Sunday, October 05, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: Roy's injury casts a pall on Strip

Sheryl Crow among performers at all-star gala Melissa Etheridge dining at Alize Billy Joel at Andre Agassi event Danny Gans

Somber news dimmed the Las Vegas Strip Saturday as word spread that Siegfried & Roy's Roy Horn underwent brain surgery after being mauled by one of his beloved white tigers.

Tennis star Andre Agassi called it "a terrible tragedy" Saturday as he prepared for his Grand Slam for Children, one of the city's largest all-star galas.

"Siegfried & Roy have been an institution in this town," he said at a preshow news conference at the MGM Grand. "They helped give it the aura and sort of the faith that makes all the people here believe that if you believe in it, it can come true."

Roy suffered severe neck wounds and blood loss after being attacked, on his 59th birthday, during Friday's 7:30 p.m. performance. The 175 cast members were informed the show has been canceled until at least Christmas.

Continuing the long entertainment tradition that the show must go on, Danny Gans, fellow headliner at The Mirage, went ahead with his show.

Gans dedicated the show to Horn during a preshow prayer meeting with his musicians.

Headliners along the Strip deleted bits from their shows that might be viewed as insensitive.

Harrah's comedy magician Mac King cut his closing segment, in which he promises the audience he will change himself into a white tiger and save them a ticket to see Siegfried & Roy.

"I don't know what I'm going to do from here on out, but I cut it today," said King. "I could hear people talking about (the attack) in line."

Monte Carlo resident magician Lance Burton trimmed two Siegfried & Roy bits, including a skit in which one of his signature fake doves kills a white tiger.

Frank Marino of "An Evening at La Cage" at the Riviera and Joe Trammel, host of the "Crazy Girls" revue at the Riviera, left out their usual references as well.

The Amazing Johnathan, who finishes his comedy-magic show at the Flamingo with perhaps the most infamous white tiger spoof, was on vacation.

The Scene and Heard

Billy Joel didn't let a broken wrist keep him from showing up at Agassi's event. The Piano Man fell down some stairs at his Long Island home last Saturday and broke his wrist -- for a third time. "I broke it boxing and in a motorcycle accident," he said during the news conference featuring the stars of the show: Sheryl Crow, Elton John, Sarah McLachlan, Dennis Miller, Pino, Robin Williams, Tears for Fears' Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, David Foster, Emeril Lagasse and 14-year-old Rene Olstead . ...

Elton John confirmed that he will be in Las Vegas Oct. 21 to announce details of his multiyear deal at The Colosseum. ...

Merika Rose, the Ritz-Carlton spa employee, didn't make the third round cut during Saturday's "American Idol" qualifying session in Hawaii.

Sightings

At the Agassi event: Tennis glamour gal Anna Kournikova and U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, with gal pal Mandy Moore. ... Melissa Etheridge, dining with a party of 10 at Alizé (Palms) on Friday. ... Jim Belushi, making some new fans on the tram Friday at McCarran International Airport. After chatting with the group on the way to the main terminal, he invited bartender Denise Logsdon, cocktail servers Tracy Kimmich, Teri Kendall and Lisa Oldroyd and their significant others to be his guests at his show at the House of Blues.

The Punch Line

"Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." -- G.K. Chesterton

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.