June 2006
6/30/06
Beatlemania Is Back: The Beatles 'Love' by Cirque du Soleil Opens With Galaxy of Stars -- NEW PHOTOS
6/29/06
6/28/06
6/27/06
6/26/06
6/23/06
6/22/06
6/21/06
6/20/06
6/19/06
Sir Paul's Vegas Birthday Jaunt & Stars & Parties Galore as CineVegas Wraps
6/16/06
6/15/06
6/14/06
6/13/06
6/12/06
6/12/06
6/9/06
6/9/06
6/8/06
6/7/06
6/6/06
6/5/06
6/5/06
6/2/06
6/1/06
Monday, June 19, 2006



HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL
Long-ago, when he was just 16, Sir Paul McCartney wrote and sang ‘‘When I get old and lose my hair… will you still send me a Valentine, birthday greetings… will you still need me, feed me… will you still love me, when I’m 64.‘‘ Yesterday, (another Beatles hit!!!) he did reach that milestone and celebrated with a jetset roundtrip 12-hour visit to Vegas to check out the new Cirque du Soleil musical 'LOVE' at the Mirage. Apparently it couldn’t have been a better gift to himself – and it completely changed his miserable mood. He’d left London on the eve of his birthday despondent and upset that his four-year-marriage to Heather Mills was over, headed for divorce court and a battle for his billion-dollar fortune and custody of their daughter, Beatrice. Worse, both the British public and tabloid newspapers had turned on his estranged wife with sordid stories about alleged prostitution and published scandalous nude photos from her seamy modeling days. Paul fled the tattletale troubles for Vegas and fell in love with ‘LOVE! ‘
My friends at Cirque gave me the intimate details: ‘‘He loved
it. He was totally delighted. He couldn’t have been more positive. He couldn’t
stop telling everybody how much he loved it. He sang along to all the songs. It
was as if he was mesmerized in a trance staring at the stage and lost in its
magical world. He clapped his hands more often than not. He sat with his
original record producer Sir George Martin and Giles Martin, his son, who
assembled the 27 full length re-digitized Beatles songs along with over 120
cuts and conversations from Beatles recording sessions back in London’s swinging
60’s and ‘70s. ‘‘When the cast acknowledged him by holding Peace signs, he got a
standing ovation from the audience membersseated in his section and so he
stood and saluted everybody with smiling waves. Backstage, he met Mirage
President, Scott Sibella, and other MGM
executives along with the 60 people, aged 8 to 71 from 17 different countries,
in the cast and the 120 techies who keep the show rolling. He went out of his
way to meet South African dancer, Michael Moloi (pictured), who wears
Wellington-rubberboots to stomp in water with other mechanical marching boots
to the music of Lady Madonna. ‘‘You must teach me how to do that,‘‘ exclaimed a
delighted McCartney. Said Scott: ‘‘He looked great. He was in great spirits. He
couldn’t have looked better or been happier.‘‘
Paul told them: ‘‘This is so beautiful and so inspiring. I
loved every moment of it from the beginning to the end but I didn’t want it to
finish. ‘‘And then instead of the ‘When I’m 64’ song, they’d rehearsed,
everybody just sang ‘Happy Birthday.‘ Paul then dined at the resort’s exclusive
Chinese restaurant Fin, where over vegetarian taste treats, he told the Martins
and Cirque director Dominic Champagne his notes: ‘‘I just wish there was a
little more time in-between the acts so we could all applaud the cast. It does
move along without a break.‘‘
By absolute coincidence, the Vegas visit was the 50th
anniversary to the day of the first meeting of a then 15-year-old John Lennon
and a 13-year-old Paul McCartney at a church dinner in Liverpool
-- not far from where I was simultaneously starting my journalism career. Paul
flew in shortly before the evening show, but jetted right back to London
the same night for yesterday’s birthday celebrations with his family.
By the way, Paul, the answer to your musical questions at the top of today’s Luxe Life as to whether we’d still love you at 64, is a resounding ‘YES’ so hurry back as you’ve promised with Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison for the ‘LOVE’ world premiere a week from Friday (June 30) so we can show you more! Watch for the full Luxe Life coverage that day of our last-minute behind the scenes full-photo tour plus cast and crew interviews as the world’s newest and most exciting musical countdown to ‘‘curtain up.‘‘
BEATLES COMMUTE
The effect of the new Beatles ‘LOVE’ musical from Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage is being felt as far away as England and my old pal Sir Richard Branson, who founded Virgin Airlines, couldn’t be happier. Beatles fans are booking his five-a-week direct flights from London to Las Vegas just to see the show!! And Branson himself came in at the weekend to see what all the fuss is about! He gave ‘LOVE’ his personal seal of approval and told John Lennon’s son, Sean, also visiting to check it out as ‘‘It’s a masterpiece. Thousands of Beatles fans worldwide will be flying into Vegas ‘‘. In fact Scott Sibella says the Beatles will make magic not only for his resort, but also for Vegas: ‘‘ It’s going to bring in thousands of new visitors and that will be a great benefit to us, Vegas and all the other entertainment of the city.‘‘
STARS MOVIES & PARTIES ALL WEEK LONG
Movies, stars, parties followed by more movies, more stars, more parties, followed by a wrap-party unlike no other to windup the eight days of the “world’s most dangerous film festival,” CineVegas. Our Luxe Life photo album tells the weeklong film festival story in pictures better than words can do! Anyway it’s impossible to write everything that happened during the eight non-stop days of cinema celebration but here are my favorite high points:
DENNIS HOPPER

The rebel ‘Easy Rider’ star served as film festival chairman and seemed to celebrate his milestone 70th birthday everywhere we went. At the Casa Fuente cigar store in the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace, famed cigar-maker Carlos Fuente flew in from his Dominican Republic tobacco estates to present him with a box of Fuente’s Finest – and an outrageous chocolate mouse cake in the shape of a giant cigar! (see the photo album) The same night, our good friends at Tao, the Asian emporium of entertainment in the Venetian, hosted his sit-down 70th celebration. ’‘It’s a ridiculous feeling,‘‘ he laughed. Dennis and I got to smoke our stogies while we chatted. He told me he started smoking cigars 12 years ago because he was afraid he’d go back to cigarettes that he’d quit earlier.

He added: ‘‘We’ve had a great festival this year, A major step forward has been having Hollywood buyers and acquisition people. That’s great that Vegas‘ discovered new film gems might well get Hollywood distribution. I want to see more Hollywood movie premieres here in Vegas. We have some wonderful young kids making movies from their scholarships.This is a great place to make films and have people look at them. I like our 8th year being called the ‘world’s most dangerous film festival.’ It’s a little like what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.‘‘ Happy and content at 70, Dennis says he’s not retiring or slowing down. ‘‘What would we do if we did that?‘‘ he questioned. ‘‘I am off to do a showing of my artwork at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. It’s a collection of my art pieces over 35 years. Some are quite huge but it is an unbelievable honor to be exhibited there.‘‘
Dennis said he’s not involved in the remake of ‘Easy Rider.’ ‘‘I had a great time doing the original years ago and although they asked me to do the new one, I said ‘No!’ I didn’t want to do what they were going to do. ‘‘
SYLVESTOR STALLONE

The ‘Rocky’ star jetted roundtrip from the Hollywood editing bays where he’s completing ‘Rocky VI’ for its Dec. 22 release for the presentation of his official star in the lobby of the Brenden Movie Theaters at the Palms. ‘‘I’m truly humbled by this,‘‘ he said. ‘‘I am beyond sensory overload. ‘‘It coincided with the 30th anniversary screening of the very first ‘Rocky’ film, which he admitted only cost $900,000 to make in 28 days! ‘‘Look at it from 30 years ago and compare me now with a wider waistline and hairline going back,‘‘ he joked. Stallone revealed he’s leaving for Thailand and Bulgaria in August to film ‘Rambo 4’ – and invited theater owner Johnny Brenden (pictured with Sly and Dennis Hopper) to take a guest role in the movie. Sly then returns in time to promote the holiday release of ‘Rocky.’ ‘‘It’s the real bookend of his journey of life, and there won’t be any more Rocky films. This is it, the end,‘‘ he said. But then he will direct ‘Poe’ from a script he’s written on Edgar Allen Poe’s incredible life story with possibly Robert Downey Jr. playing the sickly, troubled horror writer. While fans watched ‘Rocky,’ Sly did dinner at N9NE with resort owner George Maloof who gave the fighting film-maker a tour of the new Fantasy Suites and Playboy sky villas which you’ll soon be seeing too on our Luxe Life videos!! George told me that Sly was KO’d by the super suites.
WINNERS
The festival’s Grand Jury award went to ‘G.I. Jesus,’ the Audience Award went to ‘Park,‘ starring Billy Baldwin, Ricki Lake and former ‘Saturday Night Live’ funny girl, Cheri Oteri, and the Special Award for Cinematography went to ‘‘5 Up 2 Down.‘‘ Christine Ricci joined fellow headliners Laurence Fishburne, Helen Mirren and director Taylor Hackford in receiving achievement awards from the festivals organizers at a Hard Rock poolside ceremony. Christine’s award (see photo album) was presented to her by her ‘‘Penelope‘‘ co-star, Catherine O’Hara. Send your mind back to 1990 when a 9-year-old Ricci played Cher’s daughter in Mermaids or her role as Wednesday in The Addams Family. Her films ‘The Opposite of Sex‘ and the upcoming fall release of ‘Penelope‘ were screened at the festival where she was honored with a Half-Life achievement award. ‘‘I’ve never had an award. This is the first time and I’m flattered and simply don’t know how to behave,‘‘ she commented. It’s amazing that she’s already appeared in 40-movies and has just celebrated her 26th birthday! ‘‘Being part of CineVegas is very cool.‘‘ Among the other VIP guests was Howard Stern’s comedy sidekick Artie Lange who premiered his ‘‘Beer Party‘‘ movie at the festival.
PARTIES
Congratulations to all our friends at VEGAS Magazine celebrating its 3rd anniversary, combined with the official wrap-party of CineVegas -- held at the weekend around the lavish pools of the Green Valley Ranch. Stars from numerous Strip shows joined moviegoers and festival fans for the extravaganza, which featured fully, clothed models in ballroom gowns splashing in the pools! (see the photo album) It was a fitting end to a whirlwind week of nightly parties that rocked Venus at Caesars Palace, Tao at the Venetian, Simon at the Hard Rock, the VooDoo lounge at the Rio, Rain and ghostbar at The Palms, Jet at the Mirage, Shark Reef and Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay followed downstairs with an after-hours blast at Ivan Kane’s 40 Deuce burlesque club.
STRIP SCRIBBLES
I was hoping for a Vegas runaway marriage because new ‘Superman’ Brandon Routh (he bears an uncanny resemblance to the late Christopher Reeve) has been dating actress Courtney Ford for two years now and he had to leave CineVegas to start his international promotional tour for the new ‘Superman Returns’ movie opening next Friday (June 28). But they kept their romance just to a private dinner at Olivesin the Bellagio and then onto Jet nightclub in the Mirage with Cheri Oteri and the casts of ‘Park,’ ‘Full Grown Men‘ and ‘G.I. Jesus.‘ CineVegas chair Dennis Hopper took Laurence Fishburne to dinner in N9NE at the Palms and hotel owner George Maloof introduced them to his Sacramento Kings basketball hero Kenny Thomas.
TONIGHTS TIP
Deeply personal lyrics and intimate vocals ripped
from the troubled tormented real-life of singer Fiona Apple (pictured) will be exposed
tonight when she performs at the Hard Rock with special guest David Garza at 8PM. Then, Penthouse Pets Cassia Riley, Jamie Lynn,
Charlie Laine and Melissa Jacobs bare their souls as they bust out at Jet
nightclub in the Mirage to celebrate the new Strip Las Vegas magazine at Dancers’
Night Out. The Crazy Girls from the Riviera add to the delicious decadence by modeling the new
line of exotic Penthouse Lingerie.
TOMORROWS TEASE
Spectacular in every sense of the word. Luxe Life has the full up-close look at the incredible ‘Phantom of the Opera’ just four days before its gala premiere at The Venetian on Saturday. Don’t miss exclusive interviews and photos of the platinum production and performers.
CONTACT US
You can share your Phantasy
in an operatic tone with an email to robinsvegas@aol.com
To ensure you don’t miss one magnificent note of the new high-pitched edition, click here or at the 'Alert Me' up top if you’d like;to know;the moment the new exciting Luxe Life is up, up and away!
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!; And when visiting Vegas, be sure to see Las Vegas Magazine in your hotel suite featuring a print edition of AOL Vegas Luxe Life, and an incredible directory of attractions, shows and restaurants.
robinsvegas at 2:46:00 PM PDT Blog about this entry
Sir Paul's Vegas Birthday Jaunt & Stars & Parties Galore as CineVegas Wraps



HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL
Long-ago, when he was just 16, Sir Paul McCartney wrote and sang ‘‘When I get old and lose my hair… will you still send me a Valentine, birthday greetings… will you still need me, feed me… will you still love me, when I’m 64.‘‘ Yesterday, (another Beatles hit!!!) he did reach that milestone and celebrated with a jetset roundtrip 12-hour visit to Vegas to check out the new Cirque du Soleil musical 'LOVE' at the Mirage. Apparently it couldn’t have been a better gift to himself – and it completely changed his miserable mood. He’d left London on the eve of his birthday despondent and upset that his four-year-marriage to Heather Mills was over, headed for divorce court and a battle for his billion-dollar fortune and custody of their daughter, Beatrice. Worse, both the British public and tabloid newspapers had turned on his estranged wife with sordid stories about alleged prostitution and published scandalous nude photos from her seamy modeling days. Paul fled the tattletale troubles for Vegas and fell in love with ‘LOVE! ‘
My friends at Cirque gave me the intimate details: ‘‘He loved
it. He was totally delighted. He couldn’t have been more positive. He couldn’t
stop telling everybody how much he loved it. He sang along to all the songs. It
was as if he was mesmerized in a trance staring at the stage and lost in its
magical world. He clapped his hands more often than not. He sat with his
original record producer Sir George Martin and Giles Martin, his son, who
assembled the 27 full length re-digitized Beatles songs along with over 120
cuts and conversations from Beatles recording sessions back in London’s swinging
60’s and ‘70s. ‘‘When the cast acknowledged him by holding Peace signs, he got a
standing ovation from the audience membersseated in his section and so he
stood and saluted everybody with smiling waves. Backstage, he met Mirage
President, Scott Sibella, and other MGM
executives along with the 60 people, aged 8 to 71 from 17 different countries,
in the cast and the 120 techies who keep the show rolling. He went out of his
way to meet South African dancer, Michael Moloi (pictured), who wears
Wellington-rubberboots to stomp in water with other mechanical marching boots
to the music of Lady Madonna. ‘‘You must teach me how to do that,‘‘ exclaimed a
delighted McCartney. Said Scott: ‘‘He looked great. He was in great spirits. He
couldn’t have looked better or been happier.‘‘
Paul told them: ‘‘This is so beautiful and so inspiring. I
loved every moment of it from the beginning to the end but I didn’t want it to
finish. ‘‘And then instead of the ‘When I’m 64’ song, they’d rehearsed,
everybody just sang ‘Happy Birthday.‘ Paul then dined at the resort’s exclusive
Chinese restaurant Fin, where over vegetarian taste treats, he told the Martins
and Cirque director Dominic Champagne his notes: ‘‘I just wish there was a
little more time in-between the acts so we could all applaud the cast. It does
move along without a break.‘‘
By absolute coincidence, the Vegas visit was the 50th
anniversary to the day of the first meeting of a then 15-year-old John Lennon
and a 13-year-old Paul McCartney at a church dinner in Liverpool
-- not far from where I was simultaneously starting my journalism career. Paul
flew in shortly before the evening show, but jetted right back to London
the same night for yesterday’s birthday celebrations with his family.
By the way, Paul, the answer to your musical questions at the top of today’s Luxe Life as to whether we’d still love you at 64, is a resounding ‘YES’ so hurry back as you’ve promised with Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison for the ‘LOVE’ world premiere a week from Friday (June 30) so we can show you more! Watch for the full Luxe Life coverage that day of our last-minute behind the scenes full-photo tour plus cast and crew interviews as the world’s newest and most exciting musical countdown to ‘‘curtain up.‘‘
BEATLES COMMUTE
The effect of the new Beatles ‘LOVE’ musical from Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage is being felt as far away as England and my old pal Sir Richard Branson, who founded Virgin Airlines, couldn’t be happier. Beatles fans are booking his five-a-week direct flights from London to Las Vegas just to see the show!! And Branson himself came in at the weekend to see what all the fuss is about! He gave ‘LOVE’ his personal seal of approval and told John Lennon’s son, Sean, also visiting to check it out as ‘‘It’s a masterpiece. Thousands of Beatles fans worldwide will be flying into Vegas ‘‘. In fact Scott Sibella says the Beatles will make magic not only for his resort, but also for Vegas: ‘‘ It’s going to bring in thousands of new visitors and that will be a great benefit to us, Vegas and all the other entertainment of the city.‘‘
STARS MOVIES & PARTIES ALL WEEK LONG
Movies, stars, parties followed by more movies, more stars, more parties, followed by a wrap-party unlike no other to windup the eight days of the “world’s most dangerous film festival,” CineVegas. Our Luxe Life photo album tells the weeklong film festival story in pictures better than words can do! Anyway it’s impossible to write everything that happened during the eight non-stop days of cinema celebration but here are my favorite high points:
DENNIS HOPPER

The rebel ‘Easy Rider’ star served as film festival chairman and seemed to celebrate his milestone 70th birthday everywhere we went. At the Casa Fuente cigar store in the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace, famed cigar-maker Carlos Fuente flew in from his Dominican Republic tobacco estates to present him with a box of Fuente’s Finest – and an outrageous chocolate mouse cake in the shape of a giant cigar! (see the photo album) The same night, our good friends at Tao, the Asian emporium of entertainment in the Venetian, hosted his sit-down 70th celebration. ’‘It’s a ridiculous feeling,‘‘ he laughed. Dennis and I got to smoke our stogies while we chatted. He told me he started smoking cigars 12 years ago because he was afraid he’d go back to cigarettes that he’d quit earlier.

He added: ‘‘We’ve had a great festival this year, A major step forward has been having Hollywood buyers and acquisition people. That’s great that Vegas‘ discovered new film gems might well get Hollywood distribution. I want to see more Hollywood movie premieres here in Vegas. We have some wonderful young kids making movies from their scholarships.This is a great place to make films and have people look at them. I like our 8th year being called the ‘world’s most dangerous film festival.’ It’s a little like what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.‘‘ Happy and content at 70, Dennis says he’s not retiring or slowing down. ‘‘What would we do if we did that?‘‘ he questioned. ‘‘I am off to do a showing of my artwork at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. It’s a collection of my art pieces over 35 years. Some are quite huge but it is an unbelievable honor to be exhibited there.‘‘
Dennis said he’s not involved in the remake of ‘Easy Rider.’ ‘‘I had a great time doing the original years ago and although they asked me to do the new one, I said ‘No!’ I didn’t want to do what they were going to do. ‘‘
SYLVESTOR STALLONE

The ‘Rocky’ star jetted roundtrip from the Hollywood editing bays where he’s completing ‘Rocky VI’ for its Dec. 22 release for the presentation of his official star in the lobby of the Brenden Movie Theaters at the Palms. ‘‘I’m truly humbled by this,‘‘ he said. ‘‘I am beyond sensory overload. ‘‘It coincided with the 30th anniversary screening of the very first ‘Rocky’ film, which he admitted only cost $900,000 to make in 28 days! ‘‘Look at it from 30 years ago and compare me now with a wider waistline and hairline going back,‘‘ he joked. Stallone revealed he’s leaving for Thailand and Bulgaria in August to film ‘Rambo 4’ – and invited theater owner Johnny Brenden (pictured with Sly and Dennis Hopper) to take a guest role in the movie. Sly then returns in time to promote the holiday release of ‘Rocky.’ ‘‘It’s the real bookend of his journey of life, and there won’t be any more Rocky films. This is it, the end,‘‘ he said. But then he will direct ‘Poe’ from a script he’s written on Edgar Allen Poe’s incredible life story with possibly Robert Downey Jr. playing the sickly, troubled horror writer. While fans watched ‘Rocky,’ Sly did dinner at N9NE with resort owner George Maloof who gave the fighting film-maker a tour of the new Fantasy Suites and Playboy sky villas which you’ll soon be seeing too on our Luxe Life videos!! George told me that Sly was KO’d by the super suites.
WINNERS
The festival’s Grand Jury award went to ‘G.I. Jesus,’ the Audience Award went to ‘Park,‘ starring Billy Baldwin, Ricki Lake and former ‘Saturday Night Live’ funny girl, Cheri Oteri, and the Special Award for Cinematography went to ‘‘5 Up 2 Down.‘‘ Christine Ricci joined fellow headliners Laurence Fishburne, Helen Mirren and director Taylor Hackford in receiving achievement awards from the festivals organizers at a Hard Rock poolside ceremony. Christine’s award (see photo album) was presented to her by her ‘‘Penelope‘‘ co-star, Catherine O’Hara. Send your mind back to 1990 when a 9-year-old Ricci played Cher’s daughter in Mermaids or her role as Wednesday in The Addams Family. Her films ‘The Opposite of Sex‘ and the upcoming fall release of ‘Penelope‘ were screened at the festival where she was honored with a Half-Life achievement award. ‘‘I’ve never had an award. This is the first time and I’m flattered and simply don’t know how to behave,‘‘ she commented. It’s amazing that she’s already appeared in 40-movies and has just celebrated her 26th birthday! ‘‘Being part of CineVegas is very cool.‘‘ Among the other VIP guests was Howard Stern’s comedy sidekick Artie Lange who premiered his ‘‘Beer Party‘‘ movie at the festival.
PARTIES
Congratulations to all our friends at VEGAS Magazine celebrating its 3rd anniversary, combined with the official wrap-party of CineVegas -- held at the weekend around the lavish pools of the Green Valley Ranch. Stars from numerous Strip shows joined moviegoers and festival fans for the extravaganza, which featured fully, clothed models in ballroom gowns splashing in the pools! (see the photo album) It was a fitting end to a whirlwind week of nightly parties that rocked Venus at Caesars Palace, Tao at the Venetian, Simon at the Hard Rock, the VooDoo lounge at the Rio, Rain and ghostbar at The Palms, Jet at the Mirage, Shark Reef and Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay followed downstairs with an after-hours blast at Ivan Kane’s 40 Deuce burlesque club.
STRIP SCRIBBLES
I was hoping for a Vegas runaway marriage because new ‘Superman’ Brandon Routh (he bears an uncanny resemblance to the late Christopher Reeve) has been dating actress Courtney Ford for two years now and he had to leave CineVegas to start his international promotional tour for the new ‘Superman Returns’ movie opening next Friday (June 28). But they kept their romance just to a private dinner at Olivesin the Bellagio and then onto Jet nightclub in the Mirage with Cheri Oteri and the casts of ‘Park,’ ‘Full Grown Men‘ and ‘G.I. Jesus.‘ CineVegas chair Dennis Hopper took Laurence Fishburne to dinner in N9NE at the Palms and hotel owner George Maloof introduced them to his Sacramento Kings basketball hero Kenny Thomas.
TONIGHTS TIP
TOMORROWS TEASE
Spectacular in every sense of the word. Luxe Life has the full up-close look at the incredible ‘Phantom of the Opera’ just four days before its gala premiere at The Venetian on Saturday. Don’t miss exclusive interviews and photos of the platinum production and performers.
CONTACT US
You can share your Phantasy
in an operatic tone with an email to robinsvegas@aol.com
To ensure you don’t miss one magnificent note of the new high-pitched edition, click here or at the 'Alert Me' up top if you’d like;to know;the moment the new exciting Luxe Life is up, up and away! 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!; And when visiting Vegas, be sure to see Las Vegas Magazine in your hotel suite featuring a print edition of AOL Vegas Luxe Life, and an incredible directory of attractions, shows and restaurants.
robinsvegas at 2:46:00 PM PDT Blog about this entry