FOX News Turns 10; Celine Plans Mega Tour; Sexy Seniors Strut Their Stuff

Superstar Celine Dion wraps up her long successful run at Caesars Palace at the end of next year, but she's certainly not retiring. In fact, I'm reliably told, she's even put those plans on hold for another child so she can embark on the pop-music industry's largest ever mega-tour. Masterminded by Celine herself and manager husband Rene Angelli, the couple have given the giant AEG company approval to start seriously planning a mammoth world tour of maybe up to 100 major cities over as long as a 2-year-run. It may get trimmed to 50 cities over 12-months but depending on Celine's voice and stamina they'd double it with the bonus year! Originally, Celina had told us that when she wraps the Caesars Palace gig next New Years Eve she wanted to "rest, take it easy and plan on a second child so her five-year-old son Renee Jr. would have a brother or sister to play with at their Lake Las Vegas home." (Click here for yesterday's Luxe Life exclusive as to the stars who will be taking her place at Caesars) The world tour would not be one-nighters. Instead, Celine would play multiple concerts in various world capitals and major cities around the globe in what would be the biggest show-business box-office take in history. "Celine wants to even outpace the box office pull of Barbra Streisand's current tour," I was told. (Streisand plays MGM next weekend, November 18, where some tickets have sold for well over $1,000 apiece! And that's before the scalpers get them!) "Celine has an "open invitation" to return to Caesars whenever she wishes, but felt she could tackle the ambitious lengthy world tour for one last time and wanted to break more box office records before she became a new Mommy again."

FOX TURNS TEN
To celebrate being the #1 ranked cable TV news operation, and its 10th anniversary, FOX News hit the road from its NYC studios and top anchors Shepard Smith and Greta Van Susteren wound up in Vegas interviewing Wayne Newton, Mayor Oscar Goodman and Harrah's/Flamingo president Don Marrandino for 3, one-hour live broadcasts from the rooftop deck of PURE at Caesars Palace. Another celebrity interview with Celine Dion was pre-recorded and Luxe Life has the full transcript in a bonus posting later today. Celine, who is a FOX fan, actually treated the entire crew to her show! While here, the FOX camera crews also taped segments in Hugh Hefner's $40,000-a-night Playboy Fantasy Suite at George Maloof's Palms resort, and another segment on the incredible growth of our valley, with Fox correspondent Rick Leventhal.

LEFT: FOX News' Greta Van Susteren backstage. RIGHT: Greta with Vegas great Wayne Newton.

One of the FOX TV executives told me: "We decided to pick 10 cities across the country to take different shows to and really it was an opportunity for FOX News to thank those cities. Americans have been instrumental in making FOX News the number one cable news network in America. Everyone of our on-air anchors wanted to come to Vegas so that is the exciting thing and Shep as he talked about it today he comes out to Vegas a couple times a year and this is really a place that he loves and I think that he flexed his seniority muscle to come out here and I think they have been having a great time. A real aspect of coming to the cities is the ability to showcase the city and have these beautiful cityscapes as the backdrop for our shows. It just really gives us an opportunity to showcase America, which is where the heart of our stories really takes place. Greta had an opportunity to sit down with Celine Dion. We pre-taped in a part of her backstage suite and everyone from Greta to the camera crew we were all pretty excited to do that. I think Celine brings a very dynamic and unique energy to her interviews. Before the interview her husband, Renee, came in and had a long off-camera session with Greta and they were talking about their vacation in the Caribbean. I am a big Celine fan, but I think folks are taken aback at how at ease they are and they invite people into her family.

Yours truly with Harrah's/Flamingo President Don Marrandino and Wayne Newton.

FOX used a combination of both staff people, key producers from New York and local TV people plus Greta's and Shep's separate production teams. Greta commented: "I went to law school and never thought I'd become a news anchor for a career, but the law is a good thing to fall back on if I get placed on the shelf. I moved from CNN in late 2001 when it was #1 and FOX News has been #1 ever since I joined, so maybe I'll be around for a while. I'm still trying to get an interview with Caesars headliner Sir Elton John, but so far no. Perhaps they're not Fox fans?" After Shepard Smith's 2nd live remote I turned the tables to interview him!

RL: So first of all, ten incredible years for FOX.

SS: Oh wow, who would have thought? I am just glad to still be gainfully employed. It has worked out.

RL: What do you think of this trip to Vegas from a TV production viewpoint?

SS: If you come to Vegas for ten minutes you will get a scandal and we gotone and it is interesting the timing on that just days before the Governors race. You can always find stories in this town. I want to open a full-time bureau here.

RL: Did you pick Vegas yourself as one of the cities, or was it picked for you?

SS: This was one of ten cities that were chosen by people that sign checks and, of all places to go, I wanted this trip. I was lucky enough to get it and I am really glad.

RL: What is your impression of this city? You sit in New York and report on us on but then you come here. And it is a huge difference.

SS: I have been coming here for years. My family has been coming for 40-50 years; my parents came at the beginning of their relationship. I love it here. It is astounding how much it changes. You can tell people that Vegas has grown up, it is so sophisticated now, with some of the best meals in the world and beautiful people and the atmosphere. You can tell them all that but you don't really realize it until you come here and experience it. There is a certain feeling and atmosphere. I am not sure that was here 10 years ago. I think if you pump enough billions in it can get hot. This place is smoking. I love it here.

RL: So do you have any time for theater, restaurants while you are here, other than when I ran into you all at TAO in the Venetian?

SS: Yes. TAO and then we went to Bartolotta in Wynn last night and it was great. It had terrific food. We live in New York so we can find some pretty good food, but I don't know what tops Vegas, it is spectacular. No shows this trip. I gambled a little, didn't lose so that's a win. We played blackjack and we went to Wynn. And it is amazing what they have done here. It is not your grandmother's Caesar's. I haven't made it to a club this time. I have seen the lines out in front of TAO and here at PURE. I guess you wear Halloween costumes year-round and faint of heart probably should not come, and easily shocked should definitely not come.

RL: What's aheadfor you for the next10 years?

SS: I got to worry about the next 10 days first. We have to get through this election. We are going to be in different town across the country on a six-town road trip. We have crews already in those towns to get the pulse of the people if that is something you can do. I don't know. Next ten years I don't know. Roger Ale says he is going to take over everything and I believe it. I think there may be a business channel in our future, I don't know all that is ready, but if the boss asks me to do it I will do it.

RL: Of all the stories, Hurricane Katrina, the Israeli-Lebanon war, what was the great accomplishment for you and Fox?

SS: Well, I think that we have come along at a time that there were so many stories that made people move down the channel, and I think that it began with the Columbine killings for us and then the 2000 election and story after story. The reason that it has worked for us is that we try to accessible and not take ourselves too seriously. You don't want to bring emotion into the story, but to keep it off screen when it already exists seems like a ridiculous thing. We learn a lot in Katrina about our government and ourselves and I think that people just read headlines about us, but don't watch us, we figured out that headlines and TV critics aren't always 100% accurate and we just want to tell people what is going on. There are plenty of left and right wing opponents such as 'Hannity and Colmes,' but the rest of us just want to bring the news and want to do that without varnish.

LEFT: Yours truly with Shepard Smith. RIGHT: Yours truly with FOX's Rick Leventhal.

RL: And if there was a real secret for FOX's success what would you put your finger on?

SS: We don't take ourselves too seriously. I started a year before FOX was a news channel and I have worked in a lot of ego-driven newsrooms in this country. It is not that way at our place. We are friends on the air and off. We genuinely like each other. That sort of thing happens at the time and it trickles down. That is the environment. The lens of the camera cannot distort enough to keep that from coming to the screen. We like each other and we know we are not the news, we are just delivering it. I think that is part of it. We have some whooshes and some sound effects, the graphics dept. is king and all the rivals have all copied us now. I think the FOX news alerts are off the charts. I mean, do we do too many? Our CEO has told the producers to tone it down, and I hope they do, but lets be honest FOX News alerts are fun.

STRIP SCRIBBLES
Beauty, brains and talent? But you gotta be over 60-years-of-age for this beauty pageant. It's the 26th Ms. Senior America event starting today at the Imperial palace. Thirty-three contestants will be judged on interviews, life philosophies, talent and evening gowns until the national finals on Saturday. The winner is crowned Ms. Senior America and is named ''The Elegant Queen." Nevada Lt Governor Lorraine Hunt and her radio personality husband Dennis Bono will be emcees for the finals.

DON'T FORGET
FOX News anchor Greta Van Susteren sits down for a candid interview with Celine Dion and Luxe Life has the complete conversation in a bonus 2nd posting a little later today. So make sure to check back right here later this afternoon!

TONIGHT'S TIP
This year's Playmate of the Year, bodalicious Kara Monaco hosts a party at PURE with DJ Riz of the Crooklyn Clan. Over at Gossip Tuesdays in the ghostbar, party-goers will get a free Black Bar sunglass strip to protect their identities from whatever guilty pleasures they mischievously get into. Think of the AC/DC 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' album cover and you'll get the idea.

TOMORROW'S TEASE
Pop star Nick Lachey has put ex-wife Jessica Simpson way in his past and now brings new lady love, MTV VJ Vanessa Minillo, to Vegas for his weekend Luxor concerts and to strip down to her scanties as a guest Pussycat Doll. Luxe Life also has the exclusive on the Pussycat Dolls new pitof pleasure at Caesars as they try to one-up the Playboy bunnies at the Palms.

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FOX News Turns 10; Celine Plans Mega Tour; Sexy Seniors Strut Their Stuff