Happy birthday, Light! Bellagio's ultra-swank hot spot celebrated its second anniversary with a media frenzy, a raucous party Saturday, and a high-stakes poker tournament Sunday.
The party was all about red carpets, paparazzi and an endless sea of A-list celebrities, including the likes of master thespian Ashton Kutcher and the still scary-gorgeous Demi Moore.
Other celeb partyers included the most talented man in showbiz, Chief Wiggum himself, Hank Azaria, and the lovely Estella Warren. How about the ever-leathery Mickey Rourke? David Arquette, minus his must-see-TV missus, the very pregnant Courtney Cox-Arquette, and Maxim's favorite tennis player, the ever-gorgeous Anna Kournikova. Oh yeah, and Paris Hilton.
Paris Hilton? Is she still famous? Why was she famous to begin with? And why can't I stop writing about her? Arrgh!
Getting inside Light was a nightmare, and once in, there was barely room to breathe. I was proud to be part of the scene after seeing the amount of excitement one of our clubs caused. Even the poker tournament caused a ruckus. A friend told me that Tobey Maguire, plus Leonardo DiCaprio were practically living at the tables all weekend. To Light and its hard-working staff: Well done!
Tis the season for awards
Coming up this weekend is the Las Vegas Weekly and Light's third annual Nightlife Awards—The Nightie's. Hopefully, my fine readers pay attention to things in the Weekly other than little ol' me, and noticed the ballots. Voting closed on the 19th, but you can check out the winners, at 10 p.m., Sunday, at Light.
Shouldn't it be called hyper-reality TV?
I don't care about Trump's comb-over or who gets kicked off the bloody island. But I'm not so jaded that I won't go and support some of our locals in the new FOX show, The Casino.
Friday, I went down to Ax's restaurant in the Golden Nugget, The Casino's casino, for a one-time shot for the series. It was organized and essentially starred Ra impresario Billy Richardson, Jr. According to sources, a whole episode will be dedicated to Richardson and the running of a Vegas nightclub. Cameras followed him throughout the night as he did what a club owner does: schmoozing, kicking out drunks, making sure everyone is having a good time, and even talking to dashing columnists.
The party was fun, and featured a sizzling fashion show with the girls of Trashy Lingerie. Look for The Casino to air this summer. If you think that's it for Vegas reality shows, you're out of your mind. Discovery Channel has one set at the Green Valley Ranch and I know of a super-secret reality show heading to MTV this fall. I can't say anymore, but I promise it'll be worth watching.
Antonio Llapur walks softly and carries a big club. E-mail him at [email protected].