John Katsilometes on the long and winding party that capped the ‘Love’ gala at the Mirage

Monday, July 3, 2006 | 7:32 a.m.

Las Vegas has a well-deserved reputation as a haven for short-attention span theater. Most full-scale productions clock in at 90 minutes, and shows that run far longer on Broadway (such as the three-hour "Phantom of the Opera") are cleaved accordingly for the Vegas stage.

But our parties can last forever.

The opening-night gala for "Love" at the Mirage Events Center clocked in at around 14 hours. The bubbly event took off at around 10 p.m. Friday and stumbled home at around noon Saturday. It was the rare fete that started with puffed-crab appetizers and ended with a continental brunch of muffins and fruit juice (and Advil, probably).

I was one of those who did not make it to the other side of Saturday, leaving just after Paul McCartney bailed at around 11 p.m. But later I heard the 64-year-old rock legend (who hit the opening gala without a date) did return to the fray. One report was that a female bartender who was working the event took to the dance floor at 3 a.m. and was wheeled around by and asked to dance by McCartney.

The party's pulse quickened by the early morning arrival of Celine Dion's dance team, which made it over from The Colosseum at Caesars after a "A New Day " let out. That group was challenged to a kind of dance-off by Cirque du Soleil performers (who never seem to tire of dancing, or of anything else). For the entire crew, we understand that Sunday afternoon was never-ending.

NoteMart

RingoRama: With rumors of a McCartney sighting floating about, Ringo Starr beat back the heat for a performance with his All-Starr Band on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay Beach. "We've played some strange venues, but this takes the cake," Starr said with a laugh as he looked down on fans who were standing knee-deep in the beach's pool. "It might be hot down there, but it is hell up here. What they should have done was put the band in the pool and have you up here on stage." McCartney didn't show but Yoko Ono and George and Giles Martin were in attendance; Starr introduced George Martin from the stage. Starr did invite a few luminaries including onetime Eurythmic Dave Stewart, ELO's Jeff Lynne and Knack frontman (and John Lennon look-alike) Doug Fieger - to join in "With a Little Help From My Friends"

UNLV sets list: UNLV has arrived at the inductees for its fourth annual Nevada Entertainer/Artist Hall of Fame ceremonies, scheduled for Sept. 21 at Artemus Ham Hall. Wayne Newton, architect John Klai II and actress Mary Healy Hayes are the upcoming inductees. This year's lifetime Achievement Award will go to longtime Strip producer Frederic Apcar ...

A number made famous by John Havlicek: As of Saturday there were only 17 residences left for sale at the 64-story, 1,283-unit Tower I of Donald Trump's Trump International. Trump has plans for a second tower on the site across the Strip from Wynn Las Vegas

Marino squared: It was a Mrs. Doubtfire moment, sort of. Walking the red carpet prior to the 7 p.m. performance of "Love" on Friday night was "Evening at La Cage" star Frank Marino, dressed in a formal evening gown and appropriate bling. Later, I spotted Marino in line and out of costume for the 10 p.m. performance. He promised two reviews of the show ...

Depp thoughts: Malleable thespian Johnny Depp recently submitted to thousands of measurements of his person by artists representing Madame Tussauds. The result was a series of new figures depicting Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," including one to be displayed at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas at the Venetian. Figures in Vegas, Amsterdam, London and New York will be simultaneously unveiled Wednesday to coincide with the film's release

Rio on the hunt: The Rio is seeking an afternoon show to replace ventriloquist Ronn Lucas, who is heading for V Theatre at the Desert Passage mall at the Aladdin. Auditioning at a showcase on Saturday was "Schtick!", a vaudevillian comedy-magic show by our favorite Ivy League-educated entertainers, Seth Yudof and Doug Leferovich. The zoot-suited duo reach back a couple of generations for a highly entertaining (and frequently goofy) show that should find a home somewhere ...

Where food is a supporting act: A couple of Vegas restaurants that adhere completely to their stated themes are Quarks at the LV Hilton and NASCAR Cafe at the Sahara. Only at the "Star Trek"-themed Quarks can you sip a Warp Core Breach (a beverage bubbling with dry ice and 10 shots of rum), while waitresses at NASCAR Cafe finish taking your order with, "Thank you, race fans!" ...

Word from the streets: The lane expansions on the Interstate 215-Durango Road on- and off-ramps are finally nearly completed, and no one is happier than the occupants of the businesses at the Centra Point complex that sits on the northeast corner of that intersection. For several weeks, as road crews worked to add lanes to both the 215 and Durango, vehicles used the complex to circumvent snarled traffic on both ramps. As the volume of traffic darting through the Centra parking lots increased, "No Through Traffic" signs were put in place, largely to no avail. Once I saw a delivery truck drive around one of those signs, taking out the string holding it in place and knocking it down so he could deliver the goods

News News: The American Press Institute has honored the Green Valley News with a first place award in its 2006 Suburban Newspaper Association contest. The Green Valley News, a new member of the organization in its first year of contest eligibility, topped the Class D division (nondailies with a circulation of more than 37,500). Placing second was the Columbia (Mo.) Flier and third was the Rochester Eccentric of Lionia, Mich. The News is published by Greenspun Media Group, which also publishes the Las Vegas Sun

Trivia time: When the Beatles stayed at the Sahara during their U.S. tour stop on Aug. 19, 1964, which room did they occupy ? Answer: Room 2344 of the Alexandria Tower ...

Too many bratwursts? Or too many children? No make reported on this vehicle with the vanity plate 42BRATS.