Red Carpet Report: Criss Angel’s $100K donation, gross-out illusion with Paige VanZant
I have just learned that MINDREAK LIVE! at The Luxor headliner magician Criss Angel anonymously donated $100,000 to the St. Baldrick’s children’s cancer charity this year to put it into record-breaking territory. Next year’s date is set for Saturday, March 4, so mark your calendars now. Criss premieres his one-hour A&E special TRICK’D UP on Oct. 12.
The late Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson, actor Gary Oldham, DJ Steve Aoki, comic Andrew Dice Clay and UFC stars Frank Mir, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Paige VanZant join him for the astonishing demonstrations.
It’s the shocking, gruesome video of Paige that’s the most incredible illusion ever seen. WARNING: It is very graphic! She is pulled in two without any cover-up. As a result, you see her intestines — blood and all — stretched to beyond belief!
MARK IN THE DARK
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is expected as Hillary Clinton’s guest at tonight’s first presidential debate trying to throw Donald Trump off kilter. But if Donald knew just how big a tipper Mark is reportedly at one of our topless men’s clubs, he could turn the tables.
Security there loves to tell the story of Mark’s outsized tips to all of them to keep the lights turned down low and cameras off when he entertains strippers in private, dimly lit skyboxes.
“We know what goes on. You can easily imagine, but we don’t say anything,” one of them told me. “His huge tips buy our silence, so nobody bothers him about his hours in the dark with the girls.”
BRITNEY SOARS
Axis at Planet Hollywood pop princess Britney Spears turned in an epic show Night 2 of the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena and won raves. One reviewer said, “Britney wowed the crowd, shimmering on the star-studded stage and established herself as Queen of Sin City.” But there was no time to revel in the adulation because she had to jet for England and Tuesday night headlines Apple Music Festival at London’s Roundhouse as part of the 10-night blowout in the British capital.
Ryan Seacrest, John Stamos and Taylor Lautner introduced her as concertgoers screamed when she landed onstage in a long-sleeve military coat. It took only her first song, “Work Bitch,” for her to strip down to a crop top with leather arms and mini-skirt for “Womanizer.” Her 30-minute showcase was a spellbinding dazzler with dancers holding her aloft for “I’m a Slave 4 U,” then “Do You Wanna Come Over” from her newly released album, “Glory.”
She delivered on “Toxic,” then “Stronger,” followed by “You Drive Me Crazy.” G-Eazy joined her on “Make Me” to wrap up the high-energy set, and they left arm in arm under confetti. The Backstreet Boys, new Axis at Planet Hollywood headliners, were surprise performers, first with Florida Georgia Line, then after Kathy Griffin introduced them.
‘ABSINTHE’ STAYS
The racy and outrageous show ABSINTHE has to stay under the tent at Caesars Palace, as I said two weeks ago. I wrote, “No move just yet to The Cosmopolitan as planned.” Base Entertainment, which co-produces The Gazillionaire’s show with chanteuse Melody Sweets starring as the Green Fairy burlesque beauty, says the show will stay at Caesars “into next year and beyond.”
The current contract upheld by a judge’s ruling in our Clark County District Court honors the lease through October 2018 unless Base and Spiegelworld settle their ticket-sales dispute. As I suggested, they should sit as gentlemen, resolve the feud, split the difference, perhaps do one year more, then relocate.
FAIRY GODMOTHER
Tattooed blonde beauty Sabina Kelley, who moved to Australia this year from Las Vegas, was fairy godmother award presenter at the 12th London International Tattoo Convention over the weekend. It’s the most exciting spectacular and resoundingly successful celebration of body art in the world.
More than 400 of the world’s finest, most prestigious and elite tattoo artists, including Tim Hendrix of New York Ink and Japanese legend Shige, were accredited to showcase their sensational talents in public at the expo.
‘SOLO STRIPS’
It will be midnight when the first articles of clothing are shed at the sixth-annual SOLO STRIPS fundraiser tonight at the ABSINTHE tent. More than 400 guests are expected to shower $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills over the performers from Cirque du Soleil, STEVE WYNN’S SHOWSTOPPERS, CHIPPENDALES and Jennifer Romas and Alexandria Halbauer from SEXXY celebrating its 400th show Wednesday at Westgate Las Vegas.
We’ll have a SOLO STRIPS report Tuesday despite the 2 a.m. Tuesday end time. Director and producer Ryan Lyons and MC Bryan Chan hope to raise $20,000 for Aid for AIDS of Nevada and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
DISAPPEARING MAGIC
Magic Magazine publisher Stan Allen, who had hoped to produce 24 special editions of a Magic Legacy publication now that he’s ending the run of the monthly, has had to give up on those ambitious plans. Instead, he will do one final magazine Issue No. 301 in November, and that will be it. He cites a shortfall in subscribers to offset the expense of the special editions.
KELLY’S CO-HOST?
Could Planet Hollywood headliner magician Murray Sawchuck be Kelly Ripa’s co-host on her talk show LIVE WITH KELLY? She just announced that Murray is among 40 finalists who submitted quick videos to extol their virtues at hosting. Murray was visiting his mother in Vancouver, B.C., when he got word, so he recorded his last video on his iPhone in her backyard.