Wednesday, June 16, 2004 | 10:39 a.m.
VegasBeat appears Sunday through Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. TimothyMcDarrah can be reached at [email protected] or at (702) 259-4096.
Much to his dismay, his complaint about Las Vegas will be staying in Las Vegas.
Mayor Oscar Goodman, like many in the local political and business establishment, was less than pleased with The New York Times' portrayal of Las Vegas in its recent six-part series.
So Hizzoner wrote a letter to the paper registering his feelings. In it, he made a reference to a disgraced former Times reporter. The Times told Goodman they were going to edit out the subtle dig, so Goodman withdrew his missive altogether.
"I would think if the mayor of a city writes a letter they ought to run it (as is) unless it's too long," Goodman on Monday told Las Vegas Sun City Hall reporter Sito Negron.
In the original letter, Goodman wrote that "things haven't been the same at your paper since the Jayson Blair incident," a reference to the reporter who was fired for using fabricated quotes and facts and plagiarizing other reporters' material, among other misdeeds.
According to the mayor, an editor with the Times' letters page called the Blair reference "petty" and "irrelevant" to the matter at hand, which was the series about Las Vegas that many locals thought dwelled unfairly on the valley's underbelly -- strippers, broken homes and dashed dreams.
Goodman's letter explains to the Times that "We are a vibrant city full of opportunities. It's not for everyone, but the vast majority of people who move here, stay here -- they flourish."
He said that he decided not to have his edited version of the letter printed because it compromised the tone and message of his thoughts. "If they can criticize us, we can criticize them ... I didn't throw the first stone ... If they want to talk about the dirt, they have to talk about the flowers."
Vegas host
Grammy Award-winning singer Brian McKnight has been tapped to co-host "The Vegas Show" with Sheena Easton.
The Buffalo, N.Y., native has sold more than 15 million albums, including his double-platinum 1997 disc, "Anytime."
McKnight is not a stranger to Vegas. He was most recently in town a year ago with Nelly to shoot a video for their collaboration, "All Night Long," from McKnight's 2003 album, " U Turn."
Easton's original co-host, Harrah's headliner Clint Holmes, left the show last week because of scheduling issues.
The new show debuts at 10 a.m. Monday on KVVU Channel 5.
Vegas reality
The national reviews were lukewarm, but the mood inside the ballroom at the Golden Nugget on Monday night was pure ecstasy for the debut of the new Mark Burnett reality show "The Casino."
Nugget owners and show stars Tom Breitling and Tim Poster were not even distracted by the presence of Jaime Pressly, who was sitting with them, as they watched themselves on the big screen.
Afterward the Dashing Duo were mobbed by well-wishers, including George Maloof, Chopper (from those wacky auto-sales infomercials), Steve Schirripa, Jon Orlando (an L.A. comic and Tony Orlando's son), Rich Little, Jeff Beacher, Billy Richardson, George Wallace, Kerry Simon, Steve Wynn, impressionists performing as the late Chris Farley and as Austin Powers, Nugget execs Joe Leone, Dan Shumny, Richard Wilk and John DiConstantino and Big Chuck.
Chuck was the high-roller featured on the debut episode who had an absolutely priceless "Crying Game"-like experience in his suite with a person he met at a blackjack table.
Also, Siegfried Fischbacher made a rare public appearance. On the red carpet, with a big smile, he told us that he was "depressed" about turning 65 over the weekend.
We also asked him about Roy Horn.
"He is doing amazing, just amazing," Fischbacher said before he gave us the double thumbs-up and was quickly whisked away by a publicist.
Rip on
Vegas regular Rip Taylor has been nominated for an Emmy Award for his recurring role as Rappin' Rip on the ABC sitcom "Life With Bonnie."
After his success as a dramatic actor in his stage bio, "It Ain't All Confetti," which debuted last year at UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre, Taylor's star seems to be rising again.
Taylor has some pretty stiff competition in the outstanding guest actor in a comedy series category, including John Turturro ("Monk"), Patrick Swayze ("Whoopi"), Ben Stiller ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") and Las Vegas resident Kevin Sorbo ("Hope & Faith").
Taylor also does an annual Christmas show at The Rio.
VegasBits
Meal: Actor Nicolas Cage had dinner Friday night at Le Cirque (Bellagio) ...
More meal: VEGAS Magazine cover model Daisy Fuentes had dinner at Chinois (Forum Shops at Caesars) on Saturday night, one of the last diners before Chinois closed temporarily for a design makeover. The restaurant reopens today for dinner ...
Boss: Planet Hollywood head Robert Earl checked in at the Aladdin Tuesday morning. Earl is, of course, in the process of acquiring the property and putting his company's inimitable showbiz stamp on it ...
Power: Hollywood producer Robert Levy ("The Wedding Planner," "Pay It Forward") had dinner the other night with Las Vegas talent agent Jaki Baskow and "The Young and the Restless" star Brenda Epperson at the Bootlegger Bistro ...
Sing: Don Henley, a founding member of the Eagles, makes a solo tour stop at Buffalo Bill's Star of the Desert Arena in Primm on July 24. Tickets, priced at $39.50 and $59.50, are now on sale ...
From Sun wires
Spears cancels tour: Britney Spears won't be gyrating in revealing outfits this summer -- at least not on stage.
The pop star canceled her tour Tuesday because of a knee injury she suffered last week during a video shoot with Snoop Dogg in New York for her new song "Outrageous." Her knee gave out during the choreography and afterward she had arthroscopic surgery.
Spears' tour was to have included the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Aug. 14.
Campbell sentenced: Country music singer Glen Campbell was sentenced Tuesday to 10 nights in jail and two years of probation for a November drunken-driving hit-and-run collision in Phoenix.
Campbell pleaded guilty in May to leaving the scene of an accident and extreme driving under the influence. He also was sentenced to 75 hours of community service and fined $900.
Michaels to be honored: Lorne Michaels, a Canadian-born comedy writer who created "Saturday Night Live" and produced "Wayne's World," "Tommy Boy" and other movies that showcased its stars, will be awarded one of America's top comedy prizes.
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, awarded by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, will be given to Michaels in Washington on Oct. 25.
New home for Stewart: The "Martha Stewart Living" television show, which will be on hiatus after the current season, has found a new home on The Style Network.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. announced today that it has signed a multiyear agreement with The Style Network to air existing episodes of "Martha Stewart Living," which was floundering with its star and host facing a prison sentence. The program will air on weekdays during prime time beginning this month.
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