Monday, September 08, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: Norm!

`Survivor' creator scopes out Vegas

Celine Dion reaches 100 -- sellouts George Clooney set to film heist sequel Daddy Andre Agassi to return to Open Happy 24th to Pink, who celebrates a birthday today

Is CBS' "Survivor" series, normally set in distant exotic locations, heading for neon-splashed Las Vegas?

Mark Burnett, creator of the series, was in town over the weekend, checking out potential sites.

Burnett has a special interest in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area for "Survivor" and, sources say, he is exploring Las Vegas as a possible site for "The Casino," a spinoff of "The Restaurant," the NBC summer hit that followed the adventures of the opening of a New York City restaurant.

In the running for "The Casino" site are Tom Breitling and Tim Poster, the partners who parlayed their Travelscape.com success story into ownership of the Golden Nugget. Burnett reportedly met with the duo. Breitling and Poster could not be reached for comment.

"The Restaurant" concluded its summer 2003 run with the top ratings for any Sunday night program on any network among adults 18-49.

There is a possibility Burnett could make the conservation area part of a physical test for his eighth "Survivor" show.

"Survivor: Pearl Islands," the seventh installment, debuts Sept. 18 on CBS.

Burnett is also teaming with billionaire developer Donald Trump on "The Apprentice," a 13-episode reality show featuring candidates vying for a job with Trump.

Celine's 100

Celine Dion marked her 100th show Sunday night at Caesars Palace with an after-show party with 350 cast and crew members and a 60-pound chocolate mousse sheet cake in the Garden of the Gods pool area.

The 100 shows, all sellouts, represent the half-way mark of the first year of her three-year deal in the $95 million Colosseum built for the French-Canadian singing star.

ABC's "Primetime Monday" was on hand to film the milestone for its one-hour show, which airs Sept 15.

The Scene and Heard

With a second child on the way in two months, Andre Agassi is talking like he has some tough retirement decisions looming.

"Hard as it is for me to admit it, I'm probably going to suck it up and do it again," Agassi told reporters at the U.S. Open after his semifinal loss Saturday. "What keeps me going is I love the sport." ...

George Clooney, a big hit at the Venice Film Festival last week, said he is preparing for 11 weeks of shooting in Rome on the sequel to "Oceans' Eleven." France also will be a main location for the heist sequel. Joining the entire returning cast will be French tough-guy actor Vincent Cassel, husband of Italian actress Monica Bellucci, who played Persephone in "The Matrix Reloaded." ...

Happy birthday to rocker Pink, who turns 24 today. For unexplained reasons, the Las Vegas resident abruptly cancelled scheduled interviews when she hosted the Pimp 'n Ho Ball at the Palms last Sunday.

May I recommend

My double-dip dessert discoveries of the year: The coconut creme brulee and mango bread pudding at Pink Ginger, the new Asian restaurant at the Flamingo Las Vegas. An oh-so sinful ending. Reservations: 733-3111.

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