VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Resort hopes to Wynn over top act

Wednesday, May 5, 2004 | 10:50 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.

Late Monday, Steve Wynn announced expansion plans for his new resort -- a full year before the doors are even open. The plans call for a new showroom.

On Tuesday speculation was running wild about what act would play that showroom.

The first name on everybody's short list was Danny Gans. Wynn signed Gans to his original deal at The Mirage, and the two have remained close ever since.

However, despite the fact that one source said a Gans move was "a sure thing," both Gans and Wynn emphatically denied to us in separate phone conversations that the impressionist was leaving The Mirage.

"Is Danny Gans coming here? No," Wynn said. He wouldn't discuss, however, who might be coming.

Another source told us that while Gans was a talent, he was not the national name that Wynn was looking for.

"When you are building a $2 billion property, you want a name and face on the marquee that is instantly recognizable -- on the level of Celine Dion," the source said.

Former Wynn and Hard Rock Hotel exec Don Marrandino was said to be putting together a lineup of three or four rotating headliners before he left Wynn for Harrah's last year.

Among the potential names were several very popular and very mainstream entertainers, such as Kenny G., Barry Manilow, Josh Groban and Billy Joel -- who regularly tours with Caesars Palace headliner Elton John.

US Weekly recently reported that Wynn had made overtures to Madonna to be his headliner, but that she had nixed the offer.

The first Wynn Las Vegas showroom will house Cirque du Soleil veteran Franco Dragone's water-filled show about a boy who loses and then regains the power of flight. The show's working title is "Le Reve," after the Picasso painting Wynn owns -- which was also the working title of the resort.

Big bet

They are putting their money -- and their washrags -- where their mouths are.

During a Monday appearance on Craig Kilborn's late night CBS talker, Joe, Gavin, Phil and George Maloof bet Kilborn that their Sacramento Kings would vanquish Kilborn's faves, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Their best-of-seven NBA playoff series started Tuesday night.

The bet: if Kilborn's Timberwolves beat the Kings, the Maloof brothers will go to Los Angeles and wash Kilborn's car, while dressed in cutoff jeans.

If the Maloofs' Kings beat the Timberwolves, Kilborn will travel to Las Vegas and park cars and serve drinks at the Palms.

The Kings beat the Timberwolves 104-98 in Game 1. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday.

Country Vegas

Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Uncle Kracker, Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss and Terri Clark have been added as performers at the 39th Annual Country Music Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 26.

Also, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Emily Procter, Julie Roberts, Buddy Jewell, Josh Turner and Jimmy Wayne will present awards.

They all join previously announced performers Toby Keith, Martina McBride, George Strait, Keith Urban, Montgomery Gentry, Rascal Flatts and Lonestar, and previously announced presenters LeAnn Rimes, The Rock and Sterling Marlin. Host Reba McEntire will also perform.

VegasBits

Special: Lou Rawls made a surprise appearance with the Scintas during their Rio show Monday night. They sang a couple of songs together ...

Golden: Actor Joe Pesci joined hotel owner Tim Poster and execs John DiCostantino and Richard Wilk at Stefanos, in the Golden Nugget, for a late dinner on Monday night ...

Unwind: "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell and two pals hit the gentleman's club Sapphire the other night ...

Perform: Shawn King -- wife of CNN's Larry King -- will open for Don Rickles when Mr. Insult plays the Stardust in November, Rickles said on King's show over the weekend. Rickles also did a farcical riff on what he called "the nation's strangest city," Laughlin ...

Progress: The production staff of "Vegas Live! With Clint Holmes and Sheena Easton" has been given a return-to-work date of June 7, with broadcasts scheduled to start two weeks later on KVVU Channel 5 ...

Punch: An open casting call for "The Next Great Champ," a new Fox reality series with boxer Oscar De La Hoya, is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday at Richard Steele Boxing Gym/CMX Sports at 1405 A St. They are looking for tough guys between 130 and 185 pounds ...

Tread: Tire heirs Adam Firestone and his "Bachelor" brother Andrew Firestone are driving across the country as part of the Cannonball One Lap of America. It is a nearly 24-hour-a-day driving experience combined with time trial competitions on racetracks throughout the country. The brothers were at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Tuesday ...

Melody: Las Vegas resident Brother Luke (Shaun DeGraff) has been diagnosed with RA (rheumatoid arthritis), which makes his rockin' keyboard skills that much more impressive. Every day he battles the arthritis but continues to play on. He next performs at 11:30 p.m. May 19 and May 20 at the Lounge at the Palms. If you can stay up, it is well worth checking out ...

From Sun wires

Linked: Sean Lennon, 28, and Elizabeth Jagger, 20, the offspring of John Lennon and Mick Jagger, respectively, have been an item for nearly two months, her mother, Jerry Hall, tells the London Mirror. (A rep for Hall confirmed the comment to the New York Daily News.) "They are so in love," Hall said. "We had all these incredible family sing-songs with him around the piano. He looks so like John now, and he writes beautiful poetry."

Arnold sues: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is suing an Ohio bobblehead company, alleging it unlawfully used the former Hollywood actor's image for a toy plastic doll.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court lawsuit says the governor's image holder, Oak Productions Inc., "does not permit Schwarzenegger's name, photograph, likeness or voice to be used on commercial products, on packaging of commercial products or in advertising for commercial products or services" unless authorized.

Williams supports legal pot: Montel Williams threw his support behind legalizing medical marijuana in New York, saying pot helps him cope with multiple sclerosis.

Williams, 47, who was diagnosed with the neurological disease in 1999, said he uses marijuana every night before bed to relieve the pain in his legs and feet.

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