Celebrity Gossip From Las Vegas With Robin Leach | Luxe Life Digest

At 6PM, Paris is running so far behind schedule that she postpones her hair coloring appointment by 24 hours and settles for the girls from Canyon Ranch giving her just an upsweep in her Venetian suite. She orders dinner from room service for her ever-growing group. Meantime, over at Caesars, Nicky and Kevin, proud parents, Rick and Kathy, and Ben McKenzie and Ashton Holmes in tow, settle in at Spago with a 2+ hour-long memorable meal of Maine scallops with hearts of palm, porcini mushroom minestrone soup with shaved truffles, and choices from Dover sole, organic chicken or kobe steak crafted by starchef Wolfgang Puck and his Vegas partner David Robins...

Speaking of running behind schedule, Shannon -- who is set to celebrate at yet another rival nightclub, Tangerine in Treasure Island -- tells me: "If I don't get some sleep before tonight, I am going to have to start learning how to countdown from 10to 1! I'm that tired I could count myself to sleep." Recently divorced (but still sporting a diamond on her left ring finger), Shannon says she's only ever won $10,000 for charity once in her part-time poker games... but in the end, still sleepless at 8.35 PM, she wins the $55,000 pot with a six of hearts on the turn against Chad Nordenstrom. Not bad for a $2,000+ $200 buy-in!

From there, Shannon heads directly to TI where, having skipped her dinner reservation, she orders a mozzarella caprese salad and eggplant in red sauce (she's a veggie) from room service...

I take my New Years Eve trio of temptresses to dinner at Wolfgang's other restaurant Postrio in The Venetian celebrating with Michael and Karen Boychuck their 5th wedding anniversary. Yes, they married New Years Eve 2000 and are still happy with their last minute decision six years hence. We joke that possibly Paris would do the same this year, since anything is possible in this town of temptations -- New Year's Eve being the 2nd busiest day for visitors exchanging vows in Vegas (with Valentine's a natural number 1). At an adjoining table, Ice-T and Coco, and at another, my longtime friend, TAO co-owner Mark Packer is entertaining 30 of his New York friends and investor partners who flew in for the festivities. The entire talk of the night everywhere you turn is about the battle between Paris and Nicky. Would PURE, celebrating its 1st birthday, beat out TAO -- which has risen to rival status after only 4 months open?

Before we'd all find out, I meet gorgeous 7-time Grammy award winner Toni Braxton. One of the most successful R'n'B singers ever, Toni (right) is doing a private concert and clock countdown for 1200 invited VIP guests of The Venetian, and I'd been asked to mc the show and introduce her. From there, two security guards get us through the unbelievable crowds trying to get to the 42,000 sq.ft TAO restaurant and nightclub complex (eventually the fire dept. forbade any more guests, and a wait thatlasted six hours through the night ensued). We slither, shove and snake our way to the dance floor, where we discovered Detroit Lions star Rodney Peet and his gorgeous actress wife Holly Robinson ('21 Jump Street') awaiting Paris' arrival.

Around 11 PM, Shannon arrives at Tangerine with 12 of her closest friends, wearing a saucy flowered corset top, black skirt and sexy knee-high boots. She gets settled in a private VIP pod and begin drinking one of her favorites, a Malibu rum and pineapple cocktail (her second round is an Amaretto sour). After she visits with Lance Bass and other friends, she makes her way to the Burlesque bar where she wishes legendary DJ Grandmaster Flash a happy birthday. Grandmaster Flash starts the countdown at 20 and Shannon joins him in counting from 10 on down. Two sexy cocktail servers spray down the crowd with Dom Perignon as the clock struck midnight and Shannon cheers in the New Year.

Down the Strip, Nicky & Kevin arrive at the 33,000 sq.ft PURE nightclub at 11:35 PM and began their party atop the dance floor in one of the raised VIP sections. Nicky wears a very flattering blue dress while Kevin is in a black suit and white button-down shirt. All the security, wait staff and cocktail servers are dressed in "pure" white -- men in tailed tuxedos and ladies in white mini-dresses -- for the night. As the New Year approaches, Nicky and Kevin pick up a microphone, stand where all could see them (up to the glass which separates the dance floor from the VIP section) and lead the club in the final 10 second countdown. As 2006 is ushered in, bottles of Dom Perignon flowed throughout the VIP section as Nicky & Kevin raise their glasses, yell HAPPY NEW YEAR and then enjoy their first kiss of 2006.

Meantime at TAO, a drama is developing. Ring announcer Michael Buffer is inthe 3rd floor nightclub toannounce Paris, but is left to handle the 10-1 countdown solo. Paris is 2 floors down in a back private dining room area with her friends and a slightly sulking Stavros. A month ago, the 19-year-old Niarchos who has since shed his long locks for a shorter style, had beenaccused of wrecking a Hard Rock casino room causing nearly $100,000's worth of damage after a party spree (Remember our liquor laws here prevent under 21's from imbibing). Licensing authorities had warned casinos all over town not to let the apparent violation be repeated. Paris does the countdown in the restaurant, but isn't leaving for the nightclub unless the Greek shipping heir is on her arm (and nibbling on her neck). The club can't run the risk of him stretching for a spirit! In the end a compromise is reached with a champagne glass filled with orange juice, and the couple sets off up a labyrinth of winding halls and hidden staircases. Every now and again they stop for a cuddly kiss, but finally they reach the dance floor, and all hell breaks loose. I haven't seen anything like it since I once rescued Farrah Fawcett to safety when out of control fans mobbed her at the Cannes Film Festival. Paris is hot, hot, and hotter. She handles it well and only gets irritated very briefly when the frenzied fans' cell-camera flashes blind her! Paris dances around the tables in her VIP area alongside the roped off dance floor, kicks and bursts some of the 2006 pink balloons she requested be dropped at midnight. She jumps atop her banquette and joins partygoers dancing on a divider wall. For two happy hours she hugs and kisses friends, blows Happy New Year kisses to partygoers and hugs onto Stavros. 

Outside on the Strip, the wind gusts and scattered showers have pyrotechics professor Phil Grucci on pins and needles. Then they clear and calm, dropping to just under 10mph, and the Vegas fire marshal gives a thumbs-up for launch just minutes before midnight. The spectacular skyrockets mark the end of the city's year-long centennial celebration. With a theme title of 'Vegas Through the Years,' the soundtrack includes Vegas singing legends Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Tom Jones and Sammy Davis Jr. The ten hotel rooftops (Excalibur,MGM, MonteCarlo, Bally's, Flamingo, Venetian, Treasure Island, Stardust,Circus-Circus and The Stratosphere) used as firing points for the tourbillions, comets, mines, peonies, chrysanthemums... became neon strobe piano keys to accompany Liberace's "Chopsticks" and Sinatra's "LuckBe A Hilton Tonight" (Sorry- that should read "Lady" -- blame it on thebubbles!) Says Hizzoner Mayor Oscar Goodman: "Vegas is like no other city in the world. We' re ending our Centennial year with a bang, literally. The magnitude of this display pays tribute to the greatness of Vegas and is truly one huge unbeatable extravaganza." Grucciadds simply: "Vegas was in its finest glory."

My pal, the mayor of mirth and merrymaking, is actually downtown, leading a toast with visitors to the 10th New Years Eve at the Fremont Street Experience, with an attempt to break the Guinness world record using over 200 cases of Beaulieu Vineyards California chardonnay. City officials will tell me they estimate 14,000 people participate, thus breaking the previous record held by a Japanese sake company with only 11G drinkers. We'll know for sure in about a week, when Guinness accountants verify affidavits, finalize the counts of the plastic glasses and wine bottles, plus examine TV footage! Fans of Cheap Trick, Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors helped celebrate after lining up six hours before their joint concert there...

At 12:01, Nicky and Kevin rush up to PURE's outdoor patio deck where they are joined by Rick and Kathy and the immortal Stevie Wonder for the incredible half-million dollar fireworks show above the Las Vegas Strip. (PURE sits right in the middle, providing the best views) The party continues on the terrace and in front of a massive ice sculpture, Kevin and Nicky pop the cork on one of the largest bottles of Cristal in the world, a Nebuchadnezzar (there are only five such bottles in existence -- and I'm proud to say I have one from the 2000 vintage!). The massive vessel is equivalent to 17 normal sized champagne bottles and worth over $100,000. While everyone marvels at the champagne, Nicky and Kevin slice the PURE white anniversary cake decorated with sparklers and $30,000 worth of Swarovski Crystals. Then everybody returns to party the night away in the main room of the nightclub, where I finally join the revelers including George Eads and my friends Faye Resnick and Jeff Beacher (Beacher's Madhouse). Kevin graciously grabs glasses of champagne and hands them over the glass barrier to club goers on the dance floor.