By Judy Thorburn
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Owner/Editor in Chief/writer - Las Vegas Round The Clock
Entertainment Reporter/Film Critic - Las Vegas Tribune
Owner/Editor in Chief/writer - The Flick Chicks
www.theflickchicks.com
The Palazzo Holds Inaugural Wine Walk to Benefit Local Charity
On Thursday, March 26 from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m, The Palazzo launched the inaugural wine walk, Stroll. Swirl. Shop. at The Shoppes at The Palazzo. The stylish event featured 7 wineries and 28 wines from across the country. Net proceeds from the event benefitted Three Square, the Las Vegas food bank that serves more than 200 agencies throughout Southern Nevada. Three Square provides bakery, produce, dairy, non-perishable products and ready-to-eat meals to non-profit and faith-based organizations. With their mission to provide wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger free community, Three Square is a place for community members to meet, serve and collaborate as part of the food solution.
While guests tasted the wines as strolled throughout the luxurious venue at the Palazzo they also enjoyed live jazz music from local artist David Van Such and cuisine from Dos Caminos and Woo. The wineries presenting at Stroll. Swirl. Shop. included Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Foster’s Wine Estates, Icon Estates, Lion Nathan USA, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Southern Wine & Spirits Sake.
The Basketball Hall of Fame's Hoop Hall Experience Opens Inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
At noon Friday, April 3, 2009 The Basketball Hall of Fame opened the Hoop Hall Experience (HHX) on the mezzanine level at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, just in time for the NCAA championship.
The Basketball Hall of Fame’s Hoop Hall Experience is a self-paced, interactive experience for basketball lovers of all ages. It consists of seven distinct zones within 17,000 square foot of space that is jam-packed with artifacts, state of the art interactive games, movie clips highlighting the most spectacular moments in basketball history and more. Sports fans may re-live some of basketball’s greatest moments with rare memorabilia including the jersey Wilt Chamberlin wore when he scored 100 points and the flooring where Michael Jordan took his final shot.
Basketball Hall of Fame’s Hoop Hall Experience is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily with last admission at 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display for a limited time. Tickets are $24.50 (adults), $22.50 (seniors 65 and older and military), $21.50 (Nevada residents), and $17.50 (children 4-12).
2009 Miss USA Contestants Visit Nevada Cancer Institute
On Saturday, April 4, several 2009 Miss USA contestants visited cancer patients and families at Nevada Cancer Institute’s Bottles of Hope support group to kick off their two weeks of activities before the live pageant on April 19th.
Bottles of Hope is a free monthly patient support activity that allows patients, their families and supporters to spend time together creating polymer-covered chemo bottles that hold an inspirational message for newly diagnosed patients. During the event, the 2009 Miss USA contestants interacted with the patients while putting their imagination to the test by creating artistic bottles.
Participants included 2008 Miss USA Crystle Stewart, Miss Nevada Georgina Vaughan, Miss Arizona Alicia-Monique Blanco, Miss Utah Laura Kirilova Chukanov, Miss Louisiana Lacey Minchew, Miss New Jersey Kaity Bettina Rodriguez, Miss South Carolina Stephanie Smith, Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton, Miss Virginia Maegan Elizabeth Phillips and Miss Maine Ashley Underwood.
2008 Miss USA Contestants
Photo courtesy of The Nevada Cancer Institute
Miss Nevada
Photo courtesy of The Nevada Cancer Institute
Miss Utah
Photo courtesy of The Nevada Cancer Institute
Miss North Carolina
Photo courtesy of The Nevada Cancer Institute
Vegas PBS Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Vegas PBS, in conjunction with Southern Nevada Public Television (SNPT), celebrated its 40th Anniversary at its new Educational Technology Campus. It was a special eveing for Vegas PBS as the organization reflected on the last four decades with a special video presentation and celebrated what is to come in the future with an elegant four-course small plate dinner prepared by Certified Master Chef Gustav Mauler. The event also included a live and silent auction.
Congresswoman Shelly Berkley, Charlotte Hill, member of the State Board of Education and founder of SNPT, and local political correspondent Mitch Fox were all in attendance to help Vegas PBS celebrate this special milestone.
Additional recent and upcoming “happenings” in and around Las Vegas include:
Blondies Sports Bar & Grill inside Miracle Mile Shops has been named one of the “Top 10 Sports Bars” in the nation by Gayot.com, a leading online resource for travel and dining.
Tabu Ultra Lounge in the MGM Grand has been awarded “Best Lounge” and “Best Bottle Service” by the 2009 Club World Awards. The intimate lounge dominated its competitors for the most prestigious awards in club land, and is the only Las Vegas venue to take home multiple awards.
Legendary guitarist, Carlos Santana has signed a multi year deal with AEG Live to perform at The Joint inside The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Santana will be the first resident performer at the new Joint. Through 2010, the venue will be the only place west of the Mississippi where fans can see Santana perform. Santana’s show, which debuts on Wednesday May 27, pays homage to his most successful body of work to date and is titled Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits and features the artist’s signature fusion sound in a show designed exclusively for the new venue. Santana will play approximately 36 shows per year at The Joint, with a show time of 9 p.m. Tickets for performances through September are now on sale.
CineVegas will host "CineVegas Under the Stars" at the Springs Preserve, a new summer outdoor screening series to be held once a month for 4 months at 8pm in the Spring Preserve's outdoor amphitheater. The series will launch on Saturday, April 11 with YONKERS JOE, an exciting, high-stakes con film and moving family drama starring Chazz Palminteri and Christine Lahti. General admission tickets are $10 each, and the Food and a Flick package is available for $25 per person, which includes a pre-movie dinner at the Springs Preserve Cafe by Wolfgang Puck. The series will continue on Friday, May 15, Saturday June, 27 and Saturday, July 11, with film titles to be announced at a later date.
Every Tuesday beginning March 31 and ending May 19, McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino will host a “Karaoke Entertainer of the Year” Competition. The voting will be done by the other singers competing as well as a representative from Star Media & Entertainment. Every week three contestants will advance to the semi-finals, which will take place at McFadden’s on May 19. From the semi-finals, ten singers will be chosen to represent Las Vegas in the Grand Finals and have the chance to win up to $20,000 in cash and prizes. The Grand Finals will be held in July at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
MonteLago Village at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, begins its lineup of FREE, weekly, classic rock concerts on Friday nights beginning on April 3 with the Billy Joel Tribute band. The lineup continues on April 10 with Southern Stue (Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band); April 17- Cornell Gunters Coasters and on April 24- Wildheart (Fleetwood Mac tribute band). All concerts are held on the lakeside lawn Friday nights from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, The Galleria at Sunset, located on the corner of Sunset Road and Stephanie Street in Henderson, will celebrate National Start! Walking Day at its monthly Sun Striders mall walkers get-together. To combat the trend of increasing numbers in heart disease and stroke, the American Heart Association established its now annual National Start! Walking Day, which encourages all Americans to incorporate at least 30 minutes of walking into.
On Saturday night, April 11, Perry Farrell, founder of Lollapalooza and legendary alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction, celebrates his birthday with celebrity friends inside Bare pool lounge at The Mirage. Renowned rock artists Dave Navarro, Slash, Billy Idol, Billy Morrison, Juliette Lewis and members of Jane’s Addiction, Porno for Pyros, Velvet Revolver and Cypress Hill perform with Farrell on stage. Doors open at 9 p.m. Performance begins at 10 p.m. Tickets for PERRYPALOOZA start at $100 (not including handling and service fees.
On Saturday, April 11 at noon Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Las Vegas’ first true “locals” casino (named after Boyd Gaming’s co-founder Sam Boyd (father of Bill Boyd, the Company’s Executive Chairman), is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The anniversary celebration will highlight the rich, three-decade history of Sam’s Town Las Vegas with a special appearance by Bill Boyd, a FREE champagne toast and cake served to guests near the Race and Sports Book Deli. Throughout April, photographs and memorabilia collected over the 30-year history of Sam’s Town will be on display near the Poker Bar in the casino.
Sunday, April 12, 2009 MonteLago Village at Lake Las Vegas (15 Costa di Lago, Henderson, NV) will be holding its Annual Easter Egg Hunt & Celebration to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Kids of all ages are invited to join the fun and visit with the Easter Bunny or participate in one of the Easter Egg hunts, with the chance to win prizes, toys and candy. This event is free and open to the public. Easter Egg Hunt participation is $3 per child and a portion of the proceeds benefit JDRF.
Pop icon KC & The Sunshine Band is coming to The Orleans Showroom April 17-19. Show times each night is 8 p.m. Tickets starts from $54.95, plus tax.
The 17th annual Clark County Children’s Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 18 at the Winchester Cultural Center and Park, 3130 S. McLeod Drive. The event and many activities are free, but there are minimal fees for selected activities, rides and concessions. The award-winning festival combines recreational, cultural and creative activities to entertain and educate children of all ages. Food and beverage will be e available for purchase. Some activities require registration and information can be found at the front desk. Those interested in the festival can call Winchester Cultural Center at 455-7340 or visit the Web site at www.accessclarkcounty.com/parks.
The UNLV Performing Arts Center concludes its 2008-09 Classical Guitar Series season at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 23 with Roman Viazovskiy, an artist who achieves “an almost perfect harmony of emotion and control” (Classical Guitar Magazine). Tickets to Roman Viazovskiy are $35 (purchasing information below).
The UNLV Performing Arts Center presents Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 as part of the New York Stage & Beyond Series. This musical revue takes the audience through a century of Broadway in just one evening, including songs like “Some Enchanted Evening” (South Pacific), “Think of Me” (Phantom of the Opera), and “All That Jazz” (Chicago). Tickets to Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway are $35, $50, and $80 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 895-ARTS (2787) or by visiting www.pac.unlv.edu
Tickets are now on sale for the Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary’s Gimme Shelter Concert featuring celebrated Rolling Stone tribute band Jumping Jack Flash at Lake Las Vegas Resort. The outdoor concert will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. on the floating stage at The Village. Proceeds will go to help build a high volume/high quality, low cost/no cost spay and neuter clinic in Las Vegas. Tickets are $20 for general admission on the Lawn, $40 for Water’s Edge seats and $75 for VIP, which includes seats on the floating stage, an exclusive complimentary gift bag and access to a private beer garden. Tickets are available at Bone Appétit and LV Village Reality or online at ticketweb.com. For more information, please visit hwcs.org or call (702) 227-5555.
Las Vegas Weimaraner Club and Rescue today announced that tickets for its June 6th “Bark for Art,” fundraising art auction and event, are now on sale at www.barkforart.com. This new annual event, to be held from 5pm to 8pm at the Marquis Estates, will feature drinks and hors d’oeuvres, entertainment, and the chance to see and bid on art to benefit homeless Weimaraners and mixes in Southern Nevada. Tickets are just $20 and more than 200 guests are expected to attend the inaugural “Bark for Art.”
Celebrity sightings:
Emmy-nominated actress Jenna Fischer (“The Office”) spotted enjoying dinner inside Strip House at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Saturday night, March 28.
Professional skateboarder Jake Brown and actor Marcus Chong partied at Playboy Club Sunday night (3.29.09) with a group of 12.
Tuesday night, March 31…
Reality stars were spotted at LAVO inside The Palazzo. Matsuflex from VH1’s Tool Academy along with Trevor Lord from MTV’s Double Shot at Love had a VIP table in the nightclub, just in front of the stage.
Matsuflex
Photo credit: Hew Burney
At the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Olympic record holder and gold medalist in the 100 meter sprint Maurice Green hanging out with friends at the Center Bar.
Over at Wasted Space, from the multi platinum heavy metal band Slipknot - Sid Wilson, also known as “DJ Starscream” surprised partiers by spinning an impromptu DJ Set.
Wednesday, April 1, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino: Plain White T’s rocked a sold out show along with special guests Danger Radio and Vedera at Wasted Space.
Plain White T's
Photo credit: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Plain White T's
Photo credit: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Thursday evening…
David Spade dined at the Asian Bistro before heading off to his limited engagement show at The Venetian.
Arriving a bit later, Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush hosted a charity dinner in honor of the Lollipop Theater Network; with him was Chris Pine who is staring in the upcoming Star Trek movie.
They were joined at dinner by Briana Evigan and the girls from Sorority Row, fresh from being feted as ShoWest’s 2009 Female Stars of Tomorrow. Evigan, who glowed in a yellow Max Azria dress and Nina Ricci heels, was surrounded by cast mates Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Patridge and Margo Harshman, along with the movie’s director Stuart Hendler.
Sorority Row's Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Patridge and Margo Harshman, along with the movie’s director Stuart Hendler.
Photo Credit: Denise Truscello
After dinner, the Sorority Row crew headed upstairs to a VIP table in the moat section of the nightclub while Rumer was able to catch up with producer/director Michael Bay as they crossed paths at valet when he arrived to TAO just as she was leaving for the night. Bay and five friends took a lower level skybox.
Dining at a table in the restaurant was reality star and socialite Brittny Gastineau along with Jeff Beacher of Beacher’s Madhouse, while yet another table in the celeb filled dining room was occupied by Ben Lyons and Jason Kennedy, both from E! They all later joined up at a table in the nightclub.
Upstairs at TAO Beach, cabanas were packed with even more notables. Justin Long, Bradley Cooper and New Line president Richard Brenner took a poolside cabana for the evening and Sorority Row girls Jamie Chung and Margo Harshman stopped by to visit them as well. Also joining them were Rachel McAdams and Josh Lucas, who were spotted canoodling and dancing inside the cabana.
Just a few cabanas down was comedian Eddie Griffin enjoying the pleasant, albeit windy night.
“Star Trek” star Chris Pine and actress Sienna Miller were spotted attending a private event at Strip House inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
On Friday, April 3…
Actors Dennis Quaid, Greg Kinnear and Matthew Fox were spotted enjoying the casino party pit at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Earlier in the evening, Quaid was seen inside AGO as well as dining with Kinnear at Nobu.
Country music star Kenny Chesney was spotted in Playboy Club and Moon Nightclub, inside the Palms Casino Resort. Chesney was presented with the Playboy Key by two Playboy Bunnies. Other celerity key holders include George Clooney, Matt Damon, Josh Duhamel, Paris Hilton, Michael Phelps, Brad Pitt, Gwen Stefani and many more. Chesney was seen dancing and taking photos with fans throughout the night. He was joined by several friends and the group sat at VIP booths.
Also seen inside the Palms was Good Charlotte band member, Benji Madden with long-time friend and business partner Tal Cooperman, dining at N9NE Steakhouse.
Rebellious rocker Avril Lavigne was spotted at LAVO inside The Palazzo. While hubby Derek Whibley was not among the group of friends, her wedding ring sparkled, keeping rumors of a split at bay.
David Spade, who dined earlier for the second night in a row at TAO, met up with the Lavigne and friends as the end of dinner, following his comedy show at The Venetian. Spade took the group up to the second floor nightclub, but chose to call it a night while Lavigne and friends grabbed a VIP table on the dance floor.
Also at LAVO on Friday was poker player Annie Duke, who is currently a front runner on the current season of Celebrity Apprentice. Accompanied by boyfriend Joe Reitman and friends, the group stayed in the lounge where they could relax and chat. Upstairs, the Celebrity Apprentice sightings continued as Andrew Dice Clay, who heard Donald Trump’s infamous “You’re Fired,” on the first episode, partied in the nightclub.
Saturday evening April 4, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino:
Hillary Scott, lead singer of country group Lady Antebellum and Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers spotted enjoying dinner together at AGO before heading over to Body English where they danced together in the booths while enjoying the sounds of DJ Clinton Sparks. Also spotted at the club were members from the R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe.
Hillary Scott, lead singer of country group Lady Antebellum and Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers
Photo credit: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe
Photo credit: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
DJ Clinton Sparks
Photo credit: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Actor and star of the hit television show “Lost”, Matthew Fox seen gambling with friends in the Hard Rock’s party pit for the second night in a row.
At TAO Asian Bistro singer Taylor Swift, in town for the ACM Awards, arranged a special dinner at the hot spot for her band and crew. Also joined by her mother, the statuesque blonde beauty glowed in a black one shoulder dress, silver Louboutin heels and a silver Swarovski clutch.
Taylor Swift
Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/TAO
Returning to TAO for his pre-show dinner for the third night in a row was David Spade. After dinner he popped over to say hello to Swift, reuniting after their meeting at the Grammy’s last year.
Nearby, actress Kaley Cuoco, who stars in The Big Bang Theory on CBS, dined with a friend.
Also at TAO were Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s stars Bruce and Kris Jenner. The duo, in town for business, dined with friends.
Spotted upstairs in the VIP moat area of the nightclub were Jamie Foxx and Flavor Flav. The duo surprised a packed house in the wee hours of the morning when they hopped on stage and gave an impromptu performance. The hour long spectacle included classic hits, along with Foxx’s newest chart topper, “Blame It OnThe Alcohol”, which he first premiered with a record release party at TAO.
It was an action-packed Saturday night at Palms Casino Resort with appearances by celebrities such as the ladies from the hit E! reality series, The Girls Next Door, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Henry Baskett, actress Eva Longoria, Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis, actor, comedian and singer Jamie Foxx, creator of Playboy magazine Hugh Hefner (in town celebrating his 83rd birthday) and more.
N9NE Steakhouse hosted Hefner’s 83rd birthday dinner, which included guests such as personalities from The Girls Next Door Kendra Wilkinson (joined by beau Henry Baskett), Bridget Marquardt and Hefner’s current main girlfriend, Crystal Harris. Also enjoying dinner was Eva Longoria with a party of six and Clinton Portis who dined with a large group of 14.
At Playboy Club, Hefner and his entourage sat at the infamous ‘Hef’s Table,’ where they enjoyed cocktails, FIJI Water and an assortment of shots. They also partied at Moon Nightclub around midnight where Hefner was presented with a birthday cake and a special performance of “Happy Birthday” by Marquardt. Spotted at Moon at a table nearby was Holly Madison.
Longoria and her friends also made their way up to Playboy Club and Moon Nightclub following dinner. Portis and his party of 14 arrived at Playboy Club around 10 p.m.
Jamie Foxx also made an appearance at Playboy Club and Moon Nightclub.
Playboy Playmate of the Month (May 2006) Alison Waite was amongst those also seen partying at Playboy Club, Moon Nightclub and later was seen at Rain Nightclub for Perfecto. She was joined by Playboy Playmates Hiromi Oshima and Janine Habeck until 3 a.m.
Country singer Faith Hill was spotted Sunday afternoon, April 5, with two friends enjoying lunch at Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois inside The Forum Shops at Caesars.
Sunday night…
At TAO and LAVO
Starting the day off, Avril Lavigne, joined by friends took a cabana at TAO Beach. After a few hours there and a quick change, the crew returned to enjoy dinner at LAVO for the second night in a row, loving LAVO’s new Italian menu. After dinner they made their way to the club.
For the 4th night in a row it was celebrity central at TAO. After the ACM awards the stars poured in. First to arrive were Matthew McConaughey and girlfriend Camila Alves. Shortly after their arrival, Victoria’s Secret supermodel Marisa Miller made an entrance with her husband and a few friends. They joined Matthew and Camila for dinner, having all just met at the CMA Awards it was clear they were becoming fast friends.
Matthew McConaughey and girlfriend Camila Alves
Photo credit: Al Powers
Marisa Miller
Photo credit: Al Powers
Last to arrive and on the heels of Saturday night’s surprise performance at TAO was Jamie Foxx. As always, the Academy Award winner came with a large entourage of family and friends, but this was an extra special night as he had his 15 year old daughter with him, having just treated her to a very special day at the award show. They sat just across from Matthew’s group and while he made sure to stop by and chat with them, his main focus was clearly spending quality with his daughter and family as this was her first visit to Las Vegas.
Following the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards former Americal Idol contestant Kellie Pickler spent the rest of her evening at Tabú Ultra Lounge in MGM Grand. Pickler danced the night away with friends at the award-winning lounge after making a splash in a gold mermaid gown at the awards show where she had the honor of introducing country music heartthrob Keith Urban’s live performance.
Joe Maloof, president of the Maloof Companies and owner of the Sacramento Kings, dunking in the dunk zone at the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Hoop Hall Experience at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
Monday, March 6…
Chef Mark Andelbrat’s food at TAO Las Vegas on Sunday evening inspired Matthew McConaughey and girlfriend Camila Avles to return for a second helping on Monday. The duo, whose dinner on Sunday was cut short in order to race to a show, wanted to try more dishes from the Asian bistro’s menu.
Samantha Ronson spotted enjoying dinner inside Strip House at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Las Vegas.
MLB hitter who is currently a free agent, Frank Thomas, dined at N9NE Steakhouse inside Palms Casino Resort. He was seen hanging out with Executive Chef Barry Dakake and left shortly after 10:30 p.m.
of Chef Mark Andelbrat’s food at TAO Las Vegas on Sunday evening inspired Matthew McConaughey and girlfriend Camila Avles to return for a second helping on Monday. The duo, whose dinner on Sunday was cut short in order to race to a show, wanted to try more dishes from the Asian bistro’s menu. On Monday night, an assortment of Sashimi and Sushi along with the Kobe Rib Eye, washed down with Don Julio margaritas satisfied their cravings.
I will be back next week with more of what’s “happening” in and around Las Vegas.