend of outrageous ticket prices for some Vegas concerts by classic acts continues in full effect.
Tuesday, it was announced that vintage rocker Rod Stewart will play The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on March 20.
Ticket prices are $303, $503 and ... are you sitting down? The top tickets for the concert are $753 apiece.
They go on sale Saturday.
Road trip
The usual ghostbar (Palms) denizens -- from Paris Hilton to Dennis Haskins -- are busy this week at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
So ghostbar went to them. It has taken over the Monkey Bar at Harry O's restaurant.
"We had a ghostbar sign made up (which cost $15,000) and put it out front," N9NE Group (which operates the bar and restaurant bearing its name for the Palms) exec Andy Belmonti told us. The group also imported some of its popular bartenders and support staff.
"People know our brand," Belmonti said. Among the people who have stopped in this week, besides Hilton and Haskins, are Kato Kaelin, Macy Gray, Alanis Morisette and Ben Affleck.
Also, they've set up a mini-Palms casino, with gaming tables -- all for charity, not for cash. Grand prize is a weekend at the hotel's "Real World" suite.
If the Sundance guests are hungry for some Vegas grub, that has also been arranged. The restaurant N9NE also made the trip. Executive Chef Barry Dakake and his staff are serving dinner.
Support
Scores of local entertainers turned out Sunday and Monday night to film bits for the new Vegas TV network that makes its debut Feb. 7 on select cable systems around the country.
The performances had numerous technical glitches -- the filming was not done in a studio, but at the club OPM (Forum Shops at Caesars).
And with Flamingo Las Vegas headliner George Wallace performing his stand-up on one side of the room and Hard Rock Hotel headliner Jeff Beacher hosting a dance contest on the other, it was hard to see or hear anything.
But the talent won out. Besides the yuks from Wallace and Beacher, other performers included Lance Burton, Marlene Ricci, Joe Trammel, Amazing Johnathan and Fitzgeralds fabulous Elvis impersonator, Steve Connolly.
Best line of the evening came from Harrah's afternoon headliner Ronn Lucas after a round of thunderous applause from the 500 or so packed into the room: "This is an easy crowd. I do a daytime show, so I'm used to working with sober people."
Also in the crowd were the Scintas, former Playmate and "X" star Rebecca Scott and Studio Vegas bosses Rick Garson and Howard Lefkowitz.
Diamonds 4-ever
The Medici Cafe and Terrace at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas, is Southern Nevada's newest AAA Four Diamond restaurant, the respected rating agency announced today.
Other Four Diamond eateries from Las Vegas include Aureole and 3950 at Mandalay Bay, Michael's (Barbary Coast) and Eiffel Tower (Paris Las Vegas).
It is not the AAA's highest rating. There are three Five Diamond rated restaurants in Las Vegas -- Renoir (Mirage), Picasso and Le Cirque (Bellagio). Those ratings were announced in November.
Among the Four Diamond lodging winners announced today are the Golden Nugget, Caesars Palace, TI, The Venetian, The Mirage, Paris Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay, Green Valley Ranch Resort and the Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas.
VegasBits
Out: Comic Ellen DeGeneres was lunching Monday at Postrio (Venetian) with a gaggle of WB executives, discussing her new show ...
Meaty: Talk show host Maury Povich and three guests supped Monday night at Charlie Palmer Steak (Four Seasons) ...
Wake up: Rich Little was spotted getting some morning coffee at Red White & Blue (Mandalay Bay) on Tuesday. He had an early appearance on the Fox talker "Good Day Live," which was filming at the hotel ...
Guests: Also spotted at Mandalay Bay on their way to "Good Day Live" appearances: "Mamma Mia!" star Tina Walsh, "Access Hollywood" hosts Pat O'Brien and Nancy O'Dell, Burton and several showgirls from "Showgirls" (Rio) ...
Money: Advance ticket sales are strong for the Claude Monet show that opens next week at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, gallery spokeswoman Jessica Berlin tells us. Tickets for the show, which opens Jan. 30 and runs through September, are $12 for Nevada residents ...
--30-- : Veteran newsman Jerry Nachman, 57, died in his sleep of cancer on Monday night at his New Jersey home. As editor-in-chief of the New York Post, MSNBC talk show host and station veep, and news director at several New York and Washington broadcast news outlets, he was a real-life, Lou Grant-type mentor to an entire generation of young journalists, this one included. He was as old school as they come. We'll miss him.
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