Alain Ducasse makes Mix stand out at Mandalay Bay.
Wayne Brady offers hello to Flava Flav at Caesars.
Paula Abdul, a judge on "American Idol," won't get high marks from her fellow airline passengers, and she might be hearing from Homeland Security officials.
According to an Abdul spokesman, the former pop singer and dancer was running late Thursday, trying to make her Southwest flight at McCarran International Airport, when a group of fans mobbed her.
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A Southwest representative at the scene whisked her through a back access, bypassing security, and onto the Los Angeles-bound plane.
However, upon arrival in Burbank, it was announced that security had been breached, and no one could leave the plane until the re-screening process was completed.
Abdul, whose six No. 1 hits included "Rush, Rush," was trying to make the flight so she wouldn't miss Thursday's live "Idol" show.
A Southwest representative who was asked to respond did not return a call by deadline.
In January, two employees at the Silverton accused Abdul of having them fired from their graveyard-shift jobs because she says they caused her to miss a flight.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Word was circulating Thursday that the announcement of the Hard Rock Hotel sale could come as early as today, with Colony Capital and Rank Group, the parent company, in the mix. ...
The entertainment community is grieving the death of "Skintight" dancer Mel Ushakoff, who died Wednesday in a traffic accident at Tenaya Way and New Forest Drive. A former emcee of "Men of Russia" and a dancer in "Into the Night," Ushakoff, 32, had recently joined "Skintight" at Harrah's. His parents, from Monterey, Calif., were in town last weekend. It was the first time they saw him perform in the show. ...
Former strip club scion Michael Galardi has sold his 22,000-square-foot mansion for $14 million. He put it on the market for $20 million more than a year ago. ...
Speaking of the Oscars, no, I'm not getting my hopes up. Tonight is the night of my prime-time TV debut, and probably my swan song. I play myself -- always a challenge -- on NBC's first Friday night airing of "Las Vegas." My scene mate, Nikki Cox, is featured in Las Vegas Magazine's "10 Things I Love About Vegas," and making her list beats winning an Oscar. Thank you, Nikki!
MAY I RECOMMEND
Alain Ducasse's Mix restaurant atop The Hotel at Mandalay Bay is among my Top 10 must-sees because of the view, the $500,000 champagne chandelier and a marvelous menu. For reservations, call 632-9500.
SIGHTINGS
Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, tipping a cabby $20 for a ride to McCarran on Thursday. ... Wayne Brady, hailing Flava Flav as the latter walked past Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab at the Forum Shops at Caesars, where Brady was catching lunch at the Courtyard Cafe. Fans swarmed them for snapshots and autographs. ... A Bono lookalike had heads spinning at the Aladdin and Desert Passage this week. U2 was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Thursday night. ... Xzibit, host of MTV's "Pimp My Ride," rocking the house at the Outlaw Motorsports launch party at Pure (Caesars Palace) on Tuesday. In the crowd: comedian Tommy Davidson and the Outlaw owners Alex Anderson, Bobby McCurdy and Billy Richardson.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Today was the big final day of Mardi Gras. The drinking, the naked women, the partying all night. Or as Bode Miller called it, 'Olympic training.' " -- Jay Leno.
