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Sunday, October 14, 2001
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal COLUMN: NORM! Wynn plans show by Cirque du Soleil creator
Steve Wynn dropped a secret of his own on Saturday: plans include a show by the creator of Cirque du Soleil. Speaking at the Bakersfield Business Conference on Saturday, Wynn announced he was publicly stating for the first time that his new project will be named after Picasso's famed painting Le Reve, French for "The Dream." His wife, Elaine, had leaked that news to Harper's Bazaar in its October issue. He also revealed for the first time that the Cirque du Soleillike show will be one of the anchor entertainment productions. Wynn has been in discussions for some time with Cirque creator Franco Dragone. Wynn, who brought "Mystere" to the Treasure Island and "O" to the Bellagio, said the plot is about a Himalayan village that has not seen outsiders for 300 years and everyone there can fly until they turn 11 years of age. At the center of the plot is a child who is upset that he will no longer be able to fly once he turns 11. He pursues various adventures to seek the ability to continue to fly, Wynn told the group. A knightly proposal A week that started with a called-off wedding was saved by one sweet knight. There is no celebrity angle to this story, no show biz connection and no last names. What we have is a photo and Ru Grant's eyewitness account. Grant, marketing coordinator at Belz Factory Outlet Mall, was called last week by a young man named Brian, who asked if he could wear an armored suit into the mall on Thursday for a marriage proposal at the carousel. Grant gave him the green light. Brian and his girlfriend met last New Year's Eve, said Grant. "They're both 28. They were supposed to be married on Oct. 11," the day Brian arrived at the mall as a knight in shining armor. "I don't know why they postponed it," said Grant. Brian indicated that he had not officially proposed, said Grant. In on the secret was the young woman's mother, who brought her daughter to the mall, where Brian was waiting to pop the question. But before that, he had something else up his metal sleeve. After they took a spin on the carousel -- with Brian astride a white horse -- he dropped to one knee, pulled out a box containing the ring and proposed. She accepted, and this time we're betting the deal is ironclad. Security! For a few seconds, the capacity crowd attending the Casino Legends Hall of Fame inductions thought the man shouting in the aisle was part of Friday's program. He wasn't. "This is a conspiracy that's happening here today," hollered the middle-age man as he walked toward the stage of the Tropicana's Tiffany Theatre, delivering a disjointed speech. "Here's where Sinatra worked; here's where Dean Martin worked. What's happening to America? Everybody's going crazy." Emcee Bob Anderson asked for security to remove the man. "You're lucky Sinatra wasn't here," responded Anderson, "or you would have been shot, buddy." Steve Cutler, curator of the Tropicana-based Hall of Fame, said both Sinatra and Martin are in the hall. The Scene and Heard In a bizarre twist, that tangle of steel and rubble being cleared away at 925 E. Desert Inn Road is what remains of Las Vegas' World Trade Center. U-Haul founder Leonard Schoen hoped to turn the property, known for its Roman statuary out front, into a casino. Demolished last week, the building was purchased by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to be turned into a parking lot. Sightings Dropping in to perform at The Bootlegger on Friday night: Clint Holmes, Frankie Randall, Dennis Bono, Grant Griffin, April Spain and, of course, the singing Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt with her husband, Blackie Hunt, on the piano and Sonny King joining in. Oscar-winning child star Margaret O'Brien was in the audience. ... Prominent restaurateur Gino Ferraro, taking a break from his duties at Ferraro's Cafe on Friday night to attend Cimarron-Memorial High School's homecoming game. Daughter Gina was named homecoming queen. The Punch Line "A comedian is a fellow who finds other comedians too humorous to mention." -- Jack Herbert Norm Clarke's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can reach him at 383-0244 or norm_clarke@lvrj.com.
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