Former Beverly Hills Madam, Heidi Fleiss made headlines when she got caught providing "ladies of the night" to both celebrities and big-time Hollywood TV and movie producers. She made headlines a second time when she was romantically linked with Frank Sinatra Jr. and yet again when she announced she would open a legal brothel serving male AND female customers just one-hour from the Strip. The headlines went worldwide when she said ex-heavyweight champion Mike Tyson had agreed to be her first male-stud! Now she's probably going to make headlines one more time, because she may have vanished! It's not a police mystery, but it looks as if the plans for the Pahrump sex hotel have crumbled. Heidi's phones there have been disconnected without any forwarding numbers! Construction, which has been halted, actually never got off the ground and town officials who rejected her first planning permission drawings insist she's nowhere to be found. Our Luxe Life photographer Scott Doctor was told: "She's gone, she's left town and nobody knows where she is, and her plans for the brothel have vanished along with her." ON THE RECORD
Remember our Luxe Life coverage of the pre-Grammy party at JET in the Mirage when gorgeous pop-rap princess Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas told me that 'Glamorous' would be her 3rd single release from her new CD? Well it's out, and I'm on it loud and clear thanks to Ludacris who produced that track. Fergie not only belts out my name but also suggests that 'Glamorous' is such an over-the-top description of luxury it would put my, "Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams" to shame! When we chatted she said she hoped I didn't mind that she'd used my name and slogan without permission but told me to blame Ludacris if I didn't like it. Now I've heard it I'm a bigger fan than before and I'll be front-row when Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas return to Vegas over All Star Weekend to play the Orleans Arena mid-February!
CONGRATULATIONS
Our wonderful friends at Spago, superstar chef Wolfgang Puck, executive chef David Robins and senior partners Tom Kaplan and Joe Issa are now into their 15th year at Caesar's Forum Shops but yesterday their Spago flagship in Beverly Hills begins its 25th year! (Click here for Wolfgang and David's Luxe Life video tour of the Vegas hotspot that launched the ongoing wave of celebrity-chef cuisine in Sin City). I remember in December 1991 how Hollywood's hottest chef stood in his new Vegas kitchen worried stiff that it wouldn't succeed - because cowboys back then grumbled that his open-kitchen counter wasn't a buffet line!!! Now Spago has just undergone another upgraded makeover keeping it as modern and new as the day it opened. A remarkable achievement for the two Spago to make it through its 5th and 10th anniversary milestones but even more incredible to celebrate its 15th. Spago Vegas beat all of its own records last year with its best revenues to date!
MORE RESTAURANTS
Billionaire Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson has set an Oct, 1 opening date for his new adjoining Palazzo Tower which will make his complex the largest resort hotel in the world with a combined room count exceeding 7,000 suites! He's just told the celebrity chef owners they must have their new restaurants open for the October galas.
Luxe Life has learned that Wolfgang Puck will be bringing in hisnewest and hottest bistro CUT, which every major star in Hollywood dines at weekly!!! Tom Cruise is such a fan he sometimes shows up three times a week! Food Network star Mario Batali will have a new Italian dinery and that's in addition to the double-decker San Marco he's opening next month in the current Venetian main hotel's St. Marks square down to the Blue Man Theater below. New York restaurateur Steve Hanson is bringing in a new Mexican spot and celebrity favorite Emeril LaGasse will bring in one of his New Orleans namesake dining establishments. But for me the big news is that legendary Charlie Trotter is returning! The Chicago wunderkind first opened at MGM, but his fabulous food and impeccable attention to detail, presentation and service was just a little too ahead of its time. He pulled up stakes and steaks and returned to the Windy City. But he's been coaxed back, and the Venetian landed him for the new third tower!
ONGOING EXPANSIONS
The 1st billion-dollar resort built off-strip up at Red Rock by Station Casinos isn't even a year old and yet such a success its doubling its room capacity. Even before its 1st birthday in April, the most-lavish off-Strip casino ever built has just added 400 new guest rooms and suites taking its total up to 816. "Since opening guests from around the world have come to enjoy the Red Rock mountains' natural beauty with our resort a desert oasis of 21st Century design, comforts and technology," said Ronan O'Gorman, vp/gm. Its home to supermodel Cindy Crawford and husband, Rande Gerber's CHERRY nightclub; 9 restaurants including Terra Rosa where Hell's Kitchen winner, chef Heather West is at the stove; and a 25,000-sq.ft full-service spa. A 72-lane bowling center will open this summer. The lavish decor includes exotic woods, imported stone, rich fabrics and 3.1 million crystals displayed in dozens of dramatic chandeliers.
BIG BUSINE$$
In fact, the biggest! Its incredible revenue and profits that drives the ongoing expansions both on and off the Strip as America's largest industry; bigger than everything from automobiles to entertainment! Newest figures show that our 2.2.mile Strip revenues alone increased a whopping 22.4% in November to $642.4mm. Forget Nevada statewide and Glitter Gulch downtown but the Las Vegas Strip alone still leads the much-talked about Macau in year-to-date revenues up to the end of November: $6.1billion vs. $5.9billion, respectively. Figure in the rest of Nevada and add in Atlantic City and other USA gaming areas and the Chinese colony has still got a long way to go to play catch-up!!
BIG BUZZ MUSICAL
For the next few months all eyes will be focused on the new Producers musical readying to open at the Paris with David Hasselhoff at the helm. With tongue firmly planted in chic, hysterically funny producer Mel Brooks talked about his show and the former Baywatch hunk turned serious-stage star: "He's got all the prerequisites for being a star he's tall, handsome and has the best legs in Hollywood. David is the only person who will empty out Germany when they find out he is in Las Vegas. The Producers is a natural for Las Vegas -- its witty, funny, has a slew of beautiful blonde girls and has magnificent talents like David Hasselhoff. I can't wait to get to the Paris, and I can't wait to get their cheesecake and enjoy Las Vegas once again. I'm over the moon about getting the acting, dancing and signing services of the great David Hasselhoff." To which the co-star of a talking car responded in like humor: "I've made a lot of money wearing no shirts and no clothing. Mr. Brooks said I want you in panty hose and topless and I've taken it on. I know it's a stretch for me and a challenge, but I said I'll do it. I won't be running in slow motion, but I will be the Chrysler building. This is like a marriage made in heaven. I said I think you've kinda hired the right guy. This show is gonna tear 'em up in Vegas. People go to Vegas to escape and have fun and when they see me as Hitler and in a dress."
Previews will begin on January 31 and last for 1 week only before the gala Feb 9 grand VIP star-studded opening. Local Vegas residents can purchase preview tickets for just $60 for the most honored show in Broadway history: 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Based on Mel Brooks' Academy Award-winning 1968 film of the same name, the show tells the story of down-on-his-luck theatrical producer, Max Bialystock (Brad Oscar) and Leo Bloom (Larry Raben), a mousy accountant. Together, with the help of their flamboyant director, Roger DeBris (David Hasselhoff), they hatch the ultimate scam: raise more money than you need for a sure-fire Broadway flop and pocket the difference. Their "sure-fire" theatrical fiasco turns out to be none other than the musical Springtime for Hitler!
PARTY PEOPLE
Cirque du Soleil's 'LOVE' show brings in the stars every week! 'Dreamgirls' superstar Eddie Murphy has been all over town with his new girlfriend, Tracey Edmonds, ex-wife of singer-producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. They have been dating since October. The couple went to see 'LOVE' after attending best friend Johnny Gill's show out at Boulder Station where Eddie even went on stage for a surprise treat. Also at 'LOVE' in the Mirage 'Hairspray' star and talk show host Rikki Lake with Per Gessle from Roxette. ...
Socialite Nikki Hilton's romance with David Katzenberger rocks on and after a Social House dinner in TI they partied for three hours after midnight at PURE in Caesars Palace and then returned a 2nd night to celebrate his birthday with a cake and, almost following in sister Paris' footsteps, Nikki took the mic to sing him Happy Birthday as Dave Navarro and Criss Angel watched from the neighboring VIP booth.
Other VIP's at PURE included late-night talk show host, Carson Daily, Dallas Mavericks NBA owner Mark Cuban, Bijou Phillips with boyfriend Danny Masterson (right), Desperate Housewives star Jesse Metcalf, 3 Doors Down musicians Todd Harrell, Matt Roberts, Grey Upchurch. Matt Roberts with another birthday cake plus late-night, non-drinking club-crawl king, Prince -- this time with only 3 people in tow! ... At sister club Tangerine in Treasure Island and its upstairs restaurant Social House, Jamie Pressley turned up for fiancee DJ Eric Cubeechee's spin-disc set with Deal or No Deal's Howie Mandel and Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell, Dennis Haskins (below).
TONIGHT'S TIP
The luscious slightly lascivious ladies of 'La Femme' will flash their flesh and strut their stuff in high-heels and barely-there next-to-nothing costumes at the Industry Night in Tabu Ultra Lounge in MGM. But to prove we're kid friendly when warranted we must mention Disney on Ice presents a Disneyland Adventure at the Orleans Arena starting tonight and running through Sunday night. Its so cold here this would have been the year they didn't need to make the ice-rink!
TOMORROW'S TEASE
The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler herself is being tapped to be one of the superstars to replace Celine Dion at Caesars early next year and already she's worried about what "desert throat" might do to her voice. We talk with the amazing lady-legend at billionaire Joe Hardy's party with Christina Aguilera and Robin Williams in a celebration better than anything I ever filmed for 'Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous.'
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1. I work in Las Vegas and have a friend that has become aquainted with a Real Estate Developer named William Tuchscher based in San Diego that is planing to build a Rolling Stone Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He apparently licensed the brand to do a chain of hotels and other things last year.
I haven't read much about it, and have only found some articles about a Mr. Wenner being in Vegas some months ago looking at properties with Mr. Tuchscher....... there have been a few blogs. But mostly its word on the street here. Are you aware of Mr. Tuchscher's plans? The rumour is that its a major project like $2,Billion, and that it is all about Rock&Roll music with like 10 live music clubs. A friend of mine saw a video and plans for the project but, for some reason everything seems very "hush-hush?"
I do know that Mr. Tuchscher has been in Las Vegas almost constantly to purchase a site for the project. ------ Is anyone there following the projects progress? Do you know where I might get more information about the project and more details? I really want to find out about its location, and the plans for retail stores?
Showgirl28 at 5:49PM on Jan 23rd 2007