Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

John Katsilometes on the Miss America Pageant’s plans to entertain other suitors, which might leave Las Vegas out of luck when it comes to repeating the success it enjoyed here this year

Miss America is playing the field.

We mean, the pageant. Not Jennifer Berry, who is the current Miss America.

What just weeks ago seemed to be Las Vegas' pageant to lose appears to be slipping away, says a source familiar with the negotiations between the Miss America Organization and Las Vegas Events. Today the chances for the pageant returning to the Strip for a second year - it moved to Vegas from Atlantic City this year, holding court at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts - are iffy at best.

The issue is that other cities simply want the pageant more than does Las Vegas, which to this point has been alone in negotiating with the Miss America Organization for next year's pageant. We're told the initial offer from Las Vegas Events was for a three-year deal at $1 million per year; in return, Las Vegas Events would be the pageant's "presenting sponsor."

However, we're told at least one city has made an offer of $2.5 million for the 2007 pageant, an offer that prompted Miss America to consider opening the negotiations to still more suitors.

Interested cities include Washington, D.C.; Branson, Mo.; Orlando, Fla., and Dallas. It hasn't helped Las Vegas' chances that LV Events reportedly took six weeks before returning an offer back to Miss America, which is said to have made decision-makers at the Miss America Organization a bit nervous.

As a result, on Monday the Miss America Organization board of directors will convene in Atlantic City (the pageant's original home) to determine if negotiations should be opened to cities other than Vegas. I'd count on it.

Las Vegas is, at least in part, competing with its own success as pageant host. The Vegas telecast on CMT (repeated several times) set ratings records for the cable network and helped quicken the pulse of an event that had languished on network TV. Next year a seven-episode reality show called "Finding Miss America" will lead up to the telecast in January on CMT.

NoteMart

Passing "Go": The opinionated, affable Oscar Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas, is displeased at the makers of Monopoly. On Friday we (well, me - not Goodman) reported that the game-makers were seeking to make the board reflect famous landmarks from across the country. Monopoly fans are provided three landmarks each from among 22 cities on which to vote at www.monopoly.com.

Las Vegas is represented by the Strip, Hoover Dam ... and Tropicana Avenue.

"Nobody from Monopoly ever called this office to discuss (the choices)," Goodman said Friday afternoon. "The choices lack imagination and sensitivity. Tropicana? It's a joke." Goodman agreed that at least one of the contenders should be the Fremont Street Experience. When asked if he could think of another city of Las Vegas landmark to include, the mayor offered a humbling pause and said, "The mayor's office." ...

Let us 'Spray: The weekly Thursday appearance by Bootlegger Bistro regular and R&B legend Ruth Brown was made doubly special last week by an appearance by Harvey Fierstein. Fierstein's run as Edna Turnblad in the production of "Hairspray" at the Luxor ends tonight; Brown played Motormouth Mabel in John Waters' 1988 film version of the musical ...

Hit man: Welcoming anyone willing to pay a few bucks for an autograph at the Forum Shops at Caesars on Friday afternoon was a somewhat hefty Pete Rose, who was the focus of attention at Field of Dreams memorabilia store. Rose still looks like he could suit up and play (bingo) today ...

Yeah, yeah, yeah: Beatles fans excited about the role Sir George Martin will play in producing the soundscape for "Love" at the Mirage should know that Martin's hearing loss makes it unlikely he'll play much of a role in actually assembling the music on the tracks. In 1994 Martin left the production of the Beatles' "Anthology" singles to ex-ELO frontman Jeff Lynne. Martin's son, Giles, is also on board as a producer of the "Love" soundscape and CD and will likely use his ears for the project.

Also on the Beatles front, those who can't wait for the June opening of "Love" can get a quick fix with "Classical Mystery Tour" at the LV Hilton. The show features a Beatles tribute band backed by a full-scale symphony orchestra. The show is May 28; tickets are $55 to $70 (call 800-222-5361 or go to www.lvhilton.com) ...

Tavern talk: The Venetian is being discussed as the site for the new Tavern on the Green; last week the famed Central Park restaurant said it is making plans to expand to Vegas. The Venetian's Palazzo Ballroom, near the end of its Restaurant Row, would be the site ...

Making it up: In an essay written for The New York Times, Tom Hanks heaps praise on his longtime makeup man, Danny Striepeke, who in a career spanning more than 40 years provided Elvis Presley's glowing tan in "Viva Las Vegas." Hanks and Striepeke have worked together for the past 19 years ...

Hey Nineteen: Steely Dan has announced a July 22 tour date at the Aladdin ...

Related developments? The Sand Dollar Blues Lounge had slower-than-usual business on Friday night; this weekend about 70,000 bikers descended on the Laughlin River Run ...

Lebowski sighting!: This one really made me laugh: An older-model beige Cadillac convertible heading east on Flamingo Road, in the direction of the Palms or Rio, with the plate: THEDUDE.

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