Monday, December 13, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
NORM: Dion finds purpose in comforting 'gift'
Celine Dion chokes up when talking about her "gift" for giving comfort.
Donald Trump plans his big wedding.
Kiefer Sutherland takes in the rodeo.
Sen. Norm Coleman samples MGM food.
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A husband and wife who lost two sons in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center in New York wanted Celine Dion to have a badge that belonged to one of the slain siblings. One was a New York firefighter, the other a New York police officer.
In another instance, a woman who survived 9-11 recalled to Dion the horror of seeing one of the hijacked jets flying into her tower.
The Caesars Palace headliner has opened her dressing room and her heart to families seeking comfort through her music.
Often, with the show two minutes away, she's on the telephone offering words of hope to the dying because, she said, "I have this gift."
One man called and asked whether he could record Dion's comforting message to play over and over to his wife.
Others have died while she was holding their hand. "I heard their last breath," she said, choking up.
"I feel very fortunate. I feel like I'm escorting them to heaven," Dion said during a backstage interview after her show Saturday.
Dion starts a holiday break from her show today in Los Angeles, taping an installment of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" for a Friday airing. Tuesday, she's on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." She returns Dec. 28.
Music to the years
Are you ready for the "Viva Las Vegas" overture?
The Las Vegas Centennial Celebration Committee has commissioned three original music compositions to honor our city's 100th birthday.
One, assigned to Las Vegas Philharmonic associate conductor Richard McGee, will premiere at Hills Park during the annual July 4 concert.
Mayor Oscar Goodman will be there to mark the country's birthday as well as the Philharmonic's birthday. It's also the date chosen for the city's big centennial event.
Nationally renowned composer Dan Welcher of the University of Texas will premiere his composition at the Philharmonic's 2005-06 season opener in September.
Philharmonic music director Hal Weller hopes to find an internationally known composer for the third work.
The Scene and Heard
The Las Vegas Hilton has scheduled a news conference Tuesday for what it calls "a major entertainment announcement." The hunch here is that the Barry Manilow deal is ready to go public. ...
Invitations are out for the Jan. 22 wedding of Donald Trump and Melanie Knauss at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Fla. The reception is at Trump's exclusive Mar-a-Lago Club with "no cameras, recording devices, PDAs, pagers or cell phones allowed at the ceremony, dinner or reception." Among the Las Vegas-connected invitees: Steve and Elaine Wynn, Paul Anka and Elton John. My invitation must have been lost in transit. Again. ...
Tyler Florence of the Food Network filmed his Christmas special at the Lake Las Vegas home of Jay and Evi Allen. It will air at noon today and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Sightings
Keira Knightley, star of "Pirates of the Caribbean," on Saturday night at the Palms ghostbar. ... Actor Kiefer Sutherland and Florida Marlins pitcher Josh Beckett at the National Finals Rodeo over the weekend. ... Cedric the Entertainer, hanging out at Body English (Hard Rock Hotel) on Friday and Saturday night. ... U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., who has been heading up the investigation of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the U.N. Food for Oil program, breakfasting Sunday at the MGM Grand.
The Punch Line
"Cheese: milk's leap toward immortality." -- "Information Please" host Clifton Fadiman
Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.
