Sunday, October 24, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: DiCaprio to drop anchor in Vegas

Leonardo DiCaprio making Las Vegas his second home. Paris Hilton kicking the new year off at her new clubs.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton cast their votes for Vegas in separate business deals on Saturday.

DiCaprio made it official. He's making Las Vegas his second home. DiCaprio attended a groundbreaking event at the site of a tower where he will have a 27th floor Strip view.

Two hours later, Hilton announced she's joining forces with the new owners of the Aladdin, who will help launch her pink-drenched Planet Club Paris venture with a New Year's party. They also will build a suite for the headline-grabbing hotel heiress.

DiCaprio reportedly paid $1.5 million for an apartment at Panorama Towers, a three-tower partnership led by nightclub operator Andrew Sasson and Lawrence Hallier, the founder of Taxi Tops.

DiCaprio showed up in jeans, a jacket, a Kerry-Edwards T-shirt and wore his Los Angeles Dodgers cap backward. He did not address the crowd of 200 future neighbors who gathered in a tent set up at the site on Industrial Road, along Interstate 15.

Hilton, 23, attended her hastily called news conference with her Chihuahua Tinkerbelle. She told the media she will start her New Year's Eve celebration at the new Club Paris in Orlando, Fla., and then fly to Las Vegas on a private jet to cap the night at her club in the Aladdin, which was recently purchased by an investment group headed by Planet Hollywood founder and chairman Robert Earl.

The Scene

and Heard

A deal that will put pop singing phenom Jessica Simpson in a major Las Vegas property for 30 to 36 weeks will be inked this week, according to Joey Battig, her local agent. Simpson, who sang four songs at Thursday's kickoff of the new Forum Shops at Caesars, is shooting the remake of "The Dukes of Hazard" co-starring Burt Reynolds and Willie Nelson. She has signed a deal with ABC to do four TV specials in the next year ...

Celine Dion, during her appearance on Larry King's CNN's Thursday, said her son, Rene Charles, who turns 4 in January, "went to his own therapy for a while" to help deal with issues such as seeing the dancers "carry his mommy away." He has never seen the show as a member of the audience, but she predicts he will be in the crowd in the next year...

Elton John has a private outdoor party today on the Roman plaza near the entrance of the new Forum Shops at Caesars Palace to launch his new CD "Peachtree Road."

Sightings

Broadway icon Tommy Tune, in his signature red boots, greeting "Zumanity" cast and crew backstage after Friday's show, including some technicians he knew while starring in "EFX" at the MGM Grand. His guest book comment: "This show is high art. I am in awe." ... Pitchers Jeff Weaver and Brad Penney of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Jamey Wright of the Colorado Rockies, at Rain nightclub (Palms) on Friday ... Footwear designer Taryn Rose takes care of her own. After opening her same-named store at the new Forum Shops addition on Thursday, the Vietnamese-born orthopedic surgeon picked up the tab for bringing in her 35 employees from Los Angeles, plus a guest, for a Las Vegas weekend. It included a party at the store, dinner at N9NE Steak House and VIP treatment at Rain nightclub, both at the Palms.

The Punch Line

"Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well." -- Missy Dizick

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.Paris Hilton kicking the new year off at her new clubs.