Red Carpet Report: Michael Jackson, Elton John, Calvin Harris, Britney Spears, ‘DWTS’ partners
It was a glorious tribute to the onetime King of Pop when executors of The Estate of Michael Jackson joined with Cirque du Soleil’s MICHAEL JACKSON ONE at Mandalay Bay for the fourth-annual, three-day birthday extravaganza to celebrate what would have been Michael’s 58th birthday Monday.
To kick off the festivities Saturday, members of the estate unveiled a piece of Michael memorabilia — the white-and-blue pinstripe suit and matching white fedora worn by Michael in the short film for “Smooth Criminal,” the sixth of nine short films to be produced by The King of Pop for recordings from “Bad,” one of the bestselling albums of all time.
It was in “Smooth Criminal” that the singer debuted one of his most recognizable dance moves — the anti-gravity lean. The celebration continued Sunday when the boutique revealed three never-before-seen paintings created by artist Nate Giorgio inspired by the key art of ONE.
Photographs of when Michael celebrated his 16th birthday backstage after a 1974 show at MGM Grand also were on display from Las Vegas News Bureau. On Michael Jackson’s birthday, cast members from ONE delivered a performance newly created for the 58th birthday with an explosive dance number inside the theater set to Michael’s “Another Part of Me.”
Festivities also included a book signing by author Michael Bush, followed by a reception with VIP guests including members of the Estate and ONE writer-director Jamie King, choreographers Rich and Tone Talauega, music director Kevin Antunes and cast members.
HOT OFF THE GRILL!
Kick it up a notch chef Emeril Lagasse has appointed longtime pal Jean Paul Labadie as chef de cuisine at his New Orleans Fish House in MGM Grand. It’s a reunion because Jean Paul worked there in 1996. Most recently, Jean Paul was chef de cuisine at Searsucker in Caesars Palace.
Jean Paul, who served as a judge on Bobby Flay’s THROWDOWN, also was featured and won The Food Network’s EXTREME CHEF. In 1996, Jean Paul worked at Emeril’s restaurant in New Orleans.
San Francisco chef Willy Ng is the culinary genius behind five of the restaurant concepts opening at Lucky Dragon hotel casino this fall just off the Strip. Executive chef Phuoc Luu moves from Golden Nugget and chef Jacky Leung from The Palazzo to run the culinary portfolio:
Dragon Alley will be a vibrant, street-food, lantern-lit, night-market adventure; Jewel Kitchen will be the only show kitchen in the Valley that extends onto the casino; Pearl Ocean will have all-day dim sum cart service with live seafood room where fish are flown in daily from the South China coast; Phoenix will offer modern Chinese, cutting-edge culinary trends; and Bao Now Lounge will serve meals and snacks 24 hours a day.
Lucky Dragon’s lobby and pool area will blend into an indoor/outdoor tea garden with the only tea sommelier in Las Vegas. It’s all about tranquility with a waterfall, mosaic sculptures, oak trees and shoreline swimming pond. The nine-story, 203-room hotel with 27,500 square feet of gaming is set to open before year’s end.
APPLE MUSIC FESTIVAL
Three Las Vegas headliners will trek across the Atlantic Ocean for the prestigious, 10-night, 10th Apple Music Festival in London. Caesars headliner Sir Elton John opens the festival Sept.18, and resident DJ Calvin Harris from nearby Omnia is the star attraction Sept. 23.
Then Britney Spears, who headlines BRITNEY: PIECE OF ME at Caesars Entertainment’s Planet Hollywood in Axis at Planet Hollywood, performs Sept. 27.
All the shows, which also include One Republic, Alicia Keys and Michael Buble, will be broadcast live on Apple Music.
DANCE LINEUP
ABC’s DANCING WITH THE STARS producers confirmed this morning the star lineup of Season 23 starting Sept. 12 that we reported Monday. Olympic champion swimmer Ryan Lochte will be teamed with Cheryl Burke and former Las Vegas resident Derek Hough with actress Marilu Henner. Derek’s sister, Julianne Hough, returns as a judge.
LE REVE — The DREAM choreographer Maksim Chmerkovskiy will dance with model Amber Rose. Las Vegas regulars Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and rapper Vanilla Ice will dance with Allison Holker and Witney Carson, respectively.
The big surprise: Former Texas Gov. and Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry will be a contestant aiming for the mirror-ball trophy with pro-partner Emma Slater.
PREVIEW SHOWS
All first responders and military personnel will enjoy a 2-for-1 ticket offer when the new show CHERRY BOOM BOOM opens for previews Sept. 8 through 19 at The Tropicana. Previews will continue through Sept. 28 until the end-of-the-month grand opening.
CHERRY BOOM BOOM features 12 dancers, specialty acts, aerialists, musicians, two comedia del arte actors and The Boomettes, who will welcome guests to the playground of sex, music, love and rock and roll.
POKER POWER
Right after Labor Day next Monday, the WSOP Global Casino Championship Final Table will kick off the 2016 schedule at 7 p.m. PT on ESPN2. The WSOP coverage continues with the Main Event beginning Sept. 11 and ending with a three-day live Final Table from Oct. 30 through Nov. 1.
Poker players Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Laak will provide analysis for commentators Lon McEachern and Norman Chad and roving reporter Kara Scott. ESPN is introducing a newly redesigned set. For the first time during the Main Event, a techno-jib camera will be used for table shots.
CLOSING & OPENING
You have just one day remaining to visit famed drug lord El Chapo’s Great Escape getaway before it closes Downtown at The Mob Museum to make way for a new display of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs opening Friday.
The display is at the museum because outlaw bikes are prevalent in 41 countries on six continents. The gangs engage in drug-and-firearms trafficking, theft, extortion and other forms of organized crime.