Frank Marino roast promises fireworks

Oh, this should be rich.

Drag legend and one-liner machine Frank Marino takes his turn in the hot seat Oct. 4 for the third edition of The Showbiz Roast.

Says producer Andy Walmsley: “Roasting our most flamboyant Vegas headliner gives us license to go ridiculously over the top with production elements.”

Instead of a dozen roasters, Walmsley is going with eight and giving them five minutes each, up from three for the Oscar Goodman roast in July.

Walmsley will have five times more production numbers, Lon Bronson’s 11-piece band, eight dancers “and all sorts of bells of whistles.”

The Stratosphere is hosting the zingfest again, but this time on a Friday.

With Marino’s “Divas Las Vegas” show at The Quad dark on Fridays and the previous roasts scheduled on Tuesday, the Stratosphere showroom’s dark night, Walmsley had a problem.

But the Stratosphere’s Matt Mascali solved the dilemma by offering Claire Sinclair, the star of “Pinup,” the night off to accommodate the roast.

Look for Marino to give as good as he gets from a lineup of roasters that includes celebrity reporter Robin Leach, Plaza headliner Louie Anderson, singer Mark Shunock of “Rock of Ages,” Shayma Tash of “Chelsea Lately,” Frankie Scinta of The D, Geechy Guy of “America’s Got Talent” and Tropicana comedy magician Murray Sawchuck.

The musical performance lineup includes Sky Miles (Tropicana); Jeff Leibow, Travis Cloer, Rob Marnell and Graham Fenton (the “Jersey Boys”); Britney Spears impersonator Derrick Barry of Marino’s “Divas” cast; Melody Sweets of “Absinthe,” and the cast and dancers from “Divas” (choreographed by Nick Foote).

Comedy hypnotist Marc Savard will serve as roast master. There will be special appearances by John Katsilometes of the Las Vegas Sun, everyone’s favorite leprechaun Brian Thomas and Mateo Amieva of Criss Angel’s “Believe” show at Luxor.

Going small plays big

Miley Cyrus unveiled a troupe of little people at the iHeartRadio Music Feseival last weekend. Cyrus apparently borrowed the idea from friend and Las Vegas-bound showman Jeff Beacher, who has featured little people in “Beacher’s Madhouse” for years, here and in Hollywood.

Cyrus is a regular at the “Madhouse” in Hollywood.

Beacher, who is opening a “Madhouse” at the MGM Grand on New Year’s, threw a party for Cyrus at a private home here at the iHeart finale Saturday to celebrate her chart-topping success with “Wrecking Ball.”

Greeting Cyrus and her troupe at Beacher’s “animal house” party was a kangaroo, goats, a monkey and a 30-member marching band.

At 3:40 a.m. Sunday a photo of Cyrus cuddling a small kangaroo was posted on her Twitter site.

Also at the party was Drake, Ke$ha, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian with Scott Disick and other iHeart performers and special guests.

Oh, and who did Beacher escort to the Emmy’s on Sunday? He took Jordanna Jordan, one of Miley’s featured little people performers.

ASHBA MARRIES MODEL

Guns N’ Roses guitarist Daren Jay “DJ” Ashba married his Colombian girlfriend and model Nathalia Henao on Monday in Las Vegas.

They met three years ago in Rome and were engaged in August after a controversial romantic ride in a Las Vegas police helicopter.

About a dozen friends attended the wedding at the Little Church of the West, a tiny chapel famous for its celebrity weddings.

Ashba, 40, wore a black suit with a black tie. Henao, 21, was dressed in a white chiffon dress.

The helicopter controversy flared after Ashba thanked Las Vegas police for “the most amazing” ride over the city.

The tour ended in a field at police headquarters, where Ashba proposed with roses and champagne.

An internal affairs investigation was held to determine if any department policies or regulations were violated in granting the ride-along.

THE PUNCH LINE

“Chicago has now surpassed New York City as the murder capital of the United States. That’s really surprising since New York has twice as many NFL teams.” — Conan O’Brien

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. “Norm Clarke’s Vegas,” airs Thursdays on the “Morning Blend” on KTNV-TV, Channel 13.