The Cirque du Soleil production "Ka," at the MGM Grand, was among the best theater of 2005, a Time magazine critic says. Photo by Christine H. Wetzel.
One million dollars was tip money to Kerry Packer, the Australian gazillionaire who died this week.
"He regularly tipped Bellagio dealers $1 million. All 700 dealers would get a cut," recalled Bobby Baldwin, on the telephone from his office as Mirage Resorts president and chief executive officer.
Advertisement
I called Baldwin to ask him about some Packer stories that had the ring of urban myth.
The story about the Texan?
"True," Baldwin said.
Packer was at one table and the Texan, playing one table over, wanted some bigger action.
Packer turned him down. "The other guy said, 'I'm a big player too. I'm worth a hundred million.'
"Kerry said, 'If you really want to gamble, I'll flip you for it (the $100 million).'•" The Texan quietly went back to his game.
And Packer's monster tip to an MGM Grand cocktail server?
Also true, Baldwin said.
"He liked the service the girl was providing. He asked her if she had a mortgage. She said yes, and he said, 'Bring it in tomorrow and I'll pay it off for you.' It was for $150,000."
The $200,000 bets per hand?
Also true.
"He was a legendary character," Baldwin said. "He dwarfed the other guys (noted whales the Sultan of Brunei and Adnan Khashoggi, the arms dealer). Kerry played higher, and he played for 40 years."
Local entertainment agent Joey Battig recalls seeing Packer lose $6 million in six hours at the Bellagio and leaving a $1 million tip.
"Then we went to Club Paradise until 3 a.m., and he tipped the girls $30,000. Just to dance for him; no lap dancing."
One more story from a Packer pal who asked for anonymity: Packer, a lifelong chain smoker, paid Vegas magician-hypnotist Marshall Sylver $100,000 to get him to stop smoking.
"He paid $100,000 in advance, and Sylver went to The Mirage to hypnotize him. It worked. He stopped -- for about 45 minutes."
BAD NEWS BEARS
Remember last year's Las Vegas Bowl, when UCLA sent home two starters for undisclosed disciplinary reasons?
According to the El Paso Times, the two Bruins showed up drunk at a team meeting early in the bowl workouts here. It gets worse: They threw up in front of their coaches and teammates, the newspaper said.
UCLA felt even sicker after losing 24-21 to Wyoming. The 9-2 Bruins are playing Northwestern, 7-4, in Friday's 72nd annual Vitalis Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
The Las Vegas Hilton confirmed the rumors Wednesday: David Brenner's headliner gig at the Shimmer Cabaret ends Friday after a 16-month run. "Menopause The Musical" moves into the venue on Feb. 1. ...
Time magazine ranks Cirque du Soleil's "Ka," at the MGM Grand, as the No. 2 show in top theater. Critic Richard Corliss says the $165 million action musical, written and directed by Robert Lepage, is "unquestionably the most technically complex show ever devised, achieving marvels Broadway is too timid and strapped even to dream of." Renè Dupèrè's "rich, throbbingly romantic music" is easily the year's best new score, Corliss wrote.
SIGHTINGS
Oscar winner Halle Berry dining Wednesday at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. ... Jerry Seinfeld, sharing the stage during old pal George Wallace's show Tuesday night at the Flamingo Las Vegas.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Rapper Snoop Dogg is now doing commercials for Chrysler. This marks the first time that Snoop has recommended a dealer that sells cars." -- Conan O'Brien
