Wynn Las Vegas owner Steve Wynn generated headlines and nightmares when he damaged Pablo Picasso's "Le Reve." Photo by The Associated Press

The No. 1 celebrity story of 2006 in Las Vegas came out of the blue last weekend.

A dark Nevada sky, to be more precise.

The surprising Christmas week arrival of pop icon Michael Jackson tops our list, edging Steve Wynn's big oops, a warm embrace of "Love" and the rebirth of Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club.

Jackson reportedly plans to live here and make a comeback.

Wynn's Midas touch temporarily deserted him in October when he accidentally poked a hole in his pride and joy, Pablo Picasso's "Le Reve."

Wynn had just finalized a $139 million deal for the painting he purchased for $48.4 million in 1997 when he punched a dollar-size hole in the painting known in French as "The Dream."

A perfect marriage of The Beatles and Cirque du Soleil gave us "Love," a nostalgic jolt of John, Paul, George and Ringo.

One of the biggest sports stories of the year came with a local tie-in. Janet Gretzky, wife of hockey god Wayne Gretzky, came under intense scrutiny after a gambling scandal broke just days before he was to coach Canada in the Winter Olympics. She allegedly placed bets with Phoenix assistant coach Rick Tocchet, who was said to have ties to a gambling ring.

The story heated up when my spies said the Gretzkys had lost more than $2 million in Las Vegas casinos.

In November, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears had paparazzi crawling over themselves to get the money shot of the two party girls on the town together for the first time.

Palms owner George Maloof, who opened a new fantasy-suites tower that included the first Playboy Club in decades, created more headlines when he took Spears on a pricey frock-buying spree that apparently didn't include stops for underwear.

Barbra Streisand gave us a chuckle when we learned she was playing blackjack in the MGM Grand's high-roller Mansion for the grand sum of $15 a hand.

Big tippers Andre Agassi and Smokey Robinson warmed our hearts with their generosity. Agassi turned a $10,000 stake on the black jack table at the Red Rocks resort into $25,000 and pushed it back to the dealers. Robinson not only sang some of his Motown hits during dinner at Lotus of Siam, but picked up the tab for everyone and left a $500 tip.

In another masterpiece of PR, Liza Minnelli won new fans with her free 1 a.m. concert for show kids in the Luxor Theatre, a throwback to the days when she and Sammy Davis Jr. entertained the entertainers.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

A spy tells me the west-of-the-Strip mansion Jackson has settled into is a 10-bedroom, 11-bath, 20,000-square foot private estate owned by San Francisco real estate mogul Luke Brugnara, who earlier this year tried to buy the Crazy Horse Too topless club. The never-lived-in palatial home features full-sized basketball and tennis courts, and a 3,000-square foot master suite with a 2,000-square-foot closet.

SIGHTINGS

John Tesh, with family members, at Sushi Roku (Forum Shops at Caesars) on Wednesday. The group later took in Jerry Seinfeld's show and attended "Phantom: The Spectacular" on Thursday. ... Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers, with his wife, Tana, at "Love" (Mirage) on Wednesday. Also there: Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt with her boyfriend, actor Ross McCall, and family members, including her mother. Plus actor Jack Coleman of "Heroes." ... At Tao (Venetian) on Wednesday: Comedian Pauly Shore, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and ultimate fighter Chuck Liddell. ... At Tabu (MGM Grand): Liddell, drinking Voss water all night, and KI fighter Roy Sefo, at another table.

MAY I RECOMMEND ...

Best views of the New Year's Eve fireworks show: Pure nightclub, Caesars Palace; ghostbar, Palms; House of Blues Foundation Room, Mandalay Bay; Voodoo Lounge, Rio and Mix, The Hotel at Mandalay Bay.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Google is now offering maps of the moon for Internet users. Let me tell you, if you are so lost you need a map of the moon you had better just stop and pull over and ask for help." -- Jay Leno

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