Columnist John Katsilometes: On Andrea Bocelli’s unique way of gauging a woman’s beauty

Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005 | 8:07 a.m.

Fabulous Las Vegas runs Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach John Katsilometes at kats@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-2327 or (702) 812-9812.

During a news conference at MonteLago Village's Chapel Fiorenza on Wednesday, acclaimed producer/songwriter David Foster said he recently asked pop and classical vocalist Andrea Bocelli how Bocelli could sense when a beautiful woman was nearby.

"What did you say when I asked you that, Andrea?" Foster said from the podium, teasing his longtime friend into offering how Bocelli is able to make such a distinction.

"I just ... know," Bocelli (who is blind) said with a grin while seated on the dais. Foster asked again, and Bocelli cracked: "I ask my brother."

"I was hoping for him to say it was an aura, something spiritual," Foster said, laughing, "and that's what I get."

Bocelli is starring in, and Foster is producing, a concert special from the Lake Las Vegas Resort's floating stage Friday and Saturday afternoons. The invitation-only performances are part of the PBS "Great Performances" series and will air in March. It's the first time PBS has trained its "Great Performances" cameras on a show originating from Las Vegas.

"PBS, to me, is the ideal way to bring exposure to the cultural change in Las Vegas," said Ron Boeddeker, president and chairman of Transcontinental Corp., which developed Lake Las Vegas. "The venue is the theme of public TV, a European-type of look, and we have the ideal look and artist."

Said Bocelli: "The last time I played live pop was almost 30 years ago, while I played piano at university ... I am nervous."

NoteMart

Kerry on: Chef and sometimes snowboarder Kerry Simon (who has been known to cut loose at Lee Canyon on occasion) says plans for his latest project, Simon Telluride at the Peeks Resort & Golden Door Spa in Colorado, are on target. The restaurant opens Dec. 15.

"It overlooks all of Telluride and it's really spectacular -- that's the only way to describe it," Simon said Tuesday as he hosted a party for Hard Rock Hotel owner Peter Morton at Simon Kitchen & Bar. Morton was trumpeting the advance sales of $800 million for the Bungalows Residences Flats at the Hard Rock ...

Lennon anniversary: The Beatles tribute band the Fab Four are observing the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's death by donating all proceeds from their show tonight (the actual anniversary) to the music program at the Dr. Mariam and Sheldon G. Adelson High School.

The school will be part of the Milton I. Schwartz Hebrew Academy and opens in 2007. The Fab Four perform Saturdays through Thursdays (dark Fridays) at the V Theater in the Aladdin's Desert Passage mall ...

Anniversary addendum: There was very little link between Lennon and Las Vegas; the Beatles performed here once, in 1964, and soon after Lennon said the city was, "Marvelous ... whoever thought of building a place in the middle of a desert?" That piece of audiotape was passed to us by KKLZ 96.3-FM DJ Dennis Mitchell, host of "Breakfast With the Beatles" ...

Moment of magic: A capacity crowd turned out Tuesday at FAO Schwarz at the Forum Shops at Caesars to honor comic magician Carl Ballantine, who was presented the Magician of the Year Award by the Las Vegas chapter of International Brotherhood of Magicians. Penn & Teller and Mac King were among the members of the local magic community who turned up; among the items auctioned to benefit the Las Vegas Boys and Girls Clubs was a rubber chicken signed by Ballantine that fetched $500 ...

All aglow: According to the Las Vegas Hilton Hot Sheet, passed along by the incomparable Ira David Sternberg, the hotel will have issued 150,000 glow sticks to fans attending Barry Manilow's performances at the hotel showroom. Fans break out these babies during "Copacabana (At the Copa)" ...