VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: With Sir Elton, money plays at Caesars

Monday, May 10, 2004 | 10:30 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.

Las Vegas is all about the Benjamins.

Actually, it is all about the Salmon P. Chases, and the Woodrow Wilsons.

Ben Franklin is on the face of the $100 bill. Chase, who appears on the $10,000 bill, was instrumental in establishing the national banking system in 1863, when he was Abraham Lincoln's treasury secretary. Wilson was the nation's 28th president; he is on the $100,000 bill.

Anyway, two bits of news that came out over the weekend hammered home exactly how much money passes through, and is generated by, Las Vegas.

First was the announcement that Elton John has added 15 dates to his sold-out series of shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. John returns to the Caesars stage July 23 to Aug. 8. The additional 15 dates run between Oct. 12 and Oct. 31.

Billboard, the business entertainment publication, did some math and reported that since it began Feb. 13, John's "Red Piano" engagement has grossed $14.5 million from 19 sellouts that drew 75,276 people.

"At John's current pace of $763,157 per night, the year's gross will exceed $30 million," Billboard figures.

But even with his success, The Colosseum remains the house that Celine Dion built. In 2003 Dion grossed $80 million from 146 sellouts at the room, according to Billboard. And she has grossed another $26.8 million from 48 sellouts so far this year.

Her grosses to date have well exceeded the total cost of the venue, and she'll easily top 1 million tickets sold by year's end.

'Wheel' deals

The New York Times Sunday magazine cover was a photo of a "Wheel of Fortune" slot machine.

The accompanying article details how slots gross, in one year, more than McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King and Starbucks -- combined. Their figure was $30 billion.

"Wheel" alone reportedly takes in more than a billion dollars each year.

The article also details astronomical numbers expected from a new "Star Wars" machine and mentions current favorites ranging from "The Price Is Right" to some of the Dick Clark-endorsed machines ("American Bandstand," "New Year's Rockin' Eve") and the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" slot, featuring the voice of show host and Las Vegas resident Robin Leach.

Update

We hear that "The Vegas Show" is the new name of "Vegas Live! With Clint Holmes and Sheena Easton."

The show is now slated to return to the airwaves on KVVU Channel 5 at 10 a.m. on June 14.

Sources say producers wanted a shorter and easier-to-remember name. Also, with national syndication being the producers' goal, attaching a distinctly local name like Holmes to the show was deemed by sales folks not to be a major strength.

Holmes and Easton remain as hosts, and Kelly Clinton returns as announcer.

As we earlier reported, KLAS Channel 8 newsman Casey Smith is gone from the show, since it will now air on a competitor station.

Snake eyes

Seems that Tom Hanks is an avid craps player. He was coaching his actor son, Colin Hanks, on the finer points of the game at a Bellagio table Friday night.

Wife and mother Rita Wilson stood a few feet away from them, looking somewhat bored, as her hubby and son played, a source tells us.

Earlier in the evening, the family sipped Grey Goose martinis at Caramel after Colin surprised his mother by flying up from Albuquerque, N.M., where he is filming a movie, to join her for Mother's Day.

Old suit

Riviera headliner Frank Marino ("An Evening at La Cage") will be featured Tuesday on the syndicated entertainment police blotter show "Celebrity Justice."

The segment was taped Friday by Henderson-based producer George Ciccarone, and recaps a 1985 suit filed against Marino by Joan Rivers, whom he impersonates in his show.

The settlement was that he would not use the slogan "Can We Talk?" However, in typical Marino fashion, he hung a huge sign from the stage ceiling saying just that.

The segment is tied in to promote Rivers' first Vegas appearance in some time, her June 23-26 gig at Stardust.

Booking

Some acquaintances from our old neighborhood are coming to Las Vegas next month.

The Beastie Boys have been booked to play the Huntridge Theatre on June 9 as part of MTV's "$2 Bill" series.

No immediate word on ticket prices or when they are going on sale.

VegasBits

Day: Valerie Bertinelli ("One Day at a Time," "Touched by an Angel") had an early Mother's Day dinner Saturday with her son Wolfgang, 13, at Gustav Mauler's Spiedini restaurant (J.W. Marriott) ...

Jocks: It was like a locker room at the Palms over the weekend. Sighted either at N9NE, Rain, or ghostbar: NBA rookie of the year LeBron James, Charles Woodson, Dirk Nowitzki, Jonathan Ogden, Marcus Coleman, Donald Driver, Ray Crockett, Ray Buchanan and new Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green ...

Elect: KTNV Channel 13 anchor Ross Becker has been elected to the board of the Associated Press Television and Radio Association of Nevada and California ...

Hole: Courtney Love went backstage after seeing "X" on Saturday night at Harvey's Lake Tahoe. "X" producers are still working to get the show back up and running in Las Vegas.

From Sun wires

'Wicked' dominates nominations:

"Wicked," a quirky and fantasy-filled musical about those folks who live along the Yellow Brick Road, picked up 10 Tony Award nominations today.

"Assassins," the controversial Stephen Sondheim musical, followed with seven and four shows tied with six nominations apiece: "Caroline, or Change," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Avenue Q" and the Lincoln Center revival of "Henry IV."

Megahunk Hugh Jackman, who will host the Tony ceremony on June 6, was among the nominees for outstanding actor in a musical for his portrayal of flamboyant entertainer Peter Allen in "The Boy From Oz." Kevin Kline and Christopher Plummer picked up nominations for best actor in a play.

"Anna in the Tropics," last year's Pulitzer winner; "Frozen," the chilling tale of a young girl's disappearance; "I Am My Own Wife," winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for drama; and "The Retreat From Moscow," got nods for best play.

Besides "Wicked," "Avenue Q" and "Caroline, or Change," the other best musical nominee was "The Boy From Oz."

Jackman will compete with Hunter Foster, "Little Shop of Horrors"; Alfred Molina, "Fiddler on the Roof," Euan Morton, "Taboo"; and John Tartaglia, a puppeteer in "Avenue Q."

Competing for best actress in a musical were Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel for "Wicked," Donna Murphy for "Wonderful Town," Tonya Pinkins for "Caroline, or Change"; and Stephanie D'Abruzzo, who sings the part of a puppet in "Avenue Q."

Kline and Plummer were nominated for their roles in two Shakespeare productions, "Henry IV" and "King Lear," respectively. They face Simon Russell Beale, "Jumpers"; Frank Langella, "Match"; and Jefferson Mays, "I Am My Own Wife."

Nominated for best performance by an actresses in a play were: Eileen Atkins,"The Retreat From Moscow"; Tovah Feldshuh, "Golda's Balcony"; Anne Heche, "Twentieth Century"; Swoosie Kurtz, "Frozen" and Phylicia Rashad, "A Raisin in the Sun."

'Survivor' engaged: Not a bad night for "Survivor" contestant Amber Brkich: an engagement ring and a $1 million prize.

The conclusion to "Survivor All-Stars" Sunday felt more like "The Bachelor" when one of the two final contestants, "Boston Rob" Mariano, pulled out a ring and proposed to Brkich.

When host Jeff Probst counted the votes before a live audience in Madison Square Garden, Brkich beat Mariano by a 4-3 vote.

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