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

For the first time, a member of the George Clooney partnership has broken silence on the mystery surrounding the $3-billion Las Ramblas resort and condo development. Nightlife king Randy Gerber, while on a private tour of his new nightclub Cherry (at the about-to-open Red Rock Resort), says he and Clooney are "still committed" to building in Vegas even if the 25-acre Las Ramblas project doesn't pan out.

"Right now, we have a couple great opportunities on the table involving the property," he told my pal, columnist Norm Clarke of the Review-Journal. "If the property is sold by The Related Company, "then we'll find another property to build on. If it doesn't happen on this property, it will happen somewhere else. We're definitely committed to Vegas".

George (seen here with my former movie professor Richard Brown)allegedly put up $10-million to partner with The Related Company for the snazzy project with Brad Pitt contributing design ideas and drawings for the 25-acre site near the Hard Rock Hotel which currently has the ageing 1000 unit Harbor Island apartments on it. Our local paper reported this week that Clooney’s project had hit a low point in halting sales reservations for the luxury apartments.

I finally got to chat this morning with somebody very close to the situation that categorically denied the closing: "The sales office is not closed. The property is too valuable not to go forward with a development but nothing is set right this minute. We are talking seriously with different hotel companies who want to partner so it’s probable that they will all switch away from its main condo focus and instead the main focus will be the ultimate luxury Beverly Hills-type resort. We’ll have something concrete and positive to announce in a very few week"

I have since discovered that one of those interested is Los Angeles tycoon Reagan Silber (pictured with fiancé, model Netta Bell) who has already partnered his Edge Resorts group with Westin’s giant W Hotel group on a property 200-yards west. (All of this $20-billion development is taking place on Harmon Avenue between the Hard Rock and the Planet Hollywood corners). Clooney (FOTO – here with my former movie professor Richard Brown) was originally working on Las Ramblas as an 11-tower complex with 2,700 luxury apartments, 1320 mixed-use condo-hotel units, a 300-room boutique hotel with 19 bungalows and a super spa. It would have become the first open air pedestrian promenade in Vegas modeled after the adored Las Ramblas in Barcelona.

"It’s far more than putting our names to a project" said George. "We’re investing financially and creatively to develop an idyllic environment"

Now in the same week that another condo-project, The Curve called it quits too because of sky-high escalating construction costs, the Las Ramblas folks unofficially admit the new look Clooney development will be far more traditional Vegas resort-hotel-casino than a contained condo-city. Doubt that means his hopes for a black-tie dress code will still fly either. Whatever happens, you can be sure Luxe Life will keep you posted on George’s mega-million-dollar entry into Vegas with his own rat-pack!

Love Spins Again
We did however clear up one mystery that the tabloids had been all abuzz about in recent weeks: Simple Life actress Nicole Ritchie may well have broken up briefly with fiancée DJ AM -- but they are definitely back together in lip lock. She was arm in arm with him for his birthday surprise at Pure nightclub in Caesars Palace where he spins. Managers there had him scheduled to work on his birthday but when he showed up, one hundred of his family and friends surprised him with a party and DJ Jazzy Jeff took his place at the turntables so AM could relax.

Nicole not only cut the elaborate turntable-shaped birthday cake but yelled her own personal congratulations on the mic "I love you so much! Most people don’t know that this is your 8th year of sobriety and I am so proud of you." Ironic that everybody else toasted him with champagne, tequilas and vodkas. AM played the final set of the night in the DJ booth with Nicole before they coochy-cooed their way to their suite.

Harvey Fights the Raw (and the Raw Won)

The Hairspray musical at the Luxor has been attracting celebrity drop-ins on its star, Harvey Fierstein (pictured left).Siegfried Fishbacher of Siegfried & Roy was one backstage visitor and next night there was original Motormouth Maybelle, Ruth Brown who starred in the movie version.

Harvey has another 3 weeks as guest star before returning to his New York home but when the New York Post’s theater critic Michael Riedel took a vacation day, Harvey offered to write about his Vegas experience. The four-time Tony Award winner pinched our cheeks writing "The Eiffel Tower here is height challenged; the Sirens Treasure Island pirate ship floats in a green concrete sea but the mini-faux Venice does provide the charms of canal life without the smelly water. The only gambling I’ve done here was with an iffy piece of sushi… and I lost."

The Phantom of the Opera Is (Almost) Here
While on theatrical wonders let me tip you that on Sunday, April 9, folks will get the first shot at buying tickets for preview performances of the new Phantom of the Opera theatre production opening at The Venetian on June 24. No prices have been set yet but you can all 702-414-7469 Sunday morning for details. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has also revealed that because of the strenuous singing conditions here in the dry desert three roles will actually be played by two people each. Brent Barrett from Broadway’s Chicago and Les Miserables star Anthony Crivello will alternate in the lead Phantom role. Sierra Boggess and Elizabeth Loyacano will rotate in the lead role of Christine and Elena Batman and Genna Jeffries will rotate as Carlotta in a reprise of roles they previously did in the Broadway version along with Tim Martin who moves from the Great White Way production to here.

1511 Chicken Dances
One of our longest running stage shows here is Tony 'n’ Tina’s Wedding at the Rio and this week celebrating its 1500th performance. It’s a dinner comedy concept that gives audiences an opportunity to attend a laughter-filled Italian-American wedding which includes a ceremony and reception, but then tons of improv with the audience who become guests of the wedding party. Il mio dio, perbacco!

Weddings at worst are a nightmare of logistics with menus and guest lists but think about doing it 1500 times. I asked for the rundown: they’ve cut 1511 wedding cakes, tossed the same number of wedding bouquets and the same number of chicken dances, munched 3,643,200 breadsticks, drunk 127,512 bottles of champagne and 15,180 bottles of wine. The cast have kissed 40,986 times, pledged 3,022 vows of love and marched a total of 53,000 feet down the aisle!!

It’s unpredictable, unscripted and unexpected -- complete with a pregnant maid of honor, and a hip priest who falls in the cake! Well worth a visit the next time you want something completely different for a night out in Vegas.

A Supper You Can’t Refuse
But finally it’s got some similar competition with the arrival of a new ‘Sopranos’ style comedy dinner theater "Soprano’s Last Supper" at the Krave nightclub in the Aladdin’s Desert Passages. That has a two-night grand opening celebration next Monday and Tuesday, April10-11, and we’ll bring you that in a future Luxe Life.

Giving Because It’s Good
A pat on the back to the bikini-beauties of Hooters Casino Hotel here for a $10,000 donation to talk-show host Montel Williams for his work on behalf of Multiple Sclerosis for which he has personally raised over $1.1 million. The Hooters honeys had given an initial $10,000 to Montel’s foundation two months ago when his friend, Ultimate Fighting champion Alex Karalexis, won a celebrity blackjack tournament there and picked the charity cause.

And another high-five for Siegfried & Roy who donated $20,000 to our Injured Police Officers Fund. This sure is a generous good-hearted city!

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Today’s Tips – Thursday, April 6
The world's largest magazine cover will be visible from space this morning as it is stretched out on the floor of the Vegas desert, At 9AM Vegas time the 100th anniversary issue of Maxim magazine with Eva Longoria from Desperate Housewives on the cover will be unveiled near the Nevada State line 35-minutes south of Vegas directly north of Buffalo Bills Resort Casino in Primm. It's taking 25 hours to print the giant 75 ft. by 110 ft. vinyl-mesh windscreen and another 15 hours with 125 stakes to install it through the night. Luxe Life readers can view the giant cover on Maxim Online as it is visible from the Google Earth Station. Its the kickoff to Maxim's weekend long celebration of its 100th issue and you'll find the entire rundown of special events in tomorrow's Luxe Life.

Tonight the city starts revving up for the biggest wild weekend in Vegas history which we’ll give you every possible detail about tomorrow. But first, actress Juliette Lewis launches her band The Licks in a surprise pre-midnight pandemonium performance at Tangerine nightclub in the Treasure Island tonight with none other than Nicky Hilton and MTV’s Don Vitol agreeing to show up for support.

A new Indian restaurant Origin India claiming modern world-class Indian Fusion cuisine opens opposite the Hard Rock tonight and at TAO nightclub, a provocative party and runway fashion show to launch a new Las Vegas pay-as-you-go cellular phone service just for students. And skateboard champion Danny Way will attempt a new world record by jumping off the Hard Rock Hotel neon guitar logo. He postponed the drop from last night because of bad weather.

Danny said: "It is somewhat dare devilish. I’m not out on a mission to be an Evil Knievel but it is 80 feet off the ground and 30 feet of dead airspace to hit the landing ramp at 60mph. One just has to keep on exploring how much more is possible but I’ll admit it’s a massive structure and my heart is beating much faster and my hands are sweating because it is intimidating and scary. I cannot lie about that."

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Be in the Know
So you can high-speed it right into our mailbox at robinsvegas@aol.com with your daredevil dreams and remember to click here or at the 'Alert Me' tab up top for the daily reminder the magic moment our new Luxe Life journal is published each day! Meantime we’ll be back tomorrow with the rundown of weekend activities which threaten to put Vegas in a celebrity gridlock and possibly burst at its seams

Don't forget: Go to AOL Vegas for much more on hotels, casinos, restaurants, nightlife, and everything Las Vegas! Check our travel section for great deals on hotels, airfare and much more!

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