Red Carpet Report: Brad Garrett engaged, Michael Boychuck, Shirley Chung, New Year’s Eve
Congratulations to comedy king Brad Garrett of Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club at MGM Grand on his engagement (finally!) to longtime girlfriend Isabella Quella. She has been at his side since 2008 and his arrival here.
At his celebrity poker tournament in September, which we reported here, I asked the “Everybody Loves Raymond” star if marriage was finally nearing. Brad just smiled knowingly but didn’t deny it.
Brad, 56, reportedly gave his 32-year-old gal pal a large engagement ring over the weekend while on vacation in Italy.
WHAT AN HONOR
Members of the world’s oldest and most prestigious gastronomic society flew in from as far away as South Africa for my induction into Chaine des Rotisseurs at Keep Memory Alive Center.
Chefs Mark Sandoval, Terry Fong, Gustav Mauler, Luciano Pellegrino and Benoit Cornet served the six-course meal with wine pairings as Bellagio servers and dining room manager Mark Gilbert attended to 300 guests at the conference honoring me with Lifetime Achievement Award.
I feel proud yet humbled by the recognition for my chef contributions on television and in print for the past four decades. Once I had the ribbon and chain placed around my neck, chapter members from America, Canada and Europe that I’ve reported on stepped forward to pin it with their medals.
‘ONE DROP’ ADDITION
Cirque du Soleil’s “One Night for One Drop” creators are keeping it all in the family. “Zumanity” at New York-New York performers Nicky and Laetitia Dewhurst, who cast Nick’s father, Brian Dewhurst, the clown from “Mystere” at T.I., as the older circus ringmaster, The Traveler, have now cast her brother, Perry Ray.
Perry will be “One Drop’s” The Timekeeper who teaches Brian a lesson that he won’t forget in the March 3 production, the fifth-annual benefit for the water charity One Drop, at “Zumanity” Theater.
PRESTIGIOUS AWARD
My hair guru friend Michael Boychuck of Color Salon at Caesars Palace has been welcomed into Intercoiffure membership with a Mondial certificate. Intercoiffure is the most prestigious hair and business organization around the world for the past 85 years and is comprised of only the top 1 percent of salon owners.
Michael, who’ll fly to New York for the ceremonies and launch his line of haircare products and makeup brushes, is the only salon owner here to win the recognition.
NEW YEAR’S EXTRAVAGANCE
How would you like to help a DJ with the New Year’s Eve countdown? You can for a cool $60,000 at Surrender in Steve Wynn’s Encore. The ultimate VIP package also includes a multicourse dinner for you and 11 friends at Andrea’s.
Afterward, your table awaits alongside the DJ booth where drinks include a 6-liter Methuselah bottle of Perrier Jouet, a Bell Epoque rose champagne bottle signed by DJ Snake, four bottles of other liquors, then shortly before midnight, you join him in the DJ booth for the countdown.
‘TOP CHEF’ — AGAIN
Former The Venetian and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas chef Shirley Chung is a returning cheftestant on Season 14 of Bravo’s “Top Chef” premiering Dec. 1. In a twist, eight new chefs will unpack their knives to compete against eight chefs from past seasons who didn’t win. Shirley, who has her own restaurant in Orange County, lost Season 11 in New Orleans. This old vs. new blood season is shot in Charleston, S.C.
Las Vegas chef Tom Colicchio continues as head judge and is joined by Gail Simmons, Padma Lakshmi and Graham Elliot, long rumored to be opening his Chicago restaurant here. Challenges include Sudden Death Quickfire, cooking for BBQ king Rodney Scott and country star Darius Rucker, Feast of Seven Fishes, shrimp and grits and dishes for culinary royalty.
GRAB A DRUMSTICK
November is International Percussion Month, so our pals at Recycled Percussion are celebrating by letting you grab a drumstick and make music with everything from buckets to power tools in their show at V Theater in Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.
Recycled Percussion is a hands-on experience of gravity-defying, comedic rock music explosions with the quartet of performers.
HALLOWEEN WRAPUP
Adult entertainment stars Asa Akira and Joanna Angel dressed in matching cheerleader costumes for Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop’s annual Wicked Halloween Ball at Paris Las Vegas on Monday. Asa, who hosted the 30th annual AVN Awards in 2015, has 82 nominations. Joanna runs her website and film production Burning Angel here.
More than 25,000 revelers packed into Fremont Street for the classic “Rocky Horror Picture Show” Halloween screening and party with bands on all three stages.
TOPGOLF SURVEILLANCE
Reality-TV, athletes and DJs have kept the staff hopping at Topgolf. Martin Garrix and Brody Jenner kept it low key sipping on water through the night while Dennis Rodman watched football from The Yard. Later, Dillon Francis and Charley Hoffman played on the venue’s third floor in separate bays.
UPCOMING DATES
DJ Steve Aoki is hosting “Bowling for Brains” on Nov. 15 at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas in The Linq Promenade with proceeds divided by Keep Memory Alive and Steve’s foundation. He’s asked me to act as auctioneer, and packages include a skydiving adventure with him and a day on Dan Bilzerian’s yacht on Lake Mead for cliff jumping and more with his ladies.
The two guys also will take the winning bidder on dune-buggy races. Steve will treat another winning bidder to a visit at his Playhouse to hear new music in his studio, jump in his foam pit, dive from his roof into the pool and enjoy dinner at his L.A. restaurant before the private jet ride back here for his nightclub set.
