Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007 | 7:09 a.m.
George Maloof and I were each handed hard hats Wednesday morning for a tour of his Pearl Theater at the Palms. But he didn't bother wearing the ugly white headgear, proving once again it is good to be the owner.
As he looked over the theater, which is cluttered with equipment and busy with construction crews working 20-hour shifts, Maloof assured me the concert hall will be ready for its opening performance by Tool on March 15-16.
Maloof has homed in on rates for the 18 luxury boxes that ring the 2,300-capacity music venue, which seats 2,500 when the floor is opened up as a general-admission space. The middle group of boxes (which will feature private bars, lounges and restrooms) will go for $3,000-$4,000. Those at the very bottom of the theater cost $2,500 and the ones near the top of the venue cost $1,000 (these are all tentative figures, but close to what the boxes will cost). The boxes seat between 10 and 20 fans. The cost is in addition to the ticket purchase price.
Maloof also said the reported deal bringing the somewhat reunited Van Halen to Pearl is still in the works and not yet signed (the band is bringing back David Lee Roth, but has parted with bassist Michael Anthony in favor of 15-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen, an up-and-comer who happens to be Eddie Van Halen's son). Maloof said he fell in love with the band upon the release of "Van Halen I" when he was in eighth grade, and when Wolfgang Van Halen had yet to exist.
NoteMart
On his AOL column Luxe Life, dedicated red-carpet pacer Robin Leach reports that he enjoyed (thoroughly, too) a visit over the weekend with Michael Jackson, Jackson's producer-manager Simon Fuller and director-choreographer Kenny Ortega at Wing Lei restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas. Leach quotes Jackson as saying, "I'm doing fine and am well and really enjoying myself in Vegas. It's a great place to call home." Said Ortega: "We're talking business and looking at lots of different possibilities. This is a blue-sky time with a lot of different scenarios up in the air. We're working through all of them to find the best - the one that makes the most sense that's good for everybody." But no one at Wynn Las Vegas has confirmed a deal with Jackson is imminent or being planned. What is certain is that the one-time King of Pop has long said he prefers to front a magic/illusion show, not a concert-style performance, and the list of resorts willing and able to provide a venue for such a show is exceedingly short ...
Charles Barkley put up some Rene Angelil numbers over Super Bowl weekend. The former Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns star claims to have won $700,000 after a hot run at blackjack, loading up on the Colts and playing Caveman Keno (OK, I made that last one up). But overall, Barkley estimates he's lost about $10 million - including $2.5 million in a single six-hour period last year. Tuesday during a radio interview with ESPN's Dan Patrick, Barkley said, "I don't gamble too much, but I probably gamble for too much money." He has no plans to quit ...
Spinout! The office of Sen. Harry Reid sent a photo of him with NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. The caption reads, "Nextel Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson and U.S. Senator Reid of Nevada discuss 'The Blue Oval,' a nickname for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which has been dominated by Ford drivers such as Johnson." NASCAR fans - millions of whom are registered voters - know Johnson is a Chevy driver ...
In what might be a record for shortest lead time to inform the public about the opening of a production, Steve Wyrick announced at 3 p.m. Wednesday that his show at the Steve Wyrick Entertainment Complex at Desert Passage mall would open for previews at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Wyrick has already unveiled the show for select fans, which I guess would mark the pre-preview period. Now we're in the preview period. Soon will be the post-preview period ...
Tyson chicken? Reader turns in the vanity plate on green Dodge pickup: TYSCHKN.
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