‘Britney Day’ ceremony leaves out key event
After all the uproar about who should — or shouldn’t — be presenting ceremonial keys to celebrities, guess what happened?
The key presentation got lost in the hoopla of “Britney Day,” a corporate salute to Planet Hollywood headliner Britney Spears.
Photographers assigned to get the money shot were livid when the ceremony on The Linq promenade ended without the presentation of the key to the iconic Strip.
Frustrated shouts of “Give her the key!” were heard from the riser where the photographers were assigned.
The key presentation was left out of the program after Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak went off-script and was in the wrong spot, a source said, creating some confusion.
A key presentation was later photographed backstage by a lone photographer with Spears, Sisolak and David Hoenemeyer, regional president of Planet Hollywood Resort.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman might consider Sisolak’s miscue a case of karmic payback.
Sisolak’s feud with Goodman went public in this column Wednesday when she accused him of having her being disinvited from the event.
Goodman said Spears’ camp had called in September and scheduled a Key to the City presentation for “Britney Day.”
But Goodman said she was informed two weeks ago by a Caesars Entertainment rep that Sisolak would be handling the presentation. The reason: The event was not in the City of Las Vegas.
Goodman called the political power play “ridiculous, infantile.”
During Wednesday’s event, it was announced that Planet Hollywood is adding 36 additional performances of “Britney: Piece of Me,” which the news release referred to as “massively successful.”
Also announced: Spears is partnering with Zappos and the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, with $1 of every ticket to Spears’ show being donated to NCCF.
CASE CLOSED
Joe Lombardo, the eventual winner of the Clark County sheriff’s race, was seconds away from a live TV election night update Tuesday outside La Comida restaurant when the sound of deafening music erupted.
The culprit: a band doing a sound check at the Beauty Bar, just down the alley.
La Comida general manager Rafael Ramirez spotted the perfect noise cop to put on the case. Ramirez sent Corey Harrison of the “Pawn Stars” reality show into action.
Within a few minutes, the noise disappeared. Harrison is part-owner of the Beauty Bar.
Lombardo, the assistant sheriff under outgoing Sheriff Doug Gillespie, outdistanced retired Capt. Larry Burns by a 51 percent to 49 percent vote margin in the race.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Joey and Frankie Scinta will be honored with the Louis Prima Award by The Showbiz Society at the Gold Coast on Sunday. The event begins at 1 p.m. with a three-course meal. Reservations: 702-877-2278. ...
Renowned photographer Art Wolfe was in Las Vegas long enough to make a PBS-sponsored appearance Wednesday at Rotella Gallery at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. The adventures are nonstop for the host of PBS’ popular “Travels to the Edge.” Wolfe told me he is on his way to Antarctica for an assignment in a rented Russian ship (“a floating photo workshop”), then to Iceland “before the volcano stops erupting,” and then on to Uganda and Tanzania to photograph mountain gorillas. All that by Jan. 10. Many of Wolfe’s remarkable photographs are on display at the gallery.
SIGHTINGS
The rock group Kiss, landing on the roof of the Hard Rock Hotel in a helicopter on Wednesday to kick off their first residency there. … At The Griddle Café (SLS) on Thursday: singer Eric Benet, sharing blueberry pancakes with pals. … Hulk Hogan’s son, Nick, and ex-wife Linda, having champagne at Surrender (Encore at Wynn) on Wednesday after a day at the SEMA auto industry trade show. … Also at SEMA: Paul Stanley of Kiss, car racing legend Mario Andretti and drag racing royalty John Force and daughters Brittany and Courtney.
THE PUNCH LINE
“According to date from (the election) midterms, only 13 percent of the voters were under 30 years old. So America didn’t rock the vote so much as we soft-rocked the vote.” — Seth Myers
Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or email him at norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
