Wayne Brady to be at Jet for celebration. Katie Couric in LV for CBS event. Expectations are high for Cirque du Soleil's upcoming "Love."

The Mirage opens the curtain tonight on a new Beatles era.

Early buzz suggests it could be a dazzling magic carpet ride, even for a city that's seen everything.

"Love," Cirque du Soleil's much-anticipated collaboration with The Beatles, begins a four-week preview run before the June 30 gala premiere.

The jaw dropping segment, from the raves I'm hearing, is the bubble scene during "Strawberry Fields Forever."

During a media preview 10 days ago, the accompanying video for "Strawberry Fields" was not the real deal. The producers were holding back some of their theatrical firepower.

In the scene, a piano rises from below the stage. Near the end of the segment, Cirque characters remove liquid from the top of the piano and fill the theater with stunning bubbles.

Another highlight: In the "Octopus's Garden" segment, a large drape steals the scene. First, it acts as a tent over the stage and audience, before being sucked into a stage opening.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

The rumblings are growing louder that Steve Wynn is calling for a major overhaul of "Le Reve." Word is he's come to the conclusion that it's too close to Cirque's "O," which producer Franco Dragone helped put together at Bellagio. ...

Hot spots and cool stuff: Former Las Vegas resident Wayne Brady celebrates his 36th birthday tonight at Jet (The Mirage). ... Nicky Hilton is appearing at Pure (Caesars Palace) tonight to celebrate the launch of her new jewelry line. ... NBC has another audition for "Deal or No Deal" from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Las Vegas Hilton. For more information: www.nbc.com.

MAY I RECOMMEND ...

First Friday, Las Vegas' biggest block party after New Year's Eve, celebrates everything artsy from 6 to 10 p.m. today. There's live music, and food and art for all ages. Park free at the Clark County Government Center and ride a free trolley.

SIGHTINGS

All the stars were in perfect alignment Thursday. How else to explain French superstar chefs Joel Robuchon, Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy in Las Vegas on the same day? Ducasse was dining with Jerome Bocuse, son of legendary chef Paul Bocuse, at Savoy's new restaurant on Thursday in the new Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace. ... Peace broke out at the media opening Wednesday of "Bareback," the randy revue at Harrah's: Long-feuding "La Cage" stars Frank Marino and Jimmy Emerson were spotted chatting in the valet area with Kenny Kerr, Marino's nemesis. And producer Dick Feeney was seen giving Breck Wall a huge bear hug at the VIP pre-party. Those two have been tied up in litigation for two years over the rights to "Bottom's Up." Furthermore, they all ended up in the same booth during the show and no one got stabbed with a stiletto heel. ... CBS sports guys Phil Simms and Jim Nance at Michael's (Barbary Coast) on Wednesday night. They're in town for the CBS affiliates convention at Bellagio. So is Katie Couric, who spent Day One of Life After NBC in Las Vegas.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Street vendors selling Ringo Dogs" -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Signs Beatles May Be Here Tonight (1994).

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